LONG! Carnival Destiny Review & Photos ~ 6-14-10 ~ 5 days to Grand Turk, HMC & Nassau

[pcrum]

Hi, pcrum! I just looked at my picture sizes at PhotoBucket, and they are all sized around "700 x 1100"-ish. Not sure how I am getting the XL pixs... maybe because my camera is 15 MP? I am a newbie to the "web-hosted-pictures" thing... I didn't realize the photos would be so large on CC, until after I started the review! LOL!

Thanks everyone for the kind words! Will be posting more today!

 

Well, for a newbie, your review is one of the best I've read and the photos are wonderful!! I was so sad yesterday when there were no new posts, so I am addicted!! I love all the detail, as I feel I am right there with you!:)

 

Wow, a 15 MP camera...may I ask what kind is it? Is it SLR? Mine is quite old and I think is 5 MP! Time for an upgrade!!

 

Under the space that says "upload images and videos" you can go to "more options" to change the sizes before you download to Photobucket. This size may be the 17" selection. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks. I will try the 17" size next time!! I did the "large" in my last review, but they are much smaller. Of course, my camera is only 5 MP.

[jess252590]

I will be on the same itinerary on july 26, it will be my second cruise and im really excited!. I also hope the review is done by then because im finding the details and pictures really helpful. So far I have a couple questions im hoping you can answer. when you first arrive did you put your laptop thru the x-ray machine? did it damage your laptop? and do you know where i would rent a clamshell? thanks for the great review so far!!!!!!:)

[CruiseVacationQueen]

The time is now just after 8:30 pm. The Great Game Show starts at 9 pm, so we head inside to the Palladium Lounge. As we leave the promenade, I snap a picture of this stack of lounge chairs... don't they look cool in the blue light?

 

 

 

 

 

The Palladium isn't very crowded, and we find good seats on the right side of the theater. The Gender Showdown (which started at 8:30 pm) is just ending when we sit down. Looks like we missed a fun show... the passengers are up on their feet, clapping and shouting! And, the winner of the gender contest is: the Females! Go, Girls! As the audience settles back into their seats, we notice several waiters working the room. We easily flag one down and place our drink order. On some previous cruises, we have been disappointed by the lack of bar service in the main show lounge... but not tonight on the Destiny! When the server returns with our drinks, I am happy with the taste of my Mohito (yum!) and DH says his Ultimate Margarita is very nice, too.

 

FYI: Classic Cocktail drink receipts can be exchanged for free $5 Match Play cards at the Casino cashiers. The MP cards doubles $5 cash bets on the Roulette and card tables. If the wager is won and the $5 is pocketed, then the CC drink cost only $3.75. Yay! (One card issued per CC purchased, and play per MP card.) Here's the list of Classic Cocktails:

 

 

 

 

 

Another FYI: the Cruise Director onboard this week is Brent, the Assistant Cruise Director is Gary, and the Entertainment Staff is Lorna, Misty and Christy.

 

At 9 pm, one of the entertainment staff ladies (Misty, I think?) comes back on stage to host The Great Game Show. The game is a lot like the TV-show Jeopardy. Three contestants are selected from the audience and they compete for the most points by correctly answering questions accompanied by pre-recorded audio clips. Most of the clips are from classic TV shows and movies. We watch the first round to the very end and clap for the winner of the "Ship-on-a-Stick". When the host starts selecting a second batch of contestants, we decide to leave and tour the rest of the ship.

 

We want to check out the view from the back of the ship, so we make our way up to Deck 9 and take the "secret" stairs in the aft pool area, up to Deck 10. We are now standing outside at the very back of the ship, surrounded by several couples curled up in lounge chairs... all of us enjoying balmy breezes and the rushing sound of the wake below. Remember the moon and star in our sunset picture? They are the only lights visible... in the dark, clear sky. It was really hard to hold the camera steady to get this shot! Can you see the faint reflection of the moon on the water?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curious to see more of the ship, we take the outside stairs up to Deck 11. Ahhh... the jogging track! And two shuffleboard courts! How about the gorgeous view looking straight up:

 

 

 

 

See the "triangular yellow glowing area" above the stacks of lounge chairs? That's the glass skylight above the Sun & Sea buffet. (BTW ~ the food is on Deck 9 and there's additional "secret" seating inside the restaurant on Deck 10.) See the small deck where the Whale Tail is standing? The mini-golf course is up there! Too late in the evening to check it out, though... the stairs are blocked off. We'll have to wait until morning!

