Living in Saint Lucia

hello first off from chicago, illinois. Will be traveling to St Lucia in 6 months as part of a 8 day southern caribbean winter cruise getaway and fact finding mission. Would like to meet expatriates from the United States aand in addition ask questions and such that am not able to find answers to. For example am getting nowhere when I have spoken or emailed staff at the st. lucias travels and convention bureau (or words to that affect, nor travel blogs such as tripadvisor.com)

Hi noiseinill60187!

Welcome to Expat.com

Armand

greetings:

must say am looking forward to my winter southern Caribbean cruise this forthcoming January.

I had always been told about the friendliness and such of saint lucia and yet after trying to speak with various folks at the St.Lucia chamber of commerce and such I been getting nothing but frustrations. Keep telling them that will only be in St. Lucia for 8 hours as part of my 8 day Caribbean (expatriation fact finding mission..what better way than via cruise) and as such dont wish to deal with travelling logistics when I arrive in the Castries cruise port.

For example, no one has been able to answer this question of mine pertaining to the Soufries:

What is the best mode of Expedient mode of water transit from the Castries cruise port to (and return trip) the Soufries?
I ask as told that land travel can be a lengthy ordeal. For example the Carnival cruise line tells me that a roundtrip trip to the Soufries from the Castries cruise port is 2 hours. I also know that in my numerous cruise throughout the Caribbean, there have always been local shore excursion and water taxi/catarman, shoreline cruises and such.

sorry if talked at length here yet many thanks

Travel to Soufriere (sulphur in the air) from the port in Castries should not be a problem. Most of the tours go to that area for the Diamond Botanical Gardens, Piton waterfall, Sulphur Springs, etc. You would probably get the best idea of the island if you travel one way on land and the other by sea - again, I think there are tours that are Land and Sea tours that will fit this need. We hope to be there by January and may be able to help further. What specific info are you looking for?

@expat.com

Into our third year of retirement on this island and quite honestly, desperate to get off it.  The 'cost of living crisis' back home in UK has much more appeal now, having experienced the same old food shortages here every year, first sugar, then rice,  currently it's wheat flour. They just cannot comprehend how to meet demand with supply here, every year the same, yet neighbouring islands cope.  Sick of foraging empty shelves in Massy daily, trying to find the basics.  Ambushed by the 'gimme dollar' brigade camped out at shopping malls holding their hands out to who they think are tourists.  Constantly let down by workers who claim proficiency but are just bodgers. Its our own fault, our research was flawed, listened to the wrong people. If you are considering a move here, don't take the word of ex pats on forums that 'love it' and 'wouldn't change a thing' because believe me,  they are ALL moaning endlessly about the things I mentioned above, and more, there is so much more.  Many of them are in the fortunate position of having 'bolt holes' back home so they can go back for a few months at a time and fill up suitcases with lots of lovely goodies to bring back such as, ooh decent toothpaste, toiletries and other 'luxury' items to last for another six months so they can pretend its OK.  Seek out those who have gone home or plan to, that's where the real 'warts and all' truth is told.  Our biggest mistake was buying a property outright, we now have to try and sell up and get ourselves and our poor dog home safe.