Recommendations for non-cruise affiliated excursions in Grand Turk?

[smurfygirl75]

I'm going on Carnival Pride (sail date July 27th) with a total of 9 people, ranging in age from 4 to 77. My husband and I already want to take a cruise-affiliated (a.k.a. expensive!) kayak tour in Freeport; in Half Moon Cay we're all having a beach day in a villa rental. Grand Turk however hasn't been decided and I was tossing around the idea of possibly doing a low key tour that we could all do together. Maybe see a little bit of the area, possibly have access to a more secluded beach area away from whatever the vast majority of cruise goers go to. Nothing too fancy, but a bit more than just stepping off the ship and going to whatever default beach happens to be there that everyone else will be at as well. I'd like to see what's available outside of the cruise-affiliated excursions; private ones that are just as good but don't come with the high price sticker.

 

I am well aware of the fact that a major benefit of the cruise excursions is that if you are delayed at all they will wait for you but if not, Sayonara. I usually like to pay the extra $$ for this reason, but with this being the second excursion we'd be taking I wanted to just take a look at what else is available and if there are any specific tour guide recommendations floating around on these boards; tour guides that have extensively great reviews... THEN I might consider it!

 

Just trying to find a place to start looking so if you can think of any or if you know of a better board or thread I should check out please let me know! TIA

Edited May 6, 2014 by smurfygirl75

[mrsfuzzmo]

Hmmm, there really isn't much to do other than possibly renting golf carts and doing a self-guided island tour. There may be a couple of independant tour companies you could use, or you can possibly book at a resort for a day, but Grand Turk is almost like a "Private Island" experience. Away from the Cruise center with it's shops and Margaritaville, there is a Casino right next door and a couple of small beach clubs/bars, but other than that, unless you are going to take a ships excursion (which I don't blame you for not doing), I haven't heard of much but an island tour or golf carting around yourselves.

 

We really enjoyed walking down the beach a bit away from the crowds and just making it a beach day. Lovely swimming area with lots of sand, beach bars with cold drinks and crack conch and lots of sunshine. Grand Turk is basically a beach day, but you can get away from the crowds easily by just walking down the beach a short way.

Edited May 7, 2014 by mrsfuzzmo

[smurfygirl75]

Hmmm, there really isn't much to do other than possibly renting golf carts and doing a self-guided island tour. There may be a couple of independant tour companies you could use, or you can possibly book at a resort for a day, but Grand Turk is almost like a "Private Island" experience. Away from the Cruise center with it's shops and Margaritaville, there is a Casino right next door and a couple of small beach clubs/bars, but other than that, unless you are going to take a ships excursion (which I don't blame you for not doing), I haven't heard of much but an island tour or golf carting around yourselves.

 

We really enjoyed walking down the beach a bit away from the crowds and just making it a beach day. Lovely swimming area with lots of sand, beach bars with cold drinks and crack conch and lots of sunshine. Grand Turk is basically a beach day, but you can get away from the crowds easily by just walking down the beach a short way.

Between reading up on Grand Turks and seeing your response I'm definitely getting a better picture of the smallness of the island. As far as the beach area, do they have a limited area allowed for swimming that is roped off or can you go as far down the beach as you want and still swim?

[vabchtraveler]

Between reading up on Grand Turks and seeing your response I'm definitely getting a better picture of the smallness of the island. As far as the beach area, do they have a limited area allowed for swimming that is roped off or can you go as far down the beach as you want and still swim?

 

It seems to me that you can go down quite a distance down the beach to swim. Even though it is a little crowded in the main area, if you go to the right off the causeway when you debark, it is less crowded and fairly good snorkeling if you have your own equipment. All in all, it was just a great beach day for us. Part of our group did Blue Water Divers private snorkel tour and liked it a lot -- they had a dolphin come play with them (totally spontaneous on the dolphin's part) while they were snorkeling. Scared the stuffin' out of them til they realized it was a dolphin! LOL!

[GuyGTGirl]

Between reading up on Grand Turks and seeing your response I'm definitely getting a better picture of the smallness of the island. As far as the beach area, do they have a limited area allowed for swimming that is roped off or can you go as far down the beach as you want and still swim?

 

Check TripAdvisor on activities on Grand Turk(snorkeling, diving, island tours, massages, horseback rides).... there is even an Helicopter tour that is offered now of the island thru' the cruise ship...

 

All in all most independent tour operators are listed on TripAdvisor so do some research.

 

Hope that helps..

[crewsweeper]

And most taxi drivers are well versed in the island's high points and history. So on the trip up to the lighthouse they can give a reasonable commentary on the island, a swing past the John Glenn capsule, a drive past the salt marsh and maybe recommend a stop or two in downtown Cockburntown or at a more secluded beach (no facilities) on the northern side; there are a couple of spots for conch graveyards along that shoreline. You'll be back at the cruise center in plenty of time to visit any of the beach bars.

[Laslo294]

To the right of the pier is a bit rocky and can get rough. If you take a cab ($8) to Governors beach where the town is- very "rustic", you probably wont want to walk it as a drive through is enough. Better snorkeling is a bit further up at Pillory beach. We did Governors at "the Wall" and it was OK. Limited variety as there is no coral. Also did the beach near the pier -past Jacks Shack and saw very little. Personally, Grand Turk is just beach and a cheap construction site for another Carnival port and Margaritaville. Hopefully the $$ will help the island as it is a wonderful place and the people are great. Just not much else as a destination.