Skip St. Croix??????

So, we are on a very port intensive cruise, Jan 2014. St. Croix is our last stop. We have excursions at every other port (well, one excursion is a hotel day pass.) Are we missing out if we just stay on the ship? Is so, what are we missing?

BTW: family of 3 with 12 year-old girl who is scared of the ocean and not a beach person.

Thanks for your advice!

Koohiichan

There are a few shops and vendors right at the pier, it's at least worth getting off for an hour or two to take a walk around.

Thanks for your reply/advice. That is probably what we will do. I'd hate the opportunity to at least set foot on land that day.

Thanks,

Koohiichan

I just did a walking tour in Fredriksted.

join me in the short video:

I agree about walking around near the port. Not that much there but you may as well spend a little time ashore.

I hope you have a great family vacation and admire your daughter is willing to sail and manage her fears of the ocean. Good for her. :)

About my daughter. She is afraid of sharks, in particular. I've tried to explain to her that it is highly unlikely that she will be bitten by a shark. Strangely enough, she says she wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up, but she's not going into the ocean. :rolleyes: I hope she'll get over her fear as she gets older. She is at that age where they realize that the world can be a dangerous place (11) and mom and dad can't protect them all the time. She doesn't even like to spend time on the balcony! But, you are right, at least she enjoys cruising regardless. She loves travel!

Thanks for all of the recommendations.

Cheers,

Koohiichan

Possibly your daughter would enjoy taking an excursion to Christiansted on the other side of the island with lots more shops, etc.?