 

We walk around the jogging track to check out the front of the Whale Tail. As we pass by the air vents, I smell popcorn... or is it bread baking? Either way, it smells yummy! Doesn't the funnel look beautiful, all lit-up in the dark sky?

 

 

 

 

 

We head down the stairs into the Main pool area and stop by the port-side pool bar for drinks. A Marvin Gaye concert is playing on the Seaside Theater. (The movie "Terminator Salvation" starts at 10:30 pm.) I smell popcorn, again! Looking across the pool deck to the starboard-side pool bar, I spot a popcorn machine... not crazy after all! LOL! Drinks in hand, we make our way across the pool deck to the other side. Getting popcorn is no quick task... twenty minutes and $1.50 later, I have salty goodness in my mouth. Yum! Crunch! The time is now 10:25 pm, and DS wants to go to Circle C while we go to the Welcome Aboard Show.

 

We walk DS up to the entrance of the teen area, and give him strict instructions to be there when we return to get him before midnight. Even though Carnival allows kids come and go as they please from Circle C, we have a policy that DS is not allowed to freely roam the ship. (We aren't necessarily concerned about DS making bad choices, just the other 3600+ people onboard!) If a group of kids is going together for a soda or slice of pizza, that is fine... as long as the group will be returning back to Circle C in a timely manner. But, no aimless wandering or unsupervised hanging out, and definitely no visiting other cabins.

 

We had a nightmare experience on our last cruise... one that DS fully understands will NOT be repeated... EVER again, or else! DS "graduated" from the kid's program to Circle C when we sailed for 8 days on the Freedom in April. We had the "same as usual" agreement to walk him to and pick him up from the activities he chose to attend. Unfortunately, the activities on that cruise were heavily geared for pre-teen girls (a lot of Dance, Dance Revolution and karaoke parties), most of the kids were older than DS, and the boys preferred to roam the ship. Time after time, we went to pick DS up at the agreed time, but he wasn't there. The room would be full of girls and the counselor... but no boys. On one occasion, we waited 40 minutes for DS to return to the Circle C room. When DS finally showed up, he fibbed, saying they had only been gone a few minutes to get a soda. We know he was trying to fit in with the older boys, but we don't think a cruise ship is a good place for a kid to practice independence. As a punishment for DS's lying, we kept him out of Circle C for a couple of days. By the time we let him return, though, the boys and girls were mostly wandering around together and avoiding the Circle C activities. The absolute worst experience of the cruise happened on the last night. We dropped DS off at Circle C around 9:00 pm (with the strictest warnings yet!), but decided to pick him up early at 10:10 pm... only to find the counselor closing the door, locking it and leaving! She said DS and the other kids left "a while ago" and hadn't seen them since. Long story short... after 2 hours of frantically searching the entire ship for DS (getting the ship's Security Officers involved after the first 45 minutes), I saw one of DS's friends walking past the door of the Security Captain's office (where I was being interviewed about the disappearance of my DS!). The boy said that that DS, 2 girls and he were hanging out on the upper level of the main lounge "just talking"... and that DS left alone, "a while ago" to go back to his cabin. The SC grabbed his phone and called our cabin (which had already been checked several times, by this point). My DF (who was unaware and had been looking for DH & I) answered the phone, and said that DS was asleep. (Pre-tend sleeping, was more like it... because DS knew he was in serious trouble!!!) The SC asked to speak to DS. After a brief conversation with DS, the SC put me on the phone to verify his voice. After I positively identified DS's voice, I am not sure who let out the bigger sigh of relief: me or the SC! I think we both had images of our faces being plastered on the front of tomorrow's newspaper! After profusely thanking the officers for their help, I hustled up to the cabin. On my way upstairs, I spotted DH, who was seriously red in the face from running all over the ship. DH was relieved, but furious! I am still surprised that no security officers showed up at our cabin to investigate a report of the "loud conversation" that took place next! LOL! Turns out that after DS left the theater, he went back to the Circle C room. When DS saw the room was closed and that we weren't there waiting for him, he went looking for us. When DS couldn't find us, he went down to our cabin. When DS saw we weren't in the cabin, he decided to go to bed... because he was tired! Needless to say... after that ordeal and a month of no video games or cell phone, DS finally got the message! LOL! We feel confident that he will never sneak out of Circle C, ever again! BTW ~ I share this story with a bit of hesitation, because I know that "kids freely roaming the ship" is a hotly debated subject here on CC. Please don't flame me if you have different child-rearing beliefs... thanks in advance!

