Which beach?

[April-in-NC]

St. Croix will be our final stop on our Southern Caribbean cruise. Since we have excursions planned (snorkeling, zip lining, horseback riding, speed boat) in the other ports I'm sure we will be tired (and broke) by the time we hit St. Croix on Saturday.

 

I'm thinking this would be a great day to spend on the beach or by a resort pool. I would like to have the option of some watersports nearby. I'm hoping to talk my friend into going parasailing with me, but she keeps telling me she is too scared.

 

Biggest priorities: pretty beach, chairs and CHEAP! :)

 

What do you guys recommend?

[beach spring]

Hands down! Although we were unimpressed by the beach, the hotel's pool was great!

[April-in-NC]

Carambola looks nice, do you have any pictures? How were the food prices?

 

What did you NOT like about the beach?

 

Thanks!

[beach spring]

Our first port was St. Croix but we enjoyed a relaxing day poolside at Carambola, nevertheless. We took a taxi there, having made arrangements from the tent/stand near end of pier. After a rather long wait for a driver (apparently they were hoping for add'l passengers), we finally got underway.

 

When we first arrived there, it was sprinkling and the tide was in, so our opinion of the beach was negative. There seemed to be no place to just lie out, no chairs/vendors that we saw. No sports vendors that we saw, but we weren't looking.

 

Maybe we didn't look hard enough. Probably because we were being "attacked" by some kind of sand bugs. Therefore, we went up to the pool by the hotel where we laid on lounge chairs for several hours. We ate a meal in carryout boxes my husband bought from the hotel dining room. I don't remember what we had or that it wasn't good. We did get delicious pina coladas!

 

The pool was great, practically deserted, no fee, floats no charge to use. The one negative was a local woman hawking her jewelry, which was pretty. The entrance to the pool/beach area is lovely, and there is a nice gift shop, comfortable bathroom. Would go there again, just for the pool area. If we were not supposed to be there, no one asked us to leave. In fact, no one approached us at all, except the one woman.

 

Just typing the above makes me really want to return! Have a great cruise. Bon voyage.

[The Islander]

If you are trying to save money then you might pick a beach close to the port so the taxi fare is less. You could try Dorsch/Sandcastle... it’s a pretty beach, the Sandcastle Hotel rents chairs and there is a good beachside restaurant.

 

If you wanted to parasailing I think there is only one company that offers this on St. Croix, they pick up someplace close to the port which again is convenient as far as avoiding taxi fares and saving some money that way, here's their website http://www.stcroixparasailing.com/.

 

--Islander