Day 9 on Koningsdam and this cruise is rapidly coming to a close. So far we’ve visited San Juan, St. Thomas, St. John’s, Roseau, and Castries, and after today we’ve got just one more stop left, Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas, before this latest adventure is in the books. And where are we today? None other than Basseterre, St. Kitts, a regular stop on the Southern Caribbean run, but today is a little different because we’re the only ship in port. That’s a rarity here, because Port Zante is built to handle multiple ships at once, and can accommodate up to four ships at a time. I’ve been here when it’s been a full house, so seeing the place with just one ship alongside is definitely unusual.
For cruise lines like Holland America, this time of year marks the end of the Caribbean season. Rotterdam, which I was just on before this trip, has already moved over to Europe, and when this cruise wraps up in Fort Lauderdale, Koningsdam heads west for her Alaska season, which begins in Vancouver later in April. What makes this sailing a little more special is that Koningsdam’s published schedule has her staying on the West Coast and in Alaska, then Hawaii, rather than coming right back to South Florida, so this stop in St. Kitts is effectively one of her last for a while.
With it being Easter Monday, it was also a bit of an odd day in port. Around town, it was very much holiday mode, with businesses and schools closed, but right in the cruise terminal area it was the usual business as usual. And of course that means the same suspects were open and ready for action. Diamonds International, Effy, Del Sol, Cariloha, all the usual tourist-trap lineup that would remain open even if a Category 5 hurricane was making a direct hit. Koningsdam docked around 7:00 a.m. and guests were cleared to head ashore around 8:00 a.m.
Unlike St. John’s, Antigua or Castries, St. Lucia, St. Kitts has a much nicer port area if you just want to get off the ship and take it easy. Port Zante is very clean, modern, easy to walk, and packed with shops, bars, souvenir spots, and yes, even a Hard Rock Cafe. So if you want a lazy port day where you just wander around, poke into some stores, maybe grab a drink, and call it a day, you can absolutely do that here.
But once you head outside the port gates, you’re right into downtown Basseterre, and like a lot of stops on this cruise, that part of town is for the people who live and work there, not built around tourists. On this particular day, with the holiday, there was a little bit of extra activity along the waterfront near the port with locals out, food stalls, music, and community events, but if you were hoping to do much shopping outside the port, you were out of luck because most of that was shut down.
And yes, when you look out from the ship, there is a waterfront area and a beach that is technically accessible and usable. Could you make a beach day out of it? Sure. Would I call it some dreamy Caribbean beach experience? Absolutely not. It’s there, people use it, and if all you want is a towel and some ocean, knock yourself out. But this is not one of those white powder, beach-club, frozen-drink postcard scenes.
So what exactly is there to do in St. Kitts if you want more than just wandering around the port? Glad you asked.
Top 5 Things to Do in St. Kitts on Your Own, On Foot or by Taxi
If you don’t want to book through the ship, there are still some pretty easy options here, and yes, taxis are absolutely available right outside the port.
- Timothy Hill – This is one of the most popular things to do on the island. You get a birds-eye view of St. Kitts where you can see both the Caribbean and the Atlantic at once, and it’s one of those stops everybody winds up photographing whether they planned to or not. It’s an easy taxi ride and one of the better DIY moves here.
- South Friars Bay – A good beach option if you want something nicer than the waterfront by the ship. This is one of the recommended spots if you want an easy taxi ride and a proper beach day without overcomplicating things.
- Romney Manor / Caribelle Batik – This is a nice stop if you want a little history, some gardens, and something other than just sand and shopping.
- Brimstone Hill Fortress – If you are into history at all, this is one of the island’s signature sights. It takes a taxi ride to get there, but it’s probably the biggest historic attraction on St. Kitts and one of the most worthwhile things to see if beaches are not your thing.
- Wander Port Zante and downtown Basseterre – This is always my go-do and what I recommend if you want to keep it simple and stay close by. You can spend time in the port area, then head just outside the gates and poke around Basseterre a bit. It’s not some magical wandering city, but it is easy enough to do, especially on a one-ship day like today.
Top 5 Shore Excursions to Book Through the Ship
If you’d rather let the cruise line do the planning, these are the kinds of excursions that make the most sense here.
