drake2014

@Lovestx thanks for the wonderful answer.

I would call Cruzan to make sure that they are open before I walked that far, otherwise just beware of traffic and you should be fine. IF Cruzan is open I'm sure they would call you a taxi.

Sounds like Rainbow or Sandcastles would work but if the beach is in better shape at the Buccaneer it might be work the extra cab ride. Any body have any recent experience at them? How much would the cab ride be?

 

 

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I like the buccaneer just fine but nothing on this island is worth THAT cab ride! Stay west and go to Rainbow!

Any updates how the snorkeling is by the pier. Is there still someone to rent chairs, umbrellas and snorkeling equipment? We will be going in March. Thank you!

Chairs and Umbrellas yes, all over the beaches, Snorkeling equipment I'm not sure where you would rent locally, but I imagine the dive shops could help you out.

Snorkeling along the pier area and beaches is quite lovely, although it is a bit rough getting in these days, bring water shoes.

What is there to do near the cruise ship port within walking distance? Shopping? Thank you!

Franklin's on the Waterfront, Molly's, N2theBlue, Cane Bay Dive Shop, Polly's. Wander down the waterfront and find what you like. Lots of bars and restaurants to check out.

Have fun!

Drake we have never been, & are coming in April.. Would were looking at either big beards buck island tour, a hike to the tidal pools (I'm nervous about that more my hubby's choice) or beach day? & what beach would you choose? We prefer not super crowded but chairs/umbrellas avail. a bar is nice but not a required..

I would do the beach day for your first time here, that way if you get tired of it you can just wander into town rather than being stuck somewhere. I would hit Sandcastle for what you want.

We will be in St. Croix from 8 am to 6 pm. We want to do the full day Big Beard's Snorkeling tour. The description says we will be back at 3:30 pm. Will we have time to visit Cruzan Distillery? How far is it from the port? What's the average time spent there?

It would be a little tight on time but certainly possible!

Cruzan is roughly 5 miles from the port, but if you're coming from big beards I'm not sure if they drive you back to Frederiksted by 3:30 or dock in Christiansted at 3:30. Cruzan is about 13 miles from C'sted.

I always spend about an hour there but your time may vary.

Will there be island tours , Cruzan Rum, Botanical garden tours available at the cruise port ?

Yes, there will be taxi and tour companies at the port.

I emailed them recently & got the response that they do NOT sell advanced passes. First come get them. When they’re full, they stop selling them. Would love to know which is true. We’ll be on the Jewel docking this coming Monday 🌴🛳

New owners, new rules. I believe it is first come, first served now.

I would like to get a cigar in st Crox. Anybody know of a place within walking distance of getting of the ship

 

 

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Good morning, there is not really anywhere close to the ship to get good ones, although S&B liquor might have some. For the good stuff, you need to hop a taxi to Christiansted and hit Steele's or Baci, they have the best.

What is the best way to get to buck island?

 

 

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Big Beard's!

Ginger, most of the taxis on STX are big vans so I'm guessing you'll have no trouble finding one at the end of the pier.

 

Cruzan Rum recently responded to a request I made about whether they were open for tours yet. They said they hoped to be by January. So you may want to double check in a couple of weeks to make sure they are open.

 

I think if I were you, I'd just plan to leave the ship at 8:30 to grab the taxi van and get out to Cruzan Rum. I'm not sure that there will be much to see on the West End of the island before 9 a.m. unless you just want to take a drive through the rainforest and up towards Hams Bluff.

Solid advice as always @Lovestx, thank you!

Drake, we are coming in to port in January and I want to go to botanical gardens. If I want to do it on my own, is it easy to walk off boat, get a taxi to take us over? Idea of cost? Tour To gardens and Captain Morgan would be about $150 if bought on boat. Thank you, and glad to hear you are safe.. it looks like you are a great contributor for us cruise planners!

Should be easy to grab a taxi for that and should cost about $10 each way.

$150 is highway robbery!!

If the botanical gardens costs you anything it might be a $5 donation, that plus a round trip taxi should be $25 total.

Captain Morgan is a waste of time, you should really go to Cruzan! But if you insist the taxi will cost you $15 each way from the pier and the tour is $10.

All together I total that up to $65 for the day.

If the ship is really charging $150 someone is making a killing!!

Oh oh - now I'm a little concerned. We arrive in port at 8am, departing at 5pm. We need to be at Tamarind Reef Resort for 9:30am and will arrive back there at 2:30pm. When I googled, the drive should have take 1/2 hour - with the bad roads, how long will it take now?

 

Also, we wanted to go over to Buck Island as the snorkelling is supposed to be so awesome - do you know if it still is after the hurricanes?

 

Really appreciate your feedback Darrin!

