Antigua/St. Kitts help needed

[nalatrixie74]

14 hours ago, bluebeard39 said:

On St. Kitts we did Mad Max Dune Buggies. We drove around the whole island in a tour of 5 Dune Buggies and did a beach break. We had a fantastic time and the Dune Buggies were so much fun to drive. You can check them out on Trip Advisor. Have a great time we did this April 2018. 

Do you remember how much the deposit was for this? I'm not sure if this is same one as i looked into, but there was some kind of atv rental, but it required like a $500 deposit 

[lcpagejr]

We cruise on AOS 4/13.... I researched thoroughly for the Grand Island Tour and  Royston was our first option and Thenford Grey our 2nd option. When I emailed Royston a couple of weeks ago inquiring on his availability he politely said he was unavailable on that day....So I made tentative reservation with Thenford Grey.  A week later...Royston emailed me and said he was now available if I hadnt already made firm reservations.  We were very excited about his availability and of course booked with him. He's $10/pp cheaper than Thenford Grey and further discounts your child (bringing our 9 yr old grandson)...Thenford Grey also discounted the child as well. 

 

Side note....I do not think you can go wrong with either group. Both responded immediately to my inquiries....and Royston provided me with a emailed itinerary of tour with meet up instructions....  No money requested upfront. We pay when we meet him.

[CruisinCrow]

1 hour ago, lcpagejr said:

Side note....I do not think you can go wrong with either group. Both responded immediately to my inquiries....and Royston provided me with a emailed itinerary of tour with meet up instructions....  No money requested upfront. We pay when we meet him.

 

Just for others' information - Thenford Grey also does not require any money upfront.  We paid in cash after the tour.  When we made the reservation, they sent an email about when and where to meet.  They were very easy to work with.

 

[elliekate]

CATCH THE CAT in Antigua was one of the best excursions we have ever been on!

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1892998-d8709548-Reviews-Catch_The_Cat_Private_Sailing_Charters-Jolly_Harbour_Saint_Mary_Parish_Antigua_A.html

 

We have also done several of the Xtreme tours that were also fun!  The speed boat was really bumpy and not for anyone with motion sickness issues!  We liked the one with the lobster lunch the best.

 

Thenford Grey does a great tour and the beach stop at the end is nice!  Very entertaining and charming!

[MandiesPharm]

Just returned from both of these ports 

 

Antigua - Second vote for Beach Limerz.  Email Gail and she will set it up for you including transportation.  $65pp includes chairs, umbrella, food (ginormous platter each), drinks, clean bathrooms and more.

 

St Kitts - Cockleshell beach is always our favorite.  It has gotten busier since the first time we went there, but its always an enjoyable day

 

[Willwork4cruises]

I hadn’t seen Javin mentioned for St Kitts.  See post 14 of my review. It briefly covers our day with Javin.  We all enjoyed it.  

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2549488-ayrin-amber-and-maddie-on-a-fascinating-cruise-may-27-2018/?tab=comments#comment-54951479

[Kbrauchle]

On 3/5/2019 at 8:51 PM, EeyoreRN said:

We are doing a Southern Caribbean itinerary on Freedom out of San Juan in May and can't wait (St. Thomas, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Barbados). Our party is myself (52), daughter (24) and son (22). We love adventures, the beach, the ocean, wild-life, etc.

 

We have decided on excursions in San Juan (Rainforest with Tours with Ellis and self-guided walking OSJ), St. Thomas (water ferry to Water Island beach day), St. Lucia (Joy's Adventure speedboat/bus to volcano, Pitons, snorkeling) and Barbados (catamaran with lunch and snorkeling). We made these choices based on reviews and advice from multiple sites including CC and others.

 

This leaves 2 islands, St. Kitts and Antigua, where we can't decide what to do. I am leaning toward doing some kind of island tour of St. Kitts, maybe Thenford Grey, because I heard the beaches there aren't so great, and maybe a simple beach day in Antigua, maybe take a bus to Darkwood/Valley Church. But it looks like there are sites on Antigua, like Nelson's Dockyard, that maybe can't be missed, so maybe we should do a simple island tour there with a beach stop at the end? I'm not sure we want to do island tours on both islands, if it would feel too repetitive or if it's worth seeing both islands this way. If you have been to both Antigua and St. Kitts, which has the better tour and which is the better beach day? Do we need tour both islands? Do I do a quick trip to the Dockyard and then the beach on Antigua?  What would you do?

 

Also, yes, I asked a similar question several months ago but I'm looking for new feedback, and I think my question this time is more narrow.

 

Thanks for reading my long-winded question! Looking forward to your feedback!

