It had been a long time for Carnival Cruise Line to return to Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and that wait should end in December 2021. Now, however, it seems like the highly anticipated return will have to wait a little longer.
Update on Carnival’s Grand Turk Return
The Miami-based cruise line should be making an eager return to Grand Turk this month. Mardi Gras was scheduled to be the first ship in the fleet to return to Grand Turk Cruise Center on December 7, 2021 after 21 months without cruise visitors, but that call has been removed from the itinerary.
Some routes already removed by December 2021 the popular port of call for cruises as the island is not yet ready to welcome ships back. There are already two Mardi Gras cruises that will not be visiting Grand Turk, including departures on December 7th and 18th, 2021. Carnival Magic’s cruise on December 4th from Port Canaveral also removed the call.
Courtesy photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Although Carnival Cruise Line has not given a specific return date, the cruise line’s brand ambassador John Heald has given a reason why ships have not returned:
“The port has been closed for two years. There are a lot of checks to be done including dredging to make sure the infrastructure is as expected and the beaches etc are ready for thousands of people to have fun. And we also need to listen to and adhere to the Covid guidelines of all the places we sail to, and that in itself is an important endeavor. “
Also read: Sightseeing in Grand Turk during a cruise vacation
Heald continued: “I therefore ask for your understanding and assure you that you will have the very best times on board and in port and that we can hardly wait to be able to sail safely to Grand Turk again as soon as possible.”
Cruise ships could still return in December
With the cruise center closed for so long, work has been done to prepare to welcome guests back, including setting up logs to protect all local vendors and tours. Despite the rapid preparations, the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands is now planning to reopen in the week of December 13, 2021. The exact date on which the first ship will return is not yet known.
Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive
One of the most important aspects is making sure that residents are safe from the thousands of cruise ship visitors to Grand Turk.
Health Minister Jamell Ribsion recently said, ahead of Mardi Gras on the 7th, that we are minimizing these risks overall, with 6,000 people coming to the island. “
This comes as the parent company Carnival Corporation Approved more than $ 73 million in investment with the Turks and Caicos Islands. $ 25 million is being poured into the Grand Turk Cruise Center, including several upgrades to provide the best possible experience not only for Carnival Cruise Line guests, but also for those on sister lines such as Princess Cruises and Holland America Line.
