April 4, 2025 - Antigua

Antigua is a Caribbean island that forms part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda. This coral island is located in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, lying between Guadeloupe and Montserrat.

Antigua is a relatively small island, covering 280 square kilometers, with a coastline containing 365 stunning white-sand beaches meaning you could visit a different one every day of the year. It is a paradise for sailing and yachting, hosting events like Antigua Sailing Week and the Antigua Charter Yacht Show

The weather is tropical, with warm temperatures and dry conditions compared to many Caribbean islands.

Its history has mirrored the history of many of the other islands we have visited. In 1632 English settlers colonized the island, establishing sugar plantations that became the backbone of the economy. Two hundred years later slaves were emancipated, leading to a disastrous labour shortage on sugar estates.

In 1967 Antigua became an associated state of the UK, gaining full control over its internal affairs and reached full independence in 1981.

The economy of Antigua is service-based, with tourism and government services representing the key sources of employment and income. Tourism accounts directly for more than half of GDP and is also the principal earner of foreign exchange for Antigua. A series of violent hurricanes during 1995 resulted in serious damage to tourist infrastructure which resulted in a lengthy period of sharp reductions in the number of visitors. In 1999 the budding offshore financial sector was seriously hurt by financial sanctions imposed by the United States and United Kingdom as a result of the loosening of its money-laundering controls.

Antiguan cuisine is a flavorful mix of African, Caribbean, and European influences! A staple dish is fungi and pepperpot—a hearty combination of cornmeal dumplings and a rich vegetable stew with meat. Seafood is popular too, with dishes like saltfish and ducana—salted cod served with sweet potato dumplings wrapped in banana leaves. Of course you’ll also find lots of fresh tropical fruits.

Next to us is another behemoth cruise ship, the Enchanted Princess.  It has a capacity of 3,660 passengers and a crew of 1,346. By comparison our ship, the Celebrity Beyond, holds 3,250 passengers and a crew of 1,450.

When you leave the ship and exit the pier, you are met with the worlds longest strip of duty free shops.   For a least 3 long blocks, there is nothing other than duty free shops and cheap casinos. A block on either side of the street are the bars and restaurants. So much for the amazing history that the ads claim.

In the afternoon, we took a walking excursion of downtown St. John’s.  It was put on by the local museum society. For three hours we were bombarded with totally irrelevant facts. We were told the history of every home that was over 100 years old. It didn’t matter if the house was occupied or was a crumbled down shack. We went to a farmer’s market, where guide told us what each piece of produce was and what it was used for. Each government building was pointed out with a detailed explanation of the departments function in the Antigua government. Things got really stupid, when we got a 3 minute history of a parking lot!

No idea what this is, but the guide yammered on for several minutes about it

Now, we know that when you’re a historian working in a museum all the details are interesting. But someone needs to curate the itinerary, to show only the items of interest/importance to a visitor.

During the walk, I had a once in a billion experience.  While on the pier, I noticed this very short lady, probably shorter than 5’. As the walk began, I heard someone say “is that you Brian”. I turned around and it was this lady. Just as she was introducing herself and her husband, I realized who she was.  Her name is Peggy, Poole and we worked together in the late 1970s and 1980s. Apparently, I also worked with her husband. For the life of me, I can’t remember her last name, and I didn’t catch her husband’s name. With all the people who take a Caribbean cruise each year, what are the odds we would be on the same ship and taking the same excursion.