DougYWG

Cruise ships mark up the shore excursions by quite a bit so you will almost certainly be cheaper doing it on your own. It's about 10 minutes from the port. I have never played the course but drove past it every day some months ago and it looked in very good condition.

Climb up to Ft. Barrington and look down on the world.

It closed last May and is being demolished to make way for a new five-star hotel.

You might like to explore Fort James, ten minute taxi ride from the ship (see Trip Advisor). Lots of cannon still sitting there pointing seawards but buildings are not in good shape. Dates from Royal Navy days, before Nelson, guarding the entrance to the port. Right on top is Russell's, if it's open. Bar and restaurant. If not, you are right beside Beach Limerz, the bar on the beach. Talk to a taxi driver about taking you there and waiting to take you back. Agree on a price.

Fraid that St. John's itself is not much of a tourist destination. Plenty of shops, bars etc at the port area but outside that, there's nothing in town that would give you a worthwhile couple of hours.

No, sorry, no beaches within walking distance. Closest beach would be a ten-minute cab ride.

The island is not very big - about 10 x 10 miles overall but then the roads are not very fast. From the port to Nelson's Dockyard should be 30 minutes at the most. Fares are controlled. It would be USD $24 for four people one way. You won't have a lot of time. Personally, with a 5:00 sailing we aim to be back on board at 4:00, just in case. That means leaving Nelson's at 3:30 and it was probably around 1:00 when you got there. Time for lunch only maybe. Lots of restaurants in the area but my personal favourite is Catherine's Cafe, run by a charming French couple. Not cheap and you would need a reservation for sure. Best plan is to do a deal with the taxi driver to wait at Nelson's and take you back to the ship. Pay when back at the ship. These guys do this all the time. I think it would be awfully tight trying to do the dockyard itself and lunch, other than a quick sandwich.

You might want to change your mind after reading recent reports on TripAdvisor on the Antigua Forum.

Ah Cindy, not sure that any bus goes past the zipline location although I may be corrected on that. The zipline is in the middle of Fig Tree Drive (fig trees are banana trees) which is a very thinly populated, mountainous area. The bus service is really for the locals going to work and school, mainly in and out of St. John's. Tourists are welcome, of course. I think if you want to do the zipline and see more of the island then stick with the rental car. Once you are at the zipline you are most of the way towards Nelson's Dockyard, English Harbour etc.

Quite right, 6rugrats. Any time I fly from Canada to Miami, there is pre-clearance at departure so Miami arrival is just like U.S. domestic. Super! Non-Canadian arrivals were from the Caribbean, South American and trans-At.

I have travelled the all over world and gone through many different immigration line-ups. My top three worst-ever waits were all Miami. Anywhere from two to three hours to get through there. Dreadful place.

The other side of the island - as far as you can go. Taxi ride would be 30 minutes or so.

Forget pre-booking taxis. There are lots of them on the spot. Negotiate with the driver when you get there. The quotes you have received are outrageous. Make sure he brings you back to the port and pay only when you get back from the round trip.

Here's my suggestion and you can research and modify as you wish. Drive south along the coast road, stop for a while at any of the lovely beaches. I like Turner's which will be the last one and not as busy as others. From there take Fig Tree drive (fig trees are actually bananas) past the zip lining - go for a zip if you wish.

When you come to "Our Lady of Perpetual Help" church, turn right and head to Nelson's Dockyard, English Harbour area. Two destinations - the dockyard itself and Shirley Heights, you decide which to do first. Near the top at Shirley Heights, take the left fork to a parking lot where you will get great views. Then backtrack and take the right fork which will take you to the Shirley Heights bar/restaurant and wonderful views over English Harbour.

The dockyard is a museum and charges entrance. You can mosy around that whole area including the marina and just soak up the atmosphere, have an espresso or lunch...if you want a real treat, head to Catherine's cafe for lunch which is run by a French couple.

That's probably enough - head back to the ship on the direct route or back through Fig Tree drive if you have the time.

Roads are badly signposted, if at all. The island is only 10 x 10 miles so how lost can you get?

Yes, indeed, Deep Bay is a nice beach. But it's at the end of a very rough road which some taxis will not take. There are no facilities there. There is a huge hotel which is pretty much a ghost place with never more than a handful of guests. Avoid.

Dickinson Beach is ten minutes by taxi from the port and very popular. A lot of people avoid it because they think it gets too busy but it's busy for a reason. It's a very long, nice beach with quite a choice of facilities. I have never found it unbearably crowded.

There is also a string of lovely beaches south of the port. Taxi would be 20 to 30 minutes, tops. Or you could take the local bus for less than US $2. Watch out for taxi drivers taking everybody to the same beach - kickbacks from the restaurant there.

The ship docks right in downtown St. John's. If you want a cheap and interesting ride, walk out of the port and turn right on the main drag, 10 minutes to the bus station on your right. Buses are all minivans so you squash in with the locals who will be friendly. Fare is not more than USD $2, driver will take US or EC. He pockets the cash and doesn't give you a ticket. It's his bus! Can't remember which route number goes down the coast but it will be easy to find. There's a string of beaches south of St. John's. I always enjoyed Turner's - long, wide, glorious sand and a nice bar/restaurant. You might even find that Mr. Turner comes out to talk to you. Yes, there is a Mr. Turner. It will be the last one by which time everybody else will have crowded the nearer ones, some of which are a bit of a hike from the road and have been oversold. Turner's isn't.

The stingray tours leave at certain times. So if you wanted to take one which left at 11:00, say, you would have to leave the port at 10:00 and it's around 30 mins on the road. You need to get there 30 mins or so before departure. Speaking from memory, an 11:00 tour would bring you back around 1:00 and then you have the drive back to the port. The tour consisted of a speedboat trip out to the stingray area so you have to stick with the tour to get there and get back i.e. you can't quit half way, for example. The stingray website would give you tour times. It's possible that certain times on certain days are pre-booked by the cruise ships and not available to individual members of the public. Can't say for sure. BTW, I loved it!

One of my favourites is Turner's. I think it would fit the bill in your case. It's very large and gorgeous and not as busy as some of the others. I had lunch there one day when Mr. Turner himself sat down for a chat. Yes, it really is Turner's Beach. A taxi can drop you twenty paces from the sand. You can research it further.

The official taxi fare would be US $26 for up to four people, one way. There would be an extra charge for more passengers. Since you have been to Antigua you will know that the taxis are all minivans. Taxi or car rental would be the only options for the stingrays - you have to get from the west coast to the east coast but bear in mind the island is only 10 x 10 miles. You may want to negotiate with a taxi driver to take you there, wait a couple of hours and bring you back or make a stop somewhere else on the way. You would be close to Long Bay and Devil's Bridge, for example.

Just to clarify if you have never been there. Visions of 'bus service' ain't what goes on in your municipality. The buses are all minivans, so you squeeze in with the locals who will be very friendly. The bus service is mainly for people going to work and kids going to school. There is no schedule, the driver goes when he feels like it i.e. when the bus fills up. My wife was shocked when she gave him the fare of $1.50, he put the money in his pocket and didn't give her a ticket. I was laughing - the driver owns the bus, it's his business. That's why they will be accommodating and sometimes go out of their way for you.

Very little in St. John's itself. Hemingway's is a short walk from the ship. Look it up.

Very confusing. St. John and St. John's are two different places. St. John's is the capital of Antigua and the ships dock right in the middle of town.

Wrong island. St. John and St. John's are two different places. Confusing, eh?

Wrong island. Try St. Lucia.

Nothing in St. John's itself. I think you should also check out Catherine's Cafe Plage and Cecilia's for Sunday lunch, both excellent.