Margaritaville
Grand Turk Cruise Center, Grand Turk
The Grand Turk Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett’s trademark dining establishment, is the main restaurant at the Carnival Cruise Center. This expansive restaurant, bar, and tourist shop is the largest Margaritaville in the Caribbean and is located alongside the giant swimming pool at the Cruise Center (approximately a 3-minute walk from the pier).
Onsite is the Trading Post shop, a swim-up bar, and the iconic giant parrot statue. There's usually a DJ providing live entertainment for guests by the pool. There's also free Wi-Fi for customers.
Located steps away is the beautiful Cruise Center Beach, which features loungers that are free to use.
Food and Menu
Margaritaville serves an expansive menu of American favorites with Caribbean and Mexican flair. Mains include burgers, sandwiches, seafood, jerk fish and chicken, volcano nachos, combo platters, and their famous Chef’s Special Cheeseburger in Paradise.
There’s a wide variety of tasty appetizers, soups, and salads if you're craving a lighter meal. Desserts include chocolate cake, key lime pie, and the Bananarama, a fried banana and ice cream dessert.
Food and menu prices are what you would expect. A cheeseburger with fries generally costs around $20.
Drinks and Cocktails
For many visitors, Margaritaville functions more as a bar, and there's a long menu of drinks and tropical cocktails to try. There are of course many margarita options on the menu, as well as daiquiris and their classic Don't Stop the Carnival cocktail (made with various fruits and Appleton Estate rum). You can also try locally brewed Turk's Head beer here.
Drinking Age
The legal age for consumption of alcohol in the Turks and Caicos is 18. Alcohol may not be purchased in shops on Sunday, yet may be bought and consumed in restaurants.
Private Cabanas
Private poolside cabanas are located near the restaurant and are available for rent (typically in advance through your cruise line). These cabanas have air-conditioning and include your own personal waiter.
Rentals are usually for 5 hours and start at $190 (2026 price).
Trading Post Shop
Also part of the restaurant is the Trading Post, a gift shop that offers tourist souvenirs and Margaritaville branded items such as beer koozies, T-shirts, hats, flip-flops, and more.
Margaritaville Opening Times
This Margaritaville is only open when a cruise ship is in port.
If grabbing lunch here is on your vacation checklist, head to the restaurant directly from the ship, as it can get crowded quickly and available chairs and tables can be difficult to find.
Non-cruise guests staying at one of the island’s inns or hotels are welcome to visit the Cruise Center, yet the shops and amenities of the complex largely only operate when a vessel is in port, and pedestrian and vehicular traffic into the complex may be restricted on off days.
For other places to eat, see Grand Turk Restaurants.
Things to Do Nearby
Grand Turk offers quite a few interesting sights and attractions both inside the Cruise Center and elsewhere on the island.
There’s a wide selection of shops and art galleries, the FlowRider surf attraction (located at the opposite end of the Margaritaville pool), and outdoor exhibits on the 1962 Mercury Space Mission and John Glenn's splashdown near Grand Turk.
The beach directly fronting the cruise port can get a bit crowded—head north up the coast for a better quality of beach and more room.
See Beaches of Grand Turk and Things to Do for more ideas on how to spend your day on the island.
Fun Fact
In the 1990s, Jimmy Buffett made many visits to the Turks and Caicos in his famous 1955 Grumman Albatross amphibious aircraft named the Hemisphere Dancer. This beautiful aircraft is now retired and parked at the Margaritaville in Orlando, Florida.
The Turks and Caicos has welcomed an impressive list of celebrities and famous people over the years. See Celebrities & Famous People in the Turks and Caicos.