We visited this beautiful island in November of 2005, aboard the Serenade of the Seas. It's a pretty amazing place. Thie description on a Turquoise Net web page (http://www.turq.com/stlucia.html) is quite accurate:
From the twin, sugar-loaf peaks of the Pitons to picturesque fishing villages; from world-class resorts to comfortable inns; from sulphur springs to waterfalls and rain forests; St. Lucia will never fail to amaze you.
and ended our day with a swim at MARIGOT BAY, where we enjoyed watching the amazing balancing act perfromed by a waterborne BANANA VENDOR as he went about his everyday routine in a place we saw as paradise, but he called home.
If your cruise itinerary includes St. Lucia, you'll dock at Castries, the capital of this Parliamentary Democracy located north of Trinidad and Tobago.
With the Caribbean to the West and the Atlantic on its east, St. Lucia enjoys a tropical climate, and calmer waters for swimming and snorkeling on the western beaches. It has a rainy season that goes from May through August
This little (about 3 1/2 times the size of Washington DC) island has enjoyed great popularity in recent years as a tourist destination, and as a result, has seen quite a few new resorts built, bot traditional and all-inclusive.
Here are some Political and Economic tidbits about St Lucia from the US dept of State website:
Government
Type: Westminster-style parliamentary democracy.
Independence: February 22, 1979.
Constitution: 1979.
Branches: Executive--governor general (representing Queen Elizabeth II, head of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative--bicameral parliament. Judicial--district courts, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (High Court and Court of Appeals), final appeal to privy council in London. Administrative subdivisions: 11 parishes.
Political parties: St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP, ruling); in power since 1997, United Workers' Party (UWP, official opposition).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy
GDP (2004): $753 million.
Annual growth rate (2004): 3.6%.
Per capita GDP (2004 estimate): $4,600.
Natural resources: Forests, beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs.
Agriculture (2004): 4.5% of GDP. Products--bananas, cocoa, coconut, citrus fruits, and livestock.
Manufacturing (2004): 5.4% of GDP. Types--garments, electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes.
Tourism (2004): 48% of GDP (direct and indirect impact).
Trade: Exports (2004)--$81 million: bananas, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, other agricultural products, oils and fats, manufactured goods. Major export markets (2004)--U.K. (27%), U.S. (13%), Trinidad and Tobago (12%), and Barbados (8%).
Imports (2004)--$383 million: food, fuel, manufactured goods, machinery, and transport equipment. Major suppliers--U.S. (40%), Trinidad and Tobago (16%), U.K. (9%), and Japan (4%).
The people are called St. Lucians, and their official language is English.
The literacy rate is higher than ththat of the US. However they define it a bit differently... you are considered literate if you are over 15 and have attended school. Now, their literacy rate for MEN is 89.5% and for WOMEN it is 90.6%.
The population is around 168,000, and about 60,000 are internet users.
Just as an aside, and by way of letting new members know it's here, the PHOTO LINKS in POST #2 on this thread link directly to PHOTOS in our CLF CRUISE GALLERY.
Any CLF Member can upload their cruise photos there for sharing, and space is unlimited!
I've been to St Lucia twice when I was living in Trinidad. I was very small at the time so I don't remember much of it. Our cruise in November will call at Castries, so I'll see it again.
We also studied St Lucia in school, as well as the other english speaking islands in the Caribbean. The Pitons are the feature I remember most about St Lucia.
The Captain of teh Serenade of the Seas sailed bery slowly past them, then thrned around and passed by the again so that everyone on all parts of the ship would hav a great view of them.
they had a short party on the ship's Helipad as we passed them, serving a specially concocted Pitons drink for the occasion.
It was quite an event, enjoyed by all the passengers.
Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers
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Centrum Deck
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Cruise Places
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St. Lucia
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The St Lucia we saw and learned about
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