Long shot but anyone else headed to Grand Turk third week of April?

[FT]

Long-awaited return to diving will now be just me. My best buddy will still be travelling with me to take his astro photos and snorkel, but he’s just figuring out a new health issue and won’t dive. I’m booked with Blue Water Divers (who by the way have recovered from the fire mentioned by another poster) April 19-24.

Hoping for an instabuddy who also enjoys muddling along watching marine life behave themselves. I make a great spotter and protector for photographers.

 

[mje113]

I'll beat you by a week. Diving with Blue Water Divers April 11-16th. Let me know if you have any questions that week!

 

[FT]

hi mje, nice to hear from you. My trip was last year. Blue Water Divers were super nice and the instabuddies were more than fine. Apparently BWD has great taste in guests.

Hope you are flying Caicos Express. The other airline was terrifyingly unreliable last year — the initiative and kindness of their ground agents in Grand Turk was what got us home.

 

[mje113]

Hahah oh boy. No I booked on the other airline. I did leave lots of time between flights but do you think it's worth cancelling and rebooking? That bad?

 

[mje113]

@FT Curious what the arrival and departure situation is like. I presume, land in Provo, get checked luggage, go through customs, then onto the regional airline to check in? I've booked the lated flight to Grand Turk, but if my flights are on time there is an earlier option I was hoping to hop on.

 

[FT]

Yes, your assumption about Provo airport is correct. One can get pretty swiftly through baggage pickup and customs if there are not too many other flights at once. Check this site for intel in relation to your flight:

(PLS Arrivals) Providenciales International Airport Arrivals

(PLS Arrivals) Track the current status of flights arriving at (PLS) Providenciales International Airport using FlightStats flight tracker

www.flightstats.com

The issue we encountered on GT was that ICA was consistently cancelling at least one of their morning flights, which would cause us to miss our onward afternoon flight to Toronto. And by the time we realized the issue, nothing was available on Caicos Express.

We saw a flight come in super late on our last night in GT, and shortly after got a call from the ground agent offering us an 8 am ish flight out the next day — presumably that plane needing to get back to Provo asap (no night takeoffs).

ICA’s issues may have been temporary, as they previously had a good reputation. Ask on the TripAdvisor forum for Grand Turk. Lots of regular visitors to the island on there. Or you could phone Kristen at Deep Blue. A phone conversation would be the most illuminating medium.

If you are expecting a long transit wait in Provo airport as you leave, consider booking the luxury lounge for its aircon.

 

[mje113]

Check this site for intel in relation to your flight:

Hey thanks that's really handy. Looks like my flight is the first of many arriving between 2-3pm. So could be lucky but also if I'm delayed by even 10 minutes it could be a cluster. I went ahead and paid for Fast Track. No idea if it'll be worth it but I can't stand lines so willing to pay to make them go away.

 

[FT]

I’m liking your chances of making the earlier onward flight, then.

Have a lovely trip!

 

[mje113]

Thanks @FT ! Really looking forward to this as it's my first dive-focused trip in 23 years of diving (always surrounded by non-divers which limits my options).

One more question: Any restaurant recommendations on Grand Turk? I've read there are limited options and it's expensive. I'll be traveling solo so having a bar to sit at would be a bonus.

 

[FT]

You have read correctly.

Sunflower Oasis has the best food and not insane prices. Sandbar is close to the dive shop and is right on the water. Turk’s Head Inn also had very good food. All have bars, though I think Sunflower was more the type of place where they bring the drinks to your table. You won’t be lacking for company from fellow divers there, though. King will give you the best guidance on where to eat.

Osprey also has quite good food and a bar, and we ate there often because we were staying there. They certainly weren’t giving it away.