Help with Half moon cay and Grand turk please!

[wework2play]

Going to Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk next week. Party of 11; 7 adults, 3 teens, and a 4 year old.

 

At Half Moon Cay how do we go about getting to a more private area on the beach? I saw a post that mentioned a bus than runs the length of the beach..what does it cost? Does it only run at certain times? Is there shopping at half moon cay? Parasailing?

 

At Grand Turk is there anything that is a must see? I've read about renting a jeep, seeing the lighthouse and conch graveyard. Is it worth renting a jeep over staying at free beach?

 

Any advice will be helpful. I like to plan my port days ahead of time but since these are new ports I just don't know what to expect.

[reerun25]

I have been to Half Moon Cay, but not Grand Turk.

 

I was not aware of a bus or tram than ran the length of the beach, we just walked down just to the right of the Pirate Ship bar, looking at the bar. We were not that crowded where we were, but everyone's opinion about less crowded is different. You will find the areas closest to the shopping area is where the larger crowds will be, and then the further you go on down the beach, it will not be as bad. There is a little shopping on the island. You can para-sail, but is has to be booked through Carnival in advance I believe.

 

It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, you will love it.

[taszmom]

I don't recall a bus @ HMC but it's been a few years since I was there. It is a long strectch of beach so I guess you could walk further down but then the food/drinks are far away. They do have a/c beachfront cabanas you can rent for the day. They do have parasailing.

 

GT - there is a nice beach there with lounge chairs + Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville with a HUGE freeform pool and a swim-up pool bar. They have those flowrider surf thingy's for the brave souls. Plus there are some shops right there too. I am perfectly happy hanging out here all day. Too bad our time there will only be from 7am-2pm :(

 

Here is the GTCC website : http://www.visittci.com/grand-turk-cruise-center

[beachbum53]

Going to Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk next week. Party of 11; 7 adults, 3 teens, and a 4 year old.

 

At Half Moon Cay how do we go about getting to a more private area on the beach? I saw a post that mentioned a bus than runs the length of the beach..what does it cost? Does it only run at certain times? Is there shopping at half moon cay? Parasailing?

 

At Grand Turk is there anything that is a must see? I've read about renting a jeep, seeing the lighthouse and conch graveyard. Is it worth renting a jeep over staying at free beach?

 

Any advice will be helpful. I like to plan my port days ahead of time but since these are new ports I just don't know what to expect.

 

 

Have you tried doing any research on the "Ports of Call" board on here? These are two of the stops on our itinerary for our upcoming cruise in May. I will tell you, it takes some persistance to find something more than information about renting a cabana on Half Moon Cay. You would think that's the only thing to do, since are countless threads about it on the HMC board. Also, in case you haven't been paying attention to what's going on currently with Grand Turk, it might be a good idea to go back through the last three or four weeks and read through the postings about Grand Turk on here (Carnival board). Plan on taking bottled water with you, and do not drink the (tap) water on the island. Also, to be extra safe, you might want to plan to eat on the ship. As for what to see and do on Grand Turk, we (my DW & I) are renting a golf cart from Nathan's (look up Nathan's Golf Cart rental Grand Turk, on Google). It's up to you if you think it's worth it, since it's $80.00 to rent a golf cart. For the eleven of you to go together, you'd need to rent three golf carts, since each one only seats four. I've read both good and bad stories about the jeep rentals. Go to the Grand Turk port of call board. You'll find lots of good information there about what to see and do. Hope you all have a great cruise.

Edited April 12, 2013 by beachbum53

[cruiseonthebrain]

We rented a go cart at GT. We had a lot of fun driving it all over. But we didn't really see much that you haven't mentioned. Next time I would stay at the beach.

[golfadj]

We just go to the beach at both places or at GT grab a couple of lounge chairs and hang out at Margaritaville.

 

With the recent problem with GT water supply dont think we would order anything there.

[Colorado Kat]

Going to Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk next week. Party of 11; 7 adults, 3 teens, and a 4 year old.

 

At Grand Turk is there anything that is a must see? I've read about renting a jeep, seeing the lighthouse and conch graveyard. Is it worth renting a jeep over staying at free beach?

 

Yikes...just writing a long post and it dissappeared......I love both Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay.

 

Google-earth Half Moon Cay - it is a small island. No bus unless tiny shuttle bus. You really don't need one. Just walk up the beach. Keep watch for bathrooms & location of food for later. By the time you get 3/4 up the beach it will be much less crowded. Wonderful beach.

[Express Man]

We just returned, Never saw a bus or Tram of any sort. When you get off the tender boat the closest part of the beach is the kids play area. If you continue right you will see ship bar..Then past that is almost no mans land and may be what your looking for. For the most part the time we were there it looked pretty spread out overall. We chose to be near the ship bar with ease to BBQ lunch,Restrooms and easy walk back to tender boat.. 1 thing I did see the people on later tenders were searching for chairs,so being a group I would say make sure you tender early to ensure chairs for all.

