Exclusive Antigua Culture and History Tour

Enjoy this exclusive small group tour to Antigua's beautiful and historic South Coast. Smaller groups allow for more personalized visits of locations including Shirley's Heights, Dow Hill Interpretation Center, and Nelson's Dockyard.

English Harbour, Antigua's historic district, is focused on the 15 square miles of Nelson's Dockyard National Park. Developed as a base for the British Navy in the great age of sail, the harbor served as the headquarters of the fleet of the Leeward Islands during the late 18th century.

Although the dockyard was greatly expanded at that time by Horatio Nelson, it was gradually abandoned in the nineteenth century and was closed in 1889. Today Nelson's Dockyard has been completely restored, and it is now the only Georgian dockyard in the world.

Further above the harbor, at Shirley's Heights, are the partially-restored fortifications of the harbor's colonial observation post; the view from Shirley Heights extends out over the harbor and far across the Caribbean to neighboring islands.

Dow's Hill Interpretation Center is a place visitors can watch an impressive multimedia presentation of Antigua's history from its initial settlement to independence. Observation decks at Dow's Hill provide another fine view of the harbor and the ruined fortifications of Fort Berkeley, located on the far side of the bay.

Enjoy a lovely day with us as we travel the beautiful Southern Coast of the Island through the lush and natural rain forest. Smell the fresh fruits as we stop at the Pineapple Farm. Feel relaxed and comfortable in an air-conditioned bus on this small group tour of Antigua.

Please Note: The National park admission charge ($15 US per person) is not included and must be paid on the day of the tour.

St. Kitts Island Highlights

Your St. Kitts Island Highlights Tour is chock full of interesting sites and informative background. It begins in the capital city of Basseterre. Founded in 1627 by the French, it served as capital of the French colony. By 1639, the town had become a large, successful port and was made the capital of the entire French West Indies colony, which included the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

When the British took control of the island in 1727, the city was made capital of the island. On your St. Kitts Highlights tour, you will see the British influence in the Georgian architecture, cobblestone streets, and the squares and monuments.

The city of Basseterre has had a tragic history, having been destroyed repeatedly by colonial wars, fire, earthquakes, floods, riots and hurricanes. Despite this, a considerable number of well-restored buildings still exist in downtown Basseterre.

Next on your St. Kitts excursion, you will visit Caribelle Batik, set on the grounds of Romney Manor. Using ancient Indonesian methods to keep the dye from reaching the material, Caribelle has created many designs for which they have become associated. During your St. Kitts excursion, you will see the artists demonstrating the techniques while you listen to an explanation from one of the experts. Then it's on to Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fort is a monument to the ingenuity of the British military engineers who designed it and to the skill, strength and endurance of the African slaves who built and then maintained it. It is one of the best-preserved historical fortifications in the Americas. At the fort, a video presentation on the fortress is shown. This magnificent fortress, sitting impressively atop 38 acres of limestone and sulfur composites, is the result of 100 years of slave labor and has endured many wars fought between English, French and Spanish troops for its control.

From the fortress, your St. Kitts tour will return to the pier via the Basseterre Caribbean Sea coastal road.

St. Lucia Views & Sightseeing Port Trip

Stony Hill, St. Lucia has much to offer on this Exclusive Tour and asks only that you enjoy every minute of it!

After boarding your air-conditioned bus for your St. Lucia excursion, usually in groups of no more than 20 guests, you will drive through Castries, where various points of interest will be pointed out by your tour guide. Then, follow the winding road up the Morne for a panoramic view of the city, the harbor and even, on a clear day, as far as the island of Martinique. You will continue up to the Morne complex to view the Inniskilling Monument, erected in honor of the British 27th Inniskilling Regiment that captured the Morne from the French in 1796. This area is also home to one of the island's highest educational institutions, the OECS Secretariat, and also the main television station.

A short drive away is the Howelton Estate. This estate has a rich history and features a cafe, artist studio, and Caribelle Batik, where a short stop is made to see artists creating their works of art by using hot wax and dye. You will also have the opportunity to shopping for Batik items.

Your journey continues along the secondary roads through the hills on the outskirts of the city, taking you through small communities with scenic views highlighting the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts.

Stopping at a viewpoint within the community of La Guerre, you will get a spectacular view overlooking the Marquis Estate, once the largest banana plantation on the island. Your drive continues through other communities on your way to Monchy, where you will have wonderful views of Rodney Bay and Pigeon Island. You will then descend the hill to the private home of the Sonys' Stony Hill.

