Spotlight: Caribbean - Antigua

Spotlight: Antigua is the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. It is one of the Leeward Islands located in the eastern Caribbean. It covers a land area of 281 km² with a population of 80,161. The capital is St. John's, a port city on the north-west side of the island. Also known as Waladli by the native population ("our own"), Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish, and was named for Santa Maria de la Antigua - the Virgin of the Old Cathedral in Sevilla, Spain. The economy is based on tourism. The original inhabitants were the Guanahatabey, who were later joined by Arawaks and Caribs. Columbus was the first European visitor, arriving on the island in 1493. In 1632, Sir Christopher Codrington, and Englishman, established the first European settlement in Antigua. He developed the island into a profitable sugar colony, helping the island gain prominence as Britain's "Gateway to the Caribbean." In 1981, Antigua, with Barbuda and Redonda as dependencies, severed ties with Britain, becoming and independent state in the Commonwealth of Nations, 

Antigua musician making a living

Location: Antigua is located among the Lesser Antilles in the Eastern Caribbean Sea.

Cost: The Canopy Tour (zipline) excursion is $99/adult, $89/child. The photo package is $30/person.

Time: The Canopy Tour excursion is approximately 3 1/2 hours.

Description: The Canopy Tour takes you on a series of 13 ziplines, 2 suspension bridges, and a tree house as you get a view of the Antiguan rainforest from the tree tops. Trained rangers assist you in moving from one zipline to the next to ensure a fun, yet safe, circuit of the route. The ziplines range from 52 feet to 328 feet in length. Once finished with the course, you are awarded a certificate of bravery. Honestly, of the various shore excursions we went on during our cruise, this was our favorite.

     The harbor at St. John's was one of the most beautiful that we saw. It had views of a beautiful cathedral, the ruins of an old fort that protected the harbor, and a wide variety of boats.

old fort on the hill

St. John's Cathedral

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - Keep an eye out for hornets. Two people in our group got stung.
- You can take pictures before and after going on the zipline course, but are not allowed to bring any cameras, phones, etc. on the ziplines. Therefore, if you want pictures of you ziplining, you will have to buy their photo package. Typically, we never buy picture packages at entertainment venues due to the cost, but this time we felt it was worth it. It included a series of shots for each person as well as a video clip.

- Make sure you bring your Sea Pass card and photo ID, sun screen, close-toed shoes, and sunglasses.- If you have pre-existing back, neck, knee, or shoulder injuries, heart or respiratory illness, you may want to consult your physician before signing up for this tour. If you are pregnant, you shouldn't do this tour.
- Throughout the Caribbean, you can pick up inexpensive souvenirs at places like Vendors Square - a small market near the harbor in St. John's.

Nearby: Barbuda, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Guadeloupe

Spotlight: Caribbean - Guadeloupe

Spotlight: Guadeloupe is a small group of islands among the Lesser Antilles, located in the eastern Caribbean. It covers a land area of 1,628 km² with a population of 403,750. It is considered an insular region of France, and is governed by an overseas department. The two main islands, Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, are separated by a narrow strait which is crossed by many bridges. The official language is French, but most inhabitants also speak Antillean Creole. The island was called Karukera ("The Island of Beautiful Waters") by the native Arawaks. They were later wiped out by the Caribs. Christopher Colombus was the first European to arrive at the island in 1493, and named it Santa Maria de Guadalupe de Extremadura. Columbus didn't leave behind any settlers, but he brought back to Europe the first samples of pineapple he found there. The Spanish attempted to settle the island in the 17th century, but were repelled by the Caribs. In 1635, a French expedition from St. Kitts established the first European settlement on the island after wiping out many Caribs, and France officially annexed the island in 1674. The British captured the island in several times, but returned possession to France in various treaties. The island has also gone through a few periods of revolution, particularly regarding the issue of slavery, which was formally abolished in 1848.

Pointe-a-Pitre

Saltwater channel between two main islands

Location: Guadeloupe are located in the eastern Caribbean, south of Antigua and Barbuda, and north of Dominica. We went snorkeling on Ilet Caret, a tiny island north of the main islands.

Cost: It appears that this excursion is no longer offered, but I found a similar excursion for $139.00.

Time: The entire excursion was about 4 hours, but we only got to snorkel for 90 minutes - which in my opinion wasn't long enough. We spent another hour on the island.

Description: For our shore excursion in Guadeloupe, we went snorkeling around the tiny island of Ilet Caret. Our cruise boat docked at Pointe-a-Pitre, and from there we rode in a zodiac through the saltwater channel that divides the two large islands, flanked by mangrove swamps on either side. Once we crossed through the channel, we motored out near Caret Isle where we snorkeled among the coral reefs. Unfortunately, we didn't have an underwater camera. Still, we saw lots of beautiful fish, including a school of blue and black ones.

Mangrove swamp

     After about an hour and a half, we boarded the boats again and docked on the little islet for a refreshment, and to enjoy the beautiful white sand beach. Caret Island is uninhabited, and used by turtles to lay their eggs. It took us only about 5 minutes to walk around the entire circumference of the islet.

