What to do in St Vincent with such a short time!

[dean45]

What has anyone seen and done on St Vincent? We will be on the Sun Princess docking on Jan. 4, 2006 but will only be there from 7 am till 1 pm.

Any ideas? Is this a tender port? Thanks for your help!

[woodofpine]

OK - I'M sort of HIGHLY ignorant. I know someone from St. Vincent, I've never been; but I've web surfed possible travel there.

 

For you, a plus is that it's a relatively small island, not a tender to my knowledge.

 

If I were going on limited time, I'd probably cab (maybe shore ex) to a locally very famous waterfall (starts with a B - Ballen? Bayoun?...) where the fresh water cliff falls into shallow sandy beached ocean. My impression its not too far from the capital town/city. Sounds to me like a nice morning out from the ville... Check the tourist bureau web sites.

[Shelby Cruiser]

We were on the Sun Princess & visited this island in Mar. '05. We also only had a short time in port, from 1-6pm. It's too short a time to go & see the waterfalls.

We booked the Fort Charlotte, Botanic Gardens & Scenic Drive Tour for 1:45-4:45pm. We enjoyed our time there. It is a very pretty island approaching from the sea. The view from the fort to the harbor below is beautiful. The botanical gardens are nice but nothing compared to the one @St. Lucia. You get a nice overview of the island & some scenic photos along the way. There is also a stop made at a beach bar for drinks & its a nice setting along a beach. The Falls of Beline & Trinity Falls are an all day trip. Hope this helps. The people were very friendly.

[ecslady]

Thanks for your input. I'll we on the Sun Princess in November for a short time too.

 

Did you get to walk around the town at all? If so, how is that?

[Shelby Cruiser]

No, there wasn't enough time for walking around the town. I can't quite remember for sure, may be confusing the islands, but I think there was some small boutiques as you reentered the pier area. If I'm thinking of the right place, it was kind of pricey. We are usually interested in walking thru main part of the towns & shopping but at this port there was just so little time. Sorry, hope this helps.

[curiousx]

I know St. Vincent very well. Search on my name on this board and you ought to be able to find lots of information I have posted previously.

 

Given that you have such a short time, I would make advance arrangements with one of the many reputable taxi drivers or tour companies to give you an island tour. My favourite is Norris Tours at gotalife@caribsurf.com. There is also his pal, Trembler. As well, Phyllis Peters is excellent but perhaps less of a "guide" and more of a taxi than Norris. Her coordinates are (784) 458-4868 or 458-4945 at the airport or 493-9804 cell-phone or 485-1055 beeper.

 

When you get off the ship, you will see a line of spiffy cabs and well-dressed cabbies. All these guys have been trained and are licenced for tourism. Their rates are higher than 'local taxi' rates because of this. If you want to pay local rates, find out waht the 'tourist taxis' are charging per hour, then go out of the dock area, turn left on the first main road and keep walking about 5 minutes until you come to a larger area on your right (next to a demolished building/building site). This is where you will find the local taxis. Pick one and negotiate a price.

 

Alternately, contact a couple of the local tour companies and see what they can arrange for you - Hazeco, Seabreeze and so on. They have websites or go to http://www.svgtourism.com. They can also tell you whether you have the time to take a speedboat trip up the west coast to the falls of Baleine and past the sites where Pirates of the Caribbean has been filming.

 

BTW, the falls do not drop into the ocean, but into a deep pool surrounded by rocks - it's a short hike/scramble from where you get off (a nicely built wooden dock) to the falls. Not recommended for people with leg problems. Note that the Falls were closed a lot of the time last year owing to rock falls - I do hope it's open again. And you cannot get there by taxi - only by sea.

 

If all you want to do is hang about on a beach, be aware that the St. Vincent beaches you could reach during your stay ashore are not the greatest (narrow, black/golden sand, muddy if it has been raining).

 

Kingstown is a classic bustling West Indian town. Shopping is geared towards locals although there are a few tourist shops.

 

There is a so-called tourism office in the little arcade as you get off the ship. They were useless to the other pax on my cruise (Seabourn) and I ended up helping out.

 

Unless there are two cruiseships in town (and I doubt this very much) you will not have to tender.

[SeaBands]

We were there in March and walked into town to see the market. Vendors all on the street, very dirty town, smell of rotten food everywhere. Vendors all selling thesame spaices or fruit. No nice stores or interesting merchandise. Took a cab back to the ship and asked if there was a craft market but never found one. Jumped in the shower when we got to our cabin, changed clothes and found the closest bar. What a disappointment!:eek:

[curiousx]

Sorry you did not enjoy Kingstown, Seabands...reading my previous posts or a vsiit to http://www.svgtourism.com prior to your trip might have helped. Kingstown is a West Indian town - busy, commercial, lively. It is not a tourist town...for me, that's a lot of the charm. That said, if you are expecting a typical cruise stop, it can come as a bit of shock.

 

For those who want to walk around the town, I would suggest visiting the austere Anglican Church (check out the red angel window - rejected by Queen Victoria so it ended up in SVG) and the bizarre St. Mary's Catholic church across from it. Market days are fascinating (but ask before you take pictures of the vendors and be prepared to tip for the privilege). Have a beer and visit the small art gallery in the Bounty Cafe (up a flight of stairs and a little hard to find).

