Jack's Shack and Town Report

[luvdale]

Does Jacks have lounge chairs on the beach, is it a place with chairs you can lay on the beach, and enjoy those wonderful tropical drinks and the beer for the men? We love a good beach bar that we can enjoy drinks and the beach. Is is a long walk???? We will be on the Fantasy in June, 2011. We like to research ahead and really plan out our trip in advance. Thanks for any additional information !!!

[Stacey779]

Came on this morning to check up on you Stacey, by the way after you had that shot from Jack did your arm hurt?

 

LOL! I appreciate the follow up. It did sting at first, but then I just started to feel numb. :)

 

(Sorry, I'm all out of clever puns - you win! :D)

[nybumpkin]

Does Jacks have lounge chairs on the beach, is it a place with chairs you can lay on the beach, and enjoy those wonderful tropical drinks and the beer for the men? We love a good beach bar that we can enjoy drinks and the beach. Is is a long walk???? We will be on the Fantasy in June, 2011. We like to research ahead and really plan out our trip in advance. Thanks for any additional information !!!

Yes, they can set you up with chairs - it's $5 each. They also have umbrellas. I don't think the walk down the beach took us more than 10 minutes.

[Froufie]

Will definitely need a lounger and umbrella - esp if I'm going to be feeling 'sickly'! :D:D

[moonandsun]

We have a rule about being able to see over the top of the bar. Also Topher has to want to serve you. If you are with your parents no problem. Jack and Janet

We will be there Oct 7th. Celebrating our anniversay with you guys again this year. I guess we are one of the lucky ones, Topher wanted us to be served so much I crawled back to the boat. lol :D

[malapaduci]

Ok, so that picture of you all with your ship in the background is hands down the BEST picture!!!

 

We will be in GT in October on the Miracle.. already planning on walkin past Margaritaville and heading to Jacks....got our names on the list for the 'free rum' and everything! We will be traveling with our girls on their first ever cruise, and you've just given me the ULTIMATE background idea for their picture!!

 

I just saw your response Crazy4Koko. I hopw you had a wonderful time. I just loved that place and yes it is a favorite picture of mine!

[malapaduci]

Jack's Shack rocks. We were there 3/18 with the Emerald Princess. Pouring rain but Jack's was packed with mostly a singles group from the Carnival ship. Three people deep at the bar and all tables and benches were taken. Lots of ship's crew were there too. Drinks are delicious and cheap, ($6.00) and Jack and Janet pour with a heavy hand. The Jerk Chicken was very Yummy, too.

 

Get out of Margaritaville and give Jack's Shack a visit. You won't be disappointed!

 

I just read your response. It sounds like you were there the day my group of 60 singles were. It was an awesome time. I hope to head back again this year.

[atlantacruiser1985]

My wife and I had visited Grand Turk twice and were never really excited about the island offerings or Margaritaville. We're in our mid-twenties and on excursions like to find local experiences that are still fun and near the beach.

 

Before our third trip we had read about Jack's Shack and decided to give it a try. We had mediocre expectations going in, but were pleasantly surprised!

 

Our experience at Jack's Shack was the highlight of our entire cruise. A few of our memories from the stop:

- Making friends: We met families, couples, and single-cruisers from our boat and the other that was docked. Jack's Shack attracts a certain type of cruiser (social, but not interested in the tourist traps) that appealed to us and the atmosphere is conducive to relaxing conversation.

- Playing sand volleyball with the cruise staff: The court is right in front of the porch and was a great place to unwind.

- Chatting with Jack and Janet: What wonderful people. Once the place filled up they were taking orders and filling drinks, but they always made a point to say hi and make us feel at home.

- Free rum shot: What else could you want, right?

- Topher the Dog: Running around to greet visitors and catching fish from the ocean -- hilarious!

 

We've been to a handful of the islands in the area and make a point to find fun "local" bars -- but Jack's Shack takes the cake for the best all-around experience!

