St. Kitts

CRUISE PORT

There are two deep water ports located on the Basseterre harbour – the Birdrock Deepwater Port and Port Zante. The Birdrock Port, which is situated on the eastern side of the Basseterre harbor, is used mainly for freight, but handles the overflow when there are more cruise ships than Porte Zante can handle.

Port Zante is the newer of the two facilities, and is situated in downtown Basseterre, in the center of the harbor. The facility comprises a single pier along which two of the largest ocean liners in the world can dock at any one time. In fact, this port is one of only two in the entire Caribbean, at which the Queen Mary II can berth. Port Zante also has a marina to accommodate yachts and other small craft.

SHOPPING and SIGHT SEEING
Shopping opportunities start within a few hundred feet of the cruise ship dock (lots of new "duty free" shops in Port Zante ) and continues on into the town of Basseterre. You can shop all day long if you wish and never be more than a 10 minute walk from your ship. Just remember, in St. Kitts they will take American dollars but give change in Eastern Caribbean dollars, so be sure to take smaller denominations of U S bills when you go ashore.
Upon disembarkation, cruise ship visitors are greeted by cultural acts, displays and exhibitions, as well as many ground operators offering various island excursions. The duty-free shopping district on Port Zante, where fine jewelry, liquor and souvenirs are available along with restaurants, is just past this area. Immediately beyond the shops lies Pelican Mall, the ground floor of which houses the headquarters of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. Here, brochures can be picked up and inquires made.

GETTING AROUND
You are much better off hiring a taxi/guide to give you a tour of the island. You'll see pretty much everything the Scenic Railway people see but you'll also be able to stop and explore the petroglyphs, the Batik Factory at Romney Manner, the Fortress at Brimstone Hill, the Black Rocks, the beaches of the southern peninsula, old plantation ruins, churches and places of historical interest (all of which are not part of the Scenic Railway tour) and still have time for a nice leisurely lunch, and afternoon drink at a beach bar, a little shopping and maybe even a quick swim in the Caribbean.

There will be plenty of cabs meeting your ship at the dock in Port Zante. You can hire one for a half day or full day, tell the driver/guide what type of things you like to see and do and leave everything up to the driver. It's the best way to see the island. Expect to pay around $60 US for a "half island" tour. You may be able to hire a cab for around $25 per hour, however, some drivers/guides put a limit of 3 hours on each tour. Check around and ask before you hire.

At the farthest reaches of the botanical gardens, you can even spot the beginning of the island’s dense tropical rain forest. As you walk among the ruins of the oldest plantation in St. Kitts, you can hear the creatures of the rainforest calling to one another and see the land rise to the volcanic peak of Mt. Liamuiga. If you want to explore parts of the rainforest while you are at Romney Manor, guides are available to help you find the best trails and teach you about the ecological diversity of St. Kitts.

Vervet Monkey:  Most Caribbean islands do not have very many large mammals apart from domesticated ones such as donkeys and cattle, but in St Kitts there are a couple of surprises. You may see the vervet monkey that was brought to the island from Africa (St Kitts is one of just three islands in the Caribbean where you can see them). In the north of the island you will see them running wild at Brimstone Hill, particularly early and late in the day. You can also see them the Lodge Great House, where there are some in cages. There is an unofficial orphanage there and young monkeys can be handled by visitors. At the Turtle Beach Bar on the South East Peninsula they are tame enough to be fed, and you can buy peanuts for them.

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