Grand Turk - Beach chair scam!!!!

[schazzy]

We did a island tour last time we were in GT (2017) and had no problems with the locals and vendors, but I guess things change. We were planning on just doing a beach day here on our upcoming cruise, but now I'm not so sure. It sounds like Jack's Shack will be our best option if we want to still do that, for those you suggest it: how far of a walk is it? My MIL will be with us, and I'm concerned she wouldn't be able to walk down that far, is there any other way to get there?

[coevan]

it's a hike, maybe 1/2 mile, if you stay close to the water it's easier than walking on soft sand. You can get a cab from the port, $5 

[martinchem]

We just got back on the Glory , our port today was Grand Turk. The green umbrellas with Grand Turk Cruise Center printed on them are free. The first three rows closest to the beach are not the cruse centers and are the ones the locals own. The locals wil try to rent any of them to you, including the cruise centers if they can. We also had a guy with a backpack try to sell us drugs right there, the drug offers happened last time we came here too! Wish Carnival or the port had better security,  this is getting like Ocho Ris where we don't even get off the ship anymore. 

[Enggrl]

I don’t get it I guess, get off the ship and basically sit on a crowded beach right in front of the ship. No thanks. We love Grand Turk but that’s because we get out on the water with one of the two great dive companies and go snorkeling at the wall and then at a reef. They also can take you to an island where they have rays and tons of conch.

If you get out and explore then you might like the island much more. The people in general are very friendly and Jack’s Shack is awesome. 

[shellster1]

31 minutes ago, Enggrl said:

I don’t get it I guess, get off the ship and basically sit on a crowded beach right in front of the ship. No thanks. We love Grand Turk but that’s because we get out on the water with one of the two great dive companies and go snorkeling at the wall and then at a reef. They also can take you to an island where they have rays and tons of conch.

If you get out and explore then you might like the island much more. The people in general are very friendly and Jack’s Shack is awesome. 

 

 

 I'm sorry for the OP's experience, as well as others that this has happened to.

However, I agree with Enggrl. GT is one of my favorite stops! That said, I've never stayed near the port. I jump in a cab and go down to Bohio's. They have one of the best (and cleanest) beach bars/restaurants on the cruise itinerary, IMO. And the water! It's so clear, warm and gorgeous. There are very few people around. You can walk down the beach for what seems like miles and never see a soul. It's so amazing. But yeah, you need to pay for the cab down there and the food and drinks aren't cheap. Definitely worth it, though. They also have beach chairs and umbrellas. Locals I've encountered have been friendly. I've never felt unsafe, (and my travel companion is always my son.) But again, I have never stayed at the port. 

[BlerkOne]

Pick up one of the free chairs and place it in front of the pay chairs. Problem solved.

[jimbo5544]

On 2/6/2019 at 5:49 PM, moondog73 said:

We feel Grand Turk has always been a waste of a stop.  Amber Cove is a waste too.  Some many nicer islands  to visit

Like?

[moondog73]

31 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Like?

St Maarten's, St Kitts, Curacao, Grand Cayman...   do I need to continue?

[jimbo5544]

26 minutes ago, moondog73 said:

St Maarten's, St Kitts, Curacao, Grand Cayman...   do I need to continue?

...and I feel like I am pulling teeth here....what makes a port like Curacao more attractive to you?  If you do not like beach intensive ports like GT and HMC, then pick another cruise.  Curacao was a bust for us...been there twice (first and last time), my point of the question was that everybody has their preference....HMC is by far our most fav port.  Variety is the spice of life....

 

GT and the chair “issue” is way over rated as a problem.  They announce which chairs are free and which are pay before you debark.  Jack’s Shack is not a hike it is a less then 10 min walk down the beach (the prices there have gotten steep and it is not a steal anymore, but that is a different topic).

[ray98]

13 hours ago, Enggrl said:

I don’t get it I guess, get off the ship and basically sit on a crowded beach right in front of the ship. No thanks. We love Grand Turk but that’s because we get out on the water with one of the two great dive companies and go snorkeling at the wall and then at a reef. They also can take you to an island where they have rays and tons of conch.

If you get out and explore then you might like the island much more. The people in general are very friendly and Jack’s Shack is awesome. 

 

Well...some enjoy simply spending a few hours hanging out on the beach.  Not everyone wants to go diving.  That being said, a free beach directly off of the ship is pretty convenient.

