Day 8 and it’s Easter Sunday on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, and today we’re spending it in Castries, St. Lucia, where the ship docked right on schedule and guests were cleared to head ashore promptly at 8:00 a.m.
First, let’s talk about the cruise port setup, because like a few islands in the Caribbean, Castries has two places your ship can dock. There’s Pointe Seraphine, which is where we were today, and La Place Carenage, which is the older pier right in the center of town.
If you dock at La Place Carenage, you step off and you’re basically already there, with a small terminal, the usual duty-free and jewelry suspects, and taxi drivers ready to pounce the second your shoes hit pavement.
Pointe Seraphine is on the other side of the little bay, and from there it’s about a 20-minute walk into downtown Castries. It’s the bigger and nicer of the two setups, with a mix of indoor and outdoor areas, a few shops, and a more organized high-pressure taxi area outside. It’s also the better pick if you had to choose, because at least it feels a little more put together than the older downtown pier, which is also under a LOT of construction right now, and honestly… it may not even be open to passenger ship traffic at the moment based on what I could see.
Walk Around Port Seraphine Video
Check out this short video where I walk around the Port Seraphine Cruise Port. I don’t do any narration, but you can get the feel of what this port is like.
Now for Castries itself.
This is one of those ports that is very much a real city for the people who live and work there, not some polished, picture-perfect place that cruisers step off the ship and instantly fall in love with. It’s busy, a little (a lot) worn around the edges, and in spots downright shabby. That does not mean the people aren’t friendly, because they are, but the city is not built around tourists the way some other Caribbean ports are. It’s not packed with breathtaking views, charming streets, or the kind of attractions that make you think, “I need to come back here over and over again.” In fact, a lot of cruisers use St. Lucia as one of those port days where they either book an excursion far away from Castries or just stay onboard altogether.
And honestly, I get it.
Castries is more of a lived-in, working city than a destination in itself, which is probably why so many people head elsewhere on the island the minute they get off the ship.
So if you’re one who actually wants to do something here instead of just wandering around Castries and then getting back on the ship wondering what the point was, there are a few things worth considering.
If you want to stay close by, Derek Walcott Square is one of the easier spots to visit in town.
It’s a shady green space and is home to the Immaculate Conception Church, which today I didn’t have the opportunity to go inside of it to take some pictures, because Easter mass was going on. One thing about this park tho, at least today, there were quite a few homeless sleeping or passed out on benches in the area and one person was pretty strung out on drugs, so you’ll want to keep your eye on your surroundings.
Not far from there is the Castries Central Market, which is one place to poke around if you want something that feels more local than cruise-port polished. Half of it is produce, spices, and everyday stuff, and the other half is the usual clothing, gifts, and souvenirs. It is not glamorous, but it does feel like an actual city doing actual city things. Today, once again because of Easter, the market was closed, but on previous visits it did prove to be more of a spot for locals than it was for tourists, but definitely interesting to pass through.
If you’re looking for a beach without going too far, Vigie Beach is the closest walkable one from Pointe Seraphine, though “walkable” still means about 20 to 30 minutes. It’s a nice enough beach and a decent option if you want sand and water without committing to a full island tour.
If you’re willing to go a little farther, that’s where St. Lucia starts to get a lot more appealing. Rodney Bay is one of the better-known beach areas and is a much more classic tourist beach day with restaurants, shops, facilities, and a livelier scene. Pigeon Island is another strong option if you want something a little more scenic and active, with a short hike, old military ruins, some great views, and even a little beach for snorkeling. Then if you want the big-ticket St. Lucia experience, that usually means heading down toward the west coast for things like the Pitons, Diamond Falls, botanical gardens, hot springs, or Sulphur Springs, which is the island’s drive-in volcano. Those are the kinds of places that make people say they loved St. Lucia. Castries itself usually is not.
Myself? Well, I spent a good couple of hours just meandering around the streets.
