St Lucia

[espmass]

With all my cruises, one place we have always missed is St Lucia. Well my 12/8 Constellation cruise will be stopping there. Are there any "not to be missed" sights in St Lucia?

[jakenashleysmom]

Make sure to rise early on your day of arrival into St Lucia to see the ship sail past the pitons (I think thats what they are called), the infamous pointed mountains St Lucia is famous for. You may get to see them on your departure, but sunrise is beautiful! I don't recall much else about St Lucia, as it was over 10 years ago that we were there on our honeymoon! Have a great trip.

[espmass]

Thanks and I'm a very early riser (4AM) so i'll be sure to be on my balcony with my coffee taking a look.

[fllady]

We also have been to St Lucia a few times, and it is a lovely island. The tour of the island was very nice, but our favorite was the catamarn tour to the Pitons, seeing them up close, amazing and it was a fun tour.

[Chall70]

Catamaran/snorkle tour to Pitons is the best. Nice boat. Leaves right from cruise dock, great crew, spectacular sights.

[darrencantwait]

I think this may be my favorite island. The Pitons are definitely the "do not miss" on your first trip. We took a bus tour to the Pitons that had a catamaran return to the ship. The road is REALLY curvy...so if you get motion sick, do the round trip Catamaran!

[Alaska Boo]

I don't know if it's offered as a cruise ship excursion, but in Soufriere, there is a mineral spring with waterfall that is quite relaxing and out of the way. They filmed the "sliding down the hill" scene from one of those Michael Douglas movies (Romancing the Stone??) there.

 

Vanessa

[celtic sailing]

I was in St. Lucia (land package) last year. The catamaran ride to see the Pitons was the best. The scenery was beautiful and the staff was great.

 

The water was very cloudy because of recent storms, so snorkeling was non-existent (in fact it was canceled for all 4 days I was there).

[woodofpine]

There is some spectacular scenery to seen on horseback along the northeast (Atlantic) coastline... Some piculiar sights too... (the shell of a NASA rocket booster that washed ashore)...

[misha1]

is one of my most favorite cruise port of calls. The island and people are quite lovely. We have also taken the catamaran trip to the Pitons (which are not to miss) and found the ride to be relaxing and fun. It was a really hot day and the breeze from the boat moving on the water was nice. We even stopped at a hidden little beach but, beware, the locals are there to try to sell their carved coconuts and the like. They will swim or row their small boats right out to you. Just make yourself clear, kindly, and they will leave you alone. On another occasion visiting the island, we stepped off the ship and went outside the gated port area, hired a taxi driver (after inspecting the vehicle including the gas gauge and dickering price a little), and set off on a 4 hour tour and journey, of our choice, ending at the base of the Pitons and at a resort called Anse Chastenet. We had lunch there and soaked up the scenery while the taxi driver waited for us. Some locals tried to get us to take a boat to the resort, claiming the road was out of order due to recent rains, but luckily, our cab driver was easily persuaded to take the drive, without incident or damage to his suspension. In other words, we would have been out another 50 bucks for nothing. The poster who mentioned the windy roads was not kidding, so if you are prone to car or motion sickness, you are fairly warned. But the scenery from some of the lookouts is incredible. I would post a picture of the Constellation on these boards that I took from the road above the pier but it is too large for this format. Enjoy the trip, St. Lucia is beautiful!

[Arubalisa]

Have you researched any of the tours mentioned on the St Lucia forum at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=222? Our family of 10, based upon the good recommendations has booked a day tour with Cosol. The price was a bargain!

[darrencantwait]

I have tons of photos from our Serenade cruise. Didn't take as much on our Connie cruise because we already had so many. The Serenade cruise was so awesome there, because the captain takes the ship down to the Pitons at the end of the day and spins the ship doing 2 360 degree spins in the bay in front of the Pitons. AWESOME!

 

Take a look

 

http://homepage.mac.com/dkuhnau/PhotoAlbum9.html

[diamond11]

If you have the opportunity, book a tour with Cosol - we just got back from Royal Carib. trip and booked a tour with Cosol - his cousin, Adrienne, was our tour guide - and we had a fantastic time! We made stops at a banana plantation, volcanoes, waterfall, scenic viewpoints. He also purchased homemade goodies from the locals for us to sample - cookies, bread, fish cakes, johnny cakes. Plus, he supplied us with sodas and rum punch throughout the day. I was a little skeptical, booking a tour via the internet, but it was the best choice I could have made for a tour! If you have the time, book a tour with Cosol.

[collector]

We were in St Lucia about 8 years ago, and it's still on of my favorite stops. We took an excursion that was a bus trip around 1/2 the island and a catamaran for the return. It was wonderful. As everyone has said, the Pitons are beautiful. After we came home, I saw a website about a pod of whales that stay in the area year round ( I don't have it anymore), but if you can find someone to take you out to them, that would be exciting. It's a beautiful place, so enjoy!

[caviargal]

I love St. Lucia and have been there on two land vacations and a half dozen cruises.

 

I enjoyed hiking the rain forest with a private guide;then she took us to a lovely beach for a few hours.

 

Sometimes, when there are a lot of ships in port, I head to an AI for R&R (Sandals, etc) for the day. The beaches there are not as impressive as other islands but the water is great and I can spend my time in an area not overwhelmed by tourists.

 

I have hired a private driver on several occasions and played it by ear, always stopping for local food before heading back to the ship.

.

The people are warm and friendly and the island itself is just beautiful.

 

Enjoy!

[Karin&Isaac]

One of our best memories of cruising has been hiking the rain forest of St Lucia. We hired a cab for the day, and while we were hiking, he waited for us. On the way back we stopped at a banana plantation.

Karin

[Elcruzer]

is one of my most favorite cruise port of calls. The island and people are quite lovely. We have also taken the catamaran trip to the Pitons (which are not to miss) and found the ride to be relaxing and fun. It was a really hot day and the breeze from the boat moving on the water was nice. We even stopped at a hidden little beach but, beware, the locals are there to try to sell their carved coconuts and the like. They will swim or row their small boats right out to you. Just make yourself clear, kindly, and they will leave you alone.

Did you book catamaran trip through the ship or on your own. If independent, can you please give me website or more info as per cost, duration, etc. Thanks

[babylene]

I noticed that they offer an afternoon cruise starting at 12:45. That is high noon sun for me. What I would like to know if there is any shade on the boat? Thanks.

[TrevyMcShaw]

DH and I cruised to St. Lucia on RC's Serenade of the Seas in February, 2006. It was the only island that we actually booked an excursion for. The excursion included a stop in Soufrier (which is at the foot of the Pitons), a trip up the mountain to the caldera in the middle of the Pitons, and a guided tour of the Botanical gardens. The botanical garden has the original baths built by Louis XIV for his soldiers in the area. The sulphuric water from the volcano was still warm at this point and was, and still is, considered good for the skin. The botanical garden is also the site of the

Diamond Head waterfall. If you saw the Christopher Reeve's version of Superman, you might remember him flying to a tropical island to pluck an orchid for Lois Lane in the second movie. The Diamond Head waterfall is the backdrop where Hollywood filmed this scene. It is a beautiful island, but the poor people are severely poverty stricken. It's wise to stick with the group and not wander off on your own. Also, be careful taking pictures of the locals. They will want you to pay for taking their picture.