 

Look at some of the old colonial buildings like the police station (and look fast because they are sadly knocking a lot of them down). Check out the shops around the Cobblestone Hotel, and have another beer in the cool bar.

 

Much as I enjoy the Kingstown vibe, the real beauty of SVG is, however, in the countryside and I hope you get a chance to see it someday.

[Vale]

We are considering booking a cruise on the Sun Princess since we have never been to St. Vincents. I am so looking forward to visiting this island however I've heard so many negative remarks about it. We will only be there a very short time, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. What can we see in this time?I hear the beaches are very beautiful, but maybe I am thinking of Bequia, or Mayreau.

[Perky1]

We visited St. Vincent on the Sun two years ago. We were there for the day and privately booked the falls of Balene. It was the highlight of our trip. You would not have time to go to the falls but I would find someone to take you to one of the black sand beaches. We booked thru a private company that we boarded their boat at the pier. We went by water to everything. I am sure that he could arrange a trip to a beach and show you where the Pirates of the Carribean movie set is and have you back to the beach on time. If you want post and I will look up his email address. His name is Wayne of Balene Tours.

[ecslady]

Perky1 - If you could post the email addres, that would be great as I will be there on the Sun Princess from 7 am - 1 pm in November also.

[curiousx]

We will only be there a very short time, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. What can we see in this time?I hear the beaches are very beautiful, but maybe I am thinking of Bequia, or Mayreau.

 

Between 7 and I, you should just have time for a drive up to Montreal Gardens through the Mesopotamia Valley and back.

 

You should also be able to take a boat trip to the Falls of Baleine if they are reopened, but be sure to arrange this in advance - Hazeco, Fantasea, Seabreeze

 

You won't have time to ferry over to Bequia. And yes, the beaches on Bequia and Mayreau are beautiful; St. Vincent's are not in the same league.

[Perky1]

Ecslady... we booked with a tour company and this guy was a sub-contractor. He said if we booked again to book directly with him and he would be half the price. His name is Wayne Halbich, Balene Tours (sp??) email is prosec@caribsurf.com He was great and I am sure he would arrange something to fit your schedule. You may even get in the Falls. Even though when we were there the cruise ships excursion were not doing the falls because of the mud slide we still did it. Parts of it were a bit of a challenge but well worth it. Let me know how you make out.

[Oink]

:) Hi Cruise Buds! We will also be in St Vincent for a short time during our upcoming Thanksgiving cruise on the Sun Princess (Nov 21st from 1pm-5:30pm). We love waterfalls and easy to moderate hiking, historical sites, snorkeling, wildlife etc. Any suggestions for an independent tour, or even one booked through the ship (that isn't a giant rip-off! :eek: ) will be appreciated. Please advise! Thanks....Oink! :)

[curiousx]

Oink, you might like the newly opened Darkview Falls set in a pretty bamboo glade. The pool at the foot of the falls is not deep enough for swimming, but standing under the water as it rushes downs is a trip. I believe you would have time to get there and back, and have a picnic lunch beside the falls. Check with the taxi drivers. It's a very easy walk in.

[Oink]

:D Wow! Sounds like the perfect plan curiousx....thanks. Can you tell me what are of the island Darkview Falls is located? We have such a short amount of time, and of course, we don't want to miss the boat! :eek: Later....Oink! :)

[BRDbabies]

we were in ST.V in Feb. Hired a local cabbie to take us to the Vermont NAture trails. Had just enough time to hike them and cab it back! But it was worth it.

 

FYI there were four of us. Two of us "hooked" onto the ships tour that was departined ont he hike just as we arrived there. They only do 1/2 of the trail as a guided tour and there would NEVER be enough time to hike the whole thing as a guided tour. The other two in our group hiked on their own and were able to complete the entire loop, but watch your time, there is not time for dilly dallying! The whole loop is a wonderful, energetic hike and worth the effort IMO.

 

Hope this helps.

[suntan]

I thank everyone for their insight into touring St. Vincent. We will be sailing on the Sun Feb. 26/06 and have been wondering the same as everyone else - what to do in such a short period of time. We are currently contemplating touring the Botanic Gardens. I will check out some of the websites /email addresses posted. Thanks again for all your help.

[curiousx]

:D Wow! Sounds like the perfect plan curiousx....thanks. Can you tell me what are of the island Darkview Falls is located? We have such a short amount of time, and of course, we don't want to miss the boat! :eek: Later....Oink! :)

 

Darkview Falls is way up the West Coast of St. Vincent near the village of Richmond. Sorry for the delay in reply.

[Oink]

:) Thanks Curiousx! I checked the map and Richmond looks pretty far from where our ship docks. Is 4 hours enough time to take a taxi up to the falls, explore the falls, and drive back to the port? Are there any "must sees" along the way?

 

Later....Oink! :)

[curiousx]

Oink - I think you could make it, but the taxi drivers are the real experts. I wouldn't recommend any other stops though !