Turks and Caicos is a favorite Caribbean destination for many people and with good reason! Its beautiful beaches, often calm (and warm) ocean waters, and delightfully sunny days mean you really do feel like you’re in paradise.
But if you’ve never been, you may be hesitant to spend a whole week there, just in case it isn’t your vibe. Or maybe flying into Turks and Caicos just sounds like a pain. If that’s the case, there are plenty of cruises that will take you there. This way you can enjoy the splendor before planning a resort vacation there. These ships will take you through the gorgeous Caribbean, usually stopping in Grand Turk – a popular island in Turks and Caicos for tourists. Below are just some of our personal favorite options and a heap of information to go with. But if you have another cruise line in mind, we’re happy to help you find out the details. Just contact us here!
TL;DR: A popular way to visit Turks and Caicos is by taking a cruise. The prices can vary depending on what cruise line you choose and what package meets your needs. But there are a myriad of options and something perfect for every price point. Carnival is a great family option with relaxing and/or party energy depending on what you choose to do. Virgin Voyages is 18 years and up, which allows for a more adult-oriented trip.
Why visit Turks and Caicos by cruise?
There are a few reasons we recommend taking a cruise - both in general and when exploring a new destination. The first reason is that you can check the location out without over-committing. It may turn out that this destination you’ve heard so much about just isn’t really the kind of place you’d want to hang out for more than a day. On the flip side, by taking a cruise- in this case a Caribbean one – you can visit a handful of new places and try all kinds of new experiences. Plus, you may discover a location for a future vacation that you didn’t expect.
Another reason a cruise is a great option is that you never have to worry about food. Cruise lines provide so much food that's included in the price per person, that you never have to sit and figure out where to go or what to eat – even better is that you don’t have to worry about costs unless you want to eat off the ship or at a specialty restaurant on the ship. Plus, while onboard, ships always offer plenty of different activities to showcase the locations you visit. Most importantly, if your cruise line organized activity is running late, the ship will wait for you. But only if it was a cruise excursion. This can alleviate stress if your tour ends up running a bit behind.
Our favorite recommendations
We have two cruise lines we love to recommend and each one has a very different atmosphere than the other. Of course, we’re happy to discuss booking others with you if you have one in mind, but these are our favorite Caribbean cruises and why.
Carnival
Carnival does great Caribbean cruises and plenty of them have a stop in Turks and Caicos. Carnival is a great all-ages cruise line and is fantastic for families. With dedicated kid & teen areas, if you’re traveling without under-18s, you’re not likely to feel like you’re constantly surrounded by minors. And if you are traveling with kiddos, you can leave them to hangout with kids their age while you get a massage or do some wine tasting and know they're safe.
Carnival is known for having a fun party energy, but if you’re a more low-key person, there are still plenty of activities for you ranging from trivia games to spas. Other activities include waterslides, comedy shows, art exhibitions, or even bingo. (Some of these activities are only available on select ships. If something is a must-have for you, we’re happy to work with you when booking.)
Options galore!
To go to the Caribbean, Carnival sails out of either Miami, Florida, or Orlando, Florida out of Port Canaveral. While either port is a great option, we do always get excited about a Port Canaveral departure because you just might get to see a real space rocket being launched. While we haven’t been lucky enough to spot a rocket launch, we have seen one of SpaceX’s landing pads!
Depending on how long you want to be away at sea there are plenty of different itinerary lengths. There are options that will take you to Turks and Caicos ranging from five nights to 11 nights. (Please keep in mind that itineraries offered will sometimes change, but these are the details in 2024.) Each of these will have one day spent in Turks and Caicos, as well as a slew of other fun islands. This includes Puerto Rico (a personal favorite), St. Thomas, Dominican Republic, and more. It’s worth noting that six or seven days is usually the perfect length for most people.
Carnival also has a new ship called the Carnival Venezia. It’s their Italian-style ship with interior architecture inspired by Italy and plenty of exciting Italian food options. This ship will be sailing to the Caribbean (and Turks and Caicos) in 2025!
Pricing for Carnival is likely to be a little cheaper than Virgin Voyages – which we’ll talk about in a minute. For the five-night cruise that visits Turks and Caicos, some rooms were going for as low as $379 per person on Carnival’s website. However, we also came across some Caribbean cruises on the travel agent portal going even lower. (That's why you'll want to book through us 😉.) Of course, depending on what time of year works with your schedule and what room you choose can drastically affect your price. The lowest prices will be interior rooms and occasionally Carnival won’t let you pick which one in advance.
Virgin Voyages
Virgin Voyages is a relatively new cruise line that’s adults-only. That means that all guests must be 18 years or older when boarding the ship. This is the perfect atmosphere for anyone looking for a more adult-centric vibe. Do know, that the branding of Virgin Voyages can be a little… cheeky at times. One of their ships has an ice cream shop called Lick Me ‘Till Ice Cream. 🙊
As a quick aside, Virgin Voyages are also a foodie’s paradise with an abundance of high-quality food available and already included in the price per person, so no extra charge. From delicious tacos to tasty sushi, there are so many great options you won’t know where to start.
Itineraries
Let’s talk about some of the sample itineraries that Virgin Voyages has to offer.
If the goal is to go to Turks and Caicos, then your options will be either a five-night or six-night cruise in the Caribbean, at the time we’ve done research. As we mentioned earlier though, six or seven is a real sweet spot for most cruisers, so this is great.
Both options sail out of Miami, Florida. Our personal favorite itinerary goes to Puerto Plata, Grand Turk, St. Kitts & Nevis, and San Juan. However, this one isn’t a round-trip, so instead of flying back out of Miami, you’ll be flying out of Puerto Rico. This does give you the opportunity for a chance to stay in San Juan for a couple of days post-cruise, though.
Another option is the round-trip that goes to Grand Tirk, Puerto Plata, and the Beach Club Bimini (solely reserved for cruisers, no other tourists). This is great for anyone looking specifically to go to cruise to Turks and Caicos.
At the time of research, we were able to find prices as low as $1,362 per person for the whole trip. Or $2,724 for two people. This was for the five-night cruise. Of course, if you want bigger or fancier rooms the prices can go up from there and may vary seasonally & depending on demand. We love a sea terrace on our cruises and those rooms start at $2,990 for a pair staying in the same room.
Conclusion
There are a lot of different ways to take a cruise to Turks and Caicos. Do we recommend it? Absolutely! If you've never been to Turks and Caicos, it's a great way to visit. Cruises can be what you make of it and we highly recommend considering it as a way to visit multiple locations at once. The prices can be impressively low or impressively high depending on what you're willing to spend and we're happy to help you find whatever it is that fits your budget.
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