 

Eeyore

 

 

Look into Antigua Paddles. They're amazing. We booked independently through them but there was also people on our tour that booked it through Royal. But we paid $20 less.

[JillK]

We were in both St. Kitts and Antigua in early December. 

 

Although we have an impressive track record of booking ship excursions, for both of these islands we did book independently.

 

We went with the "Captial and beach splash" excursion in St. Kitts through Thenford Grey as we have been to St. Kitts twice previously and already done the extensive island tour. We thought it was a nice beach day but be aware that everything at the beach is going to cost you extra (lounger, umbrella, etc) so bring plenty of extra cash. 

 

We had an incredible experience on Antigua though -- definitely the best tour we have ever been on in our many cruises. 

 

We booked the "Best of Paradise Island Tour with BBQ Lunch" with Gordon Finch tours (http://www.tourguidegordon.com/). We were very fortunate to have Jerome as our guide for the day. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about his island. This tour was extensive and included Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley Heights, lunch right by the ocean (my oldest son still says this was his favourite meal of the cruise) and a beach stop.

 

I can't remember the name of the beach we stopped at but it was just ok.  The waves were very assertive (making it difficult for our 7 and 9 year olds) and it was covered in crushed shells so it was unpleasant on your feet and in your bathing suit. There is a bar where the other couple on our tour spent their time instead of getting wet. You also had to pay to use the toilets and the attendants were quite aggressive about it. 

 

That being said, we would highly recommend this company and Jerome in particular - a really wonderful day that has made us want to go back to Antigua again. 

 

Enjoy your cruise! 

[bluebeard39]

On 3/7/2019 at 1:55 PM, nalatrixie74 said:

Do you remember how much the deposit was for this? I'm not sure if this is same one as i looked into, but there was some kind of atv rental, but it required like a $500 deposit 

Try going on this site it should give you more informatipn.  I know it wasn't that expensive.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g674073-d12403729-Reviews-Mad_Max_Dune_Buggy_Beach_Tours_St_Kitts-Frigate_Bay_St_Kitts_St_Kitts_and_Nevis.html

Paul

[nalatrixie74]

5 minutes ago, bluebeard39 said:

Try going on this site it should give you more informatipn.  I know it wasn't that expensive.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g674073-d12403729-Reviews-Mad_Max_Dune_Buggy_Beach_Tours_St_Kitts-Frigate_Bay_St_Kitts_St_Kitts_and_Nevis.html

Paul

thanks so much! it looks like something my kids would love!  have any issues getting back to the ship on time?

[bluebeard39]

2 minutes ago, nalatrixie74 said:

thanks so much! it looks like something my kids would love!  have any issues getting back to the ship on time?

They took us on the morning tour which ended by 1:00PM and took us and dropped us by the market just outside of the ship.  We finished our day outside there by 2:30pm and went back on the ship.  There is still more time that you can stay outside.  Just check because we were on Jewel Of the Seas and the times can be different.  Enjoy your cruise the Southern Caribbean is beautiful.  We also went to the ABC island this past December so we have finally completed the Caribbean. 

[nalatrixie74]

1 minute ago, bluebeard39 said:

They took us on the morning tour which ended by 1:00PM and took us and dropped us by the market just outside of the ship.  We finished our day outside there by 2:30pm and went back on the ship.  There is still more time that you can stay outside.  Just check because we were on Jewel Of the Seas and the times can be different.  Enjoy your cruise the Southern Caribbean is beautiful.  We also went to the ABC island this past December so we have finally completed the Caribbean. 

very nice! this is the farthest south we have been. we are doing allure in nov to st kitts, st thomas, and cococay. been to st thomas and cococay. so excited to explore st kitts. but i suppose, with cococay changing, it will be like a whole new island. thanks for your help! 

[EeyoreRN]

On 3/6/2019 at 4:58 PM, erby2283 said:

I agree! Check out if Royston is still doing tours. One of the best tours we ever did and because there were only about 8 of us, we could pretty much do whatever we wanted.

 

Thanks for your input!  I have e-mailed Royston 2x and he says he doesn't think he will be available on the day we are in St. Kitts.

 

On 3/6/2019 at 5:00 PM, mixplix said:

St. Kitts Carambola is awesome, get their early for good seats.

 

Antigua -  Beach Limerz.  Ten minutes from cruise ship, 12 for the for of us in cab.

 

Nice little beach, umbrellas, chairs, bathroom, restaurant, kayaks, paddle boards, etc - there was no one else on the beach with us all day - like our own private resort.

 

Total for four chairs, two umbrellas, three drinks, three lunches and use of kayak and SUP for as long as we wanted ....$110.