 

Ok... back to the review! We drop DS off at Circle C during the teen's Welcome Aboard Party. After DS walks inside, we can't tell if any other kids have shown up because the curved entrance obstructs the view into the room. Instead of walking directly into the room, I head outside on Deck 11 to see if the room has a side window. Yes, there is! DH follows me outside and we can see DS standing by the wall (playing with his MP3 player) and several other (younger looking!) kids standing nearby. In less than a minute, a couple of girls approach DS and they all start chatting. DS looks like he is having a good time, so we sneak off for some much anticipated Mom & Dad time! We decide to check out the Welcome Aboard show, and take the elevator down to Deck 3. We find a decent seat, just as the show begins. The show is exactly the same as the WAS we saw on the Freedom in April. I know DH would rather be spending our "together time" alone in the cabin, but he is a good sport and pretends to be enjoying himself. LOL! The dancers are surprisingly good, IMHO... and both the lead singers (Jennie & Rudy) sing and dance very well! The CD Brent is good... as is the comedian, Kenny Miller, but my most-favorite person of the evening is the ACD, Gary! His accent is charming and his funny manner-isms are hilarious! Gary gets Best-In-Show, by a land-slide! As a reward for DH's good behavior, we head back to the cabin for some alone time. Here's a neat picture from the show: see the Destiny Dancers and the blow-up Carnival Ship in the reflection of the balcony glass?

 

 

 

 

DH heads up to Circle C to pick up DS, shortly before midnight. I put my jammies on and get into bed. Ahh.. the sheets are duvet are made of very smooth, high thread count cotton. Nice! And the mattress is firm, yet soft. My guys return and as DH joins me in bed, he gives a good report that DS was in the Circle C room, as instructed. (No surprise, there! LOL!) After DS crawls into bed, he says it is quite comfy. Rey fixed a bed on the couch for DS, as promised. No towel animal tonight, but... we do have Carnival Chocolates! Yum! I read a bit of tomorrow's Fun Times and DH watches some TV. Lots of news about the NBA Finals. We leave the curtains open, so the sunrise will wake us up. I can feel the ship rocking, ever so slightly. Ahh... this is the life! Sweet dreams!

 

UP NEXT: a Day at Sea!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Well, for a newbie, your review is one of the best I've read and the photos are wonderful!! I was so sad yesterday when there were no new posts, so I am addicted!! I love all the detail, as I feel I am right there with you!:)

 

Wow, a 15 MP camera...may I ask what kind is it? Is it SLR? Mine is quite old and I think is 5 MP! Time for an upgrade!!

