Above: the beach near the Grand Turk Cruise Terminal (Photo: Carnival)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Grand Turk Cruise Center will be reopening on April 8, the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board announced Thursday.

The centre had closed due to reports of gastroenteritis among cruise visitors to the island.

The Board, along with the local public health department, said it was “confident that all measures have been taken to ensure the health and safety of our guests.”

“Throughout this situation, we continued an open dialogue with the most senior executives involved in the ports operation,” said Ralph Higgs, director of the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board. “We understand the severity of the impact of the cancellation of cruise ship visits, not only to the local business community of Grand Turk, but to those guests who have selected to visit our shores via cruise line.”

The Board said the cruise sector accounted for a majority of visitors to the Turks and Caicos, calling it a “vital cog” in the tourism industry.

“Moving forward, the government feels confident that all the appropriate measures are in place,” Higgs said.

The port is owned by Carnival.