drake2014

Hi Drake. When you say Rhythms beach is gone, do you mean no more Rainbow Beach? How about the beach next to the pier? Can you still rent chairs and umbrellas there? Sandcastle beach? What beach would you recommend after the hurricane for cruisers? Thanks

Most of the sand was blown out to sea, they will recover in time. All of the west end beaches are basically exposed rock with some sand scattered around now. Westend Watersports (the rental people next to Rhythms is closed) so no chairs or umbrellas there. I found one of the Sandcastle umbrellas in my yard so I would say the odds are not in your favor.

Walk till you find a beach you like, or bring trash bags and help clean up.

Good afternoon everyone, I don't have the time or bandwidth to go through and answer individual threads so I thought I would put together an update.

The west end suffered massive damage.

Most of the wonderful places I have recommended are barely hanging on or closed outright. Freedom City Surf/Teres Veho was flattened and probably won't ever reopen. Rhythms is running on a generator with a limited menu but the beach is gone. Turtles Deli suffered terrible damage and looting but will reopen as soon as they can. Tap Deck is running on limited power but they are open and serving drinks and food.

Most roads are cleared but there are power lines and poles hanging everywhere, trees down and sidewalks and blocking some roads. Branches and bush everywhere combined with tin from roofs, in some places whole roofs are laying in the streets. Almost nobody has power so the air buzzes with generators 24/7 and extension cords are laying everywhere. Cell phone towers are down all over so service is spotty at best, same for internet access.

We are rebuilding, we are staying, we are VI-Strong, neighbors are helping each other and we will survive.

Send help if you can.

-Drake

We are ok. Limited internet and limited time but my family and I are safe and well. Thank you for checking on me.

Will start answering questions when I can.

Hi Drake,

 

I'm told you can advise me about Ar. Thomas. Is this true?

St. Thomas? Absolutely not. Been there a handful of times for work, didn't care for it.

Just saw this thread. I am not on any cruises to St Croix anytime soon. I lived there for a short time back in 1990. Yes, a long time ago. :) At the time there was a Chart House on a pier. Across the bay was a little "island". Does that ring a bell with you? I am thinking of a land vacation in San Juan and St Croix. Just starting to plan some things. Is that area across the bay still there? We enjoyed it and enjoyed the music and food provided.

Hotel on the Cay is right across the water from Christiansted, that's my best guess for what you're talking about. Great bar, decent food, cute hotel.

http://www.hotelonthecay.com/

I hate to disagree with disneydave up there but when you step off the ship facing town rainbow is to your LEFT...... It's due north of the pier.

I've attached a map.

Pier to Rainbow.pdf

Island tour recommendations, Will be in St Croix Feb. 2018 would like to see the beer drinking pigs, Cruzan Rum, other island hi lights ?

Buck Island is the gem of St. Croix if you enjoy snorkeling. Dive the Wall at Cane Bay if you enjoy scuba.

Plenty to do here, what are you looking for?

Well then. Margaritas it is then. Thanks again for all your info and help.

I have one more question if you wouldn't mind answering..... Can we get a taxi for all day to take us to these places? and what would be the cost? (just in case we decide we all want to drink a little).

You could hire a taxi but honestly, I have no idea what it would cost.

You could call Prince and see what he would charge for the day; if you have a large enough group it might be economical.

Prince: 340-642-3811

Drake,

 

I am looking into the Gecko ATV tours, do they have specific times they run each day? We are hoping to do that and Cruzan factory, do you think we can do both?

 

Thanks

They run whenever they have a large enough group.

You should contact them directly. 340-713-8820

info@geckosislandadventures.com

Thanks so much for your input. Driving should not be a problem we have done the driving on the left side before.

Yes I did mean Angry Nates and Blue Mutt sounds interesting since I work at a veterinary clinic and we have 3 dogs. Margarita's sound wonderful, can you have them in the car while driving as long as the driver is not drinking?

I think we will try to see the fort and Whim estate if time, and see the pigs for sure.

It will be a busy wonderful day, looking forward to seeing your island again last time we just went to Sandcastle beach, want to see more this time.

Thank you Gail

The Blue Mutt is great, they donate a big chunk of their profits to the animal shelter, you'll love it.

The restaurant next door is called Luncheria, they make a great margarita. Your comment about margaritas made me laugh for quite a while.

Laws here are a bit different than the states, the passenger AND DRIVER are allowed to drink while driving, you just can't be drunk and drive.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

Walking to Sandcastle is very do-able, I did it last year with a girlfriend and we had no problems, Drake is right there are no sidewalks but if you have any sense at all you would not walk down the center of the road. We stayed on the side off the road and even though cars past us we were not in danger, similar to any country road, but I guess if you are a city person this may be an issue. It was a lovely walk.

Thank you for the input. I suppose I should clarify a bit, if you know how to safely walk down a road with traffic moving opposite to how you're used to (if you're from the states) then you are welcome to walk. My concern is when there are groups walking south from town (presumably headed for Sandcastle) in the left lane oblivious to the traffic coming up behind them. Same thing at the end of the day just reversed. As I've said, we like to drive fast on the beach road, it's where a lot of people go to show off their vehicles on Sundays, it's not a safe place to be walking in the lanes.

I saw a post on renting a car and touring your wonderful island, can you please tell me if this itinerary would work with our time. We are in port from 8-5. What I am thinking of doing is renting a car from Budget driving to Christiansted and looking around. May stop at the Rum tour on our way out there or on our way back, not sure which would be best. I noticed there are 2 museums in Christiansted that are open on Mondays (the day we are there). Apothecary Hall Museum and Estate Whim Museum. thought we may do both of these, are they worth seeing?. We would maybe have lunch at Angry Birds, that you have highly recommended in your comments. On the way back we want to hit Domino Club for the beer drinking pigs and then back to drop off the car.