 

 

Thank you! Our camera is a Kodak HD Z1015 IS with AF 15X Optical Zoom. Don't know what all that means... that's what printed on the outside of the camera! LOL! What is SLR? We upgraded last Christmas from a Kodak 3 MP, when we found this camera on sale. Love it, but don't know how to use all the features! :D

[CruiseVacationQueen]

I will be on the same itinerary on july 26, it will be my second cruise and im really excited!. I also hope the review is done by then because im finding the details and pictures really helpful. So far I have a couple questions im hoping you can answer. when you first arrive did you put your laptop thru the x-ray machine? did it damage your laptop? and do you know where i would rent a clamshell? thanks for the great review so far!!!!!!:)

 

Hi, jess! My DH was in charge of the laptop when we went through security... I was busy with all those bottles of wine! LOL! DH said the security officer asked if there was a laptop in the bag, but didn't ask DH to take it out to verify. Every time I have flown, the airport security asks me to remove the laptop from the bag and put it in a bin by itself. My laptop has never been damaged and it has been x-rayed numerous times. I think the important thing to remember for electronics, is to make sure the power is OFF when it goes through the x-ray machine. We usually fry at least one of our cell phones on every cruise, because in all the madness of hurrying at the terminal, we forget to turn one off. This time, we remembered to turn off all the cell phones! Yay! No dead phones, this go 'round!

 

I hear you rent the clam-shells at the Excursion Desk onshore HMC. (I would also check the Excursion Desk on the ship, when you board!) The key is to get on the island early, so you have a good choice of where to sit! Here's another tip: at the far end of the beach, past Cabana #15, there are several hammocks in the trees and lots of empty lounge chairs that stay in the shade all day. In fact, most of the chairs and clamshells in the tree line (up and down the beach), stay shaded most of the day. Please put on more sunscreen than you think is neccesary, as HMC has bright-white sand... that magnifies the intensity of the sun and burns skin in no time! We stay tan year round here in FL, and we usually get quite crispy after a full day at HMC... even with sunscreen!

 

Happy sailing! And I will try to hurry up and finish this review! LOL!

[pcrum]

Thank you! Our camera is a Kodak HD Z1015 IS with AF 15X Optical Zoom. Don't know what all that means... that's what printed on the outside of the camera! LOL! What is SLR? We upgraded last Christmas from a Kodak 3 MP, when we found this camera on sale. Love it, but don't know how to use all the features! :D

 

SLR is single lens reflex...not sure what that means, but it is the kind with the removable lenses that is not "point and shoot" and that you have to focus manually (I think, lol, I'm no expert by any means!). I love your photos! I need to upgrade my camera and will definitely look into the Kodak you mentioned!

 

Loving the review...as a mom of 15 year old twins I can feel your agony over the episode with your son on your last cruise. Nothing scarier than losing your child!!

 

Can't wait for more of the review!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

The sun starts peeking in our room around 6:30 am this morning, which is a tad earlier than I care to wake up. DH & DS are still fast asleep, so I close the curtain and get back into bed! We wake up around 8 am and talk about what we want to do today. DS wants to go to Circle C at 2:30 pm for the Ultimate Hunt and DH & I want to work out. We decide to eat a light breakfast and play mini-golf before it gets too hot. After playing golf, we'll go work out. We dress in shorts and running shoes and head up to the Lido for breakfast. Everyone must be sleeping in, because the buffet is pretty empty. The breakfast variety is good, as usual. They have all our favorites: yogurt, fruit, grits, pancakes, bacon, bagels and much more! The Deli and Chinese stations have made-to-order omelets with all the sides (bacon, ham, etc.). We easily find a booth near the window and devour our "not-so-light, after all!" breakfast. DH comments that the coffee is good this morning, and DS enjoys hot chocolate. The orange juice is good as ever... tastes fresh-squeezed, even though it comes from a machine dispenser. We rest our bellies a few minutes before heading out. DS starts bragging that he will win the golf tournament today... that remains to be seen! LOL!

 

 

 

 

When we leave the Lido buffet at 9:20 am, the buffet line is just starting to back up. We walk up to the Towel Hut on Deck 10 and use our S&S cards to check out 3 putters and balls. The pool area is still pretty empty and I don't notice any "chair hog" towels. We take the stairs up to Deck 11. There are a couple of joggers on the track, and we discuss taking a walk outside instead of working out in the gym. The weather is gorgeous and not too humid! Up one more set of stairs, and we step onto the mini-golf course. Wow! The course looks relatively new and the area is decorated in a pirate-y theme. There is only one other family up here, and they are several holes ahead of us. Nice! We usually have to fight the crowds (and heat!) while playing mini-golf, so this will be a relaxing game! Most of the holes are 3 par, but "Mommy Rules" state that DM gets as many practice shots as she needs. LOL! Here's a picture of DH setting up his first shot:

 

 

 

 

Looking forward in the picture below, you can catch a glimpse of the twister slide!

