Chosen to stay on board during St Kitts port...mistake?!

We aways get off the ship at every port...problem....can't find an excursion we want to do that doesn't break the bank...we have 2 kids along too...wanted to do day trip to Nevis but heard boring for kids and it's expensive! !

Will we really be missing out a ton if we don't check out St Kitts?? Also heard it's not the safest.......

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IMHO, yes you would. We went the first time in 2000 on the Horizon, when Celebrity was exploring weather it was an option.

We were back November 2015 and booked on our own thru Thelford Grey.

Excellent! There are resorts that sell a day pass' to use their pool n beach that you could look at too.

If we get to book a cruise that stops there again, we will do the ship caterman that snorkels in Nevis.

ps: whom ever said it was not safe must have been in Colorado smokin wackie stuff!

Lots of info here.

We love St. Kitts. The first time we went there we didn't really like it all that much (no hate, just no love). Then we took a tour with Royston (http://www.roystontoursstkitts.com/) and now we love it. Royston's excursion is not listed with the ship, but he doesn't charge you until you take it so if it ends up not happening for whatever reason you don't end up paying.

The tour is different than most. He has a really old Toyota van with no windows. He goes to places others don't go. And, it's even a little scary at times because you wonder if he really knows where he's going.

But, we had a blast and it gave us a whole new perspective for the island. I highly recommend the tour. He's also a great person.

If nothing else, there's a good cruise bubble on St. Kitts where you could get off and just walk around and see a few monkeys and crafts and then go back on the ship. It would probably take around an hour or so.

Tom

We aways get off the ship at every port...problem....can't find an excursion we want to do that doesn't break the bank...we have 2 kids along too...wanted to do day trip to Nevis but heard boring for kids and it's expensive! !

 

Will we really be missing out a ton if we don't check out St Kitts?? Also heard it's not the safest.......

 

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Well, here's a different take on this, we've been cruising for a while and most ships go to the same ports, so if we get off, we see the same venues as before. So, we like it when most of our fellow cruisers get off the ship, we have lots of room in the pool, in the dinning room, gym, etc. :D

We aways get off the ship at every port...problem....can't find an excursion we want to do that doesn't break the bank...we have 2 kids along too...wanted to do day trip to Nevis but heard boring for kids and it's expensive! !

 

Will we really be missing out a ton if we don't check out St Kitts?? Also heard it's not the safest.......

 

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No more unsafe than any other island, and safer than some. St. Kitts offers a train ride through the countryside, might be fun for kids. I seem to recall there's a fast ferry from St.Kitts to Nevis. If the schedule works, you might consider taking it, arranging for a rental car, and touring Nevis. There is essentially one road that circles the island, so you can't get lost. The Fours Seasons resort is on Pinney's Beach, a lovely spot and the beach is open to all.

Check out St. Kitts Snorkeling Tours on Trip Advisor. a combination of fishing for grouper, beaching it while the fish caught are cooked, then a snorkel stop. We just did it in January off Reflection and had a blast.

Have a look at Palm Court Gardens. No beach but they have a nice pool. Walking distance to the ship. We decided on this with a five year old.

http://www.palmscourtgardens.com/pool_-_day_pass

I did the snorkeling catamaran to nevis and honestly the snorkeling is pretty weak. If snorkeling is what you want this isn't the excursion. It was a fun excursion but the snorkeling is certainly not the highlight. the beach in Nevis is nice but you don't get much time there.

I always get off the ship but St. Kitts is one of my least favorite island. You aren't missing anything.

We aways get off the ship at every port...problem....can't find an excursion we want to do that doesn't break the bank...we have 2 kids along too...wanted to do day trip to Nevis but heard boring for kids and it's expensive! !

 

Will we really be missing out a ton if we don't check out St Kitts?? Also heard it's not the safest.......

 

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Felt exactly the same when we went in December. We only got off the boat to wander around the port and have a beer. I didn't feel that I missed out anything because that was the experience we needed at that moment. We were only off the boat for about an hour or so and once we were back on (as the other poster mentioned) it was nice to have a lot of room to spread out across the boat.

We booked with Thetford Grey on our own. Great tour. The Romney Plantation and the Fort were beautiful. The whole island was beautiful. We went with our friends and we were the only 4 in the van. Depending on how old the kids are, there is also a Segway tour. One goes up the mountain to sugar plantation ruins. One goes along the beach.

We had been to St Kitts 3 times before. On the last trip (#4) we got off, walked around the cruise ship shops right at the end of the dock and got back on.

It's not that we felt unsafe there - quite the opposite. It's just that, to us, there wasn't anything worth paying to do and every shop there is selling the same things that shops at other stops are selling, just with a different island name.

As others have said we didn't think the snorkeling was anything special. The beaches are nice, but we can't see a reason to pay for a day pass and drinks when the pool on the ship, food, and drinks (with our beverage package) are all free.

If you have never been before, there will be 50+ cab drivers offering to give you a tour of the island. I would strike a deal with one of them for 2 or 3 hours to check things out. You need to at least see what the island has to offer one time.

