Explore Grand Turk: Best Snorkeling 🐠, Shopping 🛍️, and Cracked Conch 🦪 Experiences

Experience Grand Turk on a Cruise from Miami 🌴

Book a five-day or longer cruise from Miami with Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, or Princess Cruises, and you might visit the stunning island of Grand Turk. This picturesque strip of sand, nestled between the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, is renowned for its world-class diving at the Grand Turk Wall 🐠, pristine white sand beaches 🏖️, and its historical significance as the nearest landmass to the first Gemini capsule landing during the space race 🚀

Our Unforgettable Grand Turk Adventure on Carnival Sunrise 🌴

We visited Grand Turk on the Carnival Sunrise, marking my first international trip since the pandemic. It felt amazing to return to the Bahamas and explore the Turks and Caicos Islands for the first time! 🌊 I’ve already shared how a Carnival Cruise offers incredible value for money, but this trip was extra special. It was my first journey abroad in a decade and our tenth wedding anniversary (awwwwww) ❤️.

Discover Carnival’s Grand Turk Cruise Center 🏝️

Carnival’s Grand Turk Cruise Center is a fantastic stop. It’s extremely clean and beautifully adorned with lush plants 🌿, just as you’d expect on a Caribbean island. The colorful quasi-colonial buildings offer great shopping opportunities 🛍️. As a Ron Jon Surf Shop connoisseur (if you’ll indulge me in thinking such a thing exists), I was thrilled to find the same t-shirts and hats available in Florida, but with “Grand Turk” on them! It was also the perfect place to pick up a hat since I forgot to pack one 🧢. We even visited the local Starbucks for an iced coffee ☕. The local currency is the US Dollar, but in the touristy cruise center, your card works, so you don’t have to worry about learning the ways of your ancestors and using your phone’s calculator or anything.

Snorkeling Adventure in Grand Turk 🌊

Our big excursion in Grand Turk was diving into that stunning blue water. We booked a snorkeling trip through Carnival, and after a short walk to the dock, we found ourselves on a pontoon boat zooming along the coastline. It was incredible to get back in the water. My wife and I were PADI dive instructors in a past life, and snorkeling around the gorgeous, shallow reefs of Grand Turk was an amazing experience. The water is incredibly clear, and the Grand Turk Wall, which drops over 1,000 feet, makes you feel absolutely tiny. If you’re on an island this remote and can swim, jump in and see what’s under there! 🐠

Feeling Spicy in the Turks and Caicos Islands 🌶️

After our snorkeling adventure, we stopped at the Beached Whale restaurant for a bite to eat. Meals can be pricey here, so if you want to save some money and you’re on a cruise, just head back to the ship 🚢. We enjoyed some jerk chicken wings 🍗 and cracked conch 🦪, both super delicious. But let me tell you, they don’t mess around with spice in the TCI! 🌶️ I chuckled when we got home and learned that the customary gift from Turks and Caicos is hot sauce 🌶️. Those wings lit me up! The cracked conch was amazing, and I recommend trying it instead of conch fritters because you get more conch and less batter. I had a local lager that was pretty good 🍺, and we hung out with a little potcake 🐶 (the local breed of mutt dog) by the beach until it was time to head back to the Carnival Sunrise and return to Miami 🌅.

Grand Turk is an amazing port stop for your Caribbean adventure, so what are you waiting for? Contact me on Facebook and we’ll get started finding the right itinerary for your adventure!