 

 

 

 

All 3 of our balls keep ending up about the same distance from the hole!

 

 

 

 

Here we go again! This time, with a great view of the beautiful sea!

 

 

 

 

We finish the course in under 30 minutes, and DH goes downstairs to return the putters & balls. DH & DS tie for par and I win with 1 under par.. all my "practice" shots sure helped! LOL! We spot a cabinet full of shuffleboard equipment, so we decide to give it a go! The poles and weights are in great shape, but the teak deck isn't! We try our best to make the weights slide across the rough & bumpy wood, but soon give up on sticking to any rules. We take turns seeing how far we can push the weights, and DS does the best. I can't even make one point and DH only makes a few. After a few more attempts, we give up... besides, the jogging track is getting full! We put the shuffleboard equipment back and join the small crowd on the track. We decide to do a mile, which is 10 laps. The weather is just perfect and we really enjoy our walk around the whale tail! LOL!

 

 

 

 

We head back to the cabin for showers and to change into our suits. What to do next? Nap in the sun? Read in the shade? Ahh... the decision is tough, when you are enjoying a day at sea!

 

UP NEXT: more of Sea Day!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

After our walk, we head to the cabin for showers and to change into our suits. We decide to catch the rest the Future Vacation Talk (which just started at 11:45 am) in the Criterion Lounge. The Future Cruise Specialist, Carol, is showing slides of unique itineraries when we arrive. The talk is much more in-depth than I expected. At the end of her presentation, Carol hands out additional raffle tickets to the passengers who arrived late (us!) and starts drawing tickets for prizes. She hands out a Frisbee, then a back-pack and then announces the next drawing is for a Carnival Towel Pal. I have the lucky ticket! Yay! Carol also has forms for Future Cruise Certificates ($100 a piece) and explains the onboard credit, which is worth $50 to $200 depending on the length of the future cruise. We fill out two forms... one in DH's name & one in mine. Carol tells us that the FC certificates will be delivered to our cabin tomorrow! Yay! Here's a picture of DS holding our prize!

 

 

 

 

The time is now 12:20 pm, and we decide to get some lunch. The Lido buffet is packed when we get there! We head to the aft pool area to check out the Taste of Nation buffet, which is listed as "American" in the Fun Times. Hardly anyone is in the area... both the buffet and the tables nearby are empty. Yay! New England Clam Chowder and Southern Fried Chicken are two of the yummy offerings on the TON buffet today. After lunch, DS decides he wants to go to Circle C for the video game session at 1:15 pm. We have a few minutes to spare, so we head to the front of the ship to check out the view from the open verandah decks. On our way down to Deck 7, we notice that the "smell" from yesterday has been replaced by a fresh, flowery fragrance! I'm sure the passengers staying in this area are glad! LOL! We step out to the "secret" verandah and catch a glimpse of a power boat... in the middle of no-where! I had to zoom all the way in to get this shot:

 

 

 

 

We drop DS off at Circle C and head back to the cabin for a power nap! After our short rest, we pack our beach bag with sunscreen, books and towels and head up to the aft pool for some R & R in the sun. DH goes to Circle C to pick up DS and finds out that the schedule has changed a bit. The Ultimate Hunt has been moved up and DS wants to stay longer. DH instructs DS to meet us in the aft pool area when the scavenger hunt is over. Our lounge chairs by the pool are in the shade, which I don't mind at all! DH reads and I people watch. There is a large multi-generational family at the pool today, and I enjoy trying to figure out where they are from, and who is married to who, etc. An hour passes by quickly, and DS shows up to hang out with us. He is not in the mood to have his picture taken, and tries to hide behind his ice cream cone!

