Antigua cruise port

Antigua: 365 beaches and Nelson’s Dockyard from a pier downtown.

Antigua claims a beach for every day of the year, and the cruise piers at St. John’s put you in the middle of the capital’s Heritage Quay duty-free mall the moment you walk off the ship. Most cruisers head 10 minutes north to Dickenson Bay, 45 minutes south to Nelson’s Dockyard and the Shirley Heights lookout, or out on the water to Stingray City. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Antigua from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedHeritage Quay, Redcliffe Quay and Nevis Street piers, all walk-off
USDaccepted; EC dollar fixed at 2.70, English spoken
Dec to Aprdry season, low 80s, trade winds
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
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Three ways to do Antigua

A beach, the historic south coast, or a day on the water; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Beach day

Dickenson Bay

  • A mile of calm, shallow white sand on the northwest coast, about 10 minutes and about $15 to $20 per taxi from the pier
  • Beach bars, food trucks, kayaks and jet skis; chairs and umbrellas about $10 to $20 at the bars
  • Quieter options: Ffryes and Darkwood on the west coast, 20 to 25 minutes, with the Sunday-quiet feel

Best for: families, first-timers, anyone who came for the sand

Big excursion

Nelson’s Dockyard and Shirley Heights

  • The only working Georgian naval dockyard in the world, a UNESCO site at English Harbour about 45 minutes south; park pass about $15
  • Shirley Heights lookout above it has the most photographed view in the Caribbean, English and Falmouth harbors side by side
  • Ship tours run about 3.5 hours and about $70 to $100; a shared taxi tour from the pier is about $25 to $35 a person

Best for: history fans, photographers, couples

On the water

Stingray City and the reef

  • Boat out to a shallow sandbar on the east coast to stand among dozens of friendly southern stingrays, then snorkel the reef
  • About 3 hours including the 25 minute drive, about $90 to $130 a person through the ship
  • Or a catamaran sail to Cades Reef with lunch and open bar, 4 to 5 hours, about $110 to $140

Best for: snorkelers, kids over 5, repeat visitors

Live from the cruise lines

Antigua cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Antigua from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Antigua

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Antigua

The island is 14 miles across, so the farthest beach is 30 minutes away and two stops in a day is easy.

Dickenson BayThe classic cruise beach: a mile of calm, white sand on the northwest coast with beach bars, food trucks and water sports. About 10 minutes and about $15 to $20 per taxi each way; chairs about $10 to $20.
Nelson’s DockyardRestored 18th century naval dockyard at English Harbour with a museum, galleries, restaurants and the yacht marina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. About 45 minutes by taxi or the number 17 bus; park pass about $15 covers Shirley Heights and Dow’s Hill too.
Shirley Heights lookoutThe old signal station 490 feet above English Harbour with the view that is on every Antigua postcard; the Sunday barbecue and steel-band party costs about $10 and runs past sailing time for most ships. About 10 minutes beyond the Dockyard.
Stingray CityBoat ride to a knee-deep sandbar off the east coast where dozens of southern stingrays glide around your legs, then a reef snorkel. About 3 hours including transfers, about $90 to $130 a person through the ship.
Catamaran sail to Cades ReefSail the sheltered west coast to the island’s longest reef for snorkeling, with a beach stop, lunch and open bar on most trips. About 4 to 5 hours, about $110 to $140 a person.
Ffryes and Darkwood beachesTwo quiet west-coast beaches with calm water and beach bars, about 20 to 25 minutes and about $25 to $30 per taxi. Valley Church next door has the whitest sand but a quick drop-off; agree a pickup time with your driver.
Rainforest ziplineAntigua Rainforest Zipline near Fig Tree Drive in the hilly south: a dozen lines and suspension bridges through the canopy, about 2.5 to 3 hours with the drive, about $90 to $110 through the ship.
St. John’s on footHeritage Quay duty-free, the Redcliffe Quay courtyards, the public market and the twin-towered St. John’s Cathedral are all within 10 minutes of the piers; free, 1 to 2 hours. Black pineapple and Antigua rum are the souvenirs.
Timing

When to go

Antigua is one of the drier islands, 80 to 88 degrees all year with trade winds; December to April is the dry, busy season, summer is hotter with brief showers, and hurricane season runs June to November with September the riskiest month.

December to AprilHighs 82 to 85, lows around 72, the driest months and the calmest beaches; peak season with up to four ships in St. John’s on a busy day.
May to JuneMid 80s with a short shower some afternoons, Antigua Sailing Week at the end of April and far fewer ships; the best-value window.
July to AugustUpper 80s and humid with brief downpours; Carnival in late July fills St. John’s, and early hurricane season is usually quiet.
September to NovemberThe wettest months and the peak of hurricane season, so itineraries can change; November dries out and the winter fleet returns.
Good to know

Antigua questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Antigua and how far is town?

Ships dock in St. John’s Harbour at the Heritage Quay, Redcliffe Quay and Nevis Street piers, which open straight onto the Heritage Quay duty-free mall and the downtown streets; the port can take four large ships at once, including the biggest Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships. On an overflow day a ship may use the Deep Water Harbour cargo pier about a mile away, where the line runs a shuttle or a taxi costs about $10 to $12. Nobody tenders here; a few small ships anchor at English Harbour on the south coast instead.

How do I get around and what do taxis cost?

Taxis are vans with government-set zone fares, quoted in US dollars and unmetered, so agree the price before you climb in; the orange-shirted drivers inside the port belong to the St. John’s taxi association. Figure about $15 to $20 per taxi to Dickenson Bay, about $25 to $30 to the west-coast beaches or Shirley Heights and about $35 to $45 one way to Nelson’s Dockyard, with shared island tours at about $25 to $35 a person. The number 17 bus from the West Bus Station runs to English Harbour for a few EC dollars but takes 45 minutes each way. There is no Uber.

What currency, language and time zone?

The Eastern Caribbean dollar is fixed at EC$2.70 to US$1 and US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, with change often in EC. English is the language. Antigua is on Atlantic Standard Time all year, which matches US Eastern Daylight Time in summer and is an hour ahead of the East Coast in winter; most US phones roam here but check your plan.

Is Antigua safe for cruise passengers?

The U.S. State Department rates Antigua and Barbuda at its lowest advisory level, and the port, Dickenson Bay and English Harbour are busy and well patrolled. Use the licensed taxis at the pier, keep valuables on the ship, do not leave bags unattended on the beach and stay out of the back streets of St. John’s after dark.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

If you only do one thing, see Nelson’s Dockyard and Shirley Heights together; Stingray City is the one the kids talk about. Dickenson Bay needs no booking, just a taxi. For the Dockyard and anything with a boat, the ship’s version costs more than a shared taxi tour but includes admission and guarantees the ship waits; on a shorter call that is worth the difference.

Do I need a passport for a cruise that stops in Antigua?

On a round-trip cruise from a US port, including San Juan, US citizens can sail under the closed-loop rule with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate. We recommend a passport anyway: Antigua requires one to fly in or out, so it is your only way home if you miss the ship or need to leave early.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on SmartCruiser includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions, drinks and gratuities are extra.

Talk to an Antigua cruise specialist

Our consultants know which Southern Caribbean sailings give you a full day in Antigua and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit, so call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560