Jump to content

Just Back: Went to St Thomas on Adventure of the Seas


Recommended Posts

We were in St Thomas on Friday 11/10 on Adventure of the Seas. There is a lot of visible damage to the hotel on the right (Marriott?) as you enter the harbor. There were missing roofs beside us on the pier but no piles of debris. We were greeted by a Mardi Gras type celebration with music and dancers as well as cheering and waving. As we disembarked the dancers were handing us trinkets and photo post cards of St Thomas. They were definitely excited to see us and personally thanked each one of us for coming. The open air bus drivers were equally thankful and shook our hands.

 

We booked the Sapphire Beach and Island Tour excursion through the ship as we didn't know if taxis would be available. We did talk to a couple later that took a taxi back to the ship from downtown but there definitely was not the usual lines of taxis waiting at the pier. There was a lot of damage around the island that ranged from debris strewn around to collapsed buildings. There were many blue tarps visible that FEMA had installed over damaged roofs. There was no electricity on the island. The driver Curtis told us that they had contracted with "foreign" electrical workers but they were still waiting for the telephone poles to arrive. The wires were laying along the sides of the roads and in some places blocked the roads. Pieces of telephone poles hung from sagging wires above the streets,

 

Curtis said they are very proud of the community effort to help each other. Those with generators are housing others without. He explained that fuel is difficult to get and expensive so they take turns using the generators. The solar farm that took several years to build is gone. Pieces of solar cells are everywhere. The owner of Sapphire Beach said he was hoping for electricity by Xmas but Curtis thinks it will be closer to a year.

 

Curtis also told us about friends that lost their lives. One woman was sucked out of her home when the wall crumbled. Another police officer was trying to put plastic on a blown out window when a piece of his neighbors roof blew into the window and killed him. A young mother of four huddled under her truck for seven hours because her roof was blown away.

 

The roads are in very bad shape. Some are impassible. There are no road signs. I don't know if there are rental cars available but I highly discourage attempting renting one at this time. Many cars we saw don't have windshields and are covered with plastic. Others are being driven with no windshields. There are traffic jams where debris is blocking the road or where giant holes are.

 

There was a lot of damage on the Sapphire Beach property as we headed down the hill but the bathrooms are functioning and the dive shop is open. Many people rented snorkel equipment. There is a tent over the snack bar/food area and they were cooking something that smelled heavenly!! The beach is narrower and the sand is courser than I remembered. The trees behind the beach were heavily damaged or missing but a few people saw the iguanas in the field behind the trees.

 

We snorkeled to the right (as you face the water) and the visibility was limited due to sand being kicked up by the surf, There was a fair amount of fish at the shallow reef but it was too rough to go to the end of the rock point. Keep in mind that you can encounter conditions like this without a visit from a hurricane. Others that snorkeled to the left reported seeing debris and a roof.

 

Despite the damage visible around us, the view across the water remains breathtaking. The water was clear for swimming and quite enjoyable. The residents were upbeat and thankful that they emerged "ok" and reminded us that St John and Tortola was much worse off. Their resiliency and optimism was truly inspirational. They are excited that everyone now has jobs and are working together to put their community back together.

 

As we pulled away, even the drivers waved and cheered with the shop owners and yelled "Thanks for coming! Tell your friends!" We struggled with our decision to visit St Thomas and worried we would be instrusive or viewed as non-caring but we are reassured that they want us there and need us there. We are glad we went and enjoyed our short time with the lovely people of St Thomas!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking with the owners of Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort in St. Thomas on Friday, Governor Kenneth Mapp was told that the cost to rebuild the resort — which the owners have pledged to construct anew, had grown to $400 million, a realization that will more than likely move the 18-month reopening timeline further into the future, as the construction cost associated with the prior 18-month estimation was $200 million.

 

http://viconsortium.com/business/estimated-cost-to-rebuild-frenchmans-reef-marriott-resort-now-400-million-v-i-government-gets-access-to-over-400-million-in-federal-loans/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for sharing! St Thomas and especially Sapphire Beach has long been one of our favorite Caribbean destinations. I feel so bad for the lovely people of the island. Of course there will be many on the ship who complain of having to visit such an "impoverished island".;) Personally, I am glad the ships are returning and helping the island recover economically.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This makes me so happy to read! I’ll be there on Oasis in December. I’ve felt a little conflicted about vacationing there when there are still so many people suffering the effects of the hurricane. Our usual in St Thomas is to taxi to Sapphire Beach, but we decided to do a ship excursion on a catamaran just in case taxis weren’t readily available. I can’t wait to see that blue water!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This isn't possible. I thought there was a huge thread started by someone, about how Royal was so insensitive to the people of the islands by going back so soon. Who could have guessed they'd be so happy to have the tourism money back to help them start rebuilding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good news. I knew they would be so happy to see the cruise ships back in port. They count on us for their livelihood. I'm sure it gave them something to look forward to in the future, as more and more ships will visit.

 

What dock did you go to? Havensight or Crown Bay? I know Royal was supposed to start using Crown Bay only. Just wondered if they are sticking to that or are using Havensight. We will be there on Dec. 13th. Just wondering where we will dock.

 

Thanks for the report.....

 

Gwen :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good news. I knew they would be so happy to see the cruise ships back in port. They count on us for their livelihood. I'm sure it gave them something to look forward to in the future, as more and more ships will visit.

 

What dock did you go to? Havensight or Crown Bay? I know Royal was supposed to start using Crown Bay only. Just wondered if they are sticking to that or are using Havensight. We will be there on Dec. 13th. Just wondering where we will dock.

 

Thanks for the report.....

 

Gwen :D

We were in Havensight. Many of the little shops were open. The larger buildings had a lot of damage. The skyride is not operational. Looks like one of the giant poles is bent or blown partly over. I have pictures on my phone but I am not sure how to post them. Crown Point will be closed for awhile. A Carnival ship is docked there. The FEMA workers and reconstruction crews are being housed on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were in Havensight. Many of the little shops were open. The larger buildings had a lot of damage. The skyride is not operational. Looks like one of the giant poles is bent or blown partly over. I have pictures on my phone but I am not sure how to post them. Crown Point will be closed for awhile. A Carnival ship is docked there. The FEMA workers and reconstruction crews are being housed on it.

 

 

 

Thanks for that information......good to know!

 

 

Gwen [emoji3]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...