Columbus discovered St Barts in 1493 and French colonists from nearby St Kitts first settled it in 1648. The island changed hands several times but was finally given legal status as a Department of France in 1946, much like Americans made Hawaii a state. We toured the entire 8 square mile volcanic rock island via taxi off Seabourn Quest in less than two hours.
Life-long native, Rene, drove us up steep, well-kept streets, through some heavy traffic in downtown Gustavia and through sparsely populated countryside that boasted sweeping vistas with breathtaking, panoramic views. It was much like living in a postcard for the time we were there.
French is the official language, but much of the populace speaks English and there is seldom a language problem. St Barts is home to an eclectic mix of iguanas, night-blooming cactus, and fabulous beaches as well as luxury yachts, designer boutiques, and celebrities. Populated primarily by descendents of the original French settlers and transplanted Europeans, the island has a strong, independent personality. It is certainly the most unusual of the French West Indies islands. Driver Rene told us there is no crime and not even a jail on St Barts, it’s just not an issue.
On the way to and from Seabourn Quest via tender (the ship’s lifeboats, used to bring guests to shore and back) we passed beautiful yachts, in port for the Christmas holiday. As Seabourn tender rides go, this was one of the longer ones we’ve experienced so far, taking about 15 minutes. Most take just a few minutes, as Seabourn Quest is able to drop anchor closer to the shore due to the smaller size of the vessel.
We’re not big fans of tender rides on large cruise ships where moving thousands of people to and from shore is a chore and often choose to stay on the ship. But interesting ports are a big part of the Seabourn experience and exploring those ports makes for a memorable vacation.
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