Shore Excursions
 

We will be on a Southern Caribbean cruise in late March. We are interested in any recommendations for tour companies or guides in the following ports: Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, St. Maarten. The ship excursions seem to be typically more expensive than if you do not go through the cruise line. Are some of these ports easy to just get a cab when you get off the ship (a reputable cab)? If you have any suggestions, I would be glad to receive them. I will also post this message on the "Cruise" bulletin board. Thanks.

It depends on what you want to do. On most of those islands you can find a taxi when you get off the ship and they will take you for a tour or to a beach. On St. Lucia I would recommend a catamaran ride past the Pitons. They are quite a site from the water.

We have been to St. Maarten & Barbados and have always been successful in securing travel directly at the ship terminal for much reduced price than cruise ship. In St. Maarten, we took a van to Orient Beach for the day for about $12/pp and spent the afternoon shopping. In Barbados, we hired a car & driver for about $100 for 8 hour tour of island. He was very knowledgeable and was very enjoyable as we covered a lot of ground. We visited Harrison's Caves which were very interesting. You need cash in hand, a good instinct for "what looks OK" and a talent for negotiating the price. Good Luck!

You will find lots of taxi drivers when you arrive at Port Zante in St. Kitts.

A guide I recommend is Thenford Grey. www.thenfordgrey.com

He will give you an excellent tour of the island.

A website you might find helpful is www.discover-stkitts-nevis-beaches.com

If they are still running the 12 Meter Race on St Maarten a highly recommended excursion.

Take a look at the shore excursion review sites and see which ones will appeal to you. Here are the most popular sites: CruiseCritic.com, CruiseMates.com, CruiseReviews.com, PortReviews.com. Then to compare prices with what your cruise line is offering you can go to ShoreTrips.com and/or Viator.com.

On Barbados, I'd suggest two things--take a taxi for a personalized tour, rather than an organized tour where you're packed in a bus with many others. Also suggest avoiding crowded Bridgetown and its shopping because there is just so-so shopping and better scenery away from the built-up coastal strip. Barbados is a wonderful and varied island. Try to see Flower Forest, Harrison's Cave, Francia Plantation. As time permits, there is also a wildlife preserve, rum factory, stop for lunch and snorkeling at the beautiful Coral Reef Club resort. Will probably tempt you to return for a stay on the island. See www.barbados.org

A new company has recently opened in St. Kitts.

www.stkittstourstore.com