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Safety concerns in Antigua


sylteach

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Actually my dad is 6'3 and weighs 240 pounds. He is a stubborn "old bird", but he does usually take my advice. I won't be with him, so I will keep reminding him that situations may be different in the ports than they were 10 years ago.

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Hi,

 

Will be visiting your beautiful island in March for the first time. Can you give some suggestions as to what to do and see. I would like to go to Hawksbill beach, but then after that, is there anywhere else that would be of interest? I was thinking of renting a car or a scooter / ATV? Should I simply take a cab to all the places? I am sure there are lots of places, but only having a day in port, I'd like to hit the don't miss sites. Thanks

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Rome, Antigua is too big to "see all the places" in a day, but you could see some very cool things in a day if you rented a car. Just be advised that traffic in St. Johns (where the ships are) can be very slow in the afternoon, and you'd want to give yourself plenty of time to get back in there and turn in the car. I think there were some threads on this forum about renting cars, so i know people on ships have done it.

 

As far as the BS from Mr. Barbados goes about the "mature" man being a target because he's old goes...... IT's BS. Every day a ship is in I see hundreds of people that match his description and even more when it's one of the P&O ships.

 

To the other person who asked about tourist murders/crime. Overall, Antigua gets a tiny fraction. In the past 20 years there have been four tourist murders.

Two were a couple in a hote who were killed by a pair of teenagers trying to rob them. One was a yacht skipper who while being robbed by a young armed man decided to fight with him. The last is the one that started this thread: a young woman was stabbed by someone who appears to be crazy. He was found not far from the crime late last week with her camera and the weapon. For each of the murders, there were arrests made and people in Jail. We have had millions of people pass through here.

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I agree "crazy"can happen anywhere. In a neighboring city an elderly man was stabbed to death delivering Christmas cards in the afternoon by someone who was mentally ill. The murders of the tourists in Antigua were alarming and brutal and although it is good that the murderers have been caught and punished it certainly makes one think about one's safty especially as many visitors have never visited Antigua before. I don't know where you got your statistics but if you asked people around these boards I know that there are islands that you mentioned in your post that they have never heard of any reason to be overly concerned visiting. Antigua would not make that list.

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The long and short of it is that the global village suffers global problems. The islands have suffered the 'collateral damage' of the drug scourge with a nasty world economic down turn.

 

Unfortunately, crime rates have soared in the Caribbean. Historically, I believe Barbados had a higher homicide rate than Antigua (both being comparatively safe as to other islands) but due to relatively low populations it only takes a little to have significant statistical impact.

 

From a crime statistics standpoint, one needs to view a trip to most islands as comparable to visiting the Baltimore-Washington area (but safer than visiting St. Louis or New Orleans). Those comparisons make cruiser complaints - sort of laughable... On the otherhand, we've been raised with desirous Caribbean images of idyllic 'footloose and fancy free' frolicking. We don't have that expectation of Baltimore-Washington (nobody is 'pulling out' of Baltimore) and we probably wouldn't even if it had gorgeous warm torquois waters and fine beaches.

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Wow! I am sure glad they have someone in custody now. I just wanted to know if it would be ok for my 82 year old father, who is blind in one eye and will be walking with a cane, to wander around on his own at that port. He has gone on many cruises with my mom, but now that he will be on his own I was worried about him. I will just remind him to stay close to the ship if he is not going on an excursion. That will be my advice to him for all the ports, not just Antigua.

 

Pretty sound advice. The area around the St. John's piers (Redcliffe Quay) is nice for slow going. The 'blocks' of Redcliffe Street (running out immediately in front of the ship) and Nevis St. (parallel to the right) immediately adjacent the pier up to Market St. and Corn Alley is architecturally one of the nicest little tourist areas in the islands from directly off a cruise ship pier. On Nevis St., in particular, there are a number of genuine historic 'old Caribbean' buildings - now shops and restaurant-bars - with painted shutters and pastel painted in attractive traditional style. Just circling this block or two makes a nice 'little' visit.

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Honestly, I'm not personally familiar with Hawksbill (it has a few well regarded hotels and its one of Antigua's very nice beachs) but it's proximity to St. Johns really weighs against car rental and in favor of taxis. Hawksbill is 5-6 miles driving immediately West/SW of the city. The other major - nearest - resort developed strand is Runaway Bay North of the city about the same distance.