Is there anything in Christiansted that is a great thing to do or see?

Is there anything else you would recommend that we do not miss?

And would it be better to take a tour with Prince, rather than try to do this on our own?

Thank you for all your wonderful advice that I have read so far, you are so helpful.

Gail

Wow! Busy day! Ok, let me try to address everything here:

With all the stops you want to make I can see the appeal of having your own car rather than just using taxis or taking a tour, that being said please make sure you are up to it. It can be a bit of a shock driving on the left for the first time if you've never done it, and trying to learn it in 9 hours might be a challenge.

I would hit Cruzan on your way (presuming you don't hit the tasting bar too hard) because it gets very busy in the afternoons on ship days.

Apothecary Hall is interesting if you have a big love for medical history, otherwise I would skip it. Check out the fort while you're in Christiansted, that place is awesome! Estate Whim is actually back in Frederiksted (slightly East of town), I would hit it on the way back if you can. The great house and grounds are really cool at Whim.

There's no place called Angry Birds, I presume you meant Angry Nates? Great spot for a bite on the boardwalk, if you time it right you can watch the seaplane take off and land.

While you're in C'sted you should stop by the Blue Mutt and Luncheria. Blue Mutt is my favorite shop, especially for people with dogs, they also have jewelry, decor, and gifts. Luncheria is in the courtyard next door. Get a margarita for the drive back west and say hi to Lenny.

Domino Club is beautiful and the pigs are always entertaining, but it is a bit out of the way. That being said the drive up into the rainforest is stunning.

Make sure to leave some time in there somewhere for relaxing on a beach!!!

This idea intrigues me! Tell me more!

 

Renee

Which part? I'll try both lol.

CHANT is the local historical society in Frederiksted, they will take you on a walk all over town and tell you all about the history of everything. They are wonderful people and it's very cheap, I believe about $20.

Carnival kicks off right before Christmas, they will probably still be setting up when you arrive. The official schedule is not out yet but basically, from about December 20th until January 10th it's constant music and parades.

Hi fellow CC's

 

i am thinking about booking a 5 hour buck island trip with carribean sea adventures, doesnt seem to be much on here about them, but good reviews on TA.

 

also the tour finishes at 3 in christiansted and our ship leaves at 4, how long does it take to get back? will i have enough time to get back to the ship? and if so can anyone reccomend the best way to travel and how much is a return taxi for 2?

 

thanks

Big Beards will get you back in time, no guarantees with Caribbean Sea Adventures.

Seriously, just call Big Beards. my wife went with them again on Monday. Always a great time.

We will be there in November.

Sandcastle is your best bet. Or Freedom City if you want to try Paddleboards.

I live part time in St. Croix. One of my favorite places to go to the beach, snorkel, get great drinks at reasonable prices and eat good food is right next to the pier. It doesn't require a pass. Go to Coconuts, as you leave the pier turn left and walk along the beach. They rent out chairs and lounges.

If you'd like an "upscale" place get a day pass to the Buccanneer. You'll have to grab a taxi to take you. Expect to pay higher prices but it is a nice beach for laying out and swimming but not so great for snorkeling. They do rent kayaks etc in both places.

Coconuts closed a couple months ago.....

Salt River Marina is very much not in Christiansted, that being said it should not be hard to get a ride up there. Figure about $25-30 for the trip.

The normal rate is $25 for two people, be prepared to spend a bit more on a cruise ship day (supply and demand).

Should take about 45 minutes to get there, faster if they take the highway but most taxi drivers take centerline so you can see more of the island.

This is our first visit to St. Croix' date=' so we would REALLY like to get to see something of the island. We are huge fans of hiking or other eco activities. A fort tour? Not so much.

 

BUT St. Croix is our Port-of-Call on Christmas Day. This happened four years ago when our port was Barbados. We walked to The Boatyard. It is a long walk, but we remember this day very fondly.

 

Does anyone have any ideas? I feel safer with either a scheduled tour, or just walk.

 

Thank you, all![/quote']

 

You could hook up with CHANT for a walking tour (340-277-4834). I bet they will be open.

Christmas is also carnival season, just follow the music for a good time.

Has anyone tried this rainforest hike? It has good reviews on ship mate but I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Never heard of it but it sounds like something run by the mount victory guys, they are good people.

http://www.mtvictorycamp.com

Drake,

 

Are there any facilities at Turtle Beach on Buck Island? My wife loves the beach and I love snorkeling and Turtle beach looks like great snorkeling, but I cannot find out if the beach has any facilities. We will be in St. Croix next March on the Jewel of the Seas. Thanks in advance.

Absolutely not, it's a national monument. There are no facilities or structures of any kind on Buck Island.

Is there a beach that has both good snorkeling and facilities (bathroom, food, etc.)? I found reviews for several beaches that have good snorkeling reviews; but it looks like they are out of the way and don't have any facilities available. Ideally, I would like a beach where I can snorkel and my husband can sit and relax (and drink).

Sandcastle on the Beach would work for you. Snorkel toward the south of the restaurant.

Those of you who did this tour, did you do it through the ship or on your own? I know nothing of the island as this will be our first time there. If it last an hour or two I may dive in the morning and then do this is in the afternoon.

Skip Captain and go to Cruzan. Captain Morgan is such a sterilized corporate environment it kind of sucks the fun out of it, it feels like a two-hour commercial.

I was there this week, found 2 different flasks.

Basic one for $6 and a fancy set with shot glasses for $30.

I think there's a suggested donation at the Fort. Maybe $5? It's not much. The beach is free of course, but there is a bar down at the end if you get hungry or thirsty.