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Safety concerns in Antigua


sylteach

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A young woman on another cruise line was murdered in Antigua recently. Could anyone who has been there give us some tips on what to avoid there to stay safe? The Freedom is going there in July.

 

 

Murdered in Antigua recently. How recently? Details? We were in Antigua back in Sept 2009 and had a great time. But, as always, we stay together and keep our wits about us no matter where we are. We went to Dickenson Bay beach (where the Sandals Antigua Resort is) and had a great day. We took a cab from the port to the beach with a uniformed, licensed cab driver with whom we made arrangements to pick us up later for return to the port. We were very clear with our arrangements, and he was very punctual. At all times we 3 girls were together on the beach. We felt very safe there. Practice the same safety that you would in any large city in the US. We have travelled all over the Caribbean and Mexico together for years and have never had a problem. We are very careful. One of the girls in our group has been all over the world: India, Malaysia, Russia, Japan, Peru, Venice, Australia, everywhere. Use your common sense.

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Totally agree with Kurbanfan.......my husband and I did a ship excursion, but when they dropped us off, we felt totally unsafe.

 

Just have no desire to go back. Vendors are the pushiest we have ever come across. We would stay on the ship if we went there again.

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Have been to Antigua 3 times and love it....Never a problem.....

On the last trip we had a great time there. Off the ship and grabbed a van for 11 of us and went to Jolly Beach. Were welcomed big time. Beach chairs, great beach bar, great service and very warm welcoming people.....It was truely a great day....

The cab driver asked what time we wanted to be back to the ship and we said pick us up around three....He was there waiting and we didn't even have to pay him when we got out of the taxi when we got to the beach. It was all settled up at the end of the day and right on the money.

As to feeling safe.....I can take anyone to places here in Tampa and well....Be afraid...Be very afraid.....

I will be more than happy to visit this island any time in the future.....:cool::cool:

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Have been to Antigua 3 times and love it....Never a problem.....

On the last trip we had a great time there. Off the ship and grabbed a van for 11 of us and went to Jolly Beach. Were welcomed big time. Beach chairs, great beach bar, great service and very warm welcoming people.....It was truely a great day....

The cab driver asked what time we wanted to be back to the ship and we said pick us up around three....He was there waiting and we didn't even have to pay him when we got out of the taxi when we got to the beach. It was all settled up at the end of the day and right on the money.

As to feeling safe.....I can take anyone to places here in Tampa and well....Be afraid...Be very afraid.....

I will be more than happy to visit this island any time in the future.....:cool::cool:

 

We had the exact same experience as you. We were a group of six and had a great time at the beach.

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First of all, my prayers go out to the family of the young lady murdered. From reading a news article she was sailing with family and friends (her sister just got married). What was a time for joy and vacation turned into something else.

Don't know if she was on a ship tour or on her own.

But, I feel that in light of this and other recent events against tourist in Antigua, that the cruiselines are going to make changes with this port. If they still decide to stop in Antigua, you will see a huge push for ship tours (but even that don't mean safety,recall the ship tours in Nassau that were robbed recently) with emphasis on not doing non ship tours. You will also likey see a more visible police presence in the tourist areas.

I really feel that for a time, cruiselines will pull this port from their stops like they did with St. Croix a few years back.

Most of the islands depend on tourist and this will be a huge setback for Antigua that will take years to overcome.

I've never been to Antigua and wanted to. Do I still want to visit? Yes,but not right away.

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I would add that the poor woman was not murdered simply because she was from a cruise ship. Many murders happened on other Caribbean islands that very same day. Is travel perfectly safe? No. To be perfectly safe, one should stay at home and worry about a slip and fall in the tub instead.

 

I was in Antigua in December. We rented a car and drove around the island, stopping in Long Bay for lunch and a swim. Antigua was exactly like the other five islands we visited on that cruise. The residents were friendly and we felt as safe as if we were in Times Square in New York.

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I wouldn't want to go back there. I agree with Sunlover5, the folks there were so pushy it was intimidating. Our group of 4 got off the ship and intended on finding a local tour guide to take us around. I had heard nothing but wonderful things about Antigua and how safe it was to roam the island with no worries. I thought it was safe to find a local tour guide.

