St Kitts -Train ride-Is it worth it

[vacationers]

Has anyone done the train ride in St Kitts. Is it worth it

[negc]

Has anyone done the train ride in St Kitts. Is it worth it

 

We did it a few years ago when we sailed on Legend of the Seas out of Santo Domingo. We thought it was worth the expense and allowed us a good overview of the island. They served complimentary drinks and a gospel group entertained us as we rode the train. It wasn't the best train excursion we have ever taken (White Pass and Yukon RR in Alaska holds that distinction) but it was certainly a pleasant way to spend a few hours and see the island.

[The Big Booper]

We took it in Dec 2009 and enjoyed it. It's a relaxing trip and you can walk around the upper deck of the carriage you are on. Don't sit downstairs in the enclosed air conditoned lower level, you can't see as much.

 

Some pictures -

 

Waiting to depart at the start.

 

 

View of the coast from the train

 

 

View of the train chugging across the fields

 

 

The narrow gauge railway (former sugar cane transport system) has lots of tight turns

 

 

And goes right thru the jungle.

 

 

It's not cheap if that is your main criteria.

[isujim]

We did this 3 weeks ago on the Star Princess and thought it was worth it. We go back there in the fall and probably won't do it again, but thought it was very nice and worth doing one time.

[The Viking]

We went on this trip and furtunately we were on the earliy train so it did not get too hot.

 

Would not recommend it and about half way half the passengers on our car were asleep that is how boring the ride was. Can not believe they could sleep through the noice from the train.

 

We received more information about the island from the driver who drowe us to and from the train.

 

Next time we come to St Kitts we will do a provate tour.

[TeriNick]

We took to train in Nov 2008 and thougt it was a great way to see the island. The views were great along with the extertainment and drinks. We sat upstairs most of the time until we got really hot and then sat downstairs in the airconditioned car.

[LBumb]

great photos

[Coralc]

I can let you know our opinion of it when we return in early June. We have it booked for one of our Serenade excursions. We booked the 10:30 train, 8AM seemed a little early for rum punch. :D:D

 

I don't really have high expectations, although St. Kitts has monkeys. So there might be something to see besides goats and more goats. We can check it off as another narrow gauge RR we've tried. :)

[dsvd79]

We went on this trip and furtunately we were on the earliy train so it did not get too hot.

 

Would not recommend it and about half way half the passengers on our car were asleep that is how boring the ride was. Can not believe they could sleep through the noice from the train.

 

We received more information about the island from the driver who drowe us to and from the train.

 

Next time we come to St Kitts we will do a provate tour.

 

 

I was one of those sleeping! I was down stairs in the AC, and the rocking of the train had me sleeping in no time. It was loud at times. Many squeaks around sharp turns. It was very scenic, and my partner took lots of pictures. They also gave you a DVD at the end.

 

Would I book it again? No, but it was a nice relaxing tour.

[nepacruisers]

We did this in Nov 2010. Overall we thought it was overpriced and would not do it again. We enjoyed the first 15 minutes or so, but much of the scenery was the same and you are unable to get off the train anywhere. The singers were very good, the punch only so-so. It is definitely loud, with lots of screeching in the wheels. I would have preferred half the time on the train, for half the price.

[mamapan]

We sat with 2 couples at dinner who took the train tour and loved it. They liked being able to see so much of the island and felt like they got a good look at it.

 

Personally, I like a little more adventure than watching the world go by me and we arranged a taxi to the beach.

 

We got our "adventure" when the taxi broke down twice before finally dying for good in the middle of nowhere and monkeys were running across the road around us. Luckily another taxi came by and took us to our destination and the ride back to the ship was much less eventful but it made for a trip we'll never forget. We met another couple from a town just across the river from our home and we still get together for dinner & drinks all the time. You never know!

[KTMay1917]

Can anyone elaborate an exactly how long the ride is on the train? We will be stopping at St. Kitts for the first time next year. One of the only places we have not been in the Caribbean and are looking for ideas.

Thanks!

[The Big Booper]

The train ride is an hour + ????. At the end you get off and take a minibus back to the ship. So for those who want a conventional small bus tour you get that also. The later trip, you take the minibus out to the remote spot and board the train back to near the pier.

 

Sitting downstairs in the enclosed a/c carriage is a waste compared to sitting upstairs waving to the people who line up alongside the tracks to wave to the slow-moving train as it chugs by. Natural a/c from the movement.

 

The narrator on the train public address system had just finished discussing the symbiotic relationship between birds squatting on the cows cleaning the bugs off cattle and how the cattle help the birds also when DW elbowed me and said...LOOK !!!

 

So I grabshotted this picture.

 

[KG1924]

Was it really only an hour? It felt longer than that. I agree, it's a nice tour, but it was a bit boring after awhile. The scenery is beautiful, but we felt like we were looking at the same thing over and over again (that sounds awful, considering it's a much better view than I EVER see here in the midwest!) We went a few years ago w/ our entire family and mainly did it because my father is a locomotive engineer and my nephews are obsessed with the fact that he drives trains (they call him Papa Choo-choo!) It was a good trip for the wide range of ages we had, but I even think the kids were getting a little restless by the end. I would probably never do it again, but I feel it was worth it.

[NordicPrince]

Can anyone elaborate an exactly how long the ride is on the train? We will be stopping at St. Kitts for the first time next year. One of the only places we have not been in the Caribbean and are looking for ideas.

Thanks!

 

St. Kitts is only full of wonderful history. You will not get an appreciation from this by taking the train excursion.

