It’s been a week now that I’ve been onboard Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess. We set sail on December 20 for a ten-day jaunt around the Caribbean and have made stops at Princess Cays, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. John’s, Antigua; and today we’re in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
St. Kitts, affectionately known as the “Gibraltar of the West Indies,” is located in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. This small island, along with its sister island Nevis, forms the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, one of the tiniest countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Its history dates back over 5,000 years, beginning with its early inhabitants, followed by the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493 (this guy REALLY got around!). In the 1600s, the French and English shared the island, turning it into a hub for sugar production. Today, it’s known for its rainforests, beaches, and laid-back vibe.
St. Kitts Cruise Terminal
Cruise ships dock at Port Zante in Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts. The terminal itself is one of the more modern and nicest ones in the Caribbean and is packed with shops, local craft vendors, bars, and my favorite place to visit, the Cuban cigar bar/shop. More on that in a minute.
You can spend a good deal of time wandering around the terminal area, but if you’re looking to do some exploring around town, Independence Square is just a few minutes’ walk from the ship, as is the nearby National Museum. Or, explore the Circus, a roundabout inspired by London’s Piccadilly Circus. It’s easy to spend a couple of hours soaking in the island’s charm—all for free!
If you’re more keen on booking a shore excursion than doing some DIY exploring, you can book a visit to Brimstone Hill Fortress, take a hike up Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano, or hop aboard the iconic St. Kitts Scenic Railway through sugar plantations.
The Enchanted Princess docked a little before 8 a.m., and we were cleared to go ashore shortly thereafter. It was a VERY busy day at the port. We were joined by Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, Viking Cruise Line’s Viking Sea, and another Princess ship, Island Princess.
With around 15,000 guests and crew going ashore, it was quite a busy day. I waited for the initial blast of people to disperse before heading out around lunchtime, and even then, the port area was very busy with people shopping, enjoying some of the outside bars, and heading back from their early morning excursions.
Authentic Cuban Cigars in St. Kitts
I did some wandering around the town but called it quits early as everywhere was crowded. I sought solace back at the port by visiting La Casa Del Habano, the Cuban cigar store I mentioned earlier. I first discovered this little gem a few years ago and have been coming back to it every time I visit St. Kitts.
The store is a franchise of the Cuban government and boasts the largest Cuban cigar humidor in the Caribbean. Every cigar in the store is an authentic Cuban cigar. Plus, there’s always someone hand-rolling cigars that, once they age for a bit, are put out for sale. The leaf is shipped directly from Cuba to the store to be used in their cigars. You can watch the roller work his magic just outside the entrance.
In addition to cigars, there’s also a bar and smoking lounge where you can order a beer, a drink made with Cuban rum, and smoke a Cuban while avoiding the crowds out in the port. All the employees are also from Cuba and come here on visas to work for a few months at a time, so it’s always cool to chat with them to learn more about their country and culture.
After enjoying a bit of rum at the bar, it was time to head into the humidor to check out the selection. You are escorted in by one of the employees who gives you one rule that must be followed: if you touch a cigar, you just bought it!
Some cigars are priced over $100 each, and there are some rare ones in there, so keeping them protected from the prying hands of some lookie-loos is important. While browsing the different brands and styles, I found one that had a shape I hadn’t seen before. It was a long, narrow cigar called the Lancero. The story goes that this style of cigar was a personal favorite of Fidel Castro, so of course, I had to buy a few of those.
A couple hundred dollars later, it was time to head back to the ship for an all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m.
Enchanted Princess -vs- Island Princess Horn Battle
When it was time for our departure, the captain of the Enchanted Princess decided to have some fun with the captain of the Island Princess by engaging in a horn battle. For several minutes, the two ships blasted their whistles at each other, with the Enchanted Princess one-upping the Island Princess by playing the theme from the television show that made the line famous—The Love Boat. Check out the video below!
Enchanted Princess Fellow Passengers
Before getting into dinner, a few words about my fellow passengers on this journey. Since this is my first time on Princess, I wasn’t sure what type of age group to expect. Also, being that it’s a holiday cruise, I didn’t know if it was a ship that was going to attract a large number of families with kids.
If you have a family and you’re looking to cruise over a holiday—or any time of year for that matter—you should be looking for a cruise line or ship that has plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained.
Families with young children are going to trend towards Disney Cruise Line, while those with teens are more than likely to hit up the amusement park of the sea, Royal Caribbean. Both these lines cater to families and have a boatload of things for them to do, such as waterslides and water parks.
Princess, however, like sister-line Holland America, doesn’t have waterslides. On Enchanted Princess, there’s no kids’ splash pad or water park, though some newer ships have put in small splash areas.
Just because there’s no waterslide doesn’t necessarily mean there’s nothing for kids to do. All cruise lines, including Princess, offer kids’ and teen clubs, arcades, and activities scheduled throughout the cruise for the different age groups.
So what about the passengers onboard? Well, I was a bit surprised. First off, there are a good number of families onboard, but there aren’t many with children 13 and under. I’m putting the average age of the passengers on this cruise in the mid-50s. There are a good number 65+, but it’s definitely a younger demographic than Holland America.
However, the type of passenger is very close to those you will find on Holland. Many have very high loyalty status with the line, are well-traveled, enjoy dressing up for dinner, and are here to relax, be pampered, and enjoy the journey.
I’ve met some wonderful people from around the world, all with interesting stories to tell—including one who actually believed me when she asked what I did for a living, and I told her I’m a priest and I’m here to escape the hectic Christmas season back home at my church.
When she sees me wandering around, she greets me with a “Hello, Father.”
Dinner at Sabatini’s
For dinner tonight, I decided to make a return trip to Sabatini’s, the ship’s specialty Italian restaurant where it’s $45 per person for a multi-course dinner that will leave you completely stuffed and satisfied! Dinner was so good here the other night, I just had to come back.
I had an 8:20 p.m. reservation and, upon arrival, was taken to my table immediately, where my server came over, took my drink order, and went over the menu.
Dinner started out with some arancini served with a bit of marinara sauce, along with a selection of delicious bread.
As I noshed on the arancini, pondering what I was going to have for dinner, an announcement came from the bridge for fire response teams to respond to deck 16. Service didn’t skip a beat, and nobody—crew or passengers—seemed to be the least bit concerned.
Next up was a fresh green salad and some Italian antipasto, which was very good.
For the pasta course, I went with the polpette and spaghetti—a delicious meatball served atop a perfectly sized portion of spaghetti al dente with a light tomato sauce.
My main course tonight was veal marsala—two nice-sized pieces of veal served in a rich brown sauce. Tender and delicious.
When it came time for dessert, I went with some ice cream and fresh berries.
Once again, dinner here was absolutely delicious, and service was impeccable and unrushed.
After dinner, I headed for the usual nightcap and did a little walking around before heading back to my room, calling it quits for the day. We’re sailing towards our last port of call for this trip, St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands, where the Enchanted Princess is scheduled to arrive at 7 a.m.
As always, thanks for following along.
Princess Patter for Day 7:
