Charlotte Amalie is the name of the town near where the ships dock. There are two piers where cruise ships dock.
Most ships dock at the West Indian Company Dock in Havensight, but you may also dock at Crown Bay Dock or, when all berths are full, you may anchor in the harbour and tender into Charlotte Amalie.
Havensight is about a mile from Charlotte Amalie and take about 20 minutes to walk or you can take a cab for around $5pp. There are tons of shops in the Havensight Mall to browse through. There is not much around the Crown Bay Dock so you will need to take a cab into town (around $4pp) as the walk is a long one. Cabs are usually open air 'safari' trucks and wait until they get full before they leave. Leave yourself time for this delay!
St Thomas is a great place for duty-free shopping with lots of jewelry and electronics buys to be had. Know your prices before you go and you may find some great deals. Bargaining is a way of life here so be prepared to sharpen your skills.
There is a vendor’s market near where the cabs drop you off downtown. It sells t-shirts, jewellery, knock-off handbags, souvenirs, clothing, etc. You can get some great bargains if you hang in and negotiate awhile.
There are also local taxis called “dollar taxis” that can take you most places on the island for about $2pp. You need to walk to a bus stop and flag down the $ taxis. They also look like big 'safari' trucks so it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them from regular open air cabs. The bus stop will be the identifying factor! This may be a bit intimidating to first-timers but it is a cheap way to get around the island. There is a bus stop near the Kmart which is down the road, to the left, of the Havensight pier. A bit of a walk will get you there. The dollar taxi routes don't go as close to the Crown Bay dock so a cab is your likely choice there.
The regular taxi fares are regulated and fixed based on the destination.
INTERNET CAFÉ – Beans, Bytes and Websites – downtown Charlotte Amalie in the Royal Dane Mall – ask locals or shopkeepers for directions when you get to the mall as there are many little alleyways to go down. It is not like our North American malls. All shops are off the quaint little alleys which are beautiful but can be confusing.
ATTRACTIONS
A couple attractions of interest would be:
SkyRide to Paradise Point which is an aerial cable car that takes you to 700 feet above sea level for a panoramic view that can’t be beat. There are shops and a bird show so you can spend some time wandering about. Round trip fare is $21 per person.
Coral World Ocean Park (at Coki Point) which has an observatory 15 feet under the water where you can view coral and sea life. The park is open Saturday to Wednesday from 9am – 4pm and the entrance fee is $21 per person. Coki Beach is right next door if you want some beach/snorkel time as well.
We haven’t been to either of these attractions but we know people who have gone and they enjoyed them. There are also lots of historical sights to see on the island. Go here for more info: http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/attractions_stt/
BEACHES
I have not listed all of the beaches as there are a lot of them. We have been to all of those listed below, except for Emerald Beach.
Magen’s Bay Beach – this is the best known beach on the island of St. Thomas. It is one of
the top beaches in the world (according to several travel magazines). $8pp cab ride, $4pp entrance fee. You can rent chairs and umbrellas if you like but there are lots of trees that can provide shade. Depending on how many ships are in port (I will have this info as we get closer to cruise time) the beach can be quite crowded with cruisers, but the water is gorgeous and warm. This is a great option for first-timers!
Emerald Beach (aka Lindbergh Beach) – is another beach that has excellent reviews. $6-7pp cab, $7pp chair rental, $10 chair + umbrella, near Best Western hotel, shade available, beach bar, bathrooms under construction, not very good snorkeling, no vendors to bother you. It is generally quiet but it is near the airport so around 12pm-2pm there are several jets passing over.
Coki Point Beach - $9pp cab, food/drink, chair rentals, vendors on beach can be bothersome, good snorkeling, outside beach area is a bit run-down but you can get out at the entrance and catch a cab back from the same spot without wandering too far away. UPDATE: After the death of a 14-year old tourist who was caught in the crossfire of a shooting, this beach was removed as a ship excursion destination early in 2010. The government has said that they have implemented several projects to make the area safer and cleaner but just be aware of this issue when choosing your beach destination.
