We’re in the home stretch of this 9-day Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Sky, and today we’re docked in St. John’s, Antigua—not to be confused with St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. These are two vastly different destinations!
St. John’s is an elusive port, one that not many cruise lines visit due to its distance. You’ll typically stop here on cruises longer than seven days, those that venture deeper into the Caribbean than the usual 7-day eastern runs.
Unfortunately, St. John’s isn’t known for being the most inviting port. While Antigua boasts some of the Caribbean’s most stunning beaches—more than 30 of them, to be exact—the immediate area around the port is quite the opposite. It’s frankly disappointing, with a considerable amount of litter and a lack of well-maintained infrastructure.
If you decide to explore the town, prepare to be hustled by local tour and taxi operators, who can be quite aggressive. The vehicles they use aren’t in the best condition, and the streets are in similar disrepair. You’ll find open pits for drains, narrow and uneven sidewalks with many steps, deep holes, and garbage scattered around. The neighborhood itself feels unsafe, and I wouldn’t recommend wandering around at night.
The port area has the usual Caribbean stores and many local merchants selling a variety of items. You’ll also find numerous small “casinos” and a few bars where you can grab a drink or a bite to eat. However, St. John’s isn’t one of my favorite ports of call, and I tend to spend very little time ashore. Today was no exception; I ventured out for about half an hour, just enough to take some photos and stretch my legs.
By 10 a.m., most of my fellow passengers were off on shore excursions, leaving the ship relatively empty. Beaches aren’t within walking distance, so you’d need a cab or a ship-arranged excursion to visit one.
Once back onboard, I took advantage of the emptiness to explore and photograph some of the ship’s public areas. The Norwegian Sky is a smaller ship with some beautiful spaces, including a charming library. Despite the shift to digital media, this library retains a nostalgic charm with its dark lighting and wood bookshelves packed with various books. It’s a quiet retreat for reading or doing a crossword puzzle.
Just a few steps away from this old-school library, you’ll find a modern convenience—Starbucks. Yes, the ship has a Starbucks, so you don’t have to go without your favorite coffee for the entire cruise.
The Photo Gallery has also embraced modern technology with digital touchscreens for selecting and purchasing photos taken by the ship’s photographers. They offer a range of cute photo frames, including ones shaped like towel animals, which reminded me that I have yet to receive a towel animal on my bed.
As we prepared to depart at 6 p.m., the views leaving St. John’s were beautiful, far surpassing the immediate surroundings of the town.
Before dinner, I took a stroll through the buffet to see the offerings. The carving station featured pork loin, and there were other entrées like shrimp, gumbo-style wings, and pasta. Everything looked quite appetizing.
For dinner, I dined at the ship’s steakhouse, Cagney’s. The menu offers typical steakhouse fare, and the pricing is à la carte unless you’re on the dining plan, which includes an appetizer, soup or salad, entrée, two sides, and dessert.
I started with the thick-cut bacon, which, while not as thick as expected, was tasty. However, it didn’t compare to the Clothesline Candied Bacon from the Pinnacle Grille on Holland America. Next, I had the wedge salad, which was generously sized and satisfying.
For my main course, I initially planned to order the prime rib but opted for the rib eye on my server’s recommendation. Cooked to a perfect medium rare and well-seasoned with excellent marbling, it was a delicious choice. Accompanied by a baked potato dressed tableside and some grilled onions, the meal was a great experience with attentive service, leaving no room for dessert.
With two of the ship’s four specialty dining restaurants tried so far, both have been hits. Next up is the French restaurant, Le Bistro, and I have high expectations for that one as well.
We’re now sailing towards our next port of call, St. Maarten, where we’ll spend the day tomorrow.
Norwegian Sky Daily Programs
The daily programs can be viewed or downloaded in PDF format by clicking on each below.