 

We probably only made it 50 feet from the pier when we knew we had to turn back. These guys were so agressive, we could hardly walk. We were completely surrounded and I had no intention of getting in a car with any of these people. The folks in Jamaica were never that agressive and I always heard Jamaica was the place to worry about. We ended up going back to the pier inside the secured area where the locals are not allowed. There was one tour desk on the pier to organize tours for the cruise ship passengers. We picked an island tour and another couple from the ship joined us. So now there were 6 of us and I felt a little better. Once we had our tour guide, nobody approached us anywhere the rest of the day. Even when we finished the island tour, we could move around the town with nobody harrassing us. It was like we had the plague.

 

The island is nice and everything but it isn't a must see. I could have a great time just about anywhere. Next time, I would consider this one of those port days to stay on the ship.

 

The good thing is that I had considered going there to stay for a whole week because I had heard so many good things. Now I'm glad I didn't waste a whole week's vacation on it. That's one of the great things about a cruise. You get to check places out before you book a trip there.

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We were there in November and didn't have a problem.

 

My sister and I went off by ourselves just to town. Yes people kept asking us to take thier cabs etc. but we just smiled and said "No thank you" and walked on. We didn't feel the venders were any worse then any other place we have been.

 

You just have to be aware and not do anything stupid. Where we went there were pleanty of tourists so we felt safe.

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We've been and not my favorite island, we won't book a trip there again. If you feel unsafe I'd book a Carnival sponcered island tour. They are not perfect and can be pricey but generally you have some safety simply because of the number of cruisers on these island trips.

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I am wondering, was she traveling alone? Did she have a boyfriend or husband with her? Remember people, the majority or murders committed against women are done by a significant other. Lets not blame the country of Antigua till we know all the facts.

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I'm sad to learn about the four tourists murders, and hope that the people who committed them are caught and tried.

 

I agree with cb at sea's comment. We do go on with our lives even though murders occur near where we live.

 

I would hate to see Antigua dropped by the cruise lines. I've been wanting to go to St. Croix, but the cruise lines I sail on haven't had it on their itineraries, unless something's changed very recently. I thought it wasn't a good thing when Aruba was dropped, either. It's nice to see cruise lines going there again.

 

We did 3 activities while we were on Antigua in 2008.

 

First, our party of four hired a van tour on the pier. We ended up with a very friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable driver who was known by many of the people we drove by during the tour. They would call our driver by name in a friendly greeting and he'd wave to them and others. He was proud to show off his island home and teach us about life there. We enjoyed our tour. He dropped us off back at the pier/shopping area.

 

Following the van tour, a member of our group wanted to look for a piece of tanzanite jewelry, so off to the shops we went. The shops were fine, but they had people in the street trying to direct us to go into certain stores. That was somewhat annoying, but we tried to ignore it as much possible. The lady was able to find the perfect ring and at a price she felt was good. An added bonus was that I got some stamps in a grocery store we ran into along the way.

 

Our final activity was finding a taxi driver to take us to a nearby beach. The gentleman who drove us was friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable which made the drive enjoyable. We agreed on a pick-up time and that we'd pay him when we returned for us. He was true to his promise and picked us up and returned us to the pier.

 

We loved our day on this island and my husband would love to return and do the Eco Tour excursion he's read such glowing reviews of.

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I think the cruise lines should not make port in the USA because more tourists are murdered in the USA in a year then that have been murdered in all the Caribbean.

People are idiots!!! Don't travel if you don't want to go places where people are killed. Of course, if you are in Los Angeles or New York or Miami you have a greater chance of being murder in your home than as a cruise ship visitor to Antigua.

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My husband and I were in Antigua in August of 2009. We walked 5 blocks to the bus terminal and took the local bus to Valley Church Beach and we never had a problem. Every local we met was kind, giving and very nice. We had a fantastic time and would gladly return there again. We never felt uncomfortable or threatened. It was one of the best ports for us. Bad people are everywhere. Don't blame a whole country for the actions of a few. I would hate if someone judged my country (the good ole' US of A) by the actions of a few of my countrymen.