 

Patricia

Google maps is never accurate down here, that being said when I punch it in I get 40 minutes minimum (I attached a screenshot). I would say it'll be closer to an hour and 15 minutes each way. Still doable within your time limits but worth being aware of.

I haven't been out to Buck Island since the storm but my friends that have say it's still amazing!

Happy to help!

Pier to Tamarind.pdf

Thanks for your response! I was hoping you, the resident guru, would chime in! We are doing a sail over to Buck Island with Captain Heinz on the Dragonfly (Teroro), which leaves from Green Cay Marina & Tamarind Reef Resort. Curious to know what makes it 'a hell of a drive'? And, thanks for the referrals.

 

Patricia

Ah, ok well, at least you have a good reason lol.

The roads are BAD since the storms, I generally stay pretty close to home these days, except to go to work. The roads are pretty shabby at the best of times, low speed-limits, winding paths, blind turns, but now the potholes will swallow small cars. So generally speaking these days if you live west you stay west, if you live east you stay east. Not saying it's not worth it, just telling it how it is.

Drake, is Freedom City up and running, chairs and umbrellas? We always went to Bill and his family, now not sure what to do.

Thanks.

I'm sorry guys, Freedom City is closed for good. Bill and the family left the island and the restaurant was basically demolished.

There is a go fund me going for them if you'd like to help, it has some incredible pictures of the damage.

https://www.go fund me.com/freedomcitysurf

I would suggest either Sandcastle of Rhythms, they're basically all we have left on the west end, to be honest.

Is the beach near the cruiseship dock okay after Maria? Are there chairs and any shade. Is it walkable

Thanks Ontario Cruiser

The beaches are recovering, sand is coming back. There are no chairs on that beach, closest place with chairs for rent is Sandcastle to the south and Rhythms to the north.

Hi Drake,

 

We have only 1/2 day in St Croix, an all onboard at 12.30.

 

I haven't been able to find a trip to Buck Island that gets us back in time. We generally enjoy being on or near the water... as opposed to doing city or walking tours.

 

Do you have any other suggestions for our half day?

 

Thx!

I would certainly not try getting to Buck island and back, there just isn't enough time.

I would go to Rhythms to eat, drink, and swim. It's close enough to the pier to really enjoy your short day here.

We are going to be a group of 6 needing transportation from the cruise port to Tamarind Reef Resort - looking at what the normal cab rates are, it is going to cost us $35 PER PERSON, for the return trip ($210 Total). This seems very expensive for a 30 minute ride. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

Tamarind is about as far as you can possibly go from the pier, any particular reason you want to go there?

You could try Prince, 340-642-3811, if he's up and running he may do you a better deal on it.

If not him then try Sweeney's at 340-773-6700, they may work with you on the price.

I'm not going to lie to you, I wouldn't drive that far on a cruise ship day for less than $500. It's a hell of a drive. *shrugs*

I'm not Drake but might suggest you consider a Tan Tan Tour (1/2 day) which is a really fun way to see parts of St. Croix. Another option would be to take a trip out to Buck Island....gorgeous beach, nice sail and good snorkeling.

Solid ideas! I appreciate you answering @lovestx

Buck Island is the jewel of the Caribbean and something everyone should see!

Tan Tan Tours will take you on a wonderful tour of the island, have them take you to the tide pools if you're up for it.

St. Thomas gets everything, we are used to it.

The beaches are a little rough guys, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. All the west end beaches suffered erosion from the storms, including Sandcastle and Rainbow. That being said they do get better every day, every wave is bringing the sand back up on the beach. At this point it's a good idea to wear water shoes and just walk on the rocks as needed, the water is still warm and clear.

We are scheduled to stop at St Croix on 18 January 2018. I've just started looked at what might be available of interest to my wife and me (both seniors). A Cruzan tour and maybe a CHANT walking tour at this point has our interest, maybe some beach chair time on the west end. But I am not sure if Cruzan is open for tours yet. Any answer about that would be appreciated by many I am sure.

 

Doug

Cruzan is open. Not sure on the hours but they will certainly be open on ship day.

We are looking forward to our visit to St Croix on Celebrity Summit. We are planning a day with Caribbean Sea Adventures to Buck Island. Where will we find the taxis and what are the taxi fees from the ship to Chritainsted?

Thanks for the information.

Taxis will be available right at the pier.

Should be about $25

No way of knowing yet which shops will be open but I would recommend Franklin's on the waterfront for what you are looking for.

Looking for the closest beach to the cruise ship terminal in St. Croix, willing to walk. Any suggestions appreciated.

The closest beach is the Fort Frederik beach, just to the left when you step off the pier. However, there are no amenities on that beach.

The closest beach with amenities is Sandcastle Beach, off to the right of the pier. I would recommend a taxi to get there however as the beach road is quite heavily traveled and very narrow.