Beaches or Ocean Resort: Turks

[Gator Diver]

Can anyone who has been to either the Beaches
or Ocean Resort in the Turks/Caicos recently comment
on if they liked their stay, which of the two they
would stay at again. (I am traveling with a nondiver,
so the on shore activities will be equally important to me).
If you can be specific, even better. By the
way I have looked at both resorts websites. Thanks.

Someone also mentioned construction in the area
on another post. Does anyone know if it is still
going on?

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I'm sure you have looked on tripadvisor.com right?

 

[Gator Diver]

Actually the reviews on trip advisor seem so detailed and
positive I often wonder how many are written by
actual tourists versuses PR persons/managers for the resort.
But yeah I did look at.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I always post a review on tripadvisor and can attest to the fact that at least mine are real!

 

[ShakaZulu]

Went to Beaches in Turks & Caicos. The have a very safe dive operation and a very well equiped dive boat. You are required to do pre-checkout dives in the pool a day before the actual dive. For the non-diver, they have hobycats, parasailing (got to pay for this), and that's about it. They have awesome pools, and the food was unreal. Have to dress up for the most restuarants. Last 4 days of the 7 day trip was blownout by a hurricane. The local DO wouldn't go out, but other dive ops did.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Best reason in the world not to dive with Beachers! (intentional mispelling). Caicos Adventures is the op for you. They hit better spots. Warn your non-diver, however, it can make for a long day. They pickup at 8:30 am and return well after two. Good luck! You're gonna love the TCI. Its kept us coming back for a decade or so every year!

 

[Gator Diver]

pick up at your hotel (whether it is Beaches or
Ocean Resort) if I dive with Caicos Adventures?

 

[Damselfish]

Caicos Adventures picks up at the hotels, almost everyone going with them gets picked up by their bus in the morning.

 

[ScubaTexas]

I have not stayed at Ocean Club, but have stayed at Beaches. It's a very nice AI resort. Very family oriented. Although I'm sure good deals pop up every so often, it seems like Beaches' prices are pretty high lately. In any event, good food, very nice pools, and great beach. The French Village rooms are nicer than the standard rooms, although they are farther from the ocean. For the right price and with the family, I would stay there again. Although the diving is included in the price, save yourself the frustration and disappointment and use an outside dive operator. There are many of them. You'll be very happy doing so after you talk to some of the people that go out (or as is often the case, never get out) with the house operation. If you do use the house operation, you'll need to get there very early to wait in line to sign up each and every day you want to dive, and then it may end up that they don't go out that day (there is a tendancy to cancel dives when the wind blows just a little bit whereas other ops are going out). It seems like since the dive op is not being paid by each of the divers for the dives and the resort doesn't allow tipping of the dive staff, the dive staff have a less than enthusiastic attitude about getting out and making the customers happy. While they have very nice, big boats, they typically only go diving in Grace Bay, which means your missing the real reasons to be diving in T&C.

 

[Gator Diver]

to everyone for their input on Turks. After some
more researching and peoples' comments on SB,
we decided to go with the Sands Resort as far
as our hotel. Now for part 2, looks like Caicos
Adventures or Provo is the dive operation to use
and not the one at the Sands Resort. Can you
book trips with Caicos before getting there? (yes,
probably a dumb question). Also can my nondiver
come with Caicos as a bubble watcher? Same
questions for Prove divers. Thanks.

By the way the stay for 5, 6 and 7 is free is only
good for ocean view rooms, nothing else (This is
direct from the reservations desk at the hotel).