 

Mel was working at the bar, absolute sweetheart. Highly recommend.

 

Thanks for the suggestion!  I think it's between Limerz and Darkwood/Valley Church...or a tour.  LOL I'm still so undecided. wish we had more time!

 

On 3/6/2019 at 5:41 PM, tinkr2 said:

Thats where he took me recently....

 

Thanks!  Yes, I e-mailed him and they responded yes, we can go there if we want to!

 

On 3/6/2019 at 5:46 PM, AL3XCruise said:

Assuming you want a tour, it is hard to go wrong with Thenford.  You do get off the bus and walk around the fort, Romney Manor, and have some time at the beach, so it is not just sitting.  Still, if you are looking for an active adventure it may not be what you want.

 

I don't recall the name of the beach, but it was nice enough and had facilities, drinks, and chairs.  And it was neat being at a black sand beach.

 

 

Thanks for the gorgeous photos!  It's true that a picture says a thousand words!

 

On 3/6/2019 at 5:57 PM, CruisinCrow said:

 

That's South Friars Beach and the name of the bar there is the Shipwreck Beach Bar.  Carambola is at the other end of the same beach.  See the white buildings in the distance?

 

Looking forward to a really beautiful walk both ways!

 

On 3/6/2019 at 6:01 PM, zdad59 said:

 

Thenford did stop at a beach club where we could stay for about 90 minutes.   We chose to go back to the ship though.    I found some great watch prices at the port shops.  

 

The shopper in my family (hubby) is not joining us this time. We will skip the shops, except to pick up a few souvenirs for him!

[EeyoreRN]

On 3/6/2019 at 11:11 PM, bluebeard39 said:

On St. Kitts we did Mad Max Dune Buggies. We drove around the whole island in a tour of 5 Dune Buggies and did a beach break. We had a fantastic time and the Dune Buggies were so much fun to drive. You can check them out on Trip Advisor. Have a great time we did this April 2018. 

 

Yes I looked into this a while backed and dropped it. Then started thinking about ATVs and dropped that. Gonna revisit this idea, though, thanks for the reminder!

 

On 3/7/2019 at 5:33 PM, lcpagejr said:

We cruise on AOS 4/13.... I researched thoroughly for the Grand Island Tour and  Royston was our first option and Thenford Grey our 2nd option. When I emailed Royston a couple of weeks ago inquiring on his availability he politely said he was unavailable on that day....So I made tentative reservation with Thenford Grey.  A week later...Royston emailed me and said he was now available if I hadnt already made firm reservations.  We were very excited about his availability and of course booked with him. He's $10/pp cheaper than Thenford Grey and further discounts your child (bringing our 9 yr old grandson)...Thenford Grey also discounted the child as well. 

 

Side note....I do not think you can go wrong with either group. Both responded immediately to my inquiries....and Royston provided me with a emailed itinerary of tour with meet up instructions....  No money requested upfront. We pay when we meet him.

 

Please report back your experience!  I love reading reviews!

 

On 3/7/2019 at 7:34 PM, elliekate said:

CATCH THE CAT in Antigua was one of the best excursions we have ever been on!

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1892998-d8709548-Reviews-Catch_The_Cat_Private_Sailing_Charters-Jolly_Harbour_Saint_Mary_Parish_Antigua_A.html

 

We have also done several of the Xtreme tours that were also fun!  The speed boat was really bumpy and not for anyone with motion sickness issues!  We liked the one with the lobster lunch the best.

 

Thenford Grey does a great tour and the beach stop at the end is nice!  Very entertaining and charming!

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Will look into catch the Cat soon!

 

On 3/7/2019 at 7:46 PM, MandiesPharm said:

Just returned from both of these ports 

 

Antigua - Second vote for Beach Limerz.  Email Gail and she will set it up for you including transportation.  $65pp includes chairs, umbrella, food (ginormous platter each), drinks, clean bathrooms and more.

 

St Kitts - Cockleshell beach is always our favorite.  It has gotten busier since the first time we went there, but its always an enjoyable day

 

 

Looking into these beaches, thanks for the suggestions! Just curious, have you been to Valley Church in Antigua and Carambola in St. Kitts? I'm wondering if you could make a comparison?

 

On 3/7/2019 at 7:49 PM, Willwork4cruises said:

I hadn’t seen Javin mentioned for St Kitts.  See post 14 of my review. It briefly covers our day with Javin.  We all enjoyed it.  

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2549488-ayrin-amber-and-maddie-on-a-fascinating-cruise-may-27-2018/?tab=comments#comment-54951479

 

Thanks for the suggestion and link to the review. Look forward to reading your review today!