LuLu

~~~~

There's always "something" to do in a port, even if it's just laying out at one of the beaches.

We're doing the Geckos ATV tour and laying on a beach. It's Sunday, so a lot will be closed.

We're doing the Geckos ATV tour and laying on a beach. It's Sunday, so a lot will be closed.

You'll have an awesome time! We did Gecko last year and it was a highlight of our trip.

As a former resident, don't skip St Croix. Here is a link to some island tours.

http://www.gotostcroix.com/guided-island-tours

The Whim plantation is great. Maybe she would enjoy Kayaking at Salt River or even the hike to the falls. Horseback riding is also available. It is a wonderful island.

If you just want a quick excursion, do take the walking tour of Fredericksted

Thanks! I'll look into those.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you're interested in doing kayaking at Salt River check out Virgin kayaking -

http://www.virginkayaktours.com

We did this tour early this year, 1/14/13, and had a great time. We spent almost 2 hours on the water with Bryan who made the time fly with his narrative. He's a very knowledgeable and interesting guide. The Kayaks are new and you have a choice of paddling or foot power. We saw the ship tour heading back in as we headed out, they were out for a 1/2 hour. Bryan made sure we were comfortable and would periodically ask if we were tired and wanted to go on or back. The only thing I regret was I forgot to bring water with me. Taxi cost to Cane Bay was $18 per person round trip. We got to Cane Bay around 9:45 and met Bryan at 10 and came back to Cane Bay around 1PM. We had time for lunch at the restaurant there called Eat, a bit pricey but good. We had the taxi come back for us at 2:30 and got back to the dock by 3.

Highly recommend this tour.

There is plenty to do on St Croix without going near a shark. There are miles of beaches north and south of the pier. You can watch the water all you want without going in. Lots of other stuff.

About my daughter. She is afraid of sharks, in particular. I've tried to explain to her that it is highly unlikely that she will be bitten by a shark. Strangely enough, she says she wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up, but she's not going into the ocean. :rolleyes: I hope she'll get over her fear as she gets older. She is at that age where they realize that the world can be a dangerous place (11) and mom and dad can't protect them all the time. She doesn't even like to spend time on the balcony! But, you are right, at least she enjoys cruising regardless. She loves travel!

 

Thanks for all of the recommendations.

 

Cheers,

Koohiichan

I used to be so afraid of sharks that I wouldn't swim in my pool. I would stand in the three foot end, but I would not go past that.

I know snorkle all over the Carribean and am even thinking about getting certified for diving. She will grow out of it if people doesn't obsess about it:)

My parents always told me sharks couldn't live in the chlorine, but it did nothing to assuage my fears....over time I was able to go in the water little by litte with pther people around me...I guess I figured safet in numbers......

Now I am the first one in at every snorkle stop and I am the last one back on the boat, oftern staying for a long time after everyone else gets back on......go figure!

Haven't been on the CC boards in forever but decided to check in to read the posts on the St. Croix forum. Glad I read this post. Whatever you do, DON'T skip out on the chance to see this wonderful island !!!

We've been on enough cruises (two more in addition to the ones listed on our profile) that we've seen all the Caribbean ports of call, most of them multiple times. STX is a hidden gem and for the island's own sake I hope it NEVER becomes as overrun with tourists as St. Thomas or St. Maarten or all the other usual suspects. With the possible exception of Grand Turk it is the most untouristified of the ports of call and one of your few chances to get a feel for what the islands were like in the days before the cruise ship invasion. About 25 miles long and 5 miles wide, it's rain forest on the west end (where the ships dock), desert on the far east end, and mostly gorgeous everywhere.

A quick web search will kick up more fun options for spending a day than you will possibly have time to fit in. We've been staying on island for a couple weeks each year for the past three years and there's still much on our list that we haven't seen yet. If you really want to do it right I would suggest renting a jeep or hiring a driver to maximize the experience. Our first time on-island was a cruise ship stop in '02, we rented a roller-skate sized Toyota Echo and had the absolute time of our lives. Don't be afraid of driving on the left-hand side of the road, just recite "keep your shoulder to the shoulder" every so often and you'll be fine. I suggest bringing a GPS or programming your cell phone ahead of time but the island is small enough that if you get lost you can't drive very far without hitting civilization. Even if you hire a driver the cost will be less per person than many of the other single activities you would sign up for aboard ship.

If you go this route our must-sees for the first timer would include:

- Cruising the shops in downtown Christiansted. Be sure to stop at RumRunners on the Pier and sip down a Cruzan Confusion. Be amazed by the giant tarpon that school at the pier.

- Cruzan Rum Factory Tour (note the tour itself is not available during the first part of January but the rum tasting is still open). Say hi to Karen Nalthrop, head of Cruzan P.R. and 7th-generation member of the family that founded the distillery in 1760. MUCH more of a down-home local feel than the corporate distillery across the street.

- See the beer-swilling pigs of the Mt. Pellier Domino Club. Say hi to Norma the family patriarch. Feed beer to the pigs. Your daughter will love it. I promise.

- Fielder's choice: Whim Estate / Lawaetz Museum / St. George Botanical Garden.

- Build in to your loop a cruise through the desert of the east end.

There's also the Divi Bay Casino if you're in to that sort of thing - just keep in mind you can spend the whole cruise in the ship's casino, but the beauty of St Croix is once in a lifetime. Just sayin'.

If you have questions or would like more info from an admitted STX addict feel free to write me at: robertmageecny@gmail.com

About my daughter. She is afraid of sharks, in particular. I've tried to explain to her that it is highly unlikely that she will be bitten by a shark. Strangely enough, she says she wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up, but she's not going into the ocean. :rolleyes: I hope she'll get over her fear as she gets older. She is at that age where they realize that the world can be a dangerous place (11) and mom and dad can't protect them all the time. She doesn't even like to spend time on the balcony! But, you are right, at least she enjoys cruising regardless. She loves travel!

 

Thanks for all of the recommendations.

 

Cheers,

Koohiichan

More people worldwide are killed by falling coconuts than by sharks. I don't think a movie about killer coconuts would be a hit though.

More people worldwide are killed by falling coconuts than by sharks. I don't think a movie about killer coconuts would be a hit though.

Probably not but do you remember Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes ? It's a cult classic.

A little late responding, but have to totally agree with Bob&Karen, do not skip out on this beautiful island.

I have never cruised to the island but have stayed there the last two years in hotels/rentals and have stayed a couple other times. We went over to Fredricksted whenever cruise ships were in to walk around and check out all of the tents/shops and everything. Nothing too major there, so I would definitely recommend finding an island tour or taking a taxi or tour to Christensted. To me the fort and buildings were much more interesting in the C'sted area.

As for your daughter and sharks, as another poster mentioned that was SO me as well! If you happen to get over to C'sted, at the end of the boardwalk by the fort is a little island (Hotel on the Cay) that you can take a ferry over for around $2 or $3 I think, maybe $5 when cruise ships are in. Long story short, they have a little rental shop for snorkel gear and other things with very, very nice people and a couple spots with shallow water. This is where they talked me into snorkeling for the very first time about 6 years ago! I was scared to death at first, but quickly fell in love with it and now snorkel wherever I can. Might be something to do, but if not the boardwalk and shops and fort are worth it.

If you can find someone to take you to the beer drinking pigs even better! Not sure if taxis go there as we drove but definitely a hoot!

Hope you enjoy the island some even if it's a DIY! :)

We don't want to skip St. Croix but we are so confused about what to do, where to go. ANY help is appreciated, it's just me and my husband

Pay It Forward. Be kind.

In addition to this board, look at Trip Advisor -

Activities:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147401-Activities-c25-St_Croix_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

Attractions:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147401-Activities-St_Croix_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

See what the most highly ranked items are, then pick based on what you and your husband enjoy. We are doing the Half Day Buck Island tour with Big Beard's, but that is probably not for everyone. Rainbow Beach is supposed to be very nice if you like relaxing beach time.

Good luck!

We don't want to skip St. Croix but we are so confused about what to do, where to go. ANY help is appreciated, it's just me and my husband

 

 

Pay It Forward. Be kind.

Here's a recent article that gives you an overview of your options.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/experience/caribbean/st-croix/things-to-do/2013/10/11/st-croix-activities-guide/2952023/

And carolslc has given you great ideas as well. If you have more questions or can give more of an idea of what types of activities interest you, I'd be happy to answer them. Visit the island every year.

We just got back from our cruise and I thought I should update everyone on what we decided to do. In sum: we are glad we got off the ship. We walked to the beach to the left of the port (facing port from ship.) It took all of 3 minutes or so. There are rocks in the water, but it is fairly to easy to avoid them and just swim out. Great snorkeling for just being off the beach. We heard someone saw a blowfish and an eel, in addition to some colorful fish. You can rent equipment, umbrellas and chairs if you want or just choose to relax on your towel, which is what we did. There is a café nearby with drinks, snow cones and food. Then we did some shopping at the port and headed back to the ship in the mid afternoon. A very relaxing, inexpensive day. It totally blew my expectations out of the water and a great way to end the cruise. Thanks again for your advice and recommendations. Glad we didn't skip!

Cheers,

Koohiichan

I just did a walking tour in Fredriksted.

join me in the short video:

Wonderful!! The late father of a dear friend was named Mogens. He was 1st generation American from Denmark.