Tim & Anne’s Visit to St Barts (March 2014)

A Visit to St Barts
March 2014
by Tim Larison, CLIA Certified Master Cruise Counselor (MCC)
with contributions from Travel Agent Anne Larison

Cannes in the Caribbean?  That’s what St Barts reminded us of when we stopped there for a day on our Azamara 12 day Caribbean cruise in March 2014.

There were a number of high end shops and restaurants at the Gustavia port.  Rather than do an organized shore excursion here we walked around the harbor area, window shopping only!  At a little over 8 square miles it was the smallest island we stopped at on our cruise.

St Barts had a very different feel than the other caribbean islands we had visited on our cruise.  We were later to discover it is a popular caribbean retreat for the rich and famous.

We were treated to a beautiful sunset as we sailed away from St Barts.

Anne says:
Before we took the ferry from our ship over to St. Barts for the afternoon, I was admiring the island from afar.  The most obvious thing was the number of yachts moored in the harbor.  Big and small there were all types of yachts and sailboats spending time at St. Barts.  In addition to arriving on the island by ship, I watched airplanes regularly flying into the airport – many more than I remember seeing at the many other small Caribbean islands we visited.  

St. Barts is definitely a playground for the rich and famous.  There were many small dock side restaurants and cafes for visitors to enjoy a meal or drink and take in the atmosphere.  I enjoyed the window shopping.  There were many luxury brands for sale in the main area of the port, but as we walked farther from the port, one can find more “regular” shops selling souvenirs and other goods that don’t cost an ‘arm and a leg’.

We enjoyed our visit and would recommend this island for those who want to see the “French Riviera” of the Caribbean!

If you would like to visit St Barts on a cruise or a resort stay, we can help!  Contact us for more information.