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My husband and I were in Antigua in August of 2009. We walked 5 blocks to the bus terminal and took the local bus to Valley Church Beach and we never had a problem. Every local we met was kind, giving and very nice. We had a fantastic time and would gladly return there again. We never felt uncomfortable or threatened. It was one of the best ports for us. Bad people are everywhere.

 

Don't blame a whole country for the actions of a few. I would hate if someone judged my country (the good ole' US of A) by the actions of a few of my countrymen.

Well said....Very well said.....;)

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DO NOT COME TO DENVER COLORADO! There have been several murders here in the past few weeks. Very dangerous. And DO NOT TRAVEL ON CRUISE SHIPS- THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PROBABLE MURDERS AND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DRIVEN TO SUICIDE! And DO NOT STAY HOME- VERY VERY DANGEROUS!

 

Bad things happen. I am very sorry for this girl and her family, for sure. And yes, I suppose it somehow feels worse when you are on a vacation, in a strange place surrounded by people who are not just like you, and you want everything to be nice and pleasant. But these things happen anyplace you go. And statistically you are far more likely to be murdered in a family gathering than when surrounded by strangers.

 

You are probably in more danger of dying driving to the airport or to the cruise port than you are in any of the foreign ports you may stop at.

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First of all, my prayers go out to the family of the young lady murdered. From reading a news article she was sailing with family and friends (her sister just got married). What was a time for joy and vacation turned into something else.

Don't know if she was on a ship tour or on her own.

But, I feel that in light of this and other recent events against tourist in Antigua, that the cruiselines are going to make changes with this port. If they still decide to stop in Antigua, you will see a huge push for ship tours (but even that don't mean safety,recall the ship tours in Nassau that were robbed recently) with emphasis on not doing non ship tours. You will also likey see a more visible police presence in the tourist areas.

I really feel that for a time, cruiselines will pull this port from their stops like they did with St. Croix a few years back.

Most of the islands depend on tourist and this will be a huge setback for Antigua that will take years to overcome.

I've never been to Antigua and wanted to. Do I still want to visit? Yes,but not right away.

 

OMGosh . . .I would be much more concerned with my safety in Memphis than I would in Antigua. Antigua is one of the safest ports in the Caribbean.

 

Antigua is as safe as anyother port in the Caribbean. it is really a beautiful island.

 

Of course, follow the normal rules about safety. Don't flash large sums of money. Watch your personal property, don't leave items in your car. and DO NOT BE AN UGLY AMERICAN!

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We were there in November 09. My son and I were the only ones who didnt book a tour b/c he wasnt feeling well. We got off the ship and walked around for a bit. We shopped in the marketplace and then were approached to do a cab tour. I knew that it was just a single woman and a young boy goin on the tour and I felt uneasy. We ended up requesting that the woman who sold us the tour (Donna) accompany us on the tour and she did. I felt much safer with a woman accompanying us. It was a great tour! Like PP's have said "its all about common sense"!

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I've traveled to Antigua for years, 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.

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I don't think we ever felt that it wasn't safe in Antigua, but it sure felt like us being there was a burden on the locals. No smiles, no thank you's, no warm welcomes. From the taxi dispatcher at the port to people working in the shops in town. I told our cab driver that we wanted to go to Sneaky Pete's but he dropped us off next door at Tony's. An employee with Tony's offered us beach chairs but I declined and told her that we were going to enjoy the day next door at Sneaky Petes. She got pretty belligerent at us and told us that if the cab dropped us off at her restaurant, then we should stay there. It didn't get much better at Sneaky Petes. Another cruise ship passenger was asked to leave Sneaky Petes because he rented a jet ski from Tony's. Apparently if you use a chair at Sneaky Petes you can only rent their jet skis. It got pretty heated between the two until both guys cooled down. There must be a pretty good rivalry going on between the two beach bars. But their guests should not feel unwelcome because of it.

 

It really is sad because this is the island we were looking forward to the most. Not only did it disappoint, but it left a bad taste in our mouth. Thankfully the whole day was not lost. As we were leaving Antigua, there was the most captivating sunset I have ever seen. But the people of Antigua had nothing to do with that. I'm sure they would of ruined it if they did.

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