USVI St. Thomas Travel Planning Tips & Resorts

If there were a cruise ship capital of the world, it might be St. Thomas, an island where life revolves around the many thousands of cruise passengers that disembark in the picturesque harbor town of Charlotte Amalie each week. Stores open for cruise ships, locals plan errands around ships’ departures, and even the old synagogue schedules its staff around when passengers will visit. For duty-free shopping, entire malls have been created just to cater to cruise traffic.

But there’s another side to St. Thomas that goes far beyond a day’s sojourn off a cruise ship. St. Thomas is a beautiful, hilly island with powdery white beaches, fine resorts and numerous unique attractions that make it well worth a long visit. My advice is to do the bulk of your touring—you guessed it—when the cruise ships are not around!

A Trading History

St. Thomas had the dubious distinction of being a former slave trading center in the late 1600s and early 1700s, importing African slaves who were then dispensed to St. John and St. Croix, the other two main U.S. Virgin Islands, to support their plantation economies. Eventually, due to the naturally deep harbor of Charlotte