St. George's Cruise Port Guide — Ships, Excursions & Tips

Currency

Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), pegged at 2.7:1 to USD; USD is accepted widely in tourist areas.

Language

English (Grenadian Creole widely spoken).

Time in Port

Ships typically dock 8am-5pm at the Melville Street Cruise Terminal.

Pier Location

The Melville Street Cruise Terminal is right on the Carenage in St. George's -- the inner harbour, spice market, and Fort George are all within a short walk. The Grand Anse beach requires a short taxi or water taxi.

Best For

Spices, colonial harbour town, diving and snorkeling, Grand Anse beach, and nutmeg everything

About St. George's

St. George's, the capital of Grenada, is consistently rated one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Caribbean -- a horseshoe of pastel-painted French and British colonial buildings climbing steeply from the inner carenage, crowned by the ruins of Fort George and backed by lush volcanic hillsides. Grenada is the 'Spice Isle,' producing roughly 20% of the world's nutmeg as well as cinnamon, cloves, and turmeric that perfume every market and kitchen; the scent genuinely follows you through town. Underwater, the island's reefs and its deliberately sunk ship and sculpture park make it one of the finest dive and snorkel destinations in the Eastern Caribbean.

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Insider Tip

Bring empty luggage space for spices -- the market stalls at the pier sell genuine Grenadian nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and allspice in generous bags for a few dollars each. Nutmeg in particular is sold whole (much more flavourful than ground) and keeps for months; it's the single best value souvenir in the Eastern Caribbean.

Highlights

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Spice Market & Grenada Spice Estate
The Saturday market on the Carenage (and the covered market stalls near the pier) sell bags of fresh nutmeg, mace, cinnamon bark, cloves, and turmeric -- the real thing at a fraction of supermarket prices. The Dougaldston Spice Estate, a functioning heritage plantation, offers guided tours of how nutmeg is processed.

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Fort George
The 18th-century British fort on the promontory above the Carenage gives a commanding 360-degree view over the harbour, St. George's rooftops, and the Caribbean -- historically significant as the site of the 1983 political events that preceded the US intervention.

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Underwater Sculpture Park & Molinere Reef
The world's first purpose-built underwater sculpture park sits in a protected marine area north of St. George's -- Jason deCaires Taylor's life-size bronze figures encrusted with coral are snorkeable in 3-8 metres of water and are one of the Caribbean's most unusual and photogenic experiences.

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Grand Anse Beach
A 3-kilometre arc of white sand backed by palm trees and calm turquoise water, consistently ranked among the best beaches in the Caribbean -- a 10-minute water-taxi ride from the Carenage. The water is warm and gentle year-round.

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Grand Etang National Park & Rainforest
A volcanic crater lake surrounded by cloud forest in the island's interior, 30 minutes from St. George's -- hiking trails circle the lake and access the higher ridges for mona monkey sightings and sweeping views over the island and coastline.

Local Food & Drink

Oil-down -- Grenada's national dish: a one-pot stew of breadfruit, salted meat, callaloo (dasheen leaves), and coconut milk cooked slowly until the pot is 'dry'; the most authentically Grenadian food you can eat.
Nutmeg ice cream -- nutmeg flavours everything in Grenada, including the local ice cream; the Carenage's waterfront restaurants and several beach-side stands do a genuinely excellent version.
Lambi (conch) in Creole sauce -- conch stewed in a spiced tomato and onion Creole sauce with fresh herbs; a staple of Grenadian home cooking served at the local restaurants off the cruise tourist path.
Rum punch with Grenadian rum -- Rivers Antoine Rum Distillery, operating since 1785 and still water-wheel powered, makes a ferocious overproof rum; a rum punch made with it at any beach bar is the ideal afternoon drink.

Shore Excursion Ideas

1 Underwater Sculpture Park snorkel -- a 30-minute boat from the pier to snorkel over Taylor's bronze installations and the adjacent Molinere reef.

2 Spice plantation tour -- Dougaldston Estate or the Laura Herb & Spice Garden for a guided walk through nutmeg, cinnamon, and turmeric growing on a working Grenadian farm.

3 Grand Anse beach day -- water taxi from the Carenage to one of the Caribbean's finest beaches.

4 Grand Etang rainforest hike -- volcanic crater lake, cloud forest, and mona monkey sightings in the island's national park.

5 Rivers Antoine Rum Distillery -- one of the oldest working rum distilleries in the Caribbean, still water-wheel powered; tastings and tours available.

Sailings to St. George's

Upcoming Royal Caribbean & Celebrity cruises that visit St. George's

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St. George's

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