St. Croix Local

Drake,

How long would it take to go from Sandcastle to the Cruzan Rum Tour, take the tour, and get back to the cruise ship.

 

BRR

I would do the rum tour first since it's the farthest away, plan about 90 minutes to 2 hours for that including travel from the pier and to Sandcastle after. The range comes from how long you spend in the gift shop there.

Should we be suggesting a cab stop like scenic area before we head over to Sandcastle?? Any bakery/pastry place on way to get some goodies either before or after via cab to beach??

Also after we leave beach where is the hot spot local place in town.

I have Roses Dream and Turtles Deli (read they are very crowded) and would LOVE Blue Moon Cajun place I think but might not be open on Sunday. Maybe they open when cruise in port? Could we go swing by Blue Moon area to check before heading to another option just in case?? or too much time wasted??

Thank you so much!

Thank you great info.

I met Drake with my wife on a cruise in April 2015 and had a great time ! We met at Freedom City les than a half mile from the cruise port and everything was great. Talk to Drake about the island as he is spot on ! Happy vacationing !!!!!

THANK YOU for all of your information about your beautiful island Drake.

I haven't decided what we will be doing when we arrive in September on the Adventure, but I just read all 10 pages of this thread and it was most helpful.

Hi Drake,

To the best of your knowledge are Sweeny's Safari Tours reliable? Do you book in advance or when you exit the ship? I have not read a lot about them and am wondering if they would be suitable for senior citizens.

Thanks,

Grace

Hi Drake. Thanks for all the help and info you are providing.

We will be on the Carnival Sunshine in December (Journeys cruise) and have a day in St. Croix from 8am - 4pm.

2 Adults and 2 Kids (8 & 10)

We enjoy the beach, sight seeing, nature and food.

We have previously been to St. Kitts (rented a car and drove all around the island), St Maarten (rented a car and drove all around the island).

We are all physically able and want to make the most of the day here.

What would you suggest to do? Rent a car?

What places are a must see?

Thanks!

Drake- Love your posts & info!!..I will be in St. Croix on a Mon in mid November on the Adventure of The Seas..I would like to go the Cruzan factory, then a nice beach that has facilities, food & drink, shade & can rent chairs & umbrellas..my friend last year went to Christiansted and had lunch on the Boardwalk & then went to Hotel On The Cay and their beach...is this OK? From what I've read, I may prefer Sandcastle over Rainbow beach because we prefer a little more quiet to lots of loud music & more people..so, Hotel On The Cay, or Sandcastle? Thanks for all your input- you really are helping out so many people..if we go to Sandcastle & you are there, the beer is on me!!

Big Al

Hi Drake,

 

To the best of your knowledge are Sweeny's Safari Tours reliable? Do you book in advance or when you exit the ship? I have not read a lot about them and am wondering if they would be suitable for senior citizens.

 

Thanks,

 

Grace

Sorry I haven't been on the forums much lately but I'm back today so I'm going to answer as many as I can, starting here.

I actually met one of the guys who runs Sweeney's about a month ago and told him about some of the issues people have had booking with them. He told me to give out his cell number here and make sure everyone calls in advance and books their tour.

Here you go: (340)513-8290

Andre is a good guy and he will help you.

Hi Drake. Thanks for all the help and info you are providing.

 

We will be on the Carnival Sunshine in December (Journeys cruise) and have a day in St. Croix from 8am - 4pm.

 

2 Adults and 2 Kids (8 & 10)

 

We enjoy the beach, sight seeing, nature and food.

 

We have previously been to St. Kitts (rented a car and drove all around the island), St Maarten (rented a car and drove all around the island).

 

We are all physically able and want to make the most of the day here.

 

What would you suggest to do? Rent a car?

 

What places are a must see?

 

Thanks!

Skip the car rental headache and stay on the west end near the ship. Enjoy the beaches and the great food, go snorkeling or diving, drink, swim, paddleboard, enjoy yourselves! For your family I think freedom city surf is the right fit, say hi to Bill and Pi and drink a painkiller.