Usually, traffic around the cruise port and downtown Castries is pretty heavy, but today… not so much. There also were not a whole lot of people out and about either, which gave the city a but of an eerie feel. After leaving the cruise port and running the usual gauntlet of taxi drivers and tour operators, I stopped at two little parks not far from the ship. The first one is right along the water as you start making your way toward downtown. It has a few benches and makes for a nice little photo stop if you want to grab a shot of the ship or a selfie with it in the background. Across the street is another small park with some covered seating, a little stage for events, and more benches. Nothing major, but a decent enough spot to pause before continuing on.
If you keep following the water, you will eventually end up downtown, and once you see the Central Market, you know you’ve made it. Now here is where street smarts and Google Maps come into play, because you can get turned around here pretty quickly. And yes, that happened to me today. I wandered much farther out from the port than I originally planned, got deep into the city, and eventually had to use Google Maps to figure out how to get myself back to the ship after getting completely lost.
Keep in mind, the streets you’re walking through are not lined with the usual cruise port garbage like Diamonds International, Del Sol, or Piranha Joe. These are small local businesses catering to the people who actually live here, so if you’re expecting souvenir shops on every corner, that is not what you’re going to find outside the market and the cruise terminal.
What you do find is a very interesting mix of new, old, and rough around the edges. Along the main street near the market is where most of the locals seemed to be hanging out. There’s a long building that runs much of the street lined with little hole-in-the-wall bars and places serving food, and I use the word “restaurant” very loosely there because not one of them looked like somewhere I’d be making lunch plans. Locals were hanging out, drinking whatever their beverage of choice was, smoking whatever it was they had rolled up themselves, and just passing the time. Some people tried to sell drugs, some gave off a less-than-welcoming vibe, and others ignored me completely. Again, you absolutely need to be aware of your surroundings here.
If there had been more foot traffic around, I probably would have kept exploring, but with the streets quieter than usual and the area already feeling a little questionable, once I got turned around and had to reset, I decided it was best to make my way back toward the downtown area and stay closer to there for a while longer. This is one of those places where common sense goes a long way. Don’t bring a lot of cash, leave the jewelry on the ship, keep your head up, and pay attention. But with all that said, if you’re looking to do some exploring, don’t let the grittiness completely scare you off. Just head out with realistic expectations, Google Maps ready to go, and your spidey senses fully activated.
Easter Sunday Offerings on Holland America Line
Back on board, with it being Easter Sunday, I was kind of looking around to see what, if anything, was going on to mark the holiday. I’ll admit, I had a little jealousy after seeing posts in Facebook groups from people on other cruise ships where the culinary teams had decorated Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny had made an appearance, or there was even some kind of egg hunt going on.
Here on Koningsdam… well… it was a very muted holiday.
There were no Easter decorations around the ship at all, other than what some guests had put on their stateroom doors. Nothing really stood out to say, “hey, it’s Easter,” and while I’m not a religious person and don’t exactly need a full-blown holiday production, I do usually like when a ship leans into the festive spirit of whatever holiday happens to be going on.
That said, after taking a spin through the Lido Market, I did find at least a little bit of Easter trying to happen. There were some Easter-themed desserts out. They were really just the standard desserts dressed up with little white chocolate Easter “coins” stuck on them. So yes, technically something was done.
As for what else was going on for Easter, there were two services held at the exact same time:
- 4:30 PM – Easter Sunday Interdenominational Celebration with Communion (Half Moon Room)
- 4:30 PM – Easter Sunday Mass (B.B. King’s Blues Club)
And yes, there was a priest onboard for the Mass. I’m not entirely sure how that worked with two Easter services happening at once, but there was definitely a priest on the ship, so one of them was covered in the traditional sense.
Now, if you were hoping for a special Easter dinner menu, you were out of luck there too. There was no real Easter supper to speak of anywhere on the ship. Instead, they basically took a few of the standard rotating menu items and just stuck the word “Easter” in front of them to make it feel festive.
