Making the most of Saint Thomas
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
In busy January through March, ships dock at Havensight, also West India Company Dock, the primary cruise dock, or Crown Bay, whose new facility opened early 2007. When more than six ships visit St. Thomas in one day, vessels may anchor in the harbor and tender into Charlotte Amalie's heart.
Havensight is effectively a mini-downtown at the dock, with more than 50 shops including branches of Charlotte Amalie boutiques. Town is a 15 to 20 minutes walk, and taxis are plentiful.
Havensight’s expansive shopping area also contains Dockside Books, the island’s only bookstore; Gourmet Gallery, with terrific wine and Caribbean beer; and a post office.
Across the main drag beyond Havensight are convenience stores, coffee shops and cafes with customer free WiFi. Yacht Haven Grande Marina is new and walkable from Havensight pier: leave the ship, turn left and follow the dock around the harbor. It is St. Thomas's first genuinely upscale shopping and dining area to open in years.
Beyond the facility, K-Mart has the best duty-free liquor bargains.
Walking 40 min from Crown Bay to downtown is difficult. Shared taxis, usually waiting at a designated area, cost about $5 per person.
Take a printable map with you.
Watch port videos.
See the cruise calendar and assigned dock for this port.
Many visitors explore Charlotte Amalie mainly to shop rather than look at history, but historic buildings stand close to stores, making both easy to enjoy. To truly embrace historical sights, look beyond shops, vendors and people and picture the past, complete with forts, plantations, warehouses, pirates and other images of St. Thomas' History. Exploring Charlotte Amalie is rewarding and easily done on foot with comfortable shoes.
Ride the Skyride to Paradise Point for breathtaking St. Thomas Harbor views. Then visit Mountain Top, the island's highest point, for spectacular Magens Bay vistas, among the world's most beautiful beaches.
At Coral World Marine Park, touch sea stars at the touch pool or explore mangrove-lagoon life on the Coastal Trail.
Enjoy a relaxing half-day sail aboard a large yacht to Buck Island, then snorkel at Turtle Cove.
Getting around
Virgin Islands travel is fairly easy, with bus service and/or regulated taxis on every island. Most things can be "bargain" priced, but taxi and bus fares are regulated. Taxi charges are per person, one way, and expensive.
Use safari dollar buses: wait at a bus stop and pay the driver on exit, $1 for short distances and $2 for longer ones.
Nearby places
For a real beach treat, walk beside the cruise dock to Crown Bay Marina and ferry to Water Island. The crossing takes five to ten minutes; Honeymoon beach is a short walk from Water Island ferry dock, rivals any island beach, and will not be crowed or over run with cruisers.
To reach St. John, regardless of your dock, take a taxi to Red Hook Ferry dock. The ferry to Cruz Bay St. John leaves every hour on the hour. Take the 9:00 AM ferry to beat crowds and gain more island time; the crossing is only about a 25-30 minute ferry ride. At arrival, bunches of taxis await for beaches, island tours or both. Dock-to-Trunk Bay is about $8 per person, with a couple of wonderful scenic overlooks on the way.
On return, take a Cruz Bay ferry at least 3 hours before ship departure. Red Hook always has plenty of cabs for returning passengers to ships.
Magens Bay has a nearly three quarters of a mile long, well-protected white sand beach. It is a popular island tourist destination and local gathering place.
Food and shopping
Saint Thomas is the Caribbean's bargain-shopping bazaar, with over 400 shops along Charlotte Amalie's Main Street area and some 50 more in Havensight Mall. Great bargains can be found on precious gemstones, fine jewelry and watches. Cameras, electronic goods, designer clothing, island rums and liquors are also available, with excellent bargains on favorite spirits.
Custom permits $1200 of duty-free goods per person, with no sales tax.
Money
Currency: US$.
Staying connected
English is official, though Spanish may be spoken too.
Opening Hours and
Shopping operates Mon-Sat 0900-1700, while some larger shops open Sunday when cruise ships are in port.