DougYWG

There is no bus from Nelson's Dockyard to Valley Church beach. You would have to go all the way back into St. John's bus station and then back out again. Take too long. Take a taxi. Nice ride through Fig Tree Drive.

The taxis in Antigua are all minivans with very few exceptions.

The water will be waist deep, that's all. You will standing on sand at the bottom. Life jackets not required either. Those who want can snorkel and look 'em in the eye but it's still only waist deep. Great excursion, but bear in mind you are out in the sun for a couple of hours.

The local brewery shut down a couple of years ago. "Wadadli" is still sold as the local beer but I believe it is made in St. Vincent now.

Can't think of an Irish pub anywhere on Antigua. Or any place that has Guinness, never mind Guinness on tap. Could be wrong though. Strange really. I have found Irish pubs everywhere else including - can you believe? - three of them in Ulan Bator.

While the ships tie up in the middle of St. John's, this is a not a port for exploring, there's virtually nothing to explore and parts of town are a bit grungy. You need to get out of town. See this board for all kinds of suggestions.

Can't tell you if there is scooter rental or not. Can tell you that scooters on Antigua roads are extremely rare. There's a reason for that. You sure you really want to do this?

helo driver, tell your dad to go ahead. I went ziplining in Jamaica last week and I'm 74. I have done the one in Antigua and it is very similar. One caveat - there is a great long staircase at the end to get back up to the start. You can take your time. Good for him! Para-sailing next?

I find it richly ironic that Canadians, who have been whining about Air Canada all my lifetime, now complain that Rouge is not up to snuff and please can I have my regular AC service back that I miss so much? Eh?? I don't get the idea that AC has switched to Rouge and hasn't told you - Rouge flies to Edinburgh, Venice, Barcelona etc that AC has never served before, ever. Mainline AC still does London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney etc etc. Just for reference, we flew Rouge to Venice in Premium Economy, I am Aeroplan Elite (or whatever they call it these days) and have flown on countless airlines in many parts of the world. Bear in mind too that AC was bankrupt. It's a business folks, their first duty is to survive, if you want cheap - and you all do - you get cheap. Sacre bleu, have you tried Ryanair?

I suppose if you wanted a 3-mile walk, then you could walk it. Public roads all the way, no sidewalks anywhere, up a slope then down again. But remember, it's 3 miles back again and it will likely be hot. While there, you could look at a climb up to Ft. Barrington on top of the hill. Methinks you might want to take a look at a bus or taxi down to Turner's Beach instead.

There's also a newer bar called Beach Limerz at the other end of the beach next to the old Ft. James itself. Look it up.

Jolly Harbour (and beach) would be about 15mins by taxi from the port. It's a huge beach with loads of room for everybody. All beaches in Antigua are public so roam anywhere.

Just a further couple of thoughts, Terry. You are out in the sun for two hours, no shade, so be guided accordingly. If you have snorkel gear, take that (again, from memory, they may supply that). You will standing on sand up to your waist in the water but if you snorkel you can swim around there and look 'em in the eye. They will swim past and brush your leg. Initially it is terrifying but they are actually as soft as a kitten.

Stingray City.....Zip lining.....Nelson's Dockyard area & Shirley Heights.....climb up to Ft. Barrington, fantastic view....Ft. James....

I have spent lots of time in Antigua and found all the locals friendly and helpful. Me, I would much rather take a cab in Antigua than in New York. Don't hesitate!

Taxi will be dead easy from the ship. There are loads of drivers waiting for you. The ride would be about half an hour. The stingray excursion lasts about two hours at most and they leave at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 quoting from memory. You could double check with their website, I'm sure. I really enjoyed Stingray City myself.

Interesting variety of responses. We love sea days, we love smaller ships and we never get bored. We have done 14 days trans-At on Azamara and loved it. The big thing is your fellow passengers. We have met so many congenial kindred spirits that it almost seems 14 days is not enough. The ship is the destination, think of it that way.

OK, so romantic evening dinner while you watch the sun go down is out. Cecilia's, La Bussola or Catherine's Cafe would be excellent places for vows then wonderful lunch but not cheap. I like Turner's Beach and the bar/restaurant there has just been completely renovated so it's new. Personally, I would avoid Sandals and all other resorts. How about Shirley Heights? Terrific views. Face it though - you will not have any of these places to yourselves but nobody will bother you.

Hey, newfie, are you staying in Antigua or just there for a day off a cruise ship?

No, no, the challenge is entirely optional. What's not optional is the climb back up the stairs, two hundred and something steps? Can't remember the number.

http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/documents/Taxi%20and%20tour%20fares%20-%20ABTB%20final.pdf

Where to?

Nearly all the taxis are minivans. Do you mean how much people or how much dollars?

Yes, loads of shops right where the ship docks. All waiting for you with the usual selection of tourist merchandise. Other than that, St. John's doesn't have anything else within walking distance, other than the market as mentioned and that might be Saturdays only, not sure. The cathedral is closed for renovations and has been for quite some time. This is a destination where a taxi is required to go somewhere.

Memory says there are 9 zips in Antigua. The challenge course at the end really is a challenge. Only for the young and foolish or very fit seniors. I made it to the end but have now decided I don't want to join the Marines.

Taxi. That's it. Couldn't possibly be 26 miles, the whole island is only 10 x 10 miles. As the crow flies, it's about 5 miles, however the road winds around so it might be double that. Most of the taxis are minivans so make sure you get one that can take six.