Trunk Bay – this beach is one of the top 10 best beaches in the world. It is located on the island of St. John, which is able to be reached by ferry (see schedule below) from either Red Hook at the east tip of the island or downtown Charlotte Amalie. You can take a cab to Red Hook, catch the ferry to St. John (20 min ride), then a cab to Trunk Bay or you can catch a cab downtown and take the Charlotte Amalie ferry (45 min ride). Both of these options will cost in the range of $40 per person. There is some great snorkeling around a little island just off of Trunk Bay where there is a marked underwater trail highlighting the coral and fish of the area. Make sure that you return in early afternoon (2-2:30pm) as after 3pm, the locals start filling the ferries when they get off work. We have done this trip several times and Trunk Bay is one of our favorite beaches. It just involves a lot of time, attention to timing and is a bit costly.
TOURS
Island tours are available. Most run in the $25 - $30 per person range. The person that I have read the best reviews about is Henry Christopher who charges $25 pp for a 2 hour island tour. At the end, he will drop you at a beach of your choice for 2 hours and then deliver you back to the ship. Check out his website at: http://www.eeetours.com/index.html
OTHER OPTIONS
Water Island is a small island off the coast of St. Thomas that can be reached by ferry from the Crown Bay marina (the other cruise ship dock). Water Island is designated as the fourth Virgin Island - joining St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
You can take a small ferry over to the island and you will have a bit of a walk to get to Honeymoon Beach, but it will be worth it to enjoy this tropical gem of a beach!! Not many cruisers know about this spot or make the effort to get there, so it is very quiet and uncrowded. Some of the 'party boat' charters stop there around noon or so and it can get a bit crowded for about an hour until the party boats leave. There are some basic bathroom facilities but they may not open until the lunch bus arrives mid-morning. If you dock at the Havensight dock, a cab to the Crown Bay dock should cost you around $5pp each way. Ask to get dropped off by Tickles Restaurant or you will need to walk over to the small marina to the left, if the cab drops you where the cruise terminal is located. You should confirm the return times when boarding. The ferry holds about 25 passengers and costs $12 pp round trip. Tickets are sold by the captain once on board.
You can check out the ferry schedule and fare prices at the site below. It also has schedules for other ferries leaving from St. Thomas to St. John, Tortola and St. Croix:
http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/interisland_ferry/#Water%20Island%20Ferry:%20Crown%20Bay%20to%20Phillip
You can check out “http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/ “ if you want more info on attractions, beaches, etc.
You can also find some great info on http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=17
Most ships dock at the West Indian Company Dock in Havensight, but you may also dock at Crown Bay Dock or, when all berths are full, you may anchor in the harbour and tender into Charlotte Amalie.
Havensight is about a mile from Charlotte Amalie and take about 20 minutes to walk or you can take a cab for around $5pp. There are tons of shops in the Havensight Mall to browse through. There is not much around the Crown Bay Dock so you will need to take a cab into town (around $4pp) as the walk is a long one. Cabs are usually open air 'safari' trucks and wait until they get full before they leave. Leave yourself time for this delay!
St Thomas is a great place for duty-free shopping with lots of jewelry and electronics buys to be had. Know your prices before you go and you may find some great deals. Bargaining is a way of life here so be prepared to sharpen your skills.
There is a vendor’s market near where the cabs drop you off downtown. It sells t-shirts, jewellery, knock-off handbags, souvenirs, clothing, etc. You can get some great bargains if you hang in and negotiate awhile.
There are also local taxis called “dollar taxis” that can take you most places on the island for about $2pp. You need to walk to a bus stop and flag down the $ taxis. They also look like big 'safari' trucks so it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them from regular open air cabs. The bus stop will be the identifying factor! This may be a bit intimidating to first-timers but it is a cheap way to get around the island. There is a bus stop near the Kmart which is down the road, to the left, of the Havensight pier. A bit of a walk will get you there. The dollar taxi routes don't go as close to the Crown Bay dock so a cab is your likely choice there.
The regular taxi fares are regulated and fixed based on the destination.
INTERNET CAFÉ – Beans, Bytes and Websites – downtown Charlotte Amalie in the Royal Dane Mall – ask locals or shopkeepers for directions when you get to the mall as there are many little alleyways to go down. It is not like our North American malls. All shops are off the quaint little alleys which are beautiful but can be confusing.
ATTRACTIONS
A couple attractions of interest would be:
SkyRide to Paradise Point which is an aerial cable car that takes you to 700 feet above sea level for a panoramic view that can’t be beat. There are shops and a bird show so you can spend some time wandering about. Round trip fare is $21 per person.
