Day 3 - grand turk - turks and caicos

We slept a little later for us but were still up before 8. Today, we are in Grand Turk and arriving around 8. We went to Marketplace for a light breakfast before venturing out on our adventure.

We left the ship around 8:15 and saw the area in the port with stores and beaches. They have chairs that are free in the back rows and other ones for rent. The beach looked nice for an easy day but it did look a little rocky and had the potential to be crowded with three ships in port, Symphony, Serenity and a larger Holland America ship, Niew Amsterdam. I did some research and wanted to try Governor’s Beach.

We found our way to the cab stand and did not wait long to leave. The fare was $4 per person each way. The walk didn’t seem to bad but we were anxious to see the beach and it was already fairly warm. The beach was amazing. Soft white sand, crystal blue water and we were the only people there! You could rent chairs but we decided to just sit on our towels when taking a break from the water. There is also a shipwreck right on shore. It washed ashore during Hurricane Sandy. The water was a great temperature and we did some snorkeling. We saw tons of fish only a few feet from shore. Sitting on he beach, I watched so many butterflies dance by. Some others arrived later but it was still a pretty empty slice of paradise. I wanted to take a cab back to the ship as I felt so relaxed and at easy and Chris agreed.

We went back to the ship around lunch and headed up to the pool deck. We grabbed a table and I did some writing before lunch. The ship was busy with people visiting from Serenity. We met a rather creepy man who started talking to us. He told us he was a wizard and needed one ingredient for his potion, a virgin. Yeah OK. He seriously was trying to ask me. Very bizarre and creepy. He wouldn’t go away and proceeded to harass to other women with the same question. He finally left and I did overhear some women complaining about a “creepy guy who talked dirty” so it had to be him.

After our interesting encounter, we both went to Marketplace for lunch. We brought our food out to the pool to enjoy the warmth. Then it felt pretty hot so we found some nice shady loungers and went for a dip in the pool. Chris tried a new cocktail, Gin and Jam which was very delicious. We both loved it. I had a drink called a Grumpy Old Man, inspired by our crass visitor from before! We looked at the dinner menu and were not too excited. Chris went to ask for a reservation at Silk. He was told they were fully booked but had one at 8:30pm. Sold. The shade was so lovely we both took lovely poolside nap. After the nap, we both went for another swim. Another couple we had been dancing with joined us in the pool and we enjoyed a delightful conversation.

We both watched sail away since it was extra special tonight. The Symphony would pass its sister ship, Serenity on its way from Grand Turk. We heard lots of cheering as we passed. It was enjoyable hearing the horn competition of the sisters. They don’t often have much time to chat in person!
We had a cocktail reception from Ensemble Travel at six so we went back to the room to get ready. We enjoyed our drinks and a chat with the group. We still had a bit of time before our late reservation. We went to Avenue Saloon to grab our Manhattans, Employees Only for me and Black Manhattan for Chris. Both were perfect. We decided to hit the 7:30 show which was ventriloquist, Mark Merchant.

I saw Mark Merchant on my last Crystal cruise. Chris thought it was a rave review that I wanted to see a ventriloquist again. We both really enjoyed the show. He is very entertaining and keeps his show current.

After the show, it was time to go to Silk. We tried the signature cocktail that was pretty sweet but tasty. We started with the Dim Sum, Crispy Shrimp Dumplings and the spring roll of the day which was beef. All the starters were great. For shared entrees,we had Kung Pow shrimp, miso cod and beef with xo sauce. For dessert, Chris had the tapioca soup and I had the fruit plate. I think the best fruit plate on board is in Silk. It was another fabulous night of food!

After dinner, we returned to Avenue to get a nightcap. We tried a new cocktail, French Connection at the bartender’s recommendation. It was cognac and Grand Mariner. We took our drinks to the show in Starlite. Tonight, Curtis and Beverly were performing. I love ballroom dancing and Curtis and Beverly are truly amazing dancers. The show had comedy and dancing. The lifts they execute are effortless and flawless. We stayed for one dance with the DJ and went back to the room. Another fine day aboard Symphony