[CJDepew]

On 2/6/2019 at 6:27 PM, Eliot Ness said:

 

Ditto for us.  Last time we stopped there we went right instead of left and it seemed much less crowded and pretty laid back.  None-the-less I didn't loose anything there and when we return in about a week I'll be slurping up Cheers drinks, enjoying empty food lines, and getting a decent spot on the Serenity.

We're on the Feb 15 sailing...not sure if you'll be along with us. We've never been there, but it was my intention to go to the right because in photos it appears much less crowded. Thanks for the info.

[Enggrl]

9 minutes ago, CJDepew said:

We're on the Feb 15 sailing...not sure if you'll be along with us. We've never been there, but it was my intention to go to the right because in photos it appears much less crowded. Thanks for the info.

We are on the 16th sailing on the Conquest and we are going to GT. I love it there, the guys from the dive and snorkeling company are awesome. We have had the same guy a couple of times and it’s feels like we are going back to see old friends. 

[crewsweeper]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 7:30 PM, bingomamma19 said:

We are going end of March, but we really like the margueritaville pool area...so we just stay there.    I have done the beach there before and we have also taken golf carts around the island.    I like the port and am looking forward to the gigantic pool again.

 

We only stay on land a few hours though..then back on board to enjoy the almost empty ship.

There problem IS at Margaritaville.  Be sure to get a green umbrella.  All other colors on the Margaritaville side are private

 

However, the loungers on the other side of the DUFRY store and pier by the "Beached Whale" ARE free.   So maybe head that way.

 

I know people have loved JACK'S for years, but Jack's is always more expensive than other places (maybe equal to Margaritaville's exorbitant prices).  And in recent years, as it's become more crowded, the service and the food hasn't been up to it's past rep.  Just NOT our thing anymore. 

[bigdog1958]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 8:28 PM, coevan said:

Scam is a bit of a stretch, many Caribbean beaches charge for chairs. They probably are too aggressive, but charging for chairs and umbrellas is not unusual. Carnival could use some security and have their chairs closer to the beach and monitor the locals. St Martin is more straightforward with signs like 2 chairs, umbrella, and 2 beers $25. Some of the beach bars will give them for free if you have lunch there. 

I am not sure the last time you were in st martin but I was just there 3 weeks ago and I will tell you it was every bit as bad

as Grand Turk, maybe worse...  We were accosted by at least 10 different people yelling at us that we have to use their chairs

It was the worst I have ever seen..  I was also just at Grand Turk and we were approached by a few people about chairs and we 

had to pay, but we new carnival had free chairs with green umbrellas.  I had been to st martin 4 times and never seen it this bad.

[Eliot Ness]

51 minutes ago, CJDepew said:

We're on the Feb 15 sailing...not sure if you'll be along with us. We've never been there, but it was my intention to go to the right because in photos it appears much less crowded. Thanks for the info.

 

Yes, we'll be on the Sunshine Feb 15 sailing.  If you go far enough down the right side of the beach you'll come to the conch graveyard, which was what I was really looking for.   Unlike Starfish beach in the Cayman's this isn't where conch's congregate or die, but where the restaurants dump the used conch shells after removing the insides for preparing dishes.  Maybe we didn't go down far enough, maybe most shells had already been picked up, but there weren't many shells at all, and the ones we saw were pretty weathered.  Still, it was pretty cool to be away from the crowds and to even see a couple of very weathered shells.

 

Since we didn't take any I can't say if Carnival allows it now or not, as it seems to vary as this thread mentions:

 

 

[bingomamma19]

1 hour ago, crewsweeper said:

There problem IS at Margaritaville.  Be sure to get a green umbrella.  All other colors on the Margaritaville side are private

 

However, the loungers on the other side of the DUFRY store and pier by the "Beached Whale" ARE free.   So maybe head that way.

 

I know people have loved JACK'S for years, but Jack's is always more expensive than other places (maybe equal to Margaritaville's exorbitant prices).  And in recent years, as it's become more crowded, the service and the food hasn't been up to it's past rep.  Just NOT our thing anymore. 

The OP said it was the beach ?   We don't go to the beach..just the pool.   I don't take anything with me--we walk off in our swimsuits and cover ups, so we don't have a need for too much space.   The chairs around the pool have never been an issue when we go.   And if we cant find a chair, we just put our towel on the side of the pool where we are hanging out.

