St. Lucia Cruise Port Guide + Top 3 Things to Do

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Are you stopping at St. Lucia as part of your Southern Caribbean cruise vacation?

Whether you are searching for basic information about the St. Lucia cruise port, researching the best excursions to take in St. Lucia, or looking for the best 1-2 things to do near the St. Lucia cruise port, you will find it in this St. Lucia cruise port guide.

This St. Lucia cruise port guide includes:

The BEST thing to do in St. Lucia (the Sky Ride Aerial Tram!)
Information about the Saint Lucia cruise port
The best excursions for cruise travelers in St. Lucia
Detailed review of the Sky Ride Aerial Tram adventure in St. Lucia (giveaway: it’s great!)
The best things to do in St. Lucia for cruisers if you are not taking an excursion
FAQs about St. Lucia
Additional cruise port guides for travelers and ideas on what to wear on your next cruise

Information about the Saint Lucia Cruise Port

There are two main cruise ports in St. Lucia: Point Seraphine cruise port and La Place Carenage cruise port.

St. Lucia Cruise Port Map

On our last Holland America cruise aboard the Nieuw Statendam, we docked at the Point Seraphine Cruise port.

St. Lucia Cruise Port Terminal Buildings

The Point Seraphine Cruise port in St. Lucia has a few shops and taxis waiting outside.

The shopping at the cruise terminal was just okay in my opinion. You can find souvenirs like t-shirts, shot glasses, mugs, magnets, tropical dresses, and beach bags.

Saint Lucia Cruise Port Shops

For a great deal, it’s better to go shopping in Saint Maartin than in Saint Lucia. We found the exact same beach bag in Saint Maartin for $13 as we did in Saint Lucia for $20 and for $40.

The Best Excursions for Cruise Travelers in St. Lucia

The most popular excursions for cruise travelers in St. Lucia are the 1) Aerial Tram Adventure, 2) a catamaran cruise to the Morne Coubaril Estate, and 3) hiking and zip-lining through the La Sorciere mountain forest.

Best Excursions for Cruise Travelers in St. Lucia

1. Aerial Tram Adventure

2. Catamaran Cruise

3. Hiking and Zip-Lining through La Sorciere Rain Mountain Forest

Zip Lining at Sky Ride Park in St. Lucia

If you have more time in St. Lucia, people like to visit the Sulphur Springs (Soufriere) and have fun in the mud baths, visit the Drive-In-Volcano, and go to the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens.

However, these excursions are a 1-1.5 hour drive from the St. Lucia cruise port.

Review of the St. Lucia Aerial Tram Adventure Excursion for Cruise Travelers in St. Lucia (The #1 Thing to Do in St. Lucia for Cruise Port Travelers)

Aerial tram through the rainforest in St. Lucia — Aerial Tram in St. Lucia

On our last Caribbean cruise aboard the Holland America Nieuw Statendam, my mom and I paid for the cruise’s Aerial Tram Adventure excursion.

For $129.95/adult, we got a 30 minute bus ride to the Rainforest Sky Ride Park in St. Lucia.

Aerial Tram Adventure Excursion in St. Lucia

Rainforest Sky Ride Park in St. Lucia

Tip: We were originally going to take a taxi to get to the rain forest, but taxis were expensive and the tickets to do the tram ride without a tour were $60+ per person.

Our excursion to the St. Lucia Rainforest Sky Ride Park began at 9:30am in the morning and we were back on the boat by 12:30pm, just in time for lunch.

Tip: Plan on getting to the excursion early! When I say we left at 9:30am, I mean that we were all on the shuttle bus leaving at 9:30am. We started to walk to the bus from the cruise port at 9:20am.

After a 26 minute ride on a small bus, we arrived at the Rainforest Sky Ride Park and were greeted by our tour guide. The bus was relatively small and there was no commentary during the ride, so plan on looking at the window and opening the windows to get fresh air.

The Bus to Rainforest Sky Ride Park in St. Lucia to Board the Aerial Tram

cruise excursion by bus to Aerial Tram and Sky Ride Park in St. Lucia — Bus Ride to Sky Ride Park

After we were greeted by our tour guide, we waited about 20 minutes before shopping on the Aerial Tram. That was fine, as our tour guide talked to us about the rain forest while we waited.

