Grand Turk to open, or not?

[Caribe87]

Hello-

We are booked on the Regal Princess on a 4-night to Grand Turk (December 11th). Final payment is due this week, and I can't seem to find a straight answer as to whether the port is closed until 2022(?). I see Carnival has substituted other ports for Grand Turk in Sept/Oct. Anyway, I don't want to go through the whole refund hassle thing if in fact this cruise is not going, or at least not going to Grand Turk. Of course, the other thing we are trying to decide on is if we go, do we want to spend hundreds of dollars just to sit on the beach for 8 hours, based on the new requirements for insurance/testing. Thanks in advance to anyone with thoughts/info on this.

[dogdoc2002]

We're in the same position as you (except the 3 day sailing is 12/13). I contacted our TA about this earlier today and she's still doing some digging. I'll let you know wat she finds out.

[bluesman0711]

Also scheduled to stop here December 1st and December 10th.

[bluesman0711]

Just read a post from Jack's Shack admin that says closed until at least January, hope that isn't true.

[crewsweeper]

Seems they keep extending the ban on cruise ships.  Currently the entire Turks Caicos has only 2 active cases of COVID as of 9/20/21 and all islands are open for tourists.  If you meet all the requirements--vaccine, tests, travel insurance, you can go just about anywhere.  Why the cruise ship ban continues doesn't make a lot of sense.  But it does continue.

[Pellaz]

12 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Seems they keep extending the ban on cruise ships.  Currently the entire Turks Caicos has only 2 active cases of COVID as of 9/20/21 and all islands are open for tourists.  If you meet all the requirements--vaccine, tests, travel insurance, you can go just about anywhere.  Why the cruise ship ban continues doesn't make a lot of sense.  But it does continue.

 

The current situation really punishes Grand Turk, but it benefits Providenciales, the "big" island, with more resorts and tourism.  It really doesn't make sense.   

I applaud their concern for safety, especially since Grand Turk isn't really medically equipped for a major outbreak, but I wonder at times how a lot of the island can survive this.  

[Loritd]

Darn I wish I found this thread earlier.  I book and paid for this cruise in full today.  Now I wondering if I made a mistake.

[Daniel A]

I am booked for a Regal Princess visit at the end of January and final payment is due October 30.  If anybody sees that the cruise center is opening, please post it.

 

Thanks.

[heidiatmn1]

Turks and Caicos Weekly news has an article with a headline of "Cruise Industry to restart in December to March ‘High Season’ -Premier assures"-not sure if it was ok to post the link but its easy to find. Sounds promising but maybe not soon enough for my Dec 1 stop that still hasn't been rescheduled.

[lucyjlou]

We sail 12/26. Fingers crossed!

[dogdoc2002]

I just got an email from our TA that we're not going to Grand Turk on our sailing any more, but Amber Cove instead. 
"Please be advised that due to a temporary limit allowing only one cruise ship per day in Grand Turk, Regal Princess will no longer call to Grand Turk on Saturday, December 11, 2021, and will instead call to Amber Cove from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the same date."

[Daniel A]

9 hours ago, dogdoc2002 said:

I just got an email from our TA that we're not going to Grand Turk on our sailing any more, but Amber Cove instead. 
"Please be advised that due to a temporary limit allowing only one cruise ship per day in Grand Turk, Regal Princess will no longer call to Grand Turk on Saturday, December 11, 2021, and will instead call to Amber Cove from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the same date."

It looks like Emerald Princess was scheduled to be there on the same day.  She is on a 10 day Panama Canal cruise.

[kb4683]

On 10/1/2021 at 12:22 PM, Daniel A said:

I am booked for a Regal Princess visit at the end of January and final payment is due October 30.  If anybody sees that the cruise center is opening, please post it.

 

Thanks.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/26042-grand-turk-cruise-center-set-to-reopen-and-expand.html?fbclid=IwAR1aG4ht1jpzerMPz4XpNLofQ6o6p-7yA12pJtXiaY5L8YA6ep5RHWkldeU

[Daniel A]

On 10/13/2021 at 1:59 PM, lucyjlou said:

We sail 12/26. Fingers crossed!

If you are sailing on Carnival Freedom, that is the only ship scheduled for Grand Turk on December 29.  So it looks promising.  🙂  🤞

[lucyjlou]

On 10/17/2021 at 9:23 AM, Daniel A said:

If you are sailing on Carnival Freedom, that is the only ship scheduled for Grand Turk on December 29.  So it looks promising.  🙂  🤞

We are 12/28 on horizon. Looks like the enchanted princess is also scheduled. Ugh. We only have 2 ports now and one is amber cove already 

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, lucyjlou said:

We are 12/28 on horizon. Looks like the enchanted princess is also scheduled. Ugh. We only have 2 ports now and one is amber cove already 

Since Enchanted doesn't already have a call at Amber Cove scheduled and you do, it would make sense for Carnival to substitute Emerald's call to Amber Cove, but when did sense ever come into these decisions??

[cruzrbachoua]

On 10/18/2021 at 10:06 AM, lucyjlou said:

We are 12/28 on horizon. Looks like the enchanted princess is also scheduled. Ugh. We only have 2 ports now and one is amber cove already 

 

On 10/17/2021 at 6:23 AM, Daniel A said:

If you are sailing on Carnival Freedom, that is the only ship scheduled for Grand Turk on December 29.  So it looks promising.  🙂  🤞

where are you guys finding the schedules?  I am trying to find it and all the places I have don't show anything for Grand Turk

[NengEuis]

1 hour ago, cruzrbachoua said:

 

where are you guys finding the schedules?  I am trying to find it and all the places I have don't show anything for Grand Turk

If you click on a day it will tell you which vessels are scheduled to call. First ship is scheduled for 04 December. 

 

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-grand-turk-turks-and-caicos.html

[cruzrbachoua]

7 minutes ago, NengEuis said:

If you click on a day it will tell you which vessels are scheduled to call. First ship is scheduled for 04 December. 

 

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-grand-turk-turks-and-caicos.html

Great thanks I didn't have that site.  Looks like we are the only ship on our day.

[wardwhitty]

We sail there on January 12th and there are three ships scheduled that day.  We are the last to get in so I am assuming we will probably be bumped.  I wonder where ?????

[Ombud]

Grand Turk reopening December 7th so our cruise (Emerald Princess) will go there 12/14/21. 

 

1st ship in is Carnival's Mardi Gras on 12/7. 

https://www.cruisehive.com/grand-turk-prepares-as-carnival-cruise-ships-to-return-in-december/60282

 

[NengEuis]

I imagine things will continue to change especially with the mystery of travel bans and variants looming around the corner, but the Mardi Gras is due to call on 12/9. The 12/6 call of the Norwegian Gem has been replaced with a Sea Day for those passengers. 

 

December 7: HAL Nieuw Amsterdam (First ship as of now)

December 8: HAL Nieuw Statendam

December 9: CCL Mardi Gras

 

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-grand-turk-turks-and-caicos.html

[GonzoWCS]

Keeping an eye on this port.  We really want to visit here in January 2022!

 

Cheers

[Daniel A]

According to the port schedule, nothing is arriving until December 13 - the HAL Nieuw Amsterdam.  HAL is still showing the December 13 call at Grand Turk on their website.

 

Port Schedule (grandturkcc.com)

 

[crewsweeper]

54 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

According to the port schedule, nothing is arriving until December 13 - the HAL Nieuw Amsterdam.  HAL is still showing the December 13 call at Grand Turk on their website.

 

Port Schedule (grandturkcc.com)

 

Co-worker on that cruise.  Will see if he gets to dock there.