Cruisers vs. Cruisers

Carnival Cruise Lines

The cruisers from cruise ships have a different experience than us cruisers on the little boats.  We only share our boats with our cruising partner and occasional guests, while they share their boat with 3,000 new friends and 1,000 crew members.

Cruise terminal at Port Zante, St. Kitts

The cruisers off the small boats are generally in better shape and not quite as white (better tans) as the cruise ship cruisers.

In the cruise ship areas you do not find very many dinning opportunities because food is included with the price of the cabin.

Away from the cruise ship area you can usually find a restaurant popular with the small boat cruisers.

Besides the duty free jewelry stores, you do find some bars offering cheap drinks and WiFi because both of those items are expensive on the cruise ships.

For real deals on food and drinks, the small boat cruisers usually try to find places the locals patronize.

Old Treasury Building

The dividing line between the new cruise ship area and Basseterre, the capital city of St. Kitts, is the old treasury building that is now a museum and gate to the cruise ship area.  We sat and watched as numerous people from the cruise ships would peek out into the bustling city and then return to the “safety” of the cruise ship area.

We find that we are hustled for everything from taxi rides to pictures of us holding monkeys the closer we are to the cruise ship area.

The Circus

Unfortunately, many of the people on the cruise ships miss what the islands have to offer.

While the cruise ship areas tend to be clean, safe, and look like a fun shopping experience, Pollie often complains that they have the same junk from China that the last island’s cruise ship area had to offer.  Nothing made locally.

St. George's Anglican Church

Numerous island tours are available for the cruise ship cruisers, and we almost took one, but found it more economical and adventurous to share a rental car with another small boat cruising couple.  This church (constructed 1856-1859), like many sights, was only a short walk from our marina and the cruise ship area.

Independence Square (formerly a slave auction)

Many other points of interest are probably missed by the cruise ship cruisers who tend to stick to the cruise ship areas, or take guided tours.

When the cruise ships pull out, the cruise ship area becomes a ghost town, but the real city continues at full throttle.