Then, we boarded our Aerial Tram. Our guide spoke to us about the rain forest throughout the entire ride (1 hour and 12 minutes, to be exact) and the views were spectacular!

Aerial Tram at Sky Ride Park in St. Lucia

Views from the Aerial Tram Excursion in St. Lucia

St. Lucia Aerial Tram View in Sky Ride Park

Once we returned, our guide took us on a brief 15 minute hike through the rain forest (optional).

I was actually the only one who said yes to a hike, as I was cruising with older folks on Holland America. I got to learn a little bit more about the rainforest.

Afterwards, we got to taste a cup of juice and had about 10-15 minutes to look around the shops before heading back to the cruise ship.

The ride back to the St. Lucia cruise port and ship was 28 minutes. My mom and I were back on the ship by 12:30pm, just in time for lunch.

Shopping at St. Lucia Cruise Port

After my mom and I had lunch on the ship, we headed back out to go shopping in the St. Lucia cruise port.

Below are a few pictures of the St. Lucia cruise port. You’ll find tropical beach vacation dresses, beach bags, hats, and souvenirs.

St. Lucia cruise port store for shopping with alcohol — St. Lucia Cruise Port Liquor Store

St. Lucia cruise port shopping store with shirts — St. Lucia Cruise Port Store

The Best Things to Do in St. Lucia for Non-Cruisers

If you are NOT on a cruise and have more time to spend in St. Lucia, below are the best things to do in St. Lucia.

7 Best Things to Do in St. Lucia on Vacation

1. Watch the turtles at Grand Anse (a beautiful beach)

2. Visit the St. Lucia Rum Distillery

3. Walk around Pigeon Island

4. Snorkel in Anse Chastenet (the western coast of St. Lucia)

5. Zip-Line through La Sorcier Mountain

6. Visit La Soufriere, a volcano with hot mud baths

7. Relax at the Mamiku Gardens

When you are cruising into St. Lucia, also look out for a view of the Pitons (the Twin Peaks) from a distance.

The Twin Peaks (Pitons) – for Cruising by St. Lucia

The Twin Peaks aren’t necessarily an attraction to visit, but you can see the Twin Peaks (Pitons) as you are arriving to St. Lucia by cruise ship or departing.

The Twin Peaks are beautiful, so make sure to go out on the deck to take some great vacation photos!

FAQs about St. Lucia

Have a question about St. Lucia? Check out these FAQs for cruise travelers below.

What is there to do in Castries, St. Lucia?

Castries, the capital of St. Lucia, has a great market with cocoa, spices, and hot sauces for sale by local St. Lucians.

What’s the name of the airport in St. Lucia?

The name of the airport in St. Lucia is Hewanorra International Airport at Vieux Fort (UVF).

What should I wear in St. Lucia?

St. Lucia is hot year round, so plan on wearing shorts, t-shirts, and walking shoes.

As always when travelling to the Caribbean, wear a hat and don’t forget to bring a water bottle with you to shore.

Wearing skimpy shorts, skirts, or beachwear is frowned upon in St. Lucia. Think “elegant casual” when eating at the restaurants in St. Lucia too.

What is the currency in St. Lucia?

The local currency is the eastern Caribbean dollar, but US dollar is accepted everywhere as well as credit cards.

Can you use USD in St. Lucia?

Yes, the USD (U.S. dollar) is widely accepted in St. Lucia.

What is the official language in St. Lucia?

The official language in St. Lucia is English, but many St. Lucians speak French creole.

What are the best highlights to see in St. Lucia?

St. Lucia highlights include La Soufriere (a volcano with hot mud baths), snorkeling along the western coast, and zip-lining through La Sorcier Mountain.’

Note: Many guides mention the Castries market as a main attraction for cruise travelers. The dinner guests on our last Holland America cruise on the Nieuw Statendam went to the Castries Central Market and would NOT recommend it. They said that it wasn’t that great.