Antigua

 10 November, 2024

St John, Antigua

We had every intent of participating in the Betty's Hope, Devil's Bridge & Parham excursion offered by the cruise, but some changes in medication doses tossed a monkey wrench in the works and we opted for  a low-key day focused on relaxing and recharging. We were within the cancellation deadline, so I went to the Shore Excursions Desk to plead my case. When I explained the situation to Luis he was happy to accommodate us and sent me away as a satisfied cruiser. Don't misconstrue this as an indication that we've been disappointed in the past, because we haven't – it speaks more as an affirmation that our choice to spend most of our cruise budget with Royal Caribbean is the correct decision.

I did venture out into St John for a while, to see what it was like and pick up a couple of items. Walking with purpose with eyes up and forward will keep the local solicitors from picking you out as a likely customer. If you're meandering slowly and give the impression that you're not quite sure where you're going or what you're doing then you'll be offered everything under the sun from a sightseeing tour to a beach shuttle. I'm sure the folks offering these services are completely polite and reasonable (they'd likely lose their tourism credentials if they weren't) I'm happy to avoid repeating myself multiple times on my way to my destination. I'm better than the average bear when it comes to maps and navigation, so I can usually make it several blocks without referring to directions, adding to the illusion that I actually know what I'm doing.

Overall I found the area intriguing. It's rough around the edges from an architectural and infrastructure standpoint, but the people were pleasant and (after escaping the immediate port area) un-intrusive. One or two ladies politely invited me to examine their souvenirs, but didn't press when I offered a polite excuse and stayed the course. I'm not sure how mature the cruise industry is in Antigua, but I suspect that we will see overall improvement in the coming years as more tourist dollars augment the economy. I'm not ready to go home and plan a trip to Antigua, but it is on my list of places I'd like to visit again should the opportunity present itself.

For dinner I made a rare visit to the Windjammer, which we usually reserve for late breakfast or midday snacks. I took advantage of the "roll your own" pasta station – a dinner version of an omelette station. Choose your "enhancements" (garlic, onion, tomato, zucchini, mushroom, etc) to be lightly sautéd, then select your pasta (spaghetti or penne) and sauce (pesto, marinara, Alfredo, bolognese – or a combination, if you like) which are added to the pan and warmed through. Then any "finishes" (cheese, chives, crushed red pepper...) are added. Despite my best efforts at restraint I ended up with a sizable portion that I could not stop eating. By some stroke of luck, the assortment of ingredients I chose produced a balanced and flavorful finished product. Armed with inspiration, I now have another recipe concept to explore.