 

 

 

[EeyoreRN]

On 3/8/2019 at 12:15 AM, Kbrauchle said:

Look into Antigua Paddles. They're amazing. We booked independently through them but there was also people on our tour that booked it through Royal. But we paid $20 less.

 

Haven't heard of this until now. Will check it out, thanks!

 

On 3/8/2019 at 9:25 AM, JillK said:

We were in both St. Kitts and Antigua in early December. 

 

Although we have an impressive track record of booking ship excursions, for both of these islands we did book independently.

 

We went with the "Captial and beach splash" excursion in St. Kitts through Thenford Grey as we have been to St. Kitts twice previously and already done the extensive island tour. We thought it was a nice beach day but be aware that everything at the beach is going to cost you extra (lounger, umbrella, etc) so bring plenty of extra cash. 

 

We had an incredible experience on Antigua though -- definitely the best tour we have ever been on in our many cruises. 

 

We booked the "Best of Paradise Island Tour with BBQ Lunch" with Gordon Finch tours (http://www.tourguidegordon.com/). We were very fortunate to have Jerome as our guide for the day. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about his island. This tour was extensive and included Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley Heights, lunch right by the ocean (my oldest son still says this was his favourite meal of the cruise) and a beach stop.

 

I can't remember the name of the beach we stopped at but it was just ok.  The waves were very assertive (making it difficult for our 7 and 9 year olds) and it was covered in crushed shells so it was unpleasant on your feet and in your bathing suit. There is a bar where the other couple on our tour spent their time instead of getting wet. You also had to pay to use the toilets and the attendants were quite aggressive about it. 

 

That being said, we would highly recommend this company and Jerome in particular - a really wonderful day that has made us want to go back to Antigua again. 

 

Enjoy your cruise! 

 

I'm suddenly reading about so many different tours in Antigua rated as one of best ever...and I was really leaning toward a simple beach day there but now I'm sss torn. Thanks for this newest suggestion of excursions I hadn't heard of! Checking into it now. I wonder if the aggressive waves you experienced were related to the time of year you visited?

[MandiesPharm]

@EeyoreRN I have not been to the other beaches in either sorry I can’t help there.


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[JillK]

3 hours ago, EeyoreRN said:

 

Haven't heard of this until now. Will check it out, thanks!

 

 

I'm suddenly reading about so many different tours in Antigua rated as one of best ever...and I was really leaning toward a simple beach day there but now I'm sss torn. Thanks for this newest suggestion of excursions I hadn't heard of! Checking into it now. I wonder if the aggressive waves you experienced were related to the time of year you visited?

Yes - that's entirely possible or perhaps it was just particularly windy that day making the waves nice and big. It was aggressive in a fun way for me and hubby but it battered our little guys around quite a bit so we had to be nice and close to them (which they *LOVED* of course). 

 

In any case, it would not stop us from booking the entire excursion again next time we are visiting Antigua (we left our daughters at home this past trip so it would all be new to them should we visit again in the future). 

 

I'm sure you will find an awesome excursion from one of the recommendations you've gotten - best wishes for a fantastic cruise and memorable excursions. 

[FirstAnthem]

We just did My Island Tours with Javin in St Kitts. It was a FANTASTIC day. A little bit of everything—rainforest hike, climbing on the lava rocks by the ocean, a fantastic lunch provided by Javin, snorkeling, then beach time! And you travel around between activities in a nice van and see so many sights! Javin shares so much information—I feel like we saw all of St Kitts. And Javin has a pet monkey that comes on the tour—“Peaches”. She’s adorable and sits on your shoulder! He also takes photos of you on your adventures the whole day and shares them with you online for free. A truly wonderful day—our favorite of all our stops. It’s the best! 

For our upcoming cruise we have booked Beach Limerz in Antigua. We have read so many great things! 

[EeyoreRN]

2 hours ago, FirstAnthem said:

We just did My Island Tours with Javin in St Kitts. It was a FANTASTIC day. A little bit of everything—rainforest hike, climbing on the lava rocks by the ocean, a fantastic lunch provided by Javin, snorkeling, then beach time! And you travel around between activities in a nice van and see so many sights! Javin shares so much information—I feel like we saw all of St Kitts. And Javin has a pet monkey that comes on the tour—“Peaches”. She’s adorable and sits on your shoulder! He also takes photos of you on your adventures the whole day and shares them with you online for free. A truly wonderful day—our favorite of all our stops. It’s the best! 

For our upcoming cruise we have booked Beach Limerz in Antigua. We have read so many great things! 

Thanks, looking into this.