 

 

 

 

DH is really enjoying his book: "The Lies My Teacher Told Me" and fills me in on interesting "un-facts" every now and then!

 

 

 

 

I gaze up at the open sky above. This is the view from my lounger. As you can see, the retractable roof is open above the aft pool today! See the Whale Tail peeking in at us?

 

 

 

At around 4:30 pm, we head down to our room for showers. Tonight's dress code is Cruise Elegant, and we are looking forward to a wonderful meal! Our table mates are already seated when we arrive at the table. I am having a hard time deciding between the Prime Rib and Lobster! I go with the majority... and order the beef. The meal is fabulous and I finish my dessert with a cappuccino. We enjoy the conversation with our dinner companions and give them a few pointers for our day in Grand Turk, tomorrow. The service is very good again tonight and we are one of the last groups to leave the dining room. We head to the cabin to change into more comfortable clothing, as our waist-lines have expanded a bit! LOL! We are greeted by this cute fellow when we arrive:

 

 

 

 

The movie Avatar is playing on TV, and we decide to turn in for the night. DS is a little disappointed to miss the evening's Circle C activities... but when I tell him we will be arriving in Grand Turk at 7 am, he happily complies! We watch the movie and fall asleep to the slow, soft motion of the ship! Sweet dreams!

 

UP NEXT: Grand Turk!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Hi, everyone! Just want to let you know that DH has the next 3 days off... so I won't be adding any new installment until Sunday. Here's a sneak-peek of Grand Turk, to tide you over! LOL!

Our Towel Pal is watching the sunrise from the window:

[kenrod]

I am still enjoing your review! Man, some of your pictures are truly amazing.

 

Have a good weekend, and I look forward to your next installment.

[flgojo]

Hi, everyone! Just want to let you know that DH has the next 3 days off... so I won't be adding any new installment until Sunday. Here's a sneak-peek of Grand Turk, to tide you over! LOL!

 

Our Towel Pal is watching the sunrise from the window:

 

 

 

Okay as long as you come back and finish... I am loving your pictures especially the "arty" ones. My Mother and I are on the Destiny next May for our second Mother Daughter cruise.

[f7prez]

Really enjoying your review and the added tidbits of information. We are sailing Destiny in November, and our itinerary shows our sea day being the last day (which I prefer), but I see your sea day was the first full day. Do you know if the ship alternates the sea day?

 

Keep the fun review and amazing pictures coming.

[ScoobyGal]

Absolutely love your review. It's like a good book I can't put down. Keep those pages coming! Thanks for all your efforts.

[dannymissy]

Have a fun family weekend and I can't wait to continue reading next week! I agree with pp that it is like a good book I don't want to put down. You have a fun writing style and the pictures are wonderful! Looking forward to next week!

[LSEA]

...

[bloops]

Great review. I feel like I am back on the ship. I am waiting to see myself in one of your photos. :)

[CruiseVacationQueen]

Thanks for all the positive feedback! Here's more of the review!

 

Grand Turk is one of our favorite ports and one of the top reasons we booked this cruise. The island is very small (less than 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide!) and feels quite remote. We love the unspoiled, natural beauty and find the inhabitants to be very friendly. Our last visit to GT was at the end of August 2008, the week before Hurricane Ike devastated the island. We are eager to visit GT again, hoping that the island has recovered and that our favorite "secret" beach is still there!

 

We feel comfortable exploring GT on our own and safety has never been a concern, other than being careful where to swim (we avoid "active" water with strong currents). But, for those who prefer to book excursions through Carnival, here are the Grand Turk pages from the Shore Excursion Guide we received onboard the Destiny. Did you know that the islands of Turk & Caicos are actually in the Atlantic Ocean? We didn't know that until we read the Fun Fact below!

 

 

 

 

Snorkeling in GT is excellent... from boat and by land!

 

 

 

Scuba diving is also very popular in GT!

 

 

 

The island of GT is very small, but Carnival offers a wide variety of excursions.

 

 

 

The beaches of GT are not to be missed, IMHO!

