Port Zante

Like its neighbor Nevis, St. Kitts is a Caribbean haven in the Leeward Islands. Miami is around 2,100km (1,300 miles) away, and nearby islands include St. Barts and Antigua. You’ll dock at Port Zante in the historic capital, Basseterre, towards the island’s southern tip. The port’s sparkling-new facilities include restaurants and boutiques, jewelry shops, souvenirs and a duty-free plaza.

How to Get to Basseterre
Downtown Basseterre is just a 15-minute stroll away from Port Zante. If you take a taxi, agree on the fare upfront as cabs don’t tend to be metered. Minibuses also takes passengers downtown. If you’re driving, keep a lookout for goats, cows and other wildlife that might wander into your path. St. Kitts’ tourism operations are based at the port, a good spot to pick up maps and island information.

One Day in St. Kitts
The French and the British have both left their mark on St. Kitts, and a stream of pirates and slave traders visited over the centuries. Today the island offers cruise passengers a taste of colonial history, rainforest scenery and snorkel adventures in the Eastern Caribbean. To get your bearings, a Discover St. Kitts shore excursion tour takes in the capital’s Independence Square, the Romney Manor batik factory and gorgeous Caribbean beaches. There’s time for shopping or a visit to Brimstone Hill Fortress on a panoramic island tour.

Away from the coast, behind the green mountains fringing Basseterre, St. Kitts is a lushly rainforested island with waterfalls and exotic wildlife, highlighted on a half-day tour. If the call of the crystal-clear water is too tempting to resist, go kayaking and reef snorkeling with tropical fish and sea turtles for a relaxing St. Kitts shore excursion.

Port Information
Cruise lines sailing to St. Kitts include Carnival, Azmara, Celebrity, Seabourn, Norwegian and Princess. Port Zante’s extensive port facilities can handle the world’s largest liners, including the QM2. St. Kitts’ currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, but US dollars are just as widely accepted. You’ll find banks with ATMs in central Basseterre. English is spoken with a distinctive Caribbean lilt on St. Kitts.