This property offers a well-manicured lawn edged by a tropical garden and a breathtaking view of the Rodney Bay area. Tasty refreshments and a selection of local fruits handpicked from the gardens await you while you relax in the courtyard or next to the pool. Restrooms are available before your short journey back to the ship.

Shopping, Sightseeing & Beach Day Excursion in St. Maarten

Two countries on one island for almost 400 years. Wouldn't you love to know how they do it? Come along on this St. Maarten excursion for an Island Drive and Beach Tour with a twist. You'll visit parts of the island usually not seen by cruise guests.

Departing the cruise terminal, you will drive through part of Philipsburg towards Cole Bay and Belle Vue. Making a photo stop at the Harold Jack lookout point high on a hill overlooking the sea, clouds permitting, you will have fantastic views of the neighboring islands of Saba (the home of Kong in the original King Kong movie) St. Eustatius to the south, and British Anguilla to the north. You will also begin to see Simpson Bay and its lagoon as you crest the hill.

This St. Maarten tour continues on to Marigot, the French capital, which is a quaint French village with a Caribbean twist. Sidewalk cafes serving cappuccino overlook mega-yachts, framed by palm trees. Gourmet restaurants sit in the shadow of a 200-year-old fort, and bold tropical prints in the open-air markets mix with the latest fashions from French boutiques. You will have some free time to experience this wonderful blend.

Then it's on to Orient Bay. This sweeping two-mile long, white-powdered sand beach is protected from the Atlantic waves by a reef, and the bottom has a very gradual slope. It is the island's most popular and busiest beach. On this St. Maarten excursion, you will have approximately 1.5 hours to swim, beach walk, or relax on the white sand.

You will also have the opportunity to purchase lunch or indulge in a tropical drink in paradise at a local restaurant located on the east end of the beach.

Returning to Philipsburg through the center of the island, you will have the option of being dropped off downtown for shopping or taken back to the pier.

Guests departing downtown will need to arrange their own transportation back to the cruise pier at their own expense via taxi, water taxi or walking.

Please Note: The tour will also make photo stops with scenic views of Orient Bay. The clothing-optional beach at Club Orient, the naturist resort, is located at the east end of the beach, approximately 10 to 15 minutes from Bikini Beach, where you will be visiting. Although most guests in the Bikini Beach area will be wearing swim attire, be advised that you may encounter topless and possibly nude sunbathers anywhere. This St. Maarten excursion may operate in a different order due to traffic conditions or crowds at the venues. On Sundays, most shops and restaurants on the French side are closed. All stores are closed on the following national holidays: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Kings Day, Carnival Day, Labor Day, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, Emancipation Day, Constitution Day, St. Maarten's Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Guests booking on these days will have the option to window shop or spend more time at the beach.

Skyline Drive & Island Overview Shore Trip

This is a two-hour orientation tour of St. Thomas, with stops at some of the island's highlights and exciting views of the island itself.

St. Thomas is a mountainous island with one long ridge of hills running east and west through the center of the island, with smaller ridges branching off. The island is thirteen miles long by four miles wide, encompassing a little over 31 square miles. The highest point is Crown Mountain at 1,556 feet.

St. Thomas has a history that dates back to 1500 B.C. and the Ciboney people. They were replaced by the Arawaks and then the Caribes, long before Christopher Columbus first saw the island in 1493 on his second voyage to the "New World." Unfortunately, almost all signs of the pre-Columbus days have been lost to time.

Most of the structures and ruins that remain date from the 16th and 17th century and include Blackbeard's Castle (Skytsborg), Fort Christian and Bluebeard's Castle (Tower Fort). During your scenic orientation drive, you will be able to see them on nearby hilltops.

Riding along the crest of St. Thomas on "Skyline Drive," visitors are treated to vistas of Charlotte Amalie town, harbor as well as Hassel and Water Islands to the south; the Atlantic Ocean, Magens Bay, and Inner and Outer Brass and Hans Lollick islands to the north; and the chain of cays leading to St. John and the British Virgins to the east.

On this St. Thomas excursion, your driver/guide will make stops at various scenic overlooks as traffic/safety allows. You will pass by Drake's Seat, believed to be the spot where Sir Francis Drake himself watched for enemy vessels. A stop will be made at Mountain Top, where you will take in the most amazing views from the balcony of the shopping arcade, and if you choose, purchase a "world-famous" banana daiquiri.

At the end of the two-hour driving orientation, you will have the option of being dropped off in downtown Charlotte Amalie to experience its world-famous shopping or be taken back to the cruise ship dock.

Please Note: Guests departing from downtown will be responsible for their transportation back to their destination. Depending on the number of guests participating, tour will be conducted in vans or open-air safari buses.