Walked down the beach to Jack's Shack where we tipped some guy $20 for 8 beach chairs and sat & swam there all day and bought $4 Turk's Head beers (really good!) and ate the best Jerked Chicken and Conch Fritters I've ever had. By walking to basically the last business along the beach next to the ship you escape the crowds. I don't think 75% of our cruise ship could have walked 200 yds.

GREAT DAY!

Had to take an excursion or taxi to get away from industrial port complex. Some in our group did that. 20 minute van ride in broiling heat in a packed van (they wouldn't leave until van was full) for $7 each way to Taino beach. They loved the beach, I think they paid like $25 for an umbrella and chairs.

Some of us hung around, went to Senor Frogs, watched drunk people and got back on the boat. This actually turned out funnier than you'd think and we talked a lot more about our day than the ones who sat on the beach for their 3rd consecutive day.

This was pretty nice. It was a Hot Day. We walked pretty far down the beach where it was less crowded but still crowded. The water is an unreal light aqua/blue with the finest white sand. Water Temp around 84 degrees. Nice for kids because it was very gradual entry and depth change with little to no waves. A little boring for me and the bars are too corporate and expensive. I thought the food was sub-par, but others liked it. It didn't compare to the food we had at a beach shack in Grand Turk. But it was free...unlike beers/drinks where your ship package doesn't come into play.

Rant-Only one working water tap with a line of 20 people waiting to use it on our very hot day. Everything else was pay to play. Corporate overreach or bad maintenance?

The worst part about check-in is the line of cars to get in the parking lot. Takes about 30 minutes of sitting in your car to pay and get parked. Just seems to me like there's a better way. Not a Carnival problem, because Royal Caribbean had the same problem two years ago.