[brandy4598]

There have been a few people come down the beach looking for cracked conch at Jack's Shack. We have a great new Jamaican chef, Leroy who's speciality is Jerk Chicken. He sometimes but not everyday does special island dishes like curried chicken, a stewed conch and rice, peas and rice, a fish or conch when available. I have attached our basic grill menu and our drinks menus for your information

 

 

Can anyone who has been recently report on the prices? Are these still accurate or have they gone up due to popularity? Thanks! :)

[swom]

We absolutely loved Grand Turk..We also bypassed Margaritaville and were determined to do Jack's Shack. It was ok, but I swear, I don't see the big excitement there. The bar next to Jack's had cheaper beer and food, but they didn't have any chairs available by the time we got there..(2 ships in port that day)..next time ( and I truly hope there is a next time) we will go to the bar next to Jack's and try them out.

Water there was so beautiful and calm. Snorkeling was nice and the atmosphere is wonderful and very laid back. I just loved GT!!!

[tubasteve]

Hey islandnurse2006, you guys ok down there? Been watching news updates on Irene, hope you guys are safe and sound :)

[swom]

Hey islandnurse2006, you guys ok down there? Been watching news updates on Irene, hope you guys are safe and sound :)

 

Great question!! I've already written my friend Luen in St Thomas and I'd also like to know if Jack, Topher and islandnurse are all OK too!!!

Please check in as soon as you can and let us know.

[CTCruisers]

We had a cruise port stop at Grand Turk last week.

 

The island itself is a small one at about 6 or so miles wide from north to south and much narrower from east to west. There is a large pier where we docked at the southern tip of the island. We had to go through a large cruise terminal to get the roads leading around the island. The pier and cruise center were built by Carnival.

 

The U.S. dollar is the official currency of the island, so there were no worries of currency exchange rates.

 

There is a huge Margaritaville near the Cruise Terminal that includes a large pool that is open to all of the cruise passengers. A lot of people were going there or to the beach next to the pier to spend their time on the island.

 

Grand Turk is known for their spectacular beaches and snorkeling sites. We had decided to go into the small capital city of Cockburn Town to see what it had to offer. Just outside the cruise terminal center, they have a taxi stand and a person hailing the cabs for you. The rates are posted on a sign showing the 4 zones of the island and the rates to go to each one. The cab ride to Cockburn Town was $5 for each of us. He dropped us off in front of the National Museum of the Turks and Caicos. The Museum is located in the Guinep house which was built over 200 years ago. Admission was $5 for cruise ship passengers. Inside, a guide gave us a brief lecture about the museum and then showed us a short film before we walked around to look at the exhibits. They had remains of what is the oldest shipwreck found in the western hemisphere. In addition, they had a small display about the Mercury astronaut John Glenn, whose spacecraft splashed down about a mile from Grand Turk 50 years ago. While it is not a big museum, we found it interesting. There was not much else to see in town, so we walked through a few nearby shops before hailing a cab back towards the cruise terminal.

 

The natives of the island refer to themselves as “Belongers”.

 

On the way back from the town, we had the driver drop us off at Jack’s Shack, which was on the beach about 500 yards from the cruise terminal. There, we found a nice spot in the shade of a tiki hut and had a few beers while listening to island music and looking out over the water. We chatted with the owners, Jack and Janet along with a Grand Turk police officer who was on vacation. It was a more relaxed atmosphere than over at the nearby Margaritaville. At any time, there were only about 10 customers there in the few hours we spent there. Behind the tiki hut was a gift shop and dive tours counter with rest rooms. They offered a small menu of food that included burgers, fries, and jerk chicken. We enjoyed watching their dog, Topher, running into the surf and digging up the sand. They did accept credit cards for a tab over $20, but they preferred cash.

 

After a few hours, we walked back to the ship along the beach. The large pool next to the cruise center was still packed with cruise ship passengers at 02:00 pm.

 

One site that some people went to go see was the lighthouse at the northern tip of the island. Taxis from the cruise center to the lighthouse cost $8 per person each way. I was told the views from where the lighthouse is located were terrific.

 

Here is a photo we took of Janet and Jack at Jack's Shack.