So overall, Easter on Koningsdam was acknowledged, but minimally.
One bright spot, though: all aboard was 4:30 today and everyone actually made it back on time!
Speaking of dinner, here’s a look at what was being served tonight in the Lido Market and in the main dining room.
When it came time for my own dinner, I made sure to keep one eye on the clock and not let time get away from me like it did the other night. So after keeping the bar stool warm at Ocean Bar for a while, I made my way across the hallway to have Easter dinner in the ship’s $52 per person plus 18% steakhouse, Pinnacle Grill.
I didn’t have a reservation, and when I wandered in around 8:30 there were still a good number of tables dining, so I settled in and let the food start coming.
🖼️ Menu Images
I started off with the Clothesline Candied Bacon, which is always a good way to kick things off. I really do wish they could figure out a way to make this a little less greasy though. Every ship. Every time. Maybe just dab some of the grease off first? There has to be a better way. Still, it’s bacon, and there are very few bad ways to start a meal when bacon is involved.
Next up was the traditional steakhouse salad, the wedge with blue cheese dressing.
For Easter supper, I went with what I’d consider a more special occasion steakhouse item: lamb chops. I asked for four of them cooked medium, and they absolutely did not disappoint. Tender, flavorful, and cooked just right, they were excellent, and the sauce added an extra layer of flavor to a dish that really did not need much help in the first place.
When it came time for dessert, I was very close to ordering the Not So Baked Alaska, but I passed and just enjoyed the post-dinner macarons instead. And hey, look at that, one of those little Easter chocolate coins made another appearance!
After dinner, I wrapped up the night with cocktails and some cruise friends back at Ocean Bar before eventually heading back to my stateroom.
We’ve got another port day tomorrow, the last one before we head into two back-to-back sea days on the way to Holland America Line’s private island in the Caribbean, Half Moon Cay, which will bring this cruise to a close. But before that, tomorrow’s stop is Basseterre, St. Kitts, where I already know some Cuban cigars are waiting for me.
More on that tomorrow, and as always, thanks for following along.
Daily Schedule
| 6:30am | Sunday Interdenominational Sunrise Gathering | Sea View Poolside, 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30am | The Bow is Open for Scenic Cruising: Weather dependent | Deck 5 Fwd |
| 7:00am | Walk a Mile | Grand Dutch Café, 3 |
| 7:00am | Sunrise Stretch | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 8:00am | Koningsdam Arrives at Castries | |
| 8:00am | Castries Photo Opportunity until 11:00am (PROMOTION) | Pier Ashore |
| 8:00am | Ask Your Travel Guide (LOCAL) | Pier Ashore |
| 8:00am | Tai Chi for Everyone | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 8:00am | Pure Form Yoga $20 | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 8:00am | Pickleball Open Play | Sport Court, 11 |
| 9:00am | Soccer Goal Scoring Competition | Sport Court, 11 |
| 9:30am | Coloring for Adults | Art Studio, 12 |
| 10:00am | Party Bridge Play until 4:00pm | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 10:00am | Mahjong Players Meet until 4:00pm | Half Moon Room, 1 |
| 10:00am | Golf Putting | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 10:30am | Modern Calligraphy: Bookmark | Art Studio, 12 |
| 11:00am | Footprint and Posture Analysis (PROMOTION) | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 11:30am | Origami Folding: Duck | Art Studio, 12 |
| 1:00pm | Today's Trivia: Easter | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 1:00pm | Refresh & Renew Your Eyes (PROMOTION) | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 2:00pm | Movies by the Pool: Thelma | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 2:30pm | Coloring for Adults | Art Studio, 12 |