 

If my game plan were to beach it (at either of these two worthy beach areas) then peruse the town shops/bars adjacent the piers, I'd just cab it.

 

Car rental in Antigua isn't difficult (Hertz and Dollar are good); the rental agencies tend to offer pier to office (r/t) pick-up because downtown St. Johns traffic is so congested. So car rental is more for dedicated island touring which can include beaching off course. IMHO (and probably the tourist ministry's) a car tour of Antigua 'must' include English Harbor and Nelson's Dockyard on the south coast. Shirley Heights above it is a good inclusion to...

 

http://www.shirleyheightslookout.com

 

Then return via Fig Tree Drive and Turners or Darkwood Beach on the west coast or Half Moon Bay on the south east coast. These are good drive itineraries but you need to be up for driving British steering column and roads, fair to poor signage, using caution - occasionally nasty tire eater potholes.

 

If Harksbill Beach or Runaway Bay is the primary destination, that's a very nice day too - but really more optimal for cabbing.

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I can't wait to get to antigua, although being an Aussie and living on the coast of QLD one of the best area's for beaches in the world I am going to the Caribbean not for sand and water but the West Indies National Sport...CRICKET....

 

Have already been in touch with the Windies Cricket Board and have invitations to matches on all of the islands we are visiting.

 

As far as being safe I ill be talking the universal language of Cricket a sport much loved by the locals.

 

" C"Mon Aussie C'Mon C'mon"

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I found this elsewhere...

 

_____________________________________

 

" The Antigua Sun reports that two cruise passengers were attacked and robbed

while ashore in Antigua yesterday after getting off a cruise ship.

 

The passengers were not identified but were described as a "British couple" who arrived in St. Johns yesterday.

They are sailing aboard the Fred Olsen cruise ship, Boudicca.

 

The newspaper reports that the "daring daylight incident" occurred around 10:45 a.m.

while the tourists were walking along Bay Street in the "Villa area"

which is to the north of the St. Johns Harbour where the passengers disembarked.

 

Three young men attacked the couple with "a piece of stick" and robbed them of a digital camera before fleeing.

The couple was treated at the Mount St. John Medical Centre and then returned to the Boudicca".

.

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mr. barbados, this did happen in lower villa, an area known as a ghetto. I guess it should have never happened, but if people would just do what they do back home and refrain from doing things that they wouldnt do back home stuff like this wouldn't happen. Anyway, i hope you have been speaking on your barbados forum about the shooting at Silversands and all the other horrible crimes that seem to only be reported in your local news. People in glass houses! Crime happens in these islands as it does in almost every town.

 

My message to anyone coming to antigua on a cruise is simple. Do not walk around outside of town to avoid paying a US $10 cab ride to the beach. You are probably going to be fine as most of the pople who do this are, but why chance it? IF you are really worried about the perception that people like aplmac are creating, go on a boat tour for the day to one of the offshore islands. whatever happens don't stay on the ship because it's not that bad. I get more harassed in Barbados than anywhere in the Caribbean and I am from Antigua!!!

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Antiguan, Like all places there are certain area's you stay away from. Can you tell me if Market st is okay to visit and I am also going to the Antiguan Cricket Ground. The old one not the new Viv Richards ground.

 

Are these places safe I am pretty confident about Market St as I am going to meet one of the West Indies Cricketing Legends.

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yes, you should be able to walk down market street, but i would compare it to walking down into Camden Town in London on a sunday. It can be busy and with a bus station being on one end, you do get plenty of people walking along the road. Muggings on that street have never been common at all, but please don't be the first one Aplmac has to report on. Don't have your SLR camera waving around unsecured and if you are with your wife tell her to hold her bag properly. The Caribbean is going through a bad financial period like everywhere else and there is unemployment. With that there could be snatch and grab incidents in ultra busy areas like the very Southern end of Market street past the Statue of VC Bird where the bus station is located. Walking up to and around the ARG will be no problem at all. I was in town yesterday and there must have been a Euro ship in because there were "mature" people walking all over town speaking what sounded like French.

