Turks and Caicos Snorkeling From a Cruise Ship: Grand Turk, Gibbs Cay and the Wall
The short answer. Book a snorkel that starts an hour after your ship docks and lasts about three and a half hours. The Grand Turk trip checks in at the Local Village, a 10-minute walk from the cruise center, swims the top of the Grand Turk Wall and anchors at Gibbs Cay, where southern stingrays glide over the sand. It costs $153 per person and fits a normal port day.
If you arrive by cruise ship, Grand Turk is your island for the day, and the snorkeling is close. Providenciales and its boats are another island away, so this is the one Turks and Caicos snorkeling tour a cruise passenger can do from the pier. Here is how the day works, from the gangway to the stingrays and back.
Where does your ship dock?
At the Grand Turk Cruise Center, at the south end of the island, about three miles from Cockburn Town, the capital of the Turks and Caicos. The center has shops, a beach and a pool, and it is where you step ashore.
The snorkel checks in close by, so you need no taxi. The departure points page covers every start on both islands.
How do you find the check-in?
Walk from the cruise center to the Grand Turk Local Village, about ten minutes on soft sand. Check in behind the yellow picnic tables in the sand, next to the public restrooms; look for the multi-coloured, sea-weathered building.
Wear your swimsuit under your clothes, because there are no changing rooms on the beach. Bring a towel, reef-safe sunscreen and a waterproof bag for your phone and ship card.
When does the tour start?
An hour after your ship arrives. That gap is built in so you can get off the ship and walk over without a rush. The trip runs about three and a half hours, which leaves you time back at the center before all-aboard on most port days.
| Stage | Timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Ship docks | Your arrival time | Off the ship and into the cruise center |
| Walk to the Local Village | About 10 minutes | Check in behind the yellow picnic tables |
| Tour starts | One hour after arrival | Board the boat and head out |
| The Wall and Gibbs Cay | About 3.5 hours in all | Snorkel, stingrays and a conch salad tasting |
| Back ashore | With time before all-aboard | Walk back to the cruise center |
Check your ship's times first. Work back from all-aboard: the tour starts an hour after arrival and runs about three and a half hours. If your call is short, keep the snorkel as your only booking. The planning page covers cancellation and what each fare includes.
What is the Grand Turk Wall?
Off the west side of Grand Turk, the seabed drops from about 25 to 30 feet into a wall that falls more than 7,000 feet. From the surface you see the edge where pale water turns deep blue, and the reef along its top is full of fish.
That side of the island is the Columbus Landfall Marine National Park, about 1,280 acres of protected water. Nothing may be taken, and you snorkel over a reef that is left alone.
What happens at Gibbs Cay?
Gibbs Cay is a small uninhabited cay about a mile off the east coast, inside the Grand Turk Cays Land and Sea National Park. Southern stingrays come in over the sand around the boats, and you stand or float in the shallows while they pass.
The park prohibits touching or lifting the rays. Watch them from the water, keep your hands to yourself and let them choose how close they come.
What does the fare include?
- Snorkel gear for the Wall and the reef stop
- Water and a rum punch tasting
- A conch salad tasting, made on board
- The 12% Turks and Caicos government tax
Tips are extra, so bring cash. The fare is $153 per person, and every snorkeler needs to be able to swim; non-swimmers stay on the boat for the snorkel.
Who should book it, and who should not?
It suits a cruise passenger who can swim and wants the water rather than the shops. It asks every snorkeller to climb the boat's ladder with little help, and it sets a weight limit of 300 pounds, so it is not for everyone.
If you cannot swim, the day still works from the boat and the beach, but you watch rather than snorkel. If you are staying on Providenciales instead of cruising, the Grace Bay boats give you more choice; the top spots page lays out the reefs and cays there.
What should you bring ashore?
- Your ship card and photo ID, in a waterproof pouch
- A swimsuit under your clothes, since there are no changing rooms
- A towel and reef-safe sunscreen
- US dollars in cash for tips
- Water shoes for the walk on the sand and the cay
- A dry bag for your phone
Leave anything you would hate to lose on the ship. Everything on a small boat gets splashed, and the walk from the pier is on sand. The FAQs answer the smaller questions.
How does it compare with a Providenciales snorkel?
It is shorter and simpler. A Providenciales half day runs about four hours and usually adds Iguana Island or a sandbar, while the Grand Turk trip fits the reef, the Wall and the stingrays into three and a half. You also start on foot from the pier rather than at a hotel beach or a marina.
If your cruise calls at Grand Turk and you later stay on Providenciales, you can do both: the Wall and Gibbs Cay here, the barrier reef and Little Water Cay there. The family friendly tours page covers the ages for every boat.
What if the weather turns?
The operator may change the snorkel site for weather, safety or operational reasons. A changed site stays part of the booked trip and is not refunded, which is worth knowing before you book.
If the operator cancels outright, you are offered another date or a full refund, and you can cancel free yourself up to 24 hours ahead. On a cruise, that means booking once your itinerary is firm and checking the forecast the day before your call. The best time to visit page covers the seasons.
Docking at Grand Turk? The first tour below is built for your port day; the others are for the day you stay on Providenciales instead. Every fare is compared on Turks and Caicos Snorkeling Tours.
Snorkel days for cruise and island visitors
Exclusive Supreme Snorkeling Tour
The Grand Turk cruise-day snorkel: the Wall, Gibbs Cay's stingrays and a conch salad.
From $153 per person
Check Availability
4hr Group Half Day Snorkel Excursion in Grace Bay, Providenciales
The most-reviewed half day: a Grace Bay reef, Little Water Cay, lunch and floats.
From $125 per person
Check Availability
Grace Bay Luxury Catamaran Reef Snorkel Sail
Two and a half hours from the Ritz-Carlton beach: a reef snorkel, snacks and drinks.
From $109 per person
Check Availability