Cruising the Caribbean, post-hurricanes

Antigua’s English Harbor, long used by ships seeking refuge from hurricanes, and the rest of the island were largely untouched by the 2017 storms. Its cruise port never closed.   (Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

Fort George Citadel (from 1670) atop Brimstone Hill, once the “Gibraltar of the West Indies” when the English and French both coveted St. Kitts, today is a national park and UNESCO site. It, and much of the island, were largely unaffected by the hurricanes.   (Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

Gladys’ Cafe, a St. Thomas favorite, is again serving up classic specialties like curry goat with a side of plantains in Charlotte Amalie.   (Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

Unharmed Grand Turk Lighthouse (1852), brought to the island from the United Kingdom, is reachable by bicycle from the cruise port.   ( Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

With newly planted trees reinforced by wood supports, the beach at St. Thomas’ Magens Bay — stripped by the hurricanes — once again looks something like its popular self.   (Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

Minutes from departure for its Fort Lauderdale, Fla., base, the Crown Princess sparkles on the dock at Grand Turk, capital of Turks and Caicos and final stop on the cruise.   (Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

A shredded roof over a warehouse alongside the St. Thomas port is testament to the damage left by hurricanes Irma and Maria. The photo dates to mid-December; most shops and restaurants in adjacent Havensight Mall and in downtown Charlotte Amalie already were back in business.   (Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

Almost all the shops in Charlotte Amalie — primarily selling jewelry and collectibles — have reopened on hard-hit St. Thomas. A few, and the island’s large hotels, will have to wait.   ( Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

A stilted street entertainer works the bar area near the cruise port on St. Kitts.   ( Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

Natural areas such as this opposite Magens Bay beach on St. Thomas and on the nearby island of St. John were ravaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Homes, hotels and commercial areas also took a major hit. Cleanup is ongoing.   ( Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )

Antigua claims to have 365 beaches, a beach for each day of the year. This, Turners Beach, is one of them. The hurricanes left the island alone.   (Alan Solomon/Chicago Tribune )