St. Kitts

We just came back from a stay at the Marriott timeshare in St. Kitts and had a great time. If anyone has questions, let me know.

Would you please provide comments on dining establishments you visited during your stay, good and not so good? As well as any grocery stores or area retailers visitors can obtain food and essentials (personal care, sunscreen, etc.)
Also, please feel free to provide details on any local attractions visited and the weather you experienced in May. Thank you.

Thanks for the offer! I'm also ASC owner interested in trading in to St. Kitts someday. So here's a few questions:
1. What did you trade for St. Kitts since they don't have lockoffs? Did you have to trade a 2 bedroom for 2 bedroom?
2. Did you have any trouble getting a reasonably priced flight? Doesn't look as easy to get to as Aruba. And I've lost my direct flight from Detroit to Aruba so it looks like it's harder rather than easier to get to Caribbean.
3. How was the weather?
4. And finally, did you have fun?

Good questions from other posters, also can you please contrast St. Kitts to any other timeshares (Marriott timeshares?) that you've stayed in.

We hope to visit St. Kitts and have favorable views of the Hawaii properties and Frenchman's Cove --

Thanks very much,

Greg

We have been to St. Kitts twice now and I absolutely love it. I do not care for the huge high rise Marriott units such as the Aruba properties or Ocean Watch. They remind me of a huge overcrowded hotel with way too many people all around. the St. Kitts property is individual three story buildings that have anywhere between 24-30 units in each with every six units having their own entrance. unless you are in a direct ocean front unit or on the third floor of one of the villas which are the 3 bedrooms you really don't get any view of the ocean because the palm trees and the roofs of the beach huts are in your way. However the garden and pool area is lovely with beautiful flowers and walking paths.

Hi everyone! Glad to see there is interest in St. Kitts.

First of all, let me give you some background about myself so you can understand what I have seen and what I have not. We own a timeshare at the Aruba Surf Club. Love tropical vacations. Aruba is a comfortable place but we like to trade to get new experiences and to see places with a bit more to do. We have been to Hawaii a couple times and this was our first time to St. Kitts.

Ok, now let’s see if I can answer your questions. We had a fantastic time there! We traded our entire 2 bedroom Aruba Surf Club. We thought about trying to split it, but when we did that with Hawaii it took a long time for our trade to go through. Instead we traded the whole unit this time for the peace of mind. Our flights were with Delta, one stop in Atlanta. Flight prices were higher than I would have liked, but they did drop about $100 per person 3 months before we were scheduled to leave. Oh well. Flight was uneventful. Customs in St. Kitts was slow at first but then they picked up the pace. We were the first flight in and it probably took us 25-30 min to get through. Cabs were waiting right there to take us to the Marriott. Similar to Aruba, cab rides are fixed prices. I think it was $10-$12 from the airport to the Marriott. Cab drivers are looking for return business as much as possible so every driver will offer you his card.

Check in at the Marriott timeshare was easy as usual. Our room was not ready yet so we headed down to the pool bar for lunch and a fruity drink. Once we were able to go to our room we were pleasantly surprised with the accommodations. There are multiple buildings, all only 3 floors high (no elevators). The rooms are beautiful and very spacious. I would put them on par with the Surf Club rooms or better. We have also stayed at the Maui Ocean Club (older rooms) and the Kauai Beach Club 3 years ago. The St. Kitts accommodations are nicer. The big difference is that with most Marriotts, the area immediately around is built up. This is not the case in St. Kitts. The beach nearby is completely deserted. It was a nice change of pace.

One of the main grocery stores on the island is Rams. The closest full size one is downtown, but we didn’t want to grab a cab. Instead we went to the mini-Rams which is about a 5 minute walk down the street from the Marriott. Nothing fancy but it has the basics. There is also a Smoke n’ Booze (no lie, that’s the name) next door if you are looking for adult beverages. Honestly though, the prices in the Marriott lobby stores were the same as those two places. Food items were more expensive than our grocery stores, but not outrageous from what we purchased. Because we didn’t cook in the room at all, I can’t say just how much they had available for food. But what Marriott does not have, the mini-Rams should.

The weather was very hot and humid. We definitely spent a lot of time in the pool/ocean rather than next to it. The last two days we were there it rained on and off and heavy, but it didn’t ruin any of our plans.

Dining – there are a lot of small beach shack restaurants that have really good food. I was surprised with how few places took credit cards. I would recommend bringing more cash than you think (or planning to visit the ATM). The larger restaurants took credit cards, but are more expensive. We were not disappointed with our food choices (except the Marriott lobby sushi place – that was just so-so). Some places were better than others but overall everything was delicious. We ate at Shipwreck Bar & Grill (very reasonably priced and good), Rock Lobster (great seafood), Sunset Grill (be sure to get Juliette as your waitress), La Cucina (Marriott restaurant – pretty good Italian), Cathy’s (good ribs), Shiggidy Shack (good jerk chicken and ribs) and Spice Mill (higher priced but well worth it). Spice Mill and Shipwreck are a cab ride from the Marriott. Everything else is within 15 minute walk or a $6 cab ride.

