St Kitts

ABOUT THE ISLANDS

Separated by a two-mile channel, St. Kitts (officially named St. Christopher) and Nevis are in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. St. Kitts covers 68 square miles, while Nevis -- which is to the south east of St. Kitts -- is 36 square miles. St. Kitts is roughly 1,200 miles from Miami. Basseterre is the capital.

St. Kitts: The terrain is generally mountainous. Mt. Liamuiga (pronounced Lee-a-mweega), is a dormant volcano covered by dense tropical foliage with an elevation of 3,792 feet. The island is a stunning combination of mountains, rain forests and beautiful beaches. Although St. Kitts is known as a quiet and tranquil island, its capital -- Basseterre -- is in the midst of a revival. In addition to restored historical architecture, Basseterre also boasts a selection of new shops and charming cafes.

Nevis: The peak on Nevis rises to 3,232 feet. Nevis is known for its natural beauty, genteel plantations, quiet hospitality and pristine beaches. Nevis' capital -- Charleston-- is a well-preserved old Caribbean town offering visitors interesting shopping and dining. Although Nevis has lived through an earthquake and a tidal wave, which is claimed to have buried the former capital, the island is still dotted, as is St Kitts, with fascinating old buildings and historic sites, a delight for any traveler looking for their next Caribbean adventure.

The largest property on Nevis is the 196-room Four Seasons, the nightlife is modest, and the island can only accept small ships such as those of Windjammer cruises. As a result, Nevis tends to aim at up-market travelers seeking a luxurious getaway with plenty of relaxing evenings. Saint Kitts, on the other hand, has the 477-room Saint Kitts Marriott Resort and Royal Beach Casino, more clubs than Nevis, and Port Zante, a cruise terminal equipped to handle mega-liners. While you won't see crowds on Nevis, Saint Kitts' capital, Basseterre, bustles with daytrippers on cruise days. Saint Kitts offers both black- and white-sand beaches, diving and snorkeling, a rainforest for hiking, and an historic fortress prime for exploration.

HISTORY of the ISLANDS

In the 1700s, sugar was the most important crop in the world. Sugar cane grows in warm, tropical climates and the Caribbean islands were the perfect places to grow it. European settlers from England, France, Spain, and Holland (now called the Netherlands) came to the region, cut down the islands’ forests, and planted sugar cane in hope of becoming rich. The valuable crop was used to make sugar, molasses, and rum. Any Caribbean island with farmable land was used to grow sugar cane.

St. Kitts was the oldest and wealthiest of the English colonies in the Caribbean. This island had rich volcanic soil, a climate of sun and rain, and an endless supply of slaves. Annually it yielded a fortune in sugar and rum for its wealthy, mostly absentee, landholders. Around 1775, the time of the American Revolution, 68 sugar plantations existed on St. Kitts alone! The plantation owners sold their sugar products to American, British, French, and Dutch customers, and anyone else who wanted to buy them. By the end of the 19th century, however, all that was gone. Slavery had been abolished and Europe¹s beet sugar had pre-empted Caribbean cane. Depressed market prices could not offset the production and transportation costs for an island crop.

Today St. Kitts is the only Leeward Island, of the Caribbean, that still grows sugar cane. However, sugar cane is very expensive to grow, harvest, and process. The fields are now state owned and the entire island crop is processed in one government-run factory. The dozens of sugar plantations, which had dotted the island, climbing from the shore up into the mountains, were gradually abandoned. In time, the handsome stone structures -- complete factories- fell to wind, weather, and vandalism. Here and there on the island one can still see a signature smokestack rising a hundred feet into the sky, or the egg-shaped base of an old windmill.

The possibility of a merger with other Leeward Islands and the Virgin Islands has been debated, as has the growing problem of drug trafficking, in which St Kitts & Nevis, like most small Caribbean islands, has become involved. The people of Nevis are themselves deeply split, roughly between the population of the southern towns, which favor independence, and the rest of the island, which does not. Were Nevis to become independent, it would be the world's smallest sovereign state after the Vatican, which naturally gives rise to concerns about its economic viability.

ECONOMY

The economy of St. Kitts and Nevis experienced strong growth for most of the 1990s, but hurricanes in 1998 and 1999 and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks hurt the tourism-dependent economy. Economic growth picked up in 2004, with a real GDP growth rate of 6.4%, followed by 4.1% growth in 2005. Tourism has shown the greatest growth and is now a major foreign exchange earner for St. Kitts and Nevis, as evidenced by an 83% increase in foreign direct investment in a range of tourism-related projects. Significant new investment included a 648-room Marriott hotel and convention center that opened in December 2002, as well as other resort projects

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 $60US 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.

The Scenic Railroad Tour

Just something to think about: One would think that to get more "bang for your tour buck" a ride around the Island on one of the scenic railroads would be a good choice--especially because of the time element. However, after reading many on-line reviews, I would have to reconsider this. Many said that they really didn't see all that much from the rails. Mostly, they saw cane fields, rain forests and went through some poor villages. They missed seeing, feeling and experiencing the personality of the people and the Island. Besides this, the cost was quite high, $89 per person. Further, they were forced to buy their tickets on board the ship. Seems that "On Your Own" doesn't work with the Scenic Railroad Tour. No one was able to buy their tickets direct from the train station as they are forced into protecting the ship's revenue! Still, this is a personal choice. Some may want to experience a train ride; others may need a rest from walking.. depending on age and ability.

All this I could accept--until I read a post; "At the fort, the cab driver told us the train had derailed - AGAIN! - and all the drivers were being called to pick up passengers. No one was injured but we found out that it has only made the trip ONCE! without derailing. We saw the tipped car. Suggest you not pick that trip and not buy stock in their company either! Cab driver says the train fee is $50 if you are not on a ship." Perhaps it was the wrong train ride! Just to be safe, pay the price and purchase your tickets through the ship.