1st time cruiser going on Horizon in 2 weeks with questions

We are so excited to be going on our first cruise in 2 weeks on the Horizon! I’ve enjoyed reading the extremely helpful reviews. I have a few questions as a first time cruiser:

1. How does pick up in the kids club work? Do you set a time with the staff to pick up the kids or do they give you a phone or pager to contact you in case they want to be picked up early?

2. We do not have a set dining time. Does this mean we will need to wait in the dining room to eat and if so is there a recommended time to go to minimize the wait?

3. One of the stops is Turks and Caicos. We want to enjoy a day at the beach. Someone told me that it is not worth booking a beach excursion because you can walk right on the beach when you get off the boat. Is that true?

Thank you in advance.

For the kids club, they only give out phones for the youngest kids, or if there are special circumstances. Otherwise, they'll tell you the time you need to pick up by (4 or 5, then 10 if not using night owls. My son, unbelievably, wanted to be picked up early the last night (I think he was sad) and they called our cabin; we'd just happened to stop in luckily.

As far as dining, you check in on deck 5 and they give you a pager or a receipt, then you proceed to the any time dining room where you will be seated. We went almost every time by 6 at the latest, requested a specific section (Georgi's) and were always seated immediately.

In Grand Turk, there is a beach with free chairs and umbrellas (the green ones) right when you get off the ship. There are also people there renting them. Then, there are a couple of beach bars 1/4-1/3 mile down the beach, most notably Jack's Shack.

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For the kids club, they only give out phones for the youngest kids, or if there are special circumstances. Otherwise, they'll tell you the time you need to pick up by (4 or 5, then 10 if not using night owls. My son, unbelievably, wanted to be picked up early the last night (I think he was sad) and they called our cabin; we'd just happened to stop in luckily.

 

As far as dining, you check in on deck 5 and they give you a pager or a receipt, then you proceed to the any time dining room where you will be seated. We went almost every time by 6 at the latest, requested a specific section (Georgi's) and were always seated immediately.

 

In Grand Turk, there is a beach with free chairs and umbrellas (the green ones) right when you get off the ship. There are also people there renting them. Then, there are a couple of beach bars 1/4-1/3 mile down the beach, most notably Jack's Shack.

 

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Is there actually a Shack or did Topher bury that too ? :halo:

Thank you so much nicole9s!

As far as dining, you check in on deck 5 and they give you a pager or a receipt, then you proceed to the any time dining room where you will be seated.

On the Horizon, you can check in for Your Time Dining right on the Hub app. No need to check in on deck 5.

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Last time in Grand Turk we walked off the ship and walked down the beach and rented 2 chairs and got drinks and lunch from the young men working the beach. Was very cheap and worked out just fine. In the past we have rented golf carts and went around the island and ended up at jacks shack for lunch before heading back. If you have never been to Grand Turk renting golf carts is a fun day. If you have been before, staying on the beach for a few hours is all we could ask for. Jack's Shack is fine but nothing spectacular.

this wasn't available on the May 28th sailing.

On the Horizon, you can check in for Your Time Dining right on the Hub app. No need to check in on deck 5.

 

 

 

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Grand Turk....The beach and pool area right beside the pier are nice. Lots of chairs in the beach area and shade if you want that, clean, pretty, water is great. Sometimes the best music that you'll hear anywhere, maybe a lively crowd at one of the pools and so on, flow rider/surf thingie at the main pool.... We have never taken an excursion on Grand Turk, just maybe had lunch and hung out right there near the pier for awhile. To me it usually has one of the best Margaritaville vibes that we have found at any of the Caribbean ports that we've been to. Very true that it isn't worth paying for a beach excursion, it's literally right there.

The more you know about your ports, the better time you will have...and, on the cheap! Google them, or get a guidebook....seldom are "excursions" needed for things like beaches, or shopping in the Caribbean.

Thank you all so much! All of this information is so helpful

Last time in Grand Turk we walked off the ship and walked down the beach and rented 2 chairs and got drinks and lunch from the young men working the beach. Was very cheap and worked out just fine.

I think you got scammed by locals. The chairs, clamshells, etc. are all free for cruise guests.

We had YTD on the transatlantic sailing and we never had to wait for a table. You check in beside the coffee shop on level 5 and they print out your table number and tell you to proceed to deck 3 or 4.

We sometimes requested a table for 2 and always got it and when we shared a table we were seated immediately and met some really nice people.

Just try to avoid going at the same time as the fixed dining time starts.

I think you got scammed by locals. The chairs, clamshells, etc. are all free for cruise guests.

Not really a "scam" -- sadly, it's legit -- but maybe money spent for no good reason.

Locals ARE allowed to rent out the first two rows of loungers closest to the beach (not the green GT Cruise Center loungers).

All the rest are free, as they always have been before. This appears to have changed after the hurricane damaged Grand Turk.

I think you got scammed by locals. The chairs, clamshells, etc. are all free for cruise guests.

Actually, the post is correct, there are private chairs and umbrellas owned by some locals where there is a charge for....

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Can you use the TSA locks.. because I'm reading on the site that you cannot have your luggage locked on embarkation day

Just got off the Horizon with a stop in Grand Turk - absolutely the worst time ever (and I have been there 9 times now). Shortly after Horizon docked, the Sunshine pulled in. I have never seen Grand Turk so crowded.

Just got off the Horizon with a stop in Grand Turk - absolutely the worst time ever (and I have been there 9 times now). Shortly after Horizon docked, the Sunshine pulled in. I have never seen Grand Turk so crowded.

We must've been on the same cruise. I made sure to get off before 9am knowing the Sunshine would be arriving and the Margaritaville area was already a disaster. I had to rent covered chairs to even have a place to sit.

Well just got off horizon went to grand turk had no trouble finding a place to sit all the drinks l wanted and good food

Also make sure you have wet shoes because of the rocks

Can you use the TSA locks.. because I'm reading on the site that you cannot have your luggage locked on embarkation day

This is what we use on our checked luggage.