St Vincent and the Grenadines

[lifeisrealygood]

I am booked on a March 2020 Southern Caribbean Cruise on the Silhouette and a March 2021 Southern Caribbean Cruise on the Equinox.  Both cruises stop in Kingstown, St Vincent.  This is a new port for me.  I was wondering if this is a new port for all cruise ships.  Can anyone comment?

 

I booked a shore excursion from St Vincent called "The Bequia Retreat", which is a six and one-half hour catamaran sail over to and sailing around the island of Bequia.  It is an hour (8 miles) from where we port in St Vincent to get to Bequia.  I can't find any information about ship's excursions for St Vincent.  Help?  Where can I look for excursion reviews, or is this such a new port for cruise lines, that none exist?

 

I am taking these cruises as for years I have been taking the 14 night Southern Caribbean cruises, which were discontinued for 2020 and beyond.  These 12 night Southern Caribbean cruises are the longest I can find for the Caribbean.  No more 14 dayers.  

 

 

[elklemi]

I was on Royal Clipper last year and we stopped at Kingstown and walked around but not much at the port and the city was not charming like so many other Caribbean Islands, we were there only a few hours and then we stopped at Bequia for the rest of the day, Bequia is my FAVORITE island and this was my second stop.  You made a great choice to take an excursion to this beautiful place.  You can walk to Princess Margaret beach arlong the boardwalk to the right of the dock and as you do you will pass all the bars, restaurants, etc along the tree lined road.  Great beach bar/restaurant at the beach but also wonderful places along the waterfront.  This is the only place I have purchased a tshirt in the last 5 years, you are fortunate to have chosen this spot and you will see why after being in Kingstown. Have a great time.

[lifeisrealygood]

Thanks, elklemi.  Looking forward to the excursion.  Perhaps if more cruise lines add Kingstown to their schedules, the city may become energized.  

[Ski Mom 2]

On 10/17/2019 at 7:36 AM, elklemi said:

I was on Royal Clipper last year and we stopped at Kingstown and walked around but not much at the port and the city was not charming like so many other Caribbean Islands, we were there only a few hours and then we stopped at Bequia for the rest of the day, Bequia is my FAVORITE island and this was my second stop.  You made a great choice to take an excursion to this beautiful place.  You can walk to Princess Margaret beach arlong the boardwalk to the right of the dock and as you do you will pass all the bars, restaurants, etc along the tree lined road.  Great beach bar/restaurant at the beach but also wonderful places along the waterfront.  This is the only place I have purchased a tshirt in the last 5 years, you are fortunate to have chosen this spot and you will see why after being in Kingstown. Have a great time.

So would you say this is one stop you can do on your own? We are stopping on our Wind Surf cruise in January and we really enjoy walking around, eating, drinking, shopping and getting to know the locals. 

[elklemi]

Yes I would, I have been there twice and have enjoyed walking to the beach and visiting the stops along the beachfront and visiting with the residents and enjoying a cold brew, you can also talk to the visitors on the boats in the harbor who have stopped to resupply.   My next visit I may get a taxi to drive me around the island but I will leave time to spend in town and Princess Margaret.  My first visit was on the Wind Surf so I know you will enjoy your cruise.

[edinburgher]

This is a new port for me.  I was wondering if this is a new port for all cruise ships.  Can anyone comment?

 

I booked a shore excursion from St Vincent called "The Bequia Retreat", which is a six and one-half hour catamaran sail over to and sailing around the island of Bequia.  It is an hour (8 miles) from where we port in St Vincent to get to Bequia.  I can't find any information about ship's excursions for St Vincent.  Help?  Where can I look for excursion reviews, or is this such a new port for cruise lines, that none exist?

 

Kingstown St Vincent is not a new cruise port. On the DESTINATIONS section here on CC there are over a hundred "reviews" and a few "excursion" reviews too:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=164

 

If you use the SEARCH on the Caribbean-Other Forum you may find more info.

There are also a few posts just a little below your own, helpful for anyone staying on St Vincent for the day:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2612237-st-vincent/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2596891-st-vincent-and-gs-must-sees/

 

We have visited both Kingstown and Bequia. One day in each. 

Our Kingstown/Island tour described on the links above.

