Government
Grand Turk: NO VAXX Rule allowing more Cruisers on land
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, April 3, 2023 – Vendors and tour operators in Grand Turk had better be ready for the boom in tourists leaving the cruise ship in order to enjoy the adventures and experiences on land, now that the Covid-19 travel entry requirement of a vaccine will no longer bar the un-vaxxed from disembarking.
Already, there are reports on the swell of curious thrill seekers descending upon the island, which welcomes over 1 million cruise visitors each year. Saturday, the first day of the no-vaccine required rule, was described as buzzing for Grand Turk.
The mandate was officially dropped Friday, March 31st, and it means visitors, vaccinated or not, will be able to leave their ship and explore the country when it docks in the capital.
Carnival Cruises along with other major cruise lines removed their vaccine mandate for short cruise boarding in mid-2022.
Since then, an affidavit on the Carnival Cruises website has advised visitors that unvaccinated guests, 18 and over, would have to remain aboard when the ship arrived in Grand Turk.
That rule, in accordance with TCIG protocols, meant that a chunk of guests who arrived in the country never set foot in the $50 million Cruise Center or patronized local vendors. Several cruise passengers had expressed disappointment in 2022 about not being able to visit and excitement at the possibility of the mandate dropping.
One cruise aficionado also gave the port a ‘thumbs down’ as TCIG held onto the rule far longer than any other cruise destination in the region.
John Heald, Carnival Representative, fielded these posts: “Have any of the higher ups spoken with whomever in Grand Turk to see if they are still planning on lifting their Vaccine requirement at the end of March–?” Another said, “Any insight into when we may see vaccine mandates released on locations such as Grand Turk?”
This week, seven cruise liners are expected to visit Grand Turk, including two ships on Wednesday and two again on Friday.