[Umbrae Noctem]

LOL @BlerkOne

 

I Have a stop in Sept on Grand Turk. I'm thinking of making it a ship day, or checking out Jack's Shack.

[ProgRockCruiser]

22 hours ago, schazzy said:

 It sounds like Jack's Shack will be our best option if we want to still do that, for those you suggest it: how far of a walk is it? My MIL will be with us, and I'm concerned she wouldn't be able to walk down that far, is there any other way to get there?

 

22 hours ago, coevan said:

it's a hike, maybe 1/2 mile, if you stay close to the water it's easier than walking on soft sand. You can get a cab from the port, $5 

 

The walk down to Jack's Shack from the pier was not very far for my wife and I in December - it took maybe 15 min, and that was with her or me stopping every now and then to take a photo or three. I would estimate it to be just under half a mile (plus another quarter mile just getting off the ship and pier, ha ha!)  If your MIL is able to walk on soft sand, she should be OK, just take your time.

 

EDIT: Google Maps says it is 2200 ft from pier to Jack's Shack, straight line.

 

The drinks weren't all that great at Jack's and were relatively expensive, so I wouldn't go out of your way just for that.  We just plonked ourselves nearby down on the sand, because we can sit on loungers on the ship.

 

The water down there is very nice, and the beach much less crowded.  We'll be back in May, and we'll probably bring snorkel gear to just bob around in the waters there (nothing serious expected, but more fun than no gear).

Edited February 8, 2019 by ProgRockCruiser

[bamboozel]

4 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

 

The scum bags won't let you move any chairs including the free ones!!! People tried and they were yelled and screamed at and the guy put their chairs back. 

As for the guy that said calling it a scam is a bit of a stretch ...It's a SCAM. I have been here four times before and never ever paid for a chair on the beach. They are suppose to be FREE!!!

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by bamboozel

[Enggrl]

22 hours ago, coevan said:

it's a hike, maybe 1/2 mile, if you stay close to the water it's easier than walking on soft sand. You can get a cab from the port, $5 

It’s not a hike lol. It’s about a 1/4 mile down the beach, no more than a 10 min walk. 

[CJDepew]

1 hour ago, Eliot Ness said:

 

Yes, we'll be on the Sunshine Feb 15 sailing.  If you go far enough down the right side of the beach you'll come to the conch graveyard, which was what I was really looking for.   Unlike Starfish beach in the Cayman's this isn't where conch's congregate or die, but where the restaurants dump the used conch shells after removing the insides for preparing dishes.  Maybe we didn't go down far enough, maybe most shells had already been picked up, but there weren't many shells at all, and the ones we saw were pretty weathered.  Still, it was pretty cool to be away from the crowds and to even see a couple of very weathered shells.

 

Since we didn't take any I can't say if Carnival allows it now or not, as it seems to vary as this thread mentions:

 

 

That's exactly what I want to see while I'm there. I've heard mixed results about taking a conch back, as long as there is no living organism inside.

[bingomamma19]

18 minutes ago, bamboozel said:

The scum bags won't let you move any chairs including the free ones!!! People tried and they were yelled and screamed at and the guy put their chairs back. 

As for the guy that said calling it a scam is a bit of a stretch ...It's a SCAM. I have been here four times before and never ever paid for a chair on the beach. They are suppose to be FREE!!!

 

Even if you did pay 30 bucks for chairs and an umbrella...did that really ruin your cruise?   Your anger in these posts is a bit much.   You could have simply said no and did something else.   If you chose to pay, then you did.  You said they pointed out where the free chairs are...why not go to the free chairs then?  

 

I guess I just don't get too angry about too many things...if I didn't want to pay, I wouldn't and I would find something else to do.   Problem solved

Edited February 8, 2019 by bingomamma19

[JaxsMama]

What's the scam?  You either use the free ones or pay for the other ones. 

[cruznlobo]

We went to Jack's Shack many cruises ago and loved it.  Problem is they had cold beer for $2 served out of a cooler.  Since then we have noticed the price keeps going up but all they did was make the TIKI bar bigger.  We still head down there to say hi to the owners and have a couple cold ones.  Then we head back toward the ship until we run into some friends.

[LuckyStar]

Very sorry this happened to you.  It must have been very intimidating.  We loved this island.  We took a Carnival cruise Bking excursion which was a bit boring but we loved it.  The scenery was gorgeous.  I know its not for everyone, but we enjoyed.