 

 

 

 

 

 

UP NEXT: Our day in beautiful Grand Turk!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

What can be better than going to bed and waking up at a beautiful Caribbean island? This morning, we can't think of anything better! Take a look at our first glimpse of Grand Turk at 6:05 am. Time to rise and shine!

The sun is peeking over the horizon of the Turks & Caicos, so we hop out of bed to get ready for our day in Grand Turk! We are glad to be in port early, because we anticipate a hot & sunny day. After showering, we apply a liberal dose of sunscreen over every inch of skin not covered by our bathing suits. DH packs our backpack with bottled water, sunscreen and a change of clothes for each of us. DS puts the Carnival beach towels in our snorkel gear bag, and I retrieve our S&S cards, drivers licenses, a credit card & some cash from the safe. Next, we head up to the Lido deck to eat breakfast. The main buffet line in the Sun & Sea is not too terribly long, but we keep walking all the way back to the aft pool area to see if the "secret" buffet line is open. Score! It's open and no one else is around! The aft buffet may be small but it has plenty of ingredients for a hearty breakfast: scrambled eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, oatmeal and more! We fill our plates and head back inside for juice & coffee. DS grabs a couple of boxes of cereal for the back-pack, in case he needs a late morning snack! LOL! We snag a table by a window and enjoy our meal with a great view of the south end of GT. The ship docks while we are eating and we listen out for announcements about going ashore. As you can see in the picture below, the main buffet line is really starting to get long! The time is now 7:20 am, and we still haven't heard any announcements. We decide to go down to Deck 0 to see about getting off the ship!

We make it down to Deck 0 at 7:30 am and find that the doors are already open for going ashore. Yay! Not sure why they didn't make any announcements... maybe they didn't want to wake the passengers still asleep? We step outside and breathe in the clean, salt air. The sun is still rising and the bright, blue sky is decorated with white, puffy clouds!

We walk down the pier toward the entrance to Grand Turk at the Cruise Center. Margaritaville's pool and beach is on the left. The quiet beach is on the right.

The view of Margaritaville from the pier:

A view of the quiet beach, which is on the southern tip of GT:

UP NEXT: the Cruise Center!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

The Dufry duty-free shop serves as the passenger entrance to the Cruise Center and the security check-point for re-boarding the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walk through the store (which stocks everything from cigarettes and liquor to leather and watches) and step into the Cruise Center courtyard, which is also the meeting place for several excursions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The courtyard is also home to several other name-brand duty free stores. This is the view to the right of the courtyard:

 

 

 

 

 

This is the view to the left, which includes the entrance to Margaritaville:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We plan to tour the island on our own today... to survey the recovery from the hurricane and to check out our favorite beach. Thanks to a tip we read on Cruise Critic several years ago, we know that a local guy named Nathan rents golf carts for $80 a day. We are headed to his rental site, which is located just outside the city entrance to the Cruise Center. To get there, we walk past the Margaritaville, toward the taxi stand and parking lot, which is located just beyond this breeze-way:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We cut through the parking lot, walking toward the city entrance to the Cruise Center:

 

 

 

 

UP NEXT: renting our golf cart!

[jrmende63]

great review! Hubby and I are on this same cruise in April of next year. We have combined this one with a four day to Cozumel and Key West for our 30th anniversary! I can't wait!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

We walk across the parking lot and turn left onto this main road that leads to the Cruise Center's city entrance. A salt pond is located on the other side of the fence, left over from the days when sea salt was a major export from GT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continue our walk toward the city entrance. Check out the beautiful green grass... with several signs warning to Keep Off! LOL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look what we see on our left... the Destiny!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We exit through the gates at the Cruise Center's city entrance. The golf carts (and new scooters!) are just ahead:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our wheels are just a few more steps away! One of Nathan's employees is sitting under the white canopy. After greeting us, he copies my driver's license information on a very informal rental agreement. I sign the form, we pay the $80, and... we're on our way! We have full use of the cart all day and just need to return the cart with the same level of gas in the tank (the island has 2 gas stations).