Drake- Love your posts & info!!..I will be in St. Croix on a Mon in mid November on the Adventure of The Seas..I would like to go the Cruzan factory, then a nice beach that has facilities, food & drink, shade & can rent chairs & umbrellas..my friend last year went to Christiansted and had lunch on the Boardwalk & then went to Hotel On The Cay and their beach...is this OK? From what I've read, I may prefer Sandcastle over Rainbow beach because we prefer a little more quiet to lots of loud music & more people..so, Hotel On The Cay, or Sandcastle? Thanks for all your input- you really are helping out so many people..if we go to Sandcastle & you are there, the beer is on me!!

 

Big Al

Thanks Al, I appreciate that. I've lived on this rock for 2 years and never been to hotel on the cay, it's too darn far east! Stay out west with the real people and enjoy Sandcastle, hell maybe I'll buy you a beer. [emoji2]

Should we be suggesting a cab stop like scenic area before we head over to Sandcastle?? Any bakery/pastry place on way to get some goodies either before or after via cab to beach??

 

Also after we leave beach where is the hot spot local place in town.

 

I have Roses Dream and Turtles Deli (read they are very crowded) and would LOVE Blue Moon Cajun place I think but might not be open on Sunday. Maybe they open when cruise in port? Could we go swing by Blue Moon area to check before heading to another option just in case?? or too much time wasted??

 

Thank you so much!

Just realized I had missed this question! Sorry!

From your other thread I'm guessing you plan to stop at SweetBites on your way to Sandcastle which is an excellent plan. Turtles Deli is closed on Sundays (cruise ship or not) so cross that off your list.

Blue Moon might be open but it's hit and miss.

Sunday afternoon after the beach the locals will be at Lost Dog Pub if you want to check it out.

Thanks Al, I appreciate that. I've lived on this rock for 2 years and never been to hotel on the cay, it's too darn far east! Stay out west with the real people and enjoy Sandcastle, hell maybe I'll buy you a beer. [emoji2]

Thanks, Drake..sounds perfect..we will talk before I leave to see if you will be at Sandcastle that day...

Good Afternoon,

 

I just joined and thought I would introduce myself. My name is Darrin and I live on St. Croix, not too far from the cruise ship pier. I thought that an unbiased local's opinion might be useful to everyone here since I don't work in the tourism industry. Feel free to ask questions.

 

Thanks,

Darrin

Darrin, we are flying into St. Croix in September and staying for a week. Your posts have been helpful, but just wondering you mention the museums a lot and not sure we are history buffs. Are they a must see even if we are not a history buff? Also, On non cruise ship days, where would we be able to hook up with a tour or do most hotels have information readily available? Thanks for any info you have. We definately will be renting a car for at least a couple of days. Will it be hard to get around and easily lost?

Thanks Al, I appreciate that. I've lived on this rock for 2 years and never been to hotel on the cay, it's too darn far east! Stay out west with the real people and enjoy Sandcastle, hell maybe I'll buy you a beer. [emoji2]

Drake- BTW, how far is the Rum factory from Sandcastle beach, and should I take a cab to the factory, then to Sandcastle, or visa versa? Thanks...

Big Al

Darrin, thank you for all the useful information. It has been a great help.

Now I have a few questions that I haven't seen posted.

How far is it to St Patrick's church from the port? Could we walk to it for 10:00 am mass? We dock at 8:00am on Sept 27th. Would we be able to get a taxi from St Pat's to Cruzan Rum Tour and then a taxi from Cruzan to Sandcastle. Can we do church, the rum tour, Sandcastle and get back to our ship by 5:30pm?

Darrin, we are flying into St. Croix in September and staying for a week. Your posts have been helpful, but just wondering you mention the museums a lot and not sure we are history buffs. Are they a must see even if we are not a history buff? Also, On non cruise ship days, where would we be able to hook up with a tour or do most hotels have information readily available? Thanks for any info you have. We definately will be renting a car for at least a couple of days. Will it be hard to get around and easily lost?

I hope you enjoy your stay! The museums are fun for me because I am a history freak but certainly not something you have to do. You will probably still enjoy the forts though, and Whim is fun to wander around anyway. The botanical gardens are amazingly beautiful and full of life. You may want to wake up early one morning and watch the first sunrise in the United States from Point Udall. Your hotel should have plenty of great info for you about what is available to do during your stay.