Coral World Ocean Park (at Coki Point) which has an observatory 15 feet under the water where you can view coral and sea life. The park is open Saturday to Wednesday from 9am – 4pm and the entrance fee is $21 per person. Coki Beach is right next door if you want some beach/snorkel time as well.
We haven’t been to either of these attractions but we know people who have gone and they enjoyed them. There are also lots of historical sights to see on the island. Go here for more info: http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/attractions_stt/
BEACHES
I have not listed all of the beaches as there are a lot of them. We have been to all of those listed below, except for Emerald Beach.
Magen’s Bay Beach – this is the best known beach on the island of St. Thomas. It is one of
the top beaches in the world (according to several travel magazines). $8pp cab ride, $4pp entrance fee. You can rent chairs and umbrellas if you like but there are lots of trees that can provide shade. Depending on how many ships are in port (I will have this info as we get closer to cruise time) the beach can be quite crowded with cruisers, but the water is gorgeous and warm. This is a great option for first-timers!Emerald Beach (aka Lindbergh Beach) – is another beach that has excellent reviews. $6-7pp cab, $7pp chair rental, $10 chair + umbrella, near Best Western hotel, shade available, beach bar, bathrooms under construction, not very good snorkeling, no vendors to bother you. It is generally quiet but it is near the airport so around 12pm-2pm there are several jets passing over.
Coki Point Beach - $9pp cab, food/drink, chair rentals, vendors on beach can be bothersome, good snorkeling, outside beach area is a bit run-down but you can get out at the entrance and catch a cab back from the same spot without wandering too far away. UPDATE: After the death of a 14-year old tourist who was caught in the crossfire of a shooting, this beach was removed as a ship excursion destination early in 2010. The government has said that they have implemented several projects to make the area safer and cleaner but just be aware of this issue when choosing your beach destination.
Trunk Bay – this beach is one of the top 10 best beaches in the world. It is located on the island of St. John, which is able to be reached by ferry (see schedule below) from either Red Hook at the east tip of the island or downtown Charlotte Amalie. You can take a cab to Red Hook, catch the ferry to St. John (20 min ride), then a cab to Trunk Bay or you can catch a cab downtown and take the Charlotte Amalie ferry (45 min ride). Both of these options will cost in the range of $40 per person. There is some great snorkeling around a little island just off of Trunk Bay where there is a marked underwater trail highlighting the coral and fish of the area. Make sure that you return in early afternoon (2-2:30pm) as after 3pm, the locals start filling the ferries when they get off work. We have done this trip several times and Trunk Bay is one of our favorite beaches. It just involves a lot of time, attention to timing and is a bit costly.
TOURS
Island tours are available. Most run in the $25 - $30 per person range. The person that I have read the best reviews about is Henry Christopher who charges $25 pp for a 2 hour island tour. At the end, he will drop you at a beach of your choice for 2 hours and then deliver you back to the ship. Check out his website at: http://www.eeetours.com/index.html
OTHER OPTIONS
Water Island is a small island off the coast of St. Thomas that can be reached by ferry from the Crown Bay marina (the other cruise ship dock). Water Island is designated as the fourth Virgin Island - joining St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.
You can take a small ferry over to the island and you will have a bit of a walk to get to Honeymoon Beach, but it will be worth it to enjoy this tropical gem of a beach!! Not many cruisers know about this spot or make the effort to get there, so it is very quiet and uncrowded. Some of the 'party boat' charters stop there around noon or so and it can get a bit crowded for about an hour until the party boats leave. There are some basic bathroom facilities but they may not open until the lunch bus arrives mid-morning. If you dock at the Havensight dock, a cab to the Crown Bay dock should cost you around $5pp each way. Ask to get dropped off by Tickles Restaurant or you will need to walk over to the small marina to the left, if the cab drops you where the cruise terminal is located. You should confirm the return times when boarding. The ferry holds about 25 passengers and costs $12 pp round trip. Tickets are sold by the captain once on board.
You can check out the ferry schedule and fare prices at the site below. It also has schedules for other ferries leaving from St. Thomas to St. John, Tortola and St. Croix:
http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/interisland_ferry/#Water%20Island%20Ferry:%20Crown%20Bay%20to%20Phillip
You can check out “http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/ “ if you want more info on attractions, beaches, etc.
You can also find some great info on http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=17
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