Best Bet for the Day

[cruisingisadream]

If you had to choose between St Kitts and Antigua to do 1 full day tour which included a couple of hours at a pretty, calm and uncrowded beach combined on a tour (not thru cruise line) &  to see the island highlights which would you choose and why.  What are the best sites to DIY or with a private guide. 

[paul58]

I would want to know how many other ships are in port the same day you are. It can be pretty crowded at tourist related venues on either island depending on port load. Antigua has over twice the population of St Kitts.

 

[Clarkey14]

We were in Antigua last year and were going to one of the main beaches when our taxi driver recommended Fort James Beach - it was great - large beach, very beautiful and no crowd.  There was a restaurant at each end and a few shops but other than that very quiet.  Close to the cruise port.

[cruisingisadream]

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 4:29 PM, paul58 said:

I would want to know how many other ships are in port the same day you are. It can be pretty crowded at tourist related venues on either island depending on port load. Antigua has over twice the population of St Kitts.

 

Hi, In Antigua the Dawn and the Gem will be there, for St Kitts it will be the Gem, P&0 Azura and the Britania...so how does that fit in to play

 

[paul58]

I think there is more to see on St Kitts. The port area is close to the main town on the island. All of the excursions will originate from there. The more popular activities such as the sailing catamarans with snorkeling are usually booked through the ships excursion desk or online. The zip line can be the same as well as the "Sugar Train".  Most island tour excursions will include stops at the beaches for several hours. There are really only 3-4 beaches that have amenities(food,restrooms and beach toys(jet skis etc). The beaches on North & South Frigate Bay, South Friars Beach & Cockleshell Beach. 

[CntPAcruiser]

My opinion is that if beach time is more important for you, go with Antigua. If you are interested in the inland sights, St. Kitts has, among other things, the world heritage site of Brimstone Fortress. We've done "all-day" tours of both islands, and St. Kitts stands out in my mind as having been more interesting, but the beach time wasn't as nice as it can be on Antigua. Royston and Thenford are two popular tour providers on St. Kitts. We used Royston and had a great time. His tour tends to go off the main path and is more "rustic," but it was very interesting and entertaining.