If you rent a car (which is a great idea) please be CAREFUL and remember to STAY LEFT. Get GPS if it's an option in the car and get a map either way and you should be fine.

Drake- BTW, how far is the Rum factory from Sandcastle beach, and should I take a cab to the factory, then to Sandcastle, or visa versa? Thanks...

 

Big Al

It's about 20-30 minutes by taxi from the beach. I always recommend you visit the farthest point from the ship first so yes I would go do the tour and end the day at Sandcastle. That way when the ship whistle blows you're only a few minutes away.

Darrin, thank you for all the useful information. It has been a great help.

 

Now I have a few questions that I haven't seen posted.

 

How far is it to St Patrick's church from the port? Could we walk to it for 10:00 am mass? We dock at 8:00am on Sept 27th. Would we be able to get a taxi from St Pat's to Cruzan Rum Tour and then a taxi from Cruzan to Sandcastle. Can we do church, the rum tour, Sandcastle and get back to our ship by 5:30pm?

It's a few blocks inland from the port so it should be walkable, presuming you are physically fit people. Getting a taxi van from the church might be a challenge so I would recommend you make arrangements at the pier to have someone pick you up afterwards.

I'm not sure how long mass lasts but I don't see any issue with you doing it all in time.

Hi Drake! It's so great you're willing to help out so many with your knowledge. I'm not sure you can know how appreciated it is!

I do have a question. We'll be in St. Croix on a Weds (Feb 3rd, 2016), I was wondering if you'd ever been to the Ridge to Reef farm and if you would recommend going there. From what I see online it looks interesting, but there's also a lot else to do on the island as well. It seems a little off the beaten path. We'd probably need to hire a cab driver for the day. I was thinking do the farm in the morning and then the tide pools in the early afternoon before heading back to Frederiksted to walk around for a bit, and then getting back on the ship. Our ship is there from 8-6, so a good long day.

Also considering your previous advice of the Cruzan Rum tour and a beach, however this is an 11 day cruise and there will be plenty of beaches for us. This will be our first time in St. Croix, so want to see more of the island.

Thanks so much for any input you may have!

Will this parade be held near the pier, or elsewhere? Will much of the port area shopping be closed for the Holiday? We were planning on going to the Domino Club to see the famous pigs after doing some shopping. Any idea if they would be open? Thanks for all your help.

Rick and Deirdra

How much is the taxi to cruzan

Thanks

We will be in St. Croix on Wednesday, Jan 27. My husband and I would like to take a taxi to Whim Museum. Can anyone tell me how far it is from the ship and the approximate price of a taxi? Would we have difficulty finding a taxi to return to the ship? Thanks

Hi Darrin, We will be in St Croix on Sunday, January 17. Can you tell me if the Lost Dog Pub is near any of the beaches? My husband may want to watch a little football in paradise. :D Thanks!

Hi Drake! It's so great you're willing to help out so many with your knowledge. I'm not sure you can know how appreciated it is!

 

I do have a question. We'll be in St. Croix on a Weds (Feb 3rd, 2016), I was wondering if you'd ever been to the Ridge to Reef farm and if you would recommend going there. From what I see online it looks interesting, but there's also a lot else to do on the island as well. It seems a little off the beaten path. We'd probably need to hire a cab driver for the day. I was thinking do the farm in the morning and then the tide pools in the early afternoon before heading back to Frederiksted to walk around for a bit, and then getting back on the ship. Our ship is there from 8-6, so a good long day.

 

Also considering your previous advice of the Cruzan Rum tour and a beach, however this is an 11 day cruise and there will be plenty of beaches for us. This will be our first time in St. Croix, so want to see more of the island.

 

Thanks so much for any input you may have!

Thank you so much! I hope I answered your taxi questions adequately on your other thread. I've never been to R2R myself but I have some friends that volunteer up there and absolutely love it. I hope you have a great time! I've always driven to the tide pools (off roading in jeeps) and never hiked it, you are more adventurous than I am but please do be careful.

If you are not in the mood for rum and the beach that's perfectly understandable, I hope you still enjoy your day on my home.