Tiny Caret Islet

Beautiful white sand of the Caribbean

     Although I would have liked to spend more time snorkeling, we spent the time in the zodiac asking our guides about the history and geography of the islands. They were very friendly and informative.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - If you feel comfortable running a motorboat, it would probably be cheaper to rent a motor boat and snorkeling equipment, and do your own little excursion.
- As with most cruise ship stops, you will likely be greeted by locals playing beautiful Caribbean music.

- Although there are a few trees on Caret Islet, they don't provide much shade from the midday sun.

- A small walk around Pointe-a-Pitre can provide you with a view of some of the colorful murals that have been painted on the sides of some buildings.

Nearby: Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Dominica, Martinique

Spotlight: Caribbean - St. Lucia

Spotlight: Saint Lucia is a sovereign island in the eastern Caribbean. It covers a land area of 617 km² with a population of 174,000. Its capital is Castries. The island was inhabited by the native Caribs when the first Europeans arrived in the 1500's. Initial attempts to settle the island by the Dutch, French and English all resulted in failure due to disease or hostilities with the locals. The French established the first permanent European settlement in 1643, and later signed a treaty with the Caribs in 1660. The English took possession of the island in 1663, beginning a long war with the French over control over the island - with ownership changing hands 14 times until 1814 when the British finally managed to expel the French indefinitely. In 1979, the island became an independent state in the Commonwealth of Nations associated with the United Kingdom. Although tourism and offshore banking drive the economy, bananas remain an important cash crop for the island.

beautiful fishing village

Location: Saint Lucia is located amidst a string of islands known as the Lesser Antilles that run in an arc from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.

Cost: The Soufriere Island Delight tour costs $72.99/person.

Time: The Soufriere Island Delight tour was a little over 5 hours.

Description: For our day in Saint Lucia, we went on the Soufriere Island Delight tour. We chose it because the description said we'd be taken to "the world's only drive-in volcano." That one line soured the whole experience for us because it was a blatant lie. The world's only "drive-in volcano" turned out to be a collapsed caldera that was a poor version of Yellowstone's mud pots. Not only does Yellowstone fit their definition of a "drive-in volcano," many islands throughout the world (including the Hawaiian Islands) would meet the criteria also. It had some charm, but my wife and I have visited at least two other drive-in volcanoes which were more impressive, so we were a bit put out since by choosing this tour, we missed out on swimming with sting rays.

Fumeroles

Small waterfall in world's only "drive-in volcano"

mudpot

     In all fairness, the five hour tour of the island allowed us to get a good feel for island life that we would not have otherwise seen. We visited a fishing village, saw the primitive living conditions across the island, got several great views of the Piton Volcanoes rising out of the ocean, drove past miles of banana orchards, tried banana ketchup (and other banana products), did some shopping, played a kettle drum, visited some beautiful botanical gardens, and got to see Diamond Falls (which were used in the filming of Romancing the Stone). We also had a pleasant Caribbean style lunch of chicken, rice, beans, fried bananas and fried fish. It would have been enjoyable if our expectations hadn't been dashed.

The Pitons

botanical gardens

Diamond Falls

Kettle drum

Rating: 2 1/2 stars (out of 5) - although it probably would have earned another full star if not for false advertising.

Things You Should Know: - If you visit Saint Lucia as part of a cruise, you do not need a passport or visa even though you are in a foreign nation - unless something goes wrong and you get separated from your group. Because of this possibility we had them with us just in case.
- Be prepared for locals to be hawking any number of homemade items ranging from homemade dolls to T-shirts to homemade crafts and ornaments. Although unlicensed vendors aren't supposed to have official access to tour groups, exceptions are sometimes made for close friends or family members of the tour guides.

homemade dolls

Nearby: Martinique, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados

Travel Tip #44 - In the eye of the storm (Hurricane Season)

If you go to the Caribbean, one of the most important things you should look at is when you are going to travel. Hurricane Season in the Caribbean lasts from June to November, with the peak months occurring from mid-August to mid-October. With an average of about ten hurricanes a year in the Atlantic Ocean over a six month period, chances are good that you will avoid a hurricane. Yet because there is always a chance that a hurricane will strike, many travelers (like us) avoid the Caribbean during the summer and fall. However, because of this, you can usually find better deals for that time of year. Is it worth the gamble? Maybe; but if you go, you should keep several things in mind: 1. Get trip cancellation insurance. Since you will probably buy tickets long before accurate weather reports are available, you'll want the peace of mind that if a hurricane strikes you'll be able to recover the money you spent on airline and cruise tickets as well as hotels reservations. For more information on how what types of insurance to get, go to the Frommers site. 2. Read the fine print on hurricane guarantees. Not all guarantees offer full coverage. Some offer partial reimbursement, others offer "rain checks" for a future visit, and others only cover those days affected by the storm. 3. Play the odds. Because of their geographical location, some islands are hit by storms much more often than others. If you are going to travel during hurricane season, it would be a good idea to know which islands to avoid, and which ones are statistically safer. 4. Keep track of the weather. It's always tempting to take a vacation from the outside world when you're on vacation; particularly when you are somewhere as exotic as the Caribbean. However, storms can crop up after you've already reached your destination; or they can veer off their projected course and head towards you. It would be wise to keep tabs on the weather while you're there just to be safe. 5. An island doesn't have to be directly in the path of the hurricane to be affected. Hurricanes sprawl out for hundreds of miles. Even if the island you are visiting isn't along the hurricane's projected path, doesn't mean it won't be affected by torrential winds and rains. If you are prone to seasickness, and your cruise ship is on the outskirts of a storm, this may be problematic. 6. It's actually safer to book a cruise than an island resort. Since a hurricane usually moves at 8-10 knots, and a cruise ship up to 22 knots, a cruise ship can outrun a hurricane. If foul weather is projected, a cruise ship can just change its itinerary. It may still ruin your shore excursion plans, though, so once again, read the fine print.
For more cruise-related hurricane information go to: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=884