Activities – if you like to snorkel, the beach in front of the Marriott has a lot of fish. There are a few spots within walking distance that looked good too, but we didn’t have a chance to venture out. We also hear Cockleshell Beach has good snorkeling. If you want to go on a day tour, Thenford Grey is a MUST (www.thenfordgrey.com). He gave the best tour. We never felt rushed. He explained the history and answered all of our questions. We never felt like he was just cramming facts down our throat. And he is a fun guy too! We also took a Rainforest Hike with Javin and Shaddy (Myislands Tours). The hike was perfect – not too strenuous and beautiful. You end up at a freshwater pool to cool off. Our last day there we took a ferry over to Nevis and took a day tour with a woman named Hilarena. That island is smaller than St. Kitts, but the plantations are beautiful. Worth a trip over if you have the time.

I apologize for not having photos ready to share. We are still sorting through all of our pictures. As soon as I get them online, I will share the link with everyone.

Hopefully this answered your questions so far. Feel free to ask more! We had a wonderful time and are more than happy to share.

That's a nice trip report BonBini Girl. Thanks for sharing all the details!

Thank you!

Do you think you'll return again to St. Kitts, or is one visit enough? Would you rather go back to Aruba versus St. Kitts?

Thanks again!

We plan on going back Greg. It will probably be 5-10 years. It's so tough to find the island that meets all of our needs. We live on the east coast so St. Kitts is more convenient than say Hawaii. St. Kitts is a very beautiful island which is a factor that will bring me back. However, there are a lot of islands which have been dependent on tourism for longer than St. Kitts (the last sugarcane factory closed there just 5 years ago). So we felt they still have a some growing to do in making it convenient for tourists. It is tough to balance convenience however with keeping an island serene and a true getaway. I am very interested in how this island will grow in the next 10 years. Something to watch I will send my pics soon. Are you thinking about trading soon?

Just wanted to share my thoughts on this post...
Was in St Kitts about 3 years ago and it is quiet and not a ton to do...I second, that if you do go, Thenford Gray is awesome! He can do an island tour and if you have any family geneology questions make sure to tell him ahead of time and he can look up if you have long lost relatives present on St Kitts!
Don't miss grilled lobster at X's shiggity shack and the bonfire and fire guy on thurs nights...
Aruba is a little bit more commercialized and there is a bit more to do...i did not think the snorkeling was all that great in St Kitts...
The resort and accommodations are very nice in the time share and the hotel.
The Rams we went to was not as clean as I am used to here in the States but it was pretty cheap.... I believe this was in downtown on the way from the airport...I think there are some other posts I have read about the grocery stores on St Kitts.
Good luck and hope this helps some...

BonBiniGirl,

Thank you -- it's definitely a place we want to visit -- we love Hawaii (we're West Coast based) but the occasional trip to the Caribbean is wonderful.

We're starting to think about direct exchanges of one of our MOC weeks to get to Frenchman's Cove and St. Kitts, thank you for your feedback!

All the best,

Greg

I've been to that part of the Caribbean for an extended period (seven weeks), and there are a lot of differences between Nevis/St. Kitts and other islands.

Number one is that they really aren't tourist destinations. You will have some nice resorts and some golf courses, but not like you would expect. Also, there are no large urban areas. Most everything is centered around a few smaller towns or villages. That's where you'll find the bank(s), grocery stores, gas stations, etc. Much of the island is rural/residential. Restaurants will be for both locals and tourists. You will definitely mix in with the native people. Don't expect a lot of night life.

What you will get is a very laid back experience amidst beautiful/unspoiled surroundings.

Most of the native people like tourists, but don't think that they won't try to take advantage, especially when purchasing things in open air markets. Most natives are dirt poor. You may also see a lot of petty theft. There has been a lot of violent crime there lately, but it hasn't been directed at any tourists.

How long did it take for your Surf Club trade to come through? I am thinking that maybe I will trade my Aruba Ocean Club for St Kitts next year. I am not sure though due to seeing what the airfare from DFW area may be. I know St Kitts isn't that easy to get to but for us in DFW Aruba is plane change too. Thanks! Vicki

Since so many people on this thread travel to the Carribean often, answer me this: Is it always Hot, Humid and Sticky in the Carribean? I have only been there once, to Jamaica, for 2 weeks, in December 01. It was VERY hot and sticky. We go to Hawaii every year and find the level of heat/humidity much more reasonable. I am afraid to go back to Carribean because my GF hates Heat/Humidity and does not like the pool. So, we would have to spend all day in the Hotel Room (assuming it has A/C). That would not be fun for me.

Are there parts of the Carribean or times of year that are not so bad?

RedDog,

I've only been a few times (St. Thomas, Antigua, and Bahamas) and every time is was very humid -- much more than Hawaii.

Also, there are bugs. We don't have as much of a bug problem on Hawaii (except Kauai, we were bitten pretty badly there).