Bequia is lovely. We took one of the converted pick-ups at the pier for a shared ride around some of the island then strolled the village and water/beachfront. It was one of our favourite days.

[mamaday]

On 10/17/2019 at 7:36 AM, elklemi said:

On 10/14/2019 at 11:13 PM, lifeisrealygood said:

I am booked on a March 2020 Southern Caribbean Cruise on the Silhouette and a March 2021 Southern Caribbean Cruise on the Equinox.  Both cruises stop in Kingstown, St Vincent.  This is a new port for me.  I was wondering if this is a new port for all cruise ships.  Can anyone comment?

 

I booked a shore excursion from St Vincent called "The Bequia Retreat", which is a six and one-half hour catamaran sail over to and sailing around the island of Bequia.  It is an hour (8 miles) from where we port in St Vincent to get to Bequia.  I can't find any information about ship's excursions for St Vincent.  Help?  Where can I look for excursion reviews, or is this such a new port for cruise lines, that none exist?

 

I am taking these cruises as for years I have been taking the 14 night Southern Caribbean cruises, which were discontinued for 2020 and beyond.  These 12 night Southern Caribbean cruises are the longest I can find for the Caribbean.  No more 14 dayers.  

 

 

Same here - we also have been on the 14 night cruises.  This is also a new port for us in St. Vincent so I was also looking for ideas.  Did you book this excursion directly?

 

[lifeisrealygood]

Hey mamaday,

 

Sorry for the late response, but I have been away from this forum for awhile.  We booked the excursion directly through Celebrity.  It is called the Bequi Retreat, it is six and one-half hours long, and it is much pricier now than when we booked it.  Which tells me it is popular, and must be filling up quickly.  

[lifeisrealygood]

One more thing mamaday.

 

On our past cruises, which have stopped in Grenada, we have taken a celebrity excursion called "Shadowfax Lobster Catamaran Cruise".  It is six hours long, and is terrific.  We just did not want to do two six hour excursions on back to back days.  We plan on taking the Shadowfax excursion in 2021, when we are on the same itinerary on the Equinox.  

[jean87510]

I just took the ship sponsored (celebrity) tour to Bequia. It included stop to snorkel at moonhole, a sumptuous creole lunch and relaxing at princess Margaret beach.

There was I believe 130 people on our catamaran. We sailed by moonhole but did not snorkel. Ladder to get off catamaran was missing a rung. We were taken to shop for 1 hour while crew loaded the lunch. Not in description. Then spent rest of day on P.M. beach. They ran out of some products for lunch and cups for drink. Drinks were rum punch or warm water. People all over beach were helping themselves to a free lunch.  Lunch was chicken leg or unknown fish, 2 tbsp of salad, 1 inch square of mac and cheese and 1 scoop of dried rice. Salad and rice were gone when I arrived but people said it was awful.

We started at 930 and returned at 330.  Not 6 hours 45 minutes.

Bequia was nice but not worth the ship excursion. I did voice my observations to celebrity. I would only do again via ferry. I regret not simply exploring st. Vincent.

[Misty Morning]

Not much to do in St Vincent.  We were there once and everything was closed.  We like Bequia or the other islands in the Grenadines much more for same reasons highlighted above. Would go to Bequia if you can

[aquidneck1]

 

 

On 1/22/2020 at 5:05 AM, jean87510 said:

Bequia was nice but not worth the ship excursion.

Thank you for the review Jean.  Do you remember the name of the tour operator.  Just curious as we were thinking about the same excursion next year. Thanks

[jean87510]

17 minutes ago, aquidneck1 said:

 

 

Thank you for the review Jean.  Do you remember the name of the tour operator.  Just curious as we were thinking about the same excursion next year. Thanks

I dont. I know it was a double decker Catamaran. And I think they've done this same thing before based on a review I read of a ship excursion to Bequia that sounded just like my experience. It was on cruise critic under bequia excursions.  Bequia is nice but I wish I just explored st. Vincent.  I know its being picky but the description was really off. I never would have done it if I had known about the missed snorkeling spot and the shopping for an hour which wasnt advertised. I did ask about the missed snorkeling and my answer was oh we hoped no one would remember. 🙄 We had a nice day; however next time I'll go via ferry. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by jean87510