Caribbean’s Newest Cruise Destination

INAUGURAL SEASON AT NEW GRAND TURK CRUISE CENTER EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

Caribbean’s Newest Cruise Destination Hosts 295,000 Passengers in 2006

GRAND TURK, B.W.I. (January 10, 2007) -- Grand Turk, the newest Caribbean cruise destination, finished its inaugural season with 136 cruise ship calls and 295,000 passengers, far exceeding expectations for the number of visitors for its first year of operation (the port officially opened in Feb. 2006).
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. In less than a year in operation, the facility is already considered one of the finest in the Caribbean and we look forward to providing even more cruise passengers with the opportunity to experience and explore our fascinating and beautiful islands,” said Floyd Hall, deputy premier for the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Added Michael Reimers, the Grand Turk Cruise Center’s new general manager, “The Grand Turk Cruise Center not only provides guests with a memorable landside experience but has also proven a success from a navigational perspective due to its superior protected area and easy access. We anticipate a prosperous 2007 and encourage all cruise lines to contact us to host port calls in the coming year – even on short notice.”

Reimers noted that during the port’s inaugural season not a single call was missed due to severe weather – an important consideration for cruise lines in assembling Caribbean itineraries. 

In addition to comfortably accommodating two ships and up to 5,000 passengers daily, the new Grand Turk Cruise Center offers full port agency services.

Currently, 90 percent 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.

For more information about the island, the Grand Turk Cruise Center, as well as the 2007 cruise schedule, shore excursions, and a copyright-free photo-library, visit www.grandturkcc.com.