on how they arrive in the destination. Those who get there by air almost all land on the island of Providenciales, home of most of the archipelago’s big resorts and famous Grace Bay Beach. 

 

Cruise visitors, on the other hand, nearly all come to Grand Turk, where Turks and Caicos’ sprawling cruise port is located — and is in the process of a $25-million facelift.

 

Ships Return to a Refreshed Grand Turk Cruise Port

Originally built for about $50 million in 2006, the 18-acre Grand Turk Cruise Center will be expanded with the addition of a new vendor’s market, a new floating dock for water sports operators, and more docking space for cruise ships. The self-contained complex, which reopened to cruise visitors in December 2021, already features a variety of shopping, restaurants, a spa, and the largest Margaritaville restaurant in the Caribbean.

 

Carnival Cruise Lines, which built the cruise port in 2006, was the first to call on Grand Turk since the reopening; the Carnival Mardi Gras, the company’s newest and largest megaship, docked at the cruise port on Jan. 6, 2022.

 

“The Grand Turk Cruise Center continues to see more ships and newer mega liners dock in the nation’s capital [Cockburn Town],” said Courtney Robinson, a marketing representative for the Turks and Caicos Tourism Board. “Since reopening, the port has welcomed 42 ships and 113,962 cruise arrivals to take in the island’s charm, despite the COVID-19 pandemic downturn, which saw a cessation for about 21 months. Cruise tourism is a vital artery for the Turk and Caicos, accounting for 60% of our GDP and more than half of our tourism arrivals.”

 

The Tides Opens on Great Bay Beach

Clients who want to unwind on one of the best beaches in the world now have a new lodging option: The Tides, a 20-unit, all-suites resort, opened its doors on January 15, 2022.

 

Located two blocks off of Grace Bay Beach near the Somerset at Grace Bay and the Sibonne Beach Club, The Tides has one- and two-bedroom suites with pool or ocean views and equipped with full kitchens, laundry rooms, and private balconies. 

 

Amenities include a pool, fitness center, and free use of bikes for pedaling to the shore. Once at Grace Bay Beach, hotel guests have access to complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas. Room rates start at $425 per night, with a 20-percent Grand Opening discount in place for bookings through Dec. 22, 2022.

 

Rock House and The Bight Soon to Debut 

The forthcoming Rock House Hotel breaks the Provo mold in that it’s not located on or near Grace Bay Beach but rather on the island’s quiet north shore. Set to open in spring 2022, the hotel will have 42 clifftop cottages, an infinity pool, beach club, and a lounge built into a limestone cave.

 

Also set to open in 2022 is The Bight Hotel, an off-beach Grace Bay boutique property with a high-rise hotel building emerging from tropical gardens and offering broad sea and shore views. Unique amenities will include a distillery and rum bar, a  garden-to-table restaurant, and a 140-seat entertainment venue.

 

New Luxury Villas Added on Ambergris Cay

There’s one more good reason to refer luxury clients to the Ambergris Cay private island resort: the new Dream Pavilion, a six-bedroom private villa with its own rooftop lounge, gourmet kitchen, oceanfront deck, heated infinity pool, and interior courtyard.

 

Set just a few miles off the island of Providenciales, Ambergris Cay has its own runway and is reached via a short flight from the Provo airport. The resort offers a mix of accommodations dispersed over the 1,100-acre island, including 10 beachfront suites and 3, 4, and now 6-bedroom villas. Suites and villas are all-inclusive, with 24-hour in-suite dining as well as meals at the resort restaurant, along with activities like kayaking, boat excursions, fishing trips, tennis, guided nature works, and complimentary daily spa treatments. Each villa and suite also comes with a golf cart for exploring the island.

 

Rates for the Dream Pavilion, which has more than 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space,  start at $2,400 per night. 

 

Beaches Turks and Caicos

According to Gary Sadler, Executive VP of Sales and Industry Relations at Beaches Resorts: “Our ever popular Beaches Turks & Caicos offers excellent incentives for large group bookings, such as a free additional room for families who book five rooms or more. These incentives, together with our Luxury Included approach, create a one-of-a-kind vacation destination for families of all ages and sizes. From the Pirates Island water park to unlimited water sports and scuba diving, our exclusive partnership with Sesame Street, Xbox Play Lounge, gourmet dining and beyond, a vacation to Beaches Turks & Caicos is exactly what’s in order for families eager to reconnect in a memorable setting. Bringing families together is what Beaches does best. After so much time apart, multigenerational travel is back with families not only planning ahead, but also going big, booking our larger two- to four-bedroom suites across our resorts in the Caribbean.”

 

Grace Bay Beach Named World’s Best by Tripadvisor

Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales, Turks & Caicos has been ranked #1 of the top 25 beaches in the world in the 2022 Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Awards, announced in February 2022. Grace Bay Beach edged out other contenders like Cuba’s Varadero Beach, Turquoise Bay in Australia, and Eagle Beach in Aruba for top honors in the awards, based on Tripadvisor reviews.

 

“With over 7,200 reviews to-date (90% of which are 5-bubble), this quintessential Caribbean paradise has travelers raving about its white sand and crystal-clear water,” noted Tripadvisor in announcing the awards.

For more information visit:  www.turksandcaicostourism.com/travel-agents/