Focus on Turks and Caicos, plus the Private Islands of the Bahamas

So you’ve been to Nassau or Grand Bahama, and you liked them, but you want something similar but different?  Well many of your favourite cruise lines can give you those gorgeous beaches and sparsely-inhabited islands in the shape of Grand Turk Island, or Providenciales (commonly referred to as ‘Provo’ for short).  The magnificent stretch of beach know as ‘Grace Bay’ is World-renowned for the quality of sand, but even if you’re not a beach fanatic, you can go whale-watching, or visit the Conch farm.

What’s also becoming more and more popular is the private island escape, where you spend a day on an island that is owned by the cruise line, making a perfect recipe for a safe and secure beach and watersports day!  Royal Caribbean/Celebrity have Cococay, Holland America/Carnival have Half-Moon Cay, NCL have Great Stirrup Cay, Disney Cruises have Castaway Cay, and even MSC are soon to announce their’ own private island.  so when you see one of these names on your chosen cruise itinerary, you’ll now know what kind of day lies in store…..fun or relaxation…whatever you choose!

What really impresses me is how much food and equipment the ships manage to get ashore in order to host all the day visitors, as only a limited amount of equipment is actually kept on the island itself, and of course all the food needs to be prepared onboard.  So as you sunbathe and swim to your heart’s content, please spare a thought for the hard-working crew who have been setting-up your buffet ashore long before you decided to get up and stroll around, and who will be there long after you’ve boarded the ship to prepare for your dinner and evening entertainment.

It’s nice to see that cruise ship passengers can now see some Bahamian islands other than just New Providence…what are you waiting for??!!