ANTIGUA - ST JOHN CRUISE PORT

When my daughter and I were planning this cruise, we were excited about the ports of call.  We were heading to the US Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts, and St Maarten.  Who wouldn't be excited about these ports?

Before the trip, I had done some research about each port and in the back of my mind, I had rated them according to what I thought would be the most exciting.  Antigua was at the bottom of that list.  Why?  I have no idea. Maybe because I had not heard about it as much as the other islands.  

After returning to the US, I am pleased to report that my preconceived ideas about Antigua were wrong and that it tied as my favorite Caribbean island along with St Lucia.

Antigua has a beautiful port with a lot of shops and many locals offering tours of the island.  My advice....take a tour.  Antigua is too beautiful not to see.  

ABOUT THE PORT

The dock is right in St John’s, the capital in the north-west, with two berths for two ships each. A third is under construction, opening in 2019. 

PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR PORT

Cruise passengers disembark into beautiful Heritage Quay, which has shops and a tourist office, and then straight into St John’s, a small bustling Caribbean town.  Redcliffe Quay is nearby with more shops and restaurants.

MY SUGGESTION FOR THIS PORT

As I mentioned above, take a tour of the island. Book through the ship if you are uncomfortable going on your own but it is super easy to do yourself. and will be a fraction of the cost.   

Need another reason to take a tour independently on arrival?  How about you get to sleep as late as you want, have a nice breakfast and then leave the ship when you are ready.  You get to choose where you want to go and how long you want to be gone.  

You may choose to a particular beach or bar or you may want to take a tour around the island like we did.  The locals love sharing their island and are knowledgeable about local history and culture.  They are usually great at entertaining you (they work for tips) and will adapt the tour for you, stopping at local shops and sites of interest.

The cost of the our tour of the island (about 6 hours) was $20.  Yep, we had an amazing day for only $20 plus a nice tip for our driver who made this one of the best excursions ever.

ADVICE

Safety is always a concern when you get in a vehicle with someone you do not know.  When choosing a taxi or company to tour with, look for someone wearing a uniform like the ones in the photo above.  There were two companies when we were there.  The ones in the orange shirt and the ones in the white shirts.  

Since my daughter and I were alone, we looked for another group of people who also wanted to take a tour so we could all ride together.  We walked up to a group who was talking to tour operator and listened in to see if we were interested.  

Most tours are going to the same places of interest so you will see a lot of people from your ship at various locations.  It's a great way to make new friends, some of which will last a lifetime.

 Side note here:  When I use the term taxi when visiting one of the Caribbean islands, it usually means a van or an open air bus.  Sometimes it is just some seats in the back of someones truck.

Always agree on the prices before you get into a taxi.  Usually this is not a problem because they will usually give you a price in their sales pitch.  If you feel the price is too high, walk away and go to someone else. This will usually result in them immediately lowering their price.

Most countries have the price of their taxi rides to various destinations posted but taking a tour is different and you can negotiate.  You will usually pay for you tour after you return to the pier.  We never paid in advance except when we booked with a company prior to the cruise.