Grand Turk - Beach chair scam!!!!

[Jamman54]

1 hour ago, Cafedumonde said:

Ccl could threaten not to stop there.  Or just not stop there .

 

Not likely since Carnival dumped a ton of money to develop the Cruise Center there.

[Stacie.]

We were in GT on Thursday with Glory. I'm so thankful for these boards because I knew about the beach chair/umbrella thing ahead of time and I also knew about Jack's Shack. Hubby was a bit dubious when I told him to keep walking but we were one of the first people to arrive at Jack's Shack and set up way off to the side. Once more people started showing up it was still not crowded and definitely not like the beach by the ship. We had 15 kids on our group and they had a ton of room to snorkel, swim, and play in the sand. We rented two umbrellas and the guy set them up so we had maximum coverage for all of our chairs. I didn't think the drinks/menu were out of line at all. We got off the ship at 11 so we just made sure everyone ate before leaving the ship and around 2:30 or so we got conch fritters, cracked conch, hot dogs, and sh!tty nachos to share for our family of 7, plus hubby and I each got our free rum shot, I got a sandy vagina, hubby got a Turk's Head beer, and each of the five kids had a virgin reef wrecker and that held us over until we got back on the ship. With our food and drink purchases and gift shop items (tshirts, magnets, etc) our tab was around $200, and then $10 for our umbrella. We brought a package of greenies for Topher and Calypso and the stray dogs and my kids were in heaven. My teen boys enjoyed snorkeling with our snorkeling gear and thought it was super cool to see some barracudas. We only had a woman come around trying to sell necklaces and when we politely told her no thank you she left us alone and that was it. A huge improvement over any place we've been in Mexico and less crowded than 7 mile beach at Grand Cayman.

 

For about $30/person we got food, drinks, tshirts, chairs and umbrella, a wide open beach without people smoking all around us, and a wonderfully relaxing time. Once again, so thankful for these boards so I wasn't stuck at the crowded beach being heckled. 

[LuckyStar]

On 2/8/2019 at 10:02 AM, bingomamma19 said:

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

If it were me and maybe it was the OP, no one likes being yelled at.  We usually take it badly. 🙂

[pacruise804]

On 2/8/2019 at 6:21 PM, coevan said:

 

 

I had a bad hip, and took a taxi back from my dive, which ended at Jack's Shack. The cab picked me up right in front of Jack's Shack and took me the the pier. You're way over thinking this, stairs? (it's on the beach) driving on sand? 

 

Thank you for the first hand account.  When I was at Jack's Shack I didn't see the road (I didn't walk around the "back" of Jack's - which I consider the front) so I didn't know how close the road got to the beach.  I have seen beaches that were "downhill" from the road and did have stairs.  I've seen others that even if the road to the beach was flat, it was still a significant walk from where cars can drive/park (I was being mostly sarcastic about driving on the beach) and where you can access the beach.

 

When we were at HMC we stayed away from the crowds and it was a steep climb from the beach to the road for the restrooms.  I'm glad to read that someone with mobility issues can easily access the beach with a cab.

[Stacie.]

1 minute ago, pacruise804 said:

 

Thank you for the first hand account.  When I was at Jack's Shack I didn't see the road (I didn't walk around the "back" of Jack's - which I consider the front) so I didn't know how close the road got to the beach.  I have seen beaches that were "downhill" from the road and did have stairs.  I've seen others that even if the road to the beach was flat, it was still a significant walk from where cars can drive/park (I was being mostly sarcastic about driving on the beach) and where you can access the beach.

 

When we were at HMC we stayed away from the crowds and it was a steep climb from the beach to the road for the restrooms.  I'm glad to read that someone with mobility issues can easily access the beach with a cab.

You could also rent a golf cart and drive around the island, (check out the island, drive to the lighthouse, etc), then park it at Jack's Shack and hang out there until you're ready to head back.

[schazzy]

Here is a good reference for getting around to various places on the island I found. 

 

https://www.visittci.com/grand-turk/getting-around

[coevan]

the drive seemed a lot longer than the walk, but $5 well spent

[Karlou]

5 hours ago, LuckyStar said:

If it were me and maybe it was the OP, no one likes being yelled at.  We usually take it badly. 🙂

That’s the point. After we paid $50 we expected a lovely time relaxing in our loungers. Instead we had to listen to arguing among the vendors and having the beer cooler lid on my lounger...constantly moving my legs so he could put it there, having bags of ice smashed down beside me. It just wasn’t the relaxing day we had envisioned and that we have had in the past. Far more aggressive this time.

[robertlanajean]

On 2/11/2019 at 9:11 AM, Stacie. said:

conch fritters, cracked conch, hot dogs, and sh!tty nachos to share

We are usually suckers for nachos . are you saying they were sh!tty or is that just what they're called? 

 

[BoDidly]

8 minutes ago, robertlanajean said:

We are usually suckers for nachos . are you saying they were sh!tty or is that just what they're called? 

