The FAB Five Cruise

Best Souvenir
Top-notch bottles of Bacardi or Don Q rum are great souvenir ideas. We also love the artisan crafts that are showcased at the Plaza Arturo Somohano in downtown Old San Juan. (While artisans vary, products include hand-tooled leather belts, gorgeous sea-glass jewelry and herbal soaps.)

Language
Spanish and English are the official languages of Puerto Rico. In tourist areas, English predominates.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money
Since Puerto Rico is an American territory, the currency there is the U.S. dollar. ATM's are widely available throughout Old San Juan and in tourist beach resort areas.

Where You're Docked
Ships dock in two places. The best location is just across from the Sheraton Old San Juan (formerly known as the Wyndham) because you walk off the ship into the heart of the old city. Other times, your ship will dock just across the bay -- a stone's throw away -- but it's farther than it looks, and you'll need to take a taxi to get anywhere.

Hanging Around
Old San Juan is undergoing an awesome renaissance. If you haven't been there lately, you'll be amazed at how beautiful and spiffed-up its European-esque buildings are, particularly the many that are freshly painted in cheerful pastels of lavender, blue, yellow and pink. The Latino music phenomenon has led to the rebirth of new, fresh "nuevo Latino" cuisine, which, in turn, is attracting more attention to the island's quality art, crafts and antiques.

Getting Around
On Foot: It's walking distance into compact, yet fascinating, Old San Juan. Streets are uneven (constructed of blue cobblestones, cast from furnace slag), and hills are steep, so wear comfortable shoes.

Taxis: They're available at the dock. You can also hail mini-buses (called "omnibuses"), which shuttle along main routes; to hail one, respond with a wave when the driver toots his horn.

Saint Lucia is an island in the Caribbean Sea, which is south of Florida and the U.S. Gulf States. One of the Windward islands, we are situated between Martinique and St. Vincent, and to the northwest of Barbados. One of the wonderful things about St Lucia is the wide choice of transportation available to the Island. There are more than a dozen airlines that service St Lucia’s two airports Hewanorra International Airport and George Charles Airport, from a host of international and local destinations. For those visitors arriving by sea, cruise lines and local ferry's tie up daily at Port Castries and Soufriere. Whether you choose to fly direct, stop off on a cruise or just pop over from one of the neighboring islands you will find a warm Caribbean welcome awaits you.
Banking
Banks open Monday to Thursday, 8.00am - 2.00pm and Friday, 8.00am - 5.00pm
Currency
The currency of St. Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar which is linked to the US Dollar at the exchange rate of 1 US$ to 2.70 EC$. US$ are widely accepted on the island.

Customs Regulations
The duty free allowance into St. Lucia is 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars, one litre of spirit or wine. Duty free shopping is available at Pointe Seraphine, La Place Carenage and at the departure lounge of Hewanorra Airport. Luxury items include Jewelery, Batiks, Giftware,Local Crafts, Liquor, Cigarettes and Cigars.

Departure Tax
Departure Tax of EC $68 (US $26) for all passengers over 12 years is applied to ticket prices at the time of purchase.
Ports
The main sea port is Castries and many cruise ships anchor at Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage. There is an additional deepwater anchorage for cargo and container ships at Vieux Fort in the south near the airport.

Service Charges & Tax
On hotel and restaurant bills there is a Government tax of 8%. A service charge of 10% is also applicable. In some instances these charges are included in prices quoted, so it is best to clarify. The prices on labels in shops are what you pay.


Shopping
Local shops are generally open weekdays 8.30am to 4.00pm and on Saturday 8.00am to noon. There are a wide variety of shopping experiences from Castries market, where local crafts are available, to Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage, two duty free shopping centers in Castries where resort wear, Colombian Emeralds jewelery, cosmetics and perfumes are available. A variety of shopping malls with extended opening hours offer a wide selection of boutiques and restaurants. Most hotels have boutiques and vendors' markets.

Taxis
Taxis are easily available at taxi stands or by telephone. Fares vary by destination and nature of trip.

St.Lucia Reps/SunLink Tours
SunLink Tours is the tours division of St.Lucia Representative Services, a St.Lucian owned ground handling company established in 1976. SunLink tours has a dedicated team of highly trained tour co-ordinators that work tirelessly to ensure that we provide fun and informative tours of the highest international quality and safety standards.

Ask for SunLink brand tours or book up online. Tours are confirmed upon full payment. We can personalize or create customized tours for special occasions, weddings, groups etc.

We have both German and Spanish speaking tour guides.

St.Lucia in the Caribbean
St.Lucia is a tiny jewel of an island set in the Caribbean, surrounded on one side by the Caribbean Sea and the other by the Atlantic. The island has wonderful hotels and resorts catering to every taste & budget. Although we are an island that is French in flavor, the main language spoken is English.

St.Lucia is volcanic in origin and was formed some 50 million years ago. The island is mountainous and lush with hidden waterfalls, abundant rainforest, sandy beaches, amazing scenery and a fascinating history. Make sure you explore the island by land, sea and air!

Give yourself plenty of time to explore, there is so much to do and see, you are spoiled for choice. Getting to St.Lucia is easy, but when you get here, you will not want to leave.