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New Caribbean port far exceeds expectations
Grand Turk, the newest Caribbean cruise destination, finished its inaugural season by far exceeding expectations.
There were 136 cruise ship calls and 295,000 passengers, since the port officially opened in Feb. 200
December was a record month with more than 46,000 passengers arriving on 28 cruise ship calls. Twenty of the calls were made by Carnival Corporation & plc brands, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, and Costa Cruises; the remaining eight calls were by Silversea, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Fred Olsen, Hapag Lloyd, and Ships of Discovery.
“The inaugural season of the Grand Turk Cruise Center was a tremendous success, with a significantly higher number of cruise ship calls and passengers than originally projected.” said a spokesman.
Michael Reimers, the Grand Turk Cruise Center’s new general manager, noted that during the port’s inaugural season not a single call was missed due to severe weather. He said that was an important consideration for cruise lines in assembling Caribbean itineraries.
In addition to accommodating two ships and up to 5,000 passengers daily, the new Grand Turk Cruise Center offers full port agency services.
Currently, 90%of the port’s shops are open, including the largest Caribbean-themed bar and restaurant, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.
A wide variety of shore excursions have been developed – from snorkeling, scuba diving and deep sea fishing to biking, kayaking and horseback riding – with a daily capacity of up to 4,000 people. Additional shore excursions are being planned for the coming year.
Report by David Wilkening
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