 

When DW and I took our B2B on Serenade in Jan 2010 we took a private tour with Thenford Grey on the island (google Grey's Tours). He took us around the island in A/C van (yay!) with about 12 other people from the ship. We saw interesting places as the Brimstone Hill fortress ((a UNESCO

World Heritage site). You will not believe the views from up there! It's

worth the price of the cruise itself!

 

Then to the Romney Manor which has beautiful gardens and a working Batik exhibit (warning to husbands: they sell Batik there!) Finally over to St. Timothy's Hill, where you get an amazing view of a peninsula with the choppy Atlantic Ocean on one side and the calm serene Caribbean on the other. Simply amazing! Plus he will take you to Cockleshell Beach if you desire for a quick swim. You can get a beer or food there (warning; the small birds may sneak in and take some when you're not looking).

 

All at a very reasonable price. You can CC search on him and I'm sure you will find lots of positive posts.

 

You can go to his web page and make a reservation in advance.

 

No, this is not a paid advertisement, for the dubious among you.

DW and I would do this again in a heartbeat.

 

Enjoy your cruise and your time on St. Kitts.

[Puffinater]

A few years back we had table mates that took this tour and said in their opinion it was not worth the price. They enjoyed it but not the price that is charged.

[katsura]

thanks for a good info i saling in aos this coming november is my firts visit to st.kitts:)

[imajica]

We have just returned from our cruise on NCL Dawn. I had booked a private tour with Rosie and Jim Taxi services before we left. It was $40 well spent.

Jim took us on our tour giving us lots of history along the way. He will stop if you ask him to whenever you want. We toured the whole island stopping at the Batik factory, Brimstone Fort, Black Rock and Cockleshell Bay. All details are on the website.

 

http://www.roseandjimstaxi.com/ourtours.htm

 

 

Everyone on our trip was delighted with Jim and the good value.

[Sequim88]

My two brothers and I and our wives headed straight through the group of people with taxi service vests and out to the courtyard to nogoriate with th eindependent taxi drivers. We saw one guy with a sign just ouside the chain link fence at the pier end and waved at hime so when we went out there he was already there. After a bit of negotiation (starting at $30/pp for all day) we got him down to $20 each. Name was Bernie. Huge guy. former teacher and knew everything about the island. Took us up to Brimstone Hill Fort and waited for us to tour (well ahead of the ship excursions) then to the Batik place then all the way down to Cockleshell Beach where he waited 3 hours for us (after arrange discount on chairs). Then stopped at "the pass" where there was a small shack of tourist stuff and a guy with a monkey. We bought a bag of sugar cane to feed the monkey and also snack on on the way back. Bernie was terrific. We liked him so much we tipped enough extra to almost back to his original $30/pp.

 

So, based on the descriptions of the train and the cost for that (including the cut RCI gets for any official excursion) we felt that we got a tremendous bargain.

 

Oh, and the guys with monkeys in the courtyard/plaza area. If they approach head the other way. Scam artists big time and they abuse the monkeys badly.

[vacationers]

This is great information. I am googling Grey's tour. How long was it

 

clary

[Grannycb]

St. Kitts is only full of wonderful history. You will not get an appreciation from this by taking the train excursion.

 

When DW and I took our B2B on Serenade in Jan 2010 we took a private tour with Thenford Grey on the island (google Grey's Tours). He took us around the island in A/C van (yay!) with about 12 other people from the ship. We saw interesting places as the Brimstone Hill fortress ((a UNESCO

World Heritage site). You will not believe the views from up there! It's

worth the price of the cruise itself!

 

Then to the Romney Manor which has beautiful gardens and a working Batik exhibit (warning to husbands: they sell Batik there!) Finally over to St. Timothy's Hill, where you get an amazing view of a peninsula with the choppy Atlantic Ocean on one side and the calm serene Caribbean on the other. Simply amazing! Plus he will take you to Cockleshell Beach if you desire for a quick swim. You can get a beer or food there (warning; the small birds may sneak in and take some when you're not looking).

 

All at a very reasonable price. You can CC search on him and I'm sure you will find lots of positive posts.

 

You can go to his web page and make a reservation in advance.

 

No, this is not a paid advertisement, for the dubious among you.

DW and I would do this again in a heartbeat.

 

Enjoy your cruise and your time on St. Kitts.

 

Thenford's AC van was booked when DH & I were in St. Kitts, but one of Thenford's family members offered to take us around. The cousin took the two of us to all of the locations mentioned above and more. He took us down farm lanes to see pretty views, drove on a black sand beach, went up to the top of a mountain for breathtaking views (and hairpin turns), and even drove us through a sugar cane field. At one point he stopped outside a church near where he lived so we could hear lovely singing through the open windows. We were able to stop when wildlife was spotted so we could take pictures. The vehicle he used was open air (he'd removed the windows) and was a bit 'rough' inside and out. I was a little doubtful when I first saw the van, but our day with him was absolutely GREAT! We did see the train several times along our tour and were so glad we were able to get out and see St. Kitts on our own. The cost was very reasonable.

[vacationers]

Thanks to all of you who posted other ideas on excursions. I looked them up and it sounds much better.

[NordicPrince]

This is great information. I am googling Grey's tour. How long was it

 

clary

 

I estimate the tour was about 4 1/2 - 5 hours if you went to the beach.

Tour starting 9 A.M.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[vacationers]

Thanks. Will google

[The-Dude]

Has anyone done the train ride in St Kitts. Is it worth it

 

What does your question have to do with RCCL?