[ree1009]

We did the sting ray encounter at HMC. The beach at that time was less crowded near the pirate ship bar. Not sure about the bus. We just walked. You get lunch on the island that day.

 

At Grand Turk. I have read they are or have redone the light house so it may be worth it. When we were there two years ago it was closed and rusted out. It is a beautiful island. You can walk off the pier and be on the free beach and Margaritaville is right there with some shopping areas. It has a HUGE pool which is also free. If you do the beach be sure to take beach shoes, it is very rocky. Beautiful place to just chill :) and free chairs.

[TravelingDiva1]

There's a tractor that will take you to the cookout on HMC. You can also walk. No shuttle bus. Light shopping.

 

Grand Turk: DEFINITE beach day. There is not much to see past the cruise center.

[andtrey]

Half Moon Cay has a gorgeous beach for sunning and great swimming. You take a tender to the island. You enter through a little area with a couple of shops and a bar area. Most people head to the left to go to the beach. That beach area gets crowded in a hurry. You can walk down the beach to the less crowded areas, most definitely past the pirate ship bar (between cabana 5 & 6--where the watersports rentals are). The BBQ area is behind cabana 4&5. The further from this area, the less crowded.

 

There are small cabanas for rent through Carnival, in addition to some much larger cabanas which are brand new but much more expensive. The small ones are about $225. Carnival says it is for 4 guests. There are 4 chairs, 4 floats, 4 sets of snorkel gear, sun loungers, drinks, snacks, ac, misting fan, refrigerator and shower. There are cabinets in the cabanas for your stuff. They are a great place to put your stuff and get out of the sun but still be on the beach. Would definitely recommend getting one as a "home base" for your group. Just don't say anything about how many guests. I saw lots of families doing this because it is rare that your group will just sit in the cabana. If you want the least crowded area, pick Cabana 10-15. You will reserve it online but you will need to go to guest services as soon as you board the ship to pick your cabana number. Guests with cabana rental get priority tender passes to maximize your time on the island.

 

The "bus" that you refer to is an old truck that has been converted to a sort of open air shuttle. If you go right at the entrance, you will board the truck. It goes along the road behind the cabanas and will drop you off at the stop closest to your cabana. At the end of the day, go back to the road and he will come by for you.

 

Grand Turk.....beach is not nearly as nice as HMC. It is directly at the end of the pier so easy access and it has chairs,soft sand, and some shade. Water is rocky in areas. The entrance to the island has duty free shopping. There are also some other shops. As mentioned earlier, Margaritaville is very popular...huge free form pool, music, lots of fun.

 

Both ports are laid back beach days. Enjoy!

[Anjanu]

On Half Moon Cay, when you get off the tender if you walk towards a small road in the back on your right or ask someone where it is, there will be a couple of army type trucks that are there to take you from one end of the beach to the other end and they will stop anywhere in between to let you off. When you're ready to come back just walk up to the road and wait a few minutes until a truck comes by to pick you up.

[ree1009]

BTW, if you check out the review on my signature you will see pics and review of both ports.

[092306]

There is a bus on HMC. It's a small open air with bench seating. It took those with cabanas to them and claimed it would stop at certain areas for the return, but never did. As we were walking out we always saw it going the other way toward the far end of the beach.

[beachbum53]

In case you can't or don't want to rent a cabana ($230.00) at HMC, you can rent a clamshell for $19.00. A clamshell covers two lounge chairs.

[Colorado Kat]

Margaritaville pool is wonderful. It's free, as is the beach. The ship docks very close. With the recent gastro-intestinal problems, I might even pop back to the ship to eat.

 

I love to snorkel/scuba at Grand Turk. It might still be whale watching season. Look at Crystal Seas Adventures there. They do whale-watch and snorkel trips.

 

Have fun!

[big_duck]

At GT we like to walk up the beach to GT. Same beach, but you aren't staring at the side of a cruise ship all day.

[Loveoursix]

We rented a cabana at HMC, it was wonderful. Pretty, pretty beach. Also if you rent the cabana you get off the ship with the first tender. If you don't rent a cabana, just walk down from the crowds, its not a big deal.

 

In Grand Turk, part of our group did horseback riding in the surf and the other half did a catamaran/snorkel excursion, both thru Carnival. Everyone loved their excursions! Not much else to do, there are a few cool dive shops that have drinks on the beach. Oasis Divers was a good spot, they also had wifi, tho we could not get it to work that day.

[ImmortalxKiss]

Haven't been to Grand Turk but HMC is AMAZING!

 

I've rented a cabana, did the eco lagoon tour ..I do have pictures in my links below, as well :) Obviously in the Fascination links.

[FlipFlopCruiser]

We've been to both HMC and GT a few times and love them both.

 

HMC is simply beautiful and peaceful. While they do offer a few excursions there, we always just hang out all day in the water.