Is GF definitely making it to the next level?

vengle said:

How long did it take for your Surf Club trade to come through? I am thinking that maybe I will trade my Aruba Ocean Club for St Kitts next year. I am not sure though due to seeing what the airfare from DFW area may be. I know St Kitts isn't that easy to get to but for us in DFW Aruba is plane change too. Thanks! Vicki

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Hi Vicki -

We put in for our trade in early June 2009 and had the confirmation back within about 3-4 weeks. Not too bad at all. If you choose to go during the low season you should have no trouble at all. There was plenty of vacancy in May.

I am not quite sure why anyone would want to go to the Carribbean from May through mid-September. it is hot humid and sticky everywhere. The best time to go is Nov-March.

RedDogSD said:

Since so many people on this thread travel to the Carribean often, answer me this: Is it always Hot, Humid and Sticky in the Carribean? I have only been there once, to Jamaica, for 2 weeks, in December 01. It was VERY hot and sticky. We go to Hawaii every year and find the level of heat/humidity much more reasonable. I am afraid to go back to Carribean because my GF hates Heat/Humidity and does not like the pool. So, we would have to spend all day in the Hotel Room (assuming it has A/C). That would not be fun for me.

Are there parts of the Carribean or times of year that are not so bad?

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One of the big reasons my family loves Aruba is because of the cooling ocean breezes. You can lie on the beach all day and not feel like you are dying to get into a shower. Some people complain about the wind there, but for us it is a huge plus. We've been to Hawaii (about the same distance from the equator) over the summer and, well, it is beautiful but hot, sometimes very hot, but we've spent an August week in Aruba and loved every minute.

I agree that the other Caribbean islands are very hot and humid over the summer especially.

m61376 said:

One of the big reasons my family loves Aruba is because of the cooling ocean breezes. You can lie on the beach all day and not feel like you are dying to get into a shower. Some people complain about the wind there, but for us it is a huge plus. We've been to Hawaii (about the same distance from the equator) over the summer and, well, it is beautiful but hot, sometimes very hot, but we've spent an August week in Aruba and loved every minute.

I agree that the other Caribbean islands are very hot and humid over the summer especially.

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I was just going to post the same thing about Aruba. We recently had a hot spell here in Michigan around 88 degrees and I was melting. But the 84 degrees in Aruba is comfortable because of the constant tradewinds. It does havoc with your hair (and I've since learned my lesson not to pack any hair styling devices like flat irons or curlers), but it's worth it! I do notice when I go downtown and the buildings block the wind, it is very hot. And another thing to point out is the number of sunburned tourists that come out at night. I think people don't realize that they are burning up in the sun because of the breeze so we always tell friends that go with us to load up on the 30 spf.

Weimaraner said:

I was just going to post the same thing about Aruba. We recently had a hot spell here in Michigan around 88 degrees and I was melting. But the 84 degrees in Aruba is comfortable because of the constant tradewinds. It does havoc with your hair (and I've since learned my lesson not to pack any hair styling devices like flat irons or curlers), but it's worth it! I do notice when I go downtown and the buildings block the wind, it is very hot. And another thing to point out is the number of sunburned tourists that come out at night. I think people don't realize that they are burning up in the sun because of the breeze so we always tell friends that go with us to load up on the 30 spf.

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Although I like the 60+ SPF. Last year a younger guest laughed at my spf70 and bought some 25 or 30; next trip he was very happy to use the higher sunscreen. Enough said .

It is true- with the cooling breeze you aren't aware that you are still very close to the equator and the sun is very strong. Can't forget the sunscreen.

I have asthma and I hate being in humid places because I can't enjoy myself when I'm wheezing. We have been going to the Marriott's in Aruba for the past two years and I love it there because of the trade winds and the lack of humidity. I've been there in late June to mid-July so far and other than the winds being stronger in July the humidity levels have been fine. Even when it was a little humid it didn't feel too bad most likely because of the trade winds. It does get hot but again I don't find it uncomfortably hot. We are going in late August this year because we were able to snag a three bedroom for a 2 bedroom MGV. I love it there and can't wait to go back!! We bought at the Surf Club EOY and trade our MGV on the other year. There is lots to do, good restaurants, beautiful beaches, and a wonderful atmosphere. They call it the happy island and we have found that we are able to relax because everyone around you is happy and relaxed. Enjoy!

Kiteboarding

Hi - We did a hotel stay at the St. Kitt Marriott about 5 years ago (before the timeshare units were built). My husband has been into kiteboarding the last 3 years. I understand Frigate Bay is now a kiteboarding place. Did you see people kiteboarding in front or near the Marriott?

Thanks and happy travels!

Kiteboarding

We saw several very proficient kiteboarders at Frigate Bay when we were at the St. Kitts Marriott in January this year. I believe the young men were locals. There seems to be good breeze/wind conditions in January; don't know about the summer months.

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Kel said:

Hi - We did a hotel stay at the St. Kitt Marriott about 5 years ago (before the timeshare units were built). My husband has been into kiteboarding the last 3 years. I understand Frigate Bay is now a kiteboarding place. Did you see people kiteboarding in front or near the Marriott?

Thanks and happy travels!

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You didn't ask- but if you are into kiteboarding, you should try Aruba. I've been told it is the windsurfing capital. The Kiteboarders there are fascinating to watch. MY DH has said if he was 10 or 15 years younger he would try it.