- St. Kitts Scenic Railway – This is THE signature excursion on the island. It’s one of the most popular tours here and gives you a scenic look around St. Kitts without having to deal with figuring anything out yourself.
- Island Tour with Timothy Hill and Romney Manor – A combo that hits the scenic overlook and one of the better cultural/historic stops. Good if you want a little variety without making a full day of it.
- Brimstone Hill Fortress Tour – If you want history and views, this is the one. It’s one of the island’s marquee attractions and a very common ship tour stop.
- Catamaran and Snorkel Cruise – This is the usual good Caribbean option that every since port of call offers, so if you haven’t done it yet, you still can! If you want to get out on the water, have some drinks, snorkel a bit, and call it a successful port day, this is probably your best bet for sun and water.
- Beach Break at South Friars or Cockleshell – If your idea of a shore day is beach chair, ocean, and as little effort as possible, these are the obvious choices. St. Kitts does beach excursions pretty well if that’s what you’re after.
So yes, St. Kitts gives you options. You can keep it easy and stay right in the port. You can take a taxi somewhere worthwhile. Or you can let the ship handle it and book an excursion. But on a one-ship holiday call like today, it definitely had a different feel than the usual packed, hectic St. Kitts port day.
I headed out around 1:00 p.m. and did my usual wandering around town, which, as my regular followers already know, is pretty much my standard move on a port day. I usually skip the shore excursions and do things on my own, and today was no exception.
I wandered over along the beach area to watch the previously mentioned swimming competition and also spent some time watching locals take part in dominoes competitions, which, by the way, got pretty intense. If you’ve ever seen people play dominoes in the Caribbean, you already know this is not some quiet little game being played politely in the corner.
This is serious business.
Since it was very much a locals day because of the holiday, I did feel a little out of place at times, but the good thing was the locals pretty much left me alone. There was no pressure for taxi rides, no one trying to drag me onto a tour, and not even much effort to sell me anything at the little market stalls set up for the community festival. That is always a welcome change from some of the harder-sell ports in the Caribbean where you feel like prey the second you leave the pier.
As I walked up and down the main street and deeper into some of the neighborhoods, it became very obvious that there was absolutely nothing going on today. And I mean nothing. However, the KFC down the street was doing a brisk business with crew heading over to bring buckets of chicken (aka comfort food) back to the ship.
KFC aside, people were not really out and about, and aside from the action along the waterfront for the holiday festival, the rest of the place felt like a ghost town. It was one of those strange port days where the ship is in town, but the town itself feels like it forgot.
Even over at Independence Square, a spot that is close to the port and a nice little park to sit and chill, there wasn’t anyone around except for a few dogs.
After a couple of hours of wandering, I made my way back toward the port and to a very familiar spot for me, La Casa del Habano, which is always a must-do when I’m visiting St. Kitts. They have locations in other Caribbean ports too, including Grand Turk, and there’s also a fairly new store in St. John’s, Antigua, which just so happened to be closed when I was there on Good Friday the other day. They also have locations around the world, but this one in St. Kitts has become one of my regular stops over the years.
If you’re looking for authentic Cuban cigars, this is the place to go. They’ve got a nice bar, a smoking lounge, and a humidor packed with cigars from all the major Cuban names, along with some that are hand-rolled right there. And that is an important distinction because you are only going to find Cubans here. No Dominicans, no Nicaraguans, no Connecticut wrappers pretending to be something they’re not. Just Cubans. I’ve been coming here for years and have gotten to know the staff not only here, but also at the stores in Grand Turk and St. John’s, so this is a place I can absolutely recommend if you want the real thing at legitimate prices, not the fake garbage that gets sold to cruisers in places like Cozumel or Costa Maya.
I had a few beers at the bar and then asked to go into the humidor, which is another thing worth noting. This is not some self-service setup where you just walk in and start grabbing cigars off the shelf. They take you in and help you choose what you want, which honestly makes the whole thing feel a little more special. I picked out my latest “stash” to bring back with me, and as the clock ticked closer and closer to the early 3:30 p.m. all aboard, I wrapped up my visit and headed back to the ship, where I was able to enjoy one of those cigars up at the Sea View Pool once back onboard.
Dinner at Canaletto on Koningsdam
Koningsdam pulled out right on time at 4:00 p.m., and as the evening rolled around it was time to start thinking about dinner. So let’s get right into it. Here’s a look at what was being served tonight in the Lido Market and in the main dining room.