| 3:00pm | Cornhole Challenge | Cornhole Court, 11 |
| 3:00pm | Pickleball Open Play | Sport Court, 11 |
| 3:15pm | Vivace Strings Ensemble | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 3:30pm | Creating Doodle Designs: Name Design | Art Studio, 12 |
| 3:30pm | Holiday Scavenger Hunt | Rolling Stone Lounge, 2 |
| 3:30pm | Solo Guitarist Plays | Sea View Poolside, 9 |
| 3:30pm | Scenic Sail Away | Sea View Poolside, 9 |
| 3:30pm | All Aboard as Koningsdam Departs Castries | |
| 3:45pm | Complimentary Skin Care Consultations (PROMOTION) | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 4:00pm | Walk-In Acupuncture Clinic (PROMOTION) | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 4:00pm | The Pitons Scenic Narration | Crow's Nest, 12 |
| 4:00pm | Sjoelen Tournament | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 4:00pm | Team Trivia Challenge | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 4:15pm | Vivace Strings Ensemble | Crow's Nest, 12 |
| 4:30pm | Solo Guitarist Plays | Sea View Poolside, 9 |
| 4:30pm | The Art of Thomas Kinkade | Rolling Stone Lounge, 2 |
| 4:30pm | Catholic Mass is Celebrated | B.B. King's Blues Club, 2 |
| 4:30pm | Easter Sunday Interdenominational Celebration with Communion | Hudson Room & Half Moon Room, 1 |
| 5:00pm | Introducing Lewie the Lion (PROMOTION) | The Shops, 3 |
| 5:00pm | Have Your Casual Portrait Taken (PROMOTION) | Atrium, 2 |
| 5:00pm | Thomas Kinkade Exhibition and Sale (PROMOTION) | Art Gallery, 1 |
| 5:00pm | Origami Folding: Duck | Art Studio, 12 |
| 5:00pm | Body Sculpt Boot Camp $20 | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 5:00pm | Ask Your Travel Guide (LOCAL) | Travel Guide Desk, 12 |
| 5:30pm | Guess the Weight of the Sculpture | Atrium, 2 |
| 5:30pm | NCAA Basketball: College Basketball Crown Championship | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 5:30pm | NCAA Basketball: College Basketball Crown Championship | Movies by the Pool |
| 5:45pm | Vivace Strings Ensemble | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 6:00pm | Singles & Solo Travelers Meetup | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 6:00pm | Complimentary Massage Sampler (PROMOTION) | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 6:00pm | Footprint and Posture Analysis (PROMOTION) | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 6:30pm | Ballroom Dance Hour | B.B. King's Blues Club, 2 |
| 6:30pm | PRIDE Meetup | Crow's Nest, 12 |
| 6:30pm | Friends of Bill W. Meet | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 6:30pm | Game Night: Poorly Explained Movie Plots | Rolling Stone Lounge, 2 |
| 7:00pm | Watches & Scotches (PROMOTION) | The Shops, 2 |
| 7:00pm | Solo Guitarist Plays | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 7:30pm | Music Trivia: Movies | B.B. King's Blues Club, 2 |
| 7:30pm | SHOWTIME: Instrumentalist Sebastian Fucci | World Stage, 2 & 3 |
| 7:45pm | Duos & Duets | Billboard Onboard |
| 8:00pm | Movies by the Pool: Eternity | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 8:00pm | Heat Wave Hot Seats (PROMOTION) | Casino, 3 |
| 8:00pm | EFFY Designer Jewelry Showcase (PROMOTION) | Effy Jewelry, 2 |
| 8:30pm | Rock Legends | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 8:30pm | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 9:00pm | Rum Tasting $35 | Taste, 2 |
| 9:00pm | SHOWTIME: Instrumentalist Sebastian Fucci | World Stage, 2 & 3 |
| 9:15pm | Coming to America | Billboard Onboard |
| 9:30pm | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 10:15pm | All Requests | Billboard Onboard |
| 10:30pm | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 11:00pm | Rock Legends | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 11:00pm | Over $617,000 Paradise Lotto Jackpot Drawing | Casino, 3 |