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yes, you should be able to walk down market street, but i would compare it to walking down into Camden Town in London on a sunday. It can be busy and with a bus station being on one end, you do get plenty of people walking along the road. Muggings on that street have never been common at all, but please don't be the first one Aplmac has to report on. Don't have your SLR camera waving around unsecured and if you are with your wife tell her to hold her bag properly. The Caribbean is going through a bad financial period like everywhere else and there is unemployment. With that there could be snatch and grab incidents in ultra busy areas like the very Southern end of Market street past the Statue of VC Bird where the bus station is located. Walking up to and around the ARG will be no problem at all. I was in town yesterday and there must have been a Euro ship in because there were "mature" people walking all over town speaking what sounded like French.

 

Given what you have just said about snatch and grab raids.. what about on the beach can you leave your bag on the beach when you go for a swim. Here in Australia everyone leaves bags car keys cell phnes etc in bags under a towel the towel is to keep sun and sand off. The same goes for when we have cruised the Pacific Islands.

 

I admit we come from a relatively crime free country.. compared to some other places..sure we have our moments but on the whole fairly safe

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We were in Antigua last week, and felt very safe. We went snorkeling and to a beach--stingau, I would not leave anything lying around anywhere, either here in the U.S. or in the Caribbean. I would advise buying one of those great little cable safes that you can tie your bag to and tether to a tree (Google it) or have a designated "watcher." Why take a chance? Have a great trip!

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Hi,

 

Will be visiting your beautiful island in March for the first time. Can you give some suggestions as to what to do and see. I would like to go to Hawksbill beach, but then after that, is there anywhere else that would be of interest? I was thinking of renting a car or a scooter / ATV? Should I simply take a cab to all the places? I am sure there are lots of places, but only having a day in port, I'd like to hit the don't miss sites. Thanks

 

We took the "Catamaran, Snorkel and Sail" tour through Royal Caribbean last week--Wadadli Cats was the name of the boat operators. Lovely beach and snorkeling, and great party boat with good rum punch and limbo dancing. Pretty reasonable, too: $52 each.

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We were in Antigua last week, and felt very safe. We went snorkeling and to a beach--stingau, I would not leave anything lying around anywhere, either here in the U.S. or in the Caribbean. I would advise buying one of those great little cable safes that you can tie your bag to and tether to a tree (Google it) or have a designated "watcher." Why take a chance? Have a great trip!

 

I bought an alarm for this purpose. It makes a loud noise if someone moves your bag. It was $30.00 CDN. I know that if someone really wants my bag then they will take it anyway but at least I will know who to chase!:eek:icon10.gif

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I have traveled all over the Caribbean and been to Jamaica several times without any problems. I went to Antigua once with my 10 yr old daughter about 8 years ago. We left the ship and got a taxi to Dickenson beach early in the morning. We were the first ones there. The beach was very nice with calm water and resorts all around. About an hour after we were there, two locals came out and went up to a small bar that was in back of us. Shortly thereafter, they started physically fighting! I actually got it on video and entitled it "Island fight". I asked the bartender to call the police and he said "sorry, we settle our own scores here".

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I've traveled to Antigua for years' date=' land based and on cruises. It's a lovely island with much to offer - and I've never even felt threatened or uncomfortable in any way.

 

On the other hand, Miami averages about 90-100 murders a year and has places so dangerous it is recommended not to go.

 

And yet, many of us fly in the day before, stay at a hotel downtown (which closes up like a lockbox at night), wander around the Baymarketplace, ride the people mover, walk to the local liquor store...without a thought.

 

Just us common sense and a little caution and you'll be fine anywhere.[/quote']

 

I have been following this story and feel badly for the family. I have planned several large family cruises and trips to the VI's, including my Niece's wedding on the Caribbean Princess (she was married on St. Thomas). I always encourage everyone to not let their guard down just because they're on vacation. You mentioned Miami. My husband and I recently stayed at the Hotel Intercontinental downtown Miami and walked over to the Bayside Mktplace, Walgreen's, CVS, Bank of America and Subway in the evening. At times, it was a little scary, but we just used common sense and remained aware of our surroundings. We also recently walked around New Orleans at night (around the business dist. to Harrah's) and that also is a very violent city. Don't be afraid to experience the local culture, just be careful, don't flash large amounts of cash or wear lots of jewelry.

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in regards to the murder rate, i personally am far more concerned with the number of tourists being murdered then i am with drug or turfwar related murders. It is not just the number of murders, it's the who, for what, when and why that i am more interested in.

 

*** exactly! ***

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