No more unsafe than any other island, and safer than some. St. Kitts offers a train ride through the countryside, might be fun for kids. I seem to recall there's a fast ferry from St.Kitts to Nevis. If the schedule works, you might consider taking it, arranging for a rental car, and touring Nevis. There is essentially one road that circles the island, so you can't get lost. The Fours Seasons resort is on Pinney's Beach, a lovely spot and the beach is open to all.

We took the train ride in St Kitts on our first visit...I would not recommend it, especially with kids. It is boring!!! Goes completely around the island and there is nothing really special to see except abandoned sugar plantations and processing plants...there are a few places with nice views of Nevis..but I 'would rate it as one of my least favorite excursions. If you have kids why don't you check out things like swimming with dolphins or rays or taking a beach excursion. Depending on their ages, they might be old enough to enjoy snorkeling too...but don't give the train a second thought...you will regret it...oh and there's a bathroom in each car but you wouldn't want to use it. One plus was that to get back to the ship we had a catamaran ride, and that's something the children might enjoy.

It is different for you because you have kids. But my wife and I paid good money for our suite so missing a stop here or there does not bother us at all, as long as she gets 1 good snorkel in per cruise she is happy., for this one we are doing it in St. Maarten. Quite frankly to me most of these islands seem pretty much the same.

Well, here's a different take on this, we've been cruising for a while and most ships go to the same ports, so if we get off, we see the same venues as before. So, we like it when most of our fellow cruisers get off the ship, we have lots of room in the pool, in the dinning room, gym, etc. :D

Us too!

I don't know what your budget is, but one of the best tours we have ever done was with My Island Tours by Javin. It was a fantastic day, doing a variety of things, and going to places others do not. Also we have taken Poinciana tours they were very good also. check them both out on Tripadvisor, they both get excellent reviews.

Thelford Grey tours are excellent. We were lucky and got the man (Thelford) and he was one of the most informative tour guides we have ever had. On top of that he had the driest, wittiest sense of humour of any tour guide.

Stay on the ship and enjoy the pools without any crowds.

Excursions are overrated.. it's a culture created by cruise lines for business and to provide less service on port days (food, activities etc). As others have said, you can stay on the ship or walk around the port. Your vacation your decision. Personally, I have never felt I was missing anything by not getting off the ship. Contrary sometimes I have gotten off and felt like I wasted my time.

I've been on roll calls where people make such a big deal about having to have an excursion lined up in every port. I just don't get it.

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St. Kitts is one of my favorite ports. A $4 taxi ride and you are at the Caromba Bay Resort. Rent a lounger and umbrella and enjoy some of the nicest Caribbean water! Very clear water, great temperature, and very calm. The beach has a gentle slope and no drop off areas.

The resort has a very reasonable price bar.

Depending on the ages of your children I second 1stcruise1's suggestion of My Islands Tour by Javin https://myislandstours.shutterfly.com

We did the full day Hike and Snorkel in 2015 and had a blast! He takes you places off the beaten path and takes pictures all day that he made available on his website free of charge! It is a very full day with a nice combination of hiking, sightseeing, snorkeling and beach time.

Lovely beaches in St Kitt. We get a taxi to one of them, we pay for a lounger and umbrella and settle in fore the day.

Excursions are overrated.. it's a culture created by cruise lines for business and to provide less service on port days (food, activities etc). As others have said, you can stay on the ship or walk around the port. Your vacation your decision. Personally, I have never felt I was missing anything by not getting off the ship. Contrary sometimes I have gotten off and felt like I wasted my time.

 

I've been on roll calls where people make such a big deal about having to have an excursion lined up in every port. I just don't get it.

 

 

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Great point!

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We went to St Kitts once and we were just going to get off the ship and walk around the town, maybe a bit of shopping. We saw where they have a shuttle to the Marriott that will take you if you say you want to go to the casino. They have chairs and such that you can rent or pay for a day pass to use their towels, pools, showers, chairs at their beach location. We were promised that we didn't really even need to gamble but had to get our own cab back. Well, sounded like a great idea to us. So, while we were waiting, we went on a little walk and this woman was trying to fill her husband's tour ... I think they only needed two more people. It was only $20 pp and Sir Walter, the driver and tour guide, saw we were wavering and told us, if we didn't like the tour we didn't have to pay.

Well, my only question at the end of the tour is how much we had to pay if we absolutely loved it!! Best tour ever! And ... by the way, we did look down onto the beach and the Marriott where we were originally going to go and you couldn't go wrong with that either! What a gorgeous setting.

I have also read, I think it was on one of those stories that comes out in your email or on FB stating the most dangerous islands on a cruise. I thought placing St Kitts on the list was nonsense. A friend of mine is going to veterinary school down there and she just loves it ... has been there for nearly a year. I am sure there are safety issues but that goes for just about everywhere you go ... I can only say I am pretty leery and didn't feel unsafe there in the very least.

I am not trying to talk you into going out if that is not your choice ... but just wanted to mention that we didn't even have anything planned and loved our little open air tour bus with Sir Walter down on St Kitts. It made for many happy memories and glad we decided to go out that day. Even if you just wanted to do a day trip to the Marriott, maybe ahead of time, you can look into the St Kitts Marriott and see if they sell day passes. I am sure you can get a cab out there and back for not too much money.