We rented a cabana last time and actually spent very little time in it. But it was nice to use as a meeting place for our group of over 30 people. And we had a good place to keep our stuff all day.

 

Grand Turk is more "alive". Some good shopping right at the end of the pier and Margaritaville with the huge pool and flowrider. Or you can step onto the beach and relax there. They have a few more excursions than HMC offers and some other bar options down the beach.

 

What i love most about both places is, you can have the best day of your cruise on either island, and do it without spending a dime if you wish.

[jmkel]

HMC - a little piece of Heaven. On a very very hot day a cabana is a must! We rented a cabana and it's good to be able to get out of the sun. There's not much in the way of shade - unless you book a clam shell. People were finding it hard to be out of the sun - and we were glad to have our open front cabana to sit under (off and on)..... spray mist fan, comfy loungers, snorkle gear, floaty mats, priority tendering, fruit and nacho tray, drinks for 4 (2 cans soda each) and big bottle of water. Well well worth the price!

 

GT - we booked a golf cart but upgraded to a Jeep on the spot (at Nathans). Driving on the 'other side' of the road was just neat. Went up to the light house for cheap beers (ice cold!) and daughter drove Jeep back to Jack's Shack for the rest of the afternoon (she was old enough to drive but not to drink!!! Bonus for us!). When we were done at Jack's Shack (having lunch and using free WiFi) we returned the Jeep and went back to the ship! Pretty awesome day! (Golf Carts go really really slow - barely get to the light house and back - so a lot of time wasted putting along - we passed quite a few of them and were glad for the (free) upgrade he offered. Open sided jeep was pretty fun and more comfy ride than golf cart, I'd think!

 

Just IMHO.

Janice :)

[winddawn]

Going to Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk next week. Party of 11; 7 adults, 3 teens, and a 4 year old.

 

At Half Moon Cay how do we go about getting to a more private area on the beach? I saw a post that mentioned a bus than runs the length of the beach..what does it cost? Does it only run at certain times? Is there shopping at half moon cay? Parasailing?

 

At Grand Turk is there anything that is a must see? I've read about renting a jeep, seeing the lighthouse and conch graveyard. Is it worth renting a jeep over staying at free beach?

 

Any advice will be helpful. I like to plan my port days ahead of time but since these are new ports I just don't know what to expect.

There is an open air vehicle that runs on a service road behind the cabanas at HMC. If you rent a cabana, they will drop you off behind your cabana. I never tried to ride it without renting a cabana though, so I'm not sure if you can ride it otherwise. The area really isn't that big though, so most people just stroll down the beach. There is no cost for riding the vehicle. I wouldn't really call it a bus, and there is no schedule. They mostly just drop people off at their excursions I think. My thinking is that it is just for the excursions purchased. There is one gift shop on HMC, but since it is an uninhabited private island, other than a few caretakers, there is no other shopping. That is part of the beauty of the island. It is largely unspoiled, and much of the island is a bird sanctuary. You can visit the Shore Excursion Desk on the ship to inquire about the excursions available. There is parasailing. There is also the free beach barbecue where you must try the tasty jerk chicken. :-) The beach is likely one of the best you will ever visit so don't discount the beach experience. The sand is powder white and the water is so clear, you can see tiny white fish swimming near shore. There are also float mats and clam shells available for a fee. Those are included if you rent a cabana though. HMC doesn't ever seem that crowded to me, so I'm not sure I'd spend the effort to try to find seclusion.

 

Grand Turk has a nice shopping area right there at the end of the pier as you exit the ship. There are a few local artisans selling their items, a Ron Jon Surf Shop, and Margaritaville, which has a restaurant, shop, and a free swimming pool where they often have free live music and entertainment. There is also a swim up bar in that pool. Did you know that Grand Turk is the "message in a bottle" capital of the world? I have read this is because of where the island is and ocean currents. Supposedly there is a museum dedicated to that somewhere in Turks and Caicos, but I haven't been there to be able to share first-hand information. Google has info about that though. Grand Turk's beach is nice, but nothing close to HMC. The sand is more coarse and the bottom not nearly as gently sloped as HMC. Many people rave about the food available at the places right on the beach at Grand Turk.

 

I hope you have a great cruise and enjoy both of these ports. They are two of my favorites.

[Typhoon1]

If you are looking for a really secluded area of the beach, walk to the furthest end of the beach.

 

Go beyond the last cabana, keep walking, you will pass the horse stables. There is almost no one down that far.

[my2girlsz]

Any good ideas on excursions to Nassua and Half Moon Cay......family Of 4...twin girls that are 16. Thanks!:)

[CruiserBruce]

Any good ideas on excursions to Nassua and Half Moon Cay......family Of 4...twin girls that are 16. Thanks!:)

 

For Half Moon Cay(HMC), just look down the board. Buckets of info. Many people consider HMC as a beach day, but there are some excursions that can be done as well.

 

For Nassau, look over on the Bahamas board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=58