Holland America Lido Market Dinner Menu G
Menu from Koningsdam, April 2026
Available on: all ships
Holland America Main Dining Room Dinner Menu G
Menu from Koningsdam, April 2026
Available on: all ships
As I enjoyed a few pre-dinner cocktails at Ocean Bar, I was trying to decide what to do for dinner. So far on this cruise, I had already pretty much given up on the main dining room, spent three nights at Rudi’s Sel de Mer, and two nights at Pinnacle Grill. That left Tamarind, the ship’s Asian restaurant, and Canaletto, the ship’s Italian spot, still waiting for their turn. It was a toss-up between the two, and tonight Canaletto won.
As I’ve mentioned before, including during my time on Rotterdam, Canaletto is the best value in specialty dining on Holland America. It’s not fancy. It doesn’t have its own dedicated restaurant space. It’s basically a carved-out corner of the Lido Market with its own themed décor. But what it does have is really solid Italian comfort food at a price that does not break the bank. It’s $25 per person plus 18% gratuity, and if you’re a 4-Star Mariner or higher, you get 50% off, which makes it a complete no-brainer to hit a few times during a cruise.
So off I went.
Holland America Canaletto Dinner Menu
Canaletto keeps things simple in the best Italian way, with handmade pasta prepared fresh each day and a menu built around rich, comforting flavors. It’s a warm, relaxed spot where sharing good food and lingering a little longer at the table just feels natural.
Available on: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Westerdam, Zaandam, Zuiderdam
I headed up there without a reservation around 8:15 p.m. and stood at the host stand for a few minutes while wait staff walked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, but no host. After about three minutes of standing there staring into space, one of them finally said, “Let me go get someone for you.” Eventually the host came over, took my info, and then did that whole computer routine where, for some reason, it seems to take more keystrokes to enter a stateroom number than it took to launch Artemis II the other day. Finally, I was taken to a table.
And there I sat.
And sat.
And sat.
And sat.
It was close to ten minutes before my server finally came over. The restaurant was not busy, so I’m not really sure if the host never told anyone I had been seated or if my server just got tied up and forgot about me for a bit, but it was definitely odd. Once he did finally show up, I cut right to the chase and said that if he was ready to take my order, I was ready to give it. So with that, we were off and running.
I started with the burrata salad, which is always a fresh and delicious way to kick things off. From there, I went with the Italian sausage paccheri made with house-made pasta, which is one of those hearty, satisfying dishes that always hits the spot. Rich, filling, and exactly the kind of Italian comfort food Canaletto does well. And because apparently I had decided restraint was not part of tonight’s plan, I added a side of meatballs too. Because why not. However, I did skip dessert.
Once the initial waiting game at the host stand and then again at the table was over, the service for the rest of the meal was about what you’d expect, and the food was once again very good. In fact, it was good enough that by the end of it there was absolutely no room left for dessert.
After dinner it was a stop at Ocean Bar for a smoked old fashioned (or two) before calling it a night.
We’re going to be spending the next two days at sea as we make our way to our final port-of-call, Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island in The Bahamas. In tomorrow’s report, there was a very special delivery made to the ship and it’s been carefully placed at the Sea View Pool! No hints, you’ll just have to come back later. As always, thanks for following along.