 

 

 

 

 

We decide to save our "secret" beach for later in the day, when we are hot and sweaty from driving all around the island. Our first destination is Little Bluff Point on the north end of the island. Thankfully, Nathan's employee reminds us to drive on the left side of the road! LOL! Here's a copy of the map provided with the golf cart:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UP NEXT: driving around Grand Turk!

[kjunea]

Great review! I love Grand Turk too! Keep up the good work!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

So... off we go in the golf cart! Just a few feet up the road, we make our first "wildlife" sighting! Lots of animal freely roam the island and they are used to seeing people and cars. Need to watch out for the packages they leave behind... don't wanna' run over any of those! LOL!

The time is now 8 am and the traffic is very light. Even though the island is small, there are many interesting and historical sights to see! We hope to fly to in for a week-long vacation one day, so we have more time to explore all the island has to offer. One of the newest resorts on GT (White Sands Hotel) is just north of the cruise center. We see it on our left as we head north on Waterloo Road. As we continue north, we see the entrance to Governor's Beach on our left (gorgeous beach with food & facilities). On our right, we see the famous replica of John Glenn's Space Capsule that commemorates the days he spent on GT training for NASA's Mercury space program in the 1950's & 60's and the times he splashed down nearby, in the Atlantic Ocean. The road curves around the GT Airport and we take a left as we pass by the Holy Cross Catholic Church. We continue straight ahead through Cockburn Town, which is the capital of Turks & Caicos. The traffic is still light as we turn left on North Creek Road and drive beside the inland body of water that divides the northern end of the island into two "fingers". Soon the pavement ends and we are driving on a sandy, rocky road. We pull over to change drivers and to take a photo of the first (of many!) wild donkeys we see today!

We also take this opportunity to fetch some water out of the backpack. The new driver and co-pilot obediently smile for the camera!

We are now "off-roading" in our trusty golf cart! There are so many rocks and pot holes in the road that we have to creep along or risk getting bounced out of the cart! This part of the island is very remote and gorgeous. We see more "wildlife" all around us and soon we come to the end of the road at Little Bluff Point. The view is incredible and there are conch shells scattered all over the beach, as seen in the out-of-focus shot below:

Here is the view of the Lighthouse from Little Bluff Point, which is located at the north end of the island, on the other side of North Creek. The lighthouse is small and run-down, and we don't plan on driving out to see it today. But it looks nice in landscape photos!

The north end of the island faces the open water of the Atlantic Ocean and the Turks Island Passage channel, where humpback whales are known to migrate. No whale sightings today... just beautiful views of a deserted beach and gorgeous blue horizon!

UP NEXT: more beauty in Grand Turk!

[CruiseVacationQueen]

We take a walk down the beach at Little Bluff Point. The water appears to be very shallow for several yards out. We wonder if scallops may grow here? As we turn around to walk back we see this view of the lighthouse:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wish we could stay here forever! Here is one last glimpse of the idyllic beach on the north end of GT:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We get back in the golf cart and head south, retracing the way we came. Then, we turn right on West Road and make our way over toward the water on the west side of the island. We pass by several homes, some old and some new... we wish we lived in any of them! Soon the road ends and DH turns right, down a narrow dirt road. Hmmm... wonder what's down there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only a gorgeous stretch of white, sandy beach... that's all! We see on the map that we are at Pillory Beach. Ahhh.... otherwise known as Paradise! This is the view looking south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the view looking north, toward the popular Bohio Beach Resort:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the view looking straight out, as seen while standing on top of the bluff. Check out the natural vegetation with purple flowers and the cute little dinghy. Is this setting perfect, or what?!

 

 

 

 

 

All of the beaches up and down the west coast of GT look like they belong on the cover of travel magazines! After seeing this gorgeous beach, we get homesick for our favorite "secret" beach and get super-excited to go there! But first, we want to drive through the Historic Downtown area, along the waterfront.

 

 

UP NEXT: more gorgeous views of GT!

[hill6]

What a great way to explore GT. Never thought of that. I have been there three times and never made it past the cruise center pool.