 

Either way I think I would pass  !

[Stacie.]

47 minutes ago, robertlanajean said:

We are usually suckers for nachos . are you saying they were sh!tty or is that just what they're called? 

 

That's what they were called, they were advertised as the special on the chalkboard. I can't attest to the taste or quality as the teenage boys wolfed them down almost immediately as I enjoyed my conch fritters. 😉

[ElCrappyTan]

Sh!tty Nachos and Sandy Vaginas.

 

That's my kind of town 😀

[ray98]

On 2/11/2019 at 7:33 AM, Cafedumonde said:

Ccl could threaten not to stop there.  Or just not stop there .

 

LOL....of all the pushy tourist money traps that goes on in Caribbean ports some vendors renting beach chairs is pretty tame.

[coevan]

On 2/11/2019 at 5:33 AM, Cafedumonde said:

Ccl could threaten not to stop there.  Or just not stop there .

 

 

pretty tough when you own the port and it's a cash cow. 

[ElCrappyTan]

17 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

pretty tough when you own the port and it's a cash cow. 

 

+1

 

98.6% of cruisers that visit Grand Turk are too scared to leave the cruise center complex, which means 1,000s of people lining up to pay $100s for overpriced mediocre food and watered down Jell-O shots at JimmyWorld. 💸💸💸

Edited February 13, 2019 by ElCrappyTan

[coevan]

great statistics, must be the 9.4% at Margaritaville and 2% for Jack's Shack. I agree to the overpriced mediocre food and drink. The only thing we do in GT is dive and go back to the ship, but 98.6% WOW. 

BTW, Buffett has not owned Margaritaville for 5 years. 

[2wheelin]

Statistics show that 83.2% of cruisers who post statistics make them up. I have no problem leaving the port in GT. One of the safer ports.

[Heathbuck]

9 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

Statistics show that 83.2% of cruisers who post statistics make them up. I have no problem leaving the port in GT. One of the safer ports.

We have left the port in GT both times with no issues, snorkeling and island tour. This time we are going Whale Watching...

[rlkubi]

We just were on a B2B on the Conquest and went to Grand Turk both cruises.  We had no problem using the green umbrellas and relaxing.  I didn't find that there were a lot of people asking us to buy things at all.  I love Grand Turk!  I also don't believe it's dangerous. Just be aware!

Edited February 13, 2019 by rlkubi
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[ProgRockCruiser]

53 minutes ago, rlkubi said:

We just were on a B2B on the Conquest and went to Grand Turk both cruises.  We had no problem using the green umbrellas and relaxing.  I didn't find that there were a lot of people asking us to buy things at all.  I love Grand Turk!  I also don't believe it's dangerous. Just be aware!

 

Well that's the whole point - you won't have any issues using the green umbrellas.  If anyone starts harassing you about those, definitely get security involved.

 

But if you want a spot in the front row under one of the non-green umbrellas, you have to pay the locals, and may still get harassed to buy their beer.

[pammesue]

I was really unimpressed with the lounger situation there as well. Almost jabbed my eye out walking and ducking, walking and ducking looking for 2 chairs beside each other.

Then it was so smothery feeling with so many umbrellas..no air was stirring.

 

I wanted to close the umbrella and get some sun, however my umbrella was actually giving shade to the row behind me, so I couldn't steal their shade.

 

I don't understand why Carnival doesn't start the row of free chairs closer to the water, therefore weeding out the "entrepreneur" chair renters? 

 

I will never try that situation again. We went to Margaritaville---much more pleasant chair situation.

[coevan]

5 minutes ago, pammesue said:

I was really unimpressed with the lounger situation there as well. Almost jabbed my eye out walking and ducking, walking and ducking looking for 2 chairs beside each other.

Then it was so smothery feeling with so many umbrellas..no air was stirring.

 

 

This is why we love the empty Serenity area, no lines for food or bars, with Cheers it's a great ship day.

[pjhootch]

No one likes getting yelled at- 

 

BUT the green umbrellas are all crammed together and not by the water.   Any other umbrellas and there will be yelling.  I really like Grand Turk.  It has a good beach and is always relaxing.  The best thing to do is walk further down the beach until the chairs thin out and then rent chairs and umbrellas from one of the groups of locals that has coolers of beer and makes drinks.  It is not free but neither is it expensive. Definitely worth it to be out of the crowds under the green umbrellas but you also do not have to go all the way down to Jack's Shack.  Happy medium.

[sunshine0]

Im wondering how far walking from the port to Jack’s Shack? And which way should I go from the port, right or left? Thanks

[BoDidly]

3 hours ago, sunshine0 said:

Im wondering how far walking from the port to Jack’s Shack? And which way should I go from the port, right or left? Thanks

You're wanting to walk left when leaving the pier pass Margaritaville . A good 40 to 45 minute walk.