Spotlight: Caribbean - Royal Caribbean Cruise

Spotlight: In 2013, we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we booked a Caribbean cruise with some friends of ours who got married the same year. In preparation for the cruise, we got together to peruse the different options, then decided on one that appealed to each of us. We chose Royal Caribbean because it was the cruise line we felt most comfortable with. It might be a little more expensive than another line, but it has a much better track record. We also chose to go in the spring rather than over our actual anniversary (August) because late summer is hurricane season, and the last thing we wanted was to be on a cruise ship during a hurricane. The cruise we finally decided on was a one week vacation that started and ended in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with stops at five other islands. The fun part was then choosing which shore excursions we wanted to do. Once the details were decided, our anticipation grew daily as we counted down the days until our grand excursion.

Our cabin

Location: Our particular cruise started in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with stops at St. Thomas, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Antigua, and St. Croix. However, there are hundreds of other options to exotic destinations throughout the Caribbean. Many of these depart out of Miami.

Cost: The price of a cruise varies widely ($99-$2000+/person) based on factors such as location, number of nights, and time of year. Most week-long Caribbean cruises will run upwards of $500/person, but that doesn't include any shore excursions you will want to do.

Time: Most cruises are typically 3 nights or 7 nights. You can find some that are as short as one night, while others may be as long as two weeks or more. Having been on a few different cruises, I feel that one week is just about perfect.

Description: After boarding, the first thing you will probably do is a lifeboat drill so that you know exactly where to go in case of emergency. After that, you'll probably want to explore the ship to get a feel for what is available. Although each ship is different, there are several similarities. Most ships will have a few different pools and spas - each catering to different groups. There is usually a pool for little kids, another for families with teens, and another more tranquil one for adults, as well as a few different spas. There is often a physical fitness center where they offer classes like yoga and Pilates. Other common areas include: a movie theater, a live entertainment theater, a rock-climbing wall, a mini golf course, a basketball court, a shuffleboard deck, a jogging track, a youth program activity area, a video arcade, a casino, various lounges adjacent to various bars or dining areas (often featuring musicians or other entertainment), shops, a small library, small nooks to play cards, and club rooms for frequent cruisers. There are often shows or various competitions going on throughout the day at different areas of the ship.

Solarium swimming pool

on board entertainment

One of the several lounges on board

Main pool deck

     The main dining room offers "complimentary" meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). In the main dining area, though, dining is usually a formal affair - coats, ties and dresses. Even designated "casual" meals mean slacks, skirts and buttoned shirts. The menu usually has several courses, with about 4 or 5 choices per course. The items are often somewhat exotic in the sense that you wouldn't typically eat them at home. From my experience, they've all been delicious, so don't be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. Of course, if you don't want to dress up, or don't have the time for a multi-course meal (about 90 min.), you may want to try one of the less formal dining areas. These are usually cafeteria style, and serve mainly comfort food. The cafeteria is also where they often carve melons into works of art. Naturally, since three full meals a day may not satisfy your hunger, many ships offer a midnight buffet, where they pull out all the stops as far as food art and ice sculptures are concerned.

ice sculpture

food art

Eating dessert in the formal dining room

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out  of 5)

Things You Should Know: - When you book a cruise, your passage covers your room, meals and most of the entertainment. A few things cost extra, particularly the shore excursions. Since for most people, these are often once in a lifetime experiences (unless you do a lot of cruises), I feel the extra expense is worth it.
-  Some of the unofficial dining areas on board may charge a fee depending on where and what you eat, but most are "free" with your cruise fare.
- Room service is often free except at odd hours.
- If you are celebrating a special occasion, the staff will bring you a special treat to help you celebrate.
- If you get seasick, you will probably want to make preparations ahead of time. My wife's doctor prescribed her pills, and she only needed them once. Our friend wore a patch during your cruise, but complained that it made her feel a little off-kilter at times. It also affected her balance for a couple of weeks after the trip.

Nearby: Barbados, Martinique, Dominica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts