Friday, January 23, 2026
Enchanted Princess/St. John, Antigua
This is our 4th visit to Antigua since 1995. Antigua's history spans from early Amerindian settlements, including the Siboney, Arawak, and Carib tribes to European colonization. Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493 and the English established control in 1632. After slavery was abolished in 1834, the islands remained dependent until a labor movement led to improvements and full independence from the UK in 1981, and the economy shifted towards tourism
Two forts sit on opposite sides of the harbor to protect the entrance to St. John’s. In the early 18th century, the British built Fort James as a deterrent against a French invasion of Antigua in the West Indies. Today the fort stands watch in ruins.
Fort Barrington is a historic military fort built in the 17th century at the western entrance to St. John's Harbor. This fort is also in ruins.
Antigua is located in the eastern Caribbean Sea within the Leeward Islands, southeast of Puerto Rico and north of Guadeloupe, and is famous for its numerous beaches and turquoise waters.
Because rain was in the forecast again Donna opted out of going to the beach, so she and Lawrence joined us as we shopped at the port of St. John’s. I had a mission to visit the shop, Sunseakers, which carries gorgeous resort clothing in my favorite colors. I love the top that I bought two years ago. Donna says I am a bad influence on her because we both made purchases. We also stopped in some souvenir shops for a few purchases for friends. We were not off the ship very long (that is what it seemed to us, but TK and Lawrence may disagree).
As you may have guessed by now, we cruise the Caribbean in January, sometimes February, to get warm. Back in Erie, the temperature is around 2F, Erie Public Schools are cancelled, a severe snowstorm is on the way---that is not where we want to be. Since we have been cruising the Caribbean for 30+ years, we have repeated a lot of destinations and do not really do too much in the ports. Some cruisers do not even get off the ship.
So, dear Readers, that is our story and I try to make the blog interesting, but we are older now!
Dinner was the usual banter, we have an interesting group, and we are chatty!!
From flags.com
Adopted on May 17, 1921, the flag consists of a simplified version of the coat of arms of the United States between the letters V and I. The yellow-colored eagle holds a sprig of laurel in one talon, which symbolizes victory, and three blue arrows in the other (unlike the thirteen arrows in the US coat of arms), which represent the three major islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands: Saint Croix, Saint Thomas, and Saint John
The flag of Martinique consists
of a red triangle at the hoist, with two horizontal bands, the upper green and
the lower black. It was adopted on 2 February 2023.
The flag of Dominica features a green
background with a cross of yellow, black, and white stripes, symbolizing the
Trinity and the island's diverse people and resources, with a central red disc
holding a purple Sisserou parrot and ten lime-green stars, representing the
nation's commitment to justice, its ten parishes, and its unique wildlife. The
Sisserou parrot signifies national pride, aspiration, and the country's rich
biodiversity
