Grand Turk Cruise Port

• The Grand Turk Cruise Center operated by Carnival Cruise Lines is a 14-acre welcome facility.
  
• The center has both a pool and beaches within walking distance.
  
• Nearby Cockburn Town is the islands' capital and historic district.

The Grand Turk cruise port is not a city like most cruise ports but a cruise center built by Carnival. It seems a logical thing to do on a small island of only 3,700 people midway between the Bahamas and better known locations to the south.

As a result, Grand Turk has become a common stop among eastern Caribbean cruise ports. Visitors will walk off the dock and onto a complex that includes not only a beach and pool but also dining, shopping excursions, car rentals, taxis and buses.

Turks & Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory. The islands are located 30 miles south of the Bahamas. Grand Turk is one of 40 islands that form the Turks and Caicos archipelago.

The island is approximately 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, which makes the island easy to tour by bus.


Visitors disembarking at the Grand Turk Cruise Center will find restaurants available in the center including a Jimmy Buffett's “Margaritaville” restaurant. Other restuarants include:

• Guanahani Restaurant & Bar in Bohio Resort, open for breakfast lunch and dinner with a menu that is both local and international.
  
• Osprey Beach Hotel, 1 Duke Street, with fresh fish, the catch of the day, lobster in season, as well as steaks, lamb and chicken.
  
• Manta House on Duke Street, a beach bar open for lunch and dinner.

Whale watching. Whale watching trips are available from late January through early April to see North Atlantic Humpback Whales take part in their annual migration and mating habits. The Grand Turk Lighthouse is a working lighthouse where visitors can picnic in the shade and watche whales during the migration season.

Recreation. Provo Golf Club is an 18-hole residential and community golf course that hosted the 2009 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship. The more adventurous can visit The Hole, a 40-foot-wide limestone hole in Providenciales where visitors can be lowered down a rope 80 feet to the bottom where they will find a swimming hole.

Water excursions. Snorkeling and diving is popular thanks to a reef that is 200 miles long and 65 miles wide. Options include West Caicos, Providenciales Northwest Point and Providenciales Princess Alexandra National park.


The cruise center has 1,000 feet of beachfront. But two more beaches lie within walking distance -- Governor's Beach to the north and White Sands Beach to the south.

Anyone planning to see Cockburn Town, the Grand Turk Lighthouse or other attractions will find a variety of beaches between the cruise center and the town including Cedar Grove Beach and Town Beach. Beaches north of the town include West Road, Pillory and Cocktree.


Located in the cruise center is Tony’s Car Rental which offers car, scooter and bicycle rentals. Taxi fares are set in advance with fares listed on posted signs. A ride from the cruise terminal to the downtown area should be around $7. The taxi stand is located in the cruise center behind the shops.

• The US dollar is the official currency of Turks and Caicos.
  
• Most hotels, restaurants and taxi services accept traveler’s cheques, which can be cashed at local banks.
  
• Most credit cards are accepted and banks offer ATM's as well as cash advances on credit cards.
  
• Tipping is normally paid to waiters, taxi drivers, maids and porters at 15%.