Cruise Travel to St. Lucia Increases

Port Castries in St. Lucia has seen a busy holiday season. The middle of December through New Year saw as many as five ships in port, daily. Normally, the port is busy with a few ships, but there were some new visitors this year.

Ponant’s Explorer’s class ship, called the Le Champlain arrived from Martinique. It is a 184-passenger ship that tends to sail the Eastern Caribbean. Until December 2018, it was the first time to make port in St. Lucia. The cruise ship made dock at Rodney Bay. The company and ship stated it would be one of the many visits for the 2019 season. The company wishes to increase their cruise season to surpass the 2017 and 2018 years.

Cruises to the Caribbean are highly popular for snowbirds in the US looking to get warmer. St. Lucia has several tours that are provided for travelers to the area, where one can see the rainforests, old volcano, and enjoy the tropical atmosphere. In recent years, over 300 ships, per year, have used the Ports of St. Lucia as one stop on their itinerary.

The island is small enough to make half-day excursions. For some of the trips, there are full day entertainments. Pigeon Island, Rodney Bay, and Soufriere are the most popular locals, but the Pitons, Sulphur Springs mud bath, and banana plantation are also high on the list.

Travelers are able to enjoy zip lining, ATV tours, aerial tram tours, or hike the Tet Paul Nature Trail. For those who do not like to set a specific itinerary, it is easy to walk from the port to some of the top places and shops in St. Lucia. The main language of the island is English, and the currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar. However, most credit cards and USD are accepted.