Port Zante in St. Kitts // © 2013 St. Kitts Tourism Authority
By Mark Rogers
When I visited St. Kitts a couple years ago, the island was in the midst of successfully transferring from a sugar-based economy to one based on tourism. Looking at the island through the eyes of a cruise passenger, I could see that St. Kitts was perfectly poised to welcome the cruise traveler on a tight schedule.
The capital city of Bassetterre and Port Zante have plenty of shops and restaurants within a radius of a few blocks. Visitors who want to see a lot of the island can book a two-hour ride on the St. Kitts Scenic Railway. Passengers who wanted to soak up the island vibe could head over to Reggae Beach, where the Reggae Beach Restaurant creates a welcoming Caribbean atmosphere, with lots of island music playing in the background. During my visit, I found the locals to be friendly and not jaded by tourism, since it was a relatively new initiative on the island.
The St. Kitts cruise scene will soon get a huge boost from Royal Caribbean International's Quantum of the Seas. The ship will include St. Kitts in its 11-night Eastern Caribbean and 12-night Southern Caribbean itineraries. St. Kitts will be receiving six port calls from Royal Caribbean International's Quantum of the Seas in its inaugural 2014/2015 season.
The Quantum of the Seas will sail round-trip from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J. The ship will feature the North Star glass capsule that takes guests on a journey more than 300 feet in the air to deliver 360-degree views; and the RipCord by iFly, the first skydiving simulator at sea; as well as the first bumper car and roller skating offerings at sea. Hopefully passengers will tear themselves away from these distractions while in port, and spend a few hours touring St. Kitts.
Guest blog written by Mark Rogers.