Daily Schedule
| 7:00am | Walk a Mile | Grand Dutch Café, 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00am | Sunrise Stretch | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 8:00am | Koningsdam Arrives at Basseterre | |
| 8:00am | Ask Your Travel Guide (LOCAL) | Pier Ashore |
| 8:00am | Basseterre Photo Opportunity until 11:00am (PROMOTION) | Pier Ashore |
| 8:00am | Tai Chi for Everyone | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 8:00am | Pure Form Pilates $20 | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 8:00am | Pickleball Open Play | Sport Court, 11 |
| 9:00am | Shuffleboard Challenge | Shuffleboard Court, 11 |
| 9:30am | Coloring for Adults | Art Studio, 12 |
| 10:00am | 3 Hole Putt Putt Challenge | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 10:00am | Party Bridge Play until 4:00pm | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 10:00am | Mahjong Players Meet until 4:00pm | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 10:30am | Modern Calligraphy: Cards | Art Studio, 12 |
| 11:00am | Let's Play Ladder Ball | Cornhole Court, 11 |
| 11:00am | Complimentary Footprint Analysis (PROMOTION) | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 11:30am | Origami Folding: Hummingbird | Art Studio, 12 |
| 1:00pm | Today's Trivia: Flags | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 2:00pm | Movies by the Pool: The Ballad of Wallis Island | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 2:30pm | Coloring for Adults | Art Studio, 12 |
| 3:00pm | Pickleball Open Play | Sport Court, 11 |
| 3:00pm | Ping Pong Tournament | Lido Balcony, 9 |
| 3:30pm | Creating Doodle Designs: Spiral | Art Studio, 12 |
| 3:30pm | Vivace Strings Ensemble | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 4:00pm | Team Trivia Challenge | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 4:00pm | Arthritis Pain Relief Through Acupuncture (PROMOTION) | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 4:00pm | Basketball Free Throw Challenge | Sport Court, 11 |
| 4:00pm | Ask Your Travel Guide (LOCAL) | Travel Guide Desk, 12 |
| 4:30pm | All Aboard as Koningsdam Departs Basseterre | |
| 4:30pm | Guess the Weight of the Sculpture | Atrium, 2 |
| 4:30pm | Origami Folding: Hummingbird | Art Studio, 12 |
| 4:30pm | The Power of Picasso | Piano Bar, 2 |
| 4:30pm | Solo Guitarist Plays | Sea View Poolside, 9 |
| 4:30pm | The Colorful World of Peter Max | Art Gallery, 1 |
| 4:30pm | Liquid Facelift with Your Medi-Spa Physician (PROMOTION) | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 4:30pm | Introduction to Iris Photography (PROMOTION) | Photo Gallery, 3 |
| 4:30pm | TRX Suspension Training $20 | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 4:30pm | Vivace Strings Ensemble | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 5:00pm | Mass is Celebrated | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 5:00pm | Guess the Price of the Gemstone | Effy Jewelry, 2 |
| 5:00pm | Meet the Artist Featuring Instrumentalist Sebastian Fucci | Rolling Stone Lounge, 2 |
| 5:00pm | Have Your Casual Portrait Taken (PROMOTION) | Atrium, 2 |
| 5:00pm | Singles & Solo Travelers Meetup | Piano Bar, 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 |
| 5:30pm | Vivace Strings Ensemble | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 6:00pm | Bulova Debuts 30% Off (PROMOTION) | The Shops, 2 |
| 6:00pm | Complimentary Massage Sampler (PROMOTION) | Greenhouse Spa, 9 |
| 6:00pm | Footprint and Posture Analysis (PROMOTION) | Fitness Center, 9 |
| 6:30pm | PRIDE Meetup | Crow's Nest, 12 |
| 6:30pm | Friends of Bill W. Meet | Hudson Room, 1 |
| 6:30pm | Game Night: Dynamic Duo | Rolling Stone Lounge, 2 |
| 7:00pm | Free Liquor Tasting: Crown Royal | The Shops, 3 |
| 7:00pm | The Lido Fair | Lido Poolside, 9 |
| 7:00pm | Solo Guitarist Plays | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 7:30pm | SHOWTIME: The Comedy of Chad Thornsberry | World Stage, 2 & 3 |
| 8:00pm | Sweet Luxuries: Le Vian Experience (PROMOTION) | Effy Jewelry, 2 |
| 8:00pm | Scratch Off Tickets on Sale (PROMOTION) | Casino, 3 |
| 8:00pm | New Wave | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 8:30pm | Movies by the Pool: Vindication Swim | Lido Poolside, 9 & 10 |
| 9:00pm | SHOWTIME: The Comedy of Chad Thornsberry | World Stage, 2 & 3 |
| 9:00pm | Rock the 80's | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 9:00pm | Rum Tasting $35 | Taste, 2 |
| 9:15pm | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 10:00pm | Back to the 80's | Rolling Stone Lounge |
| 10:15pm | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 11:00pm | Over $617,000 Paradise Lotto Jackpot Drawing | Casino, 3 |
| 11:15pm | The Best of B.B. King's All-Stars | B.B. King's Blues Club |
| 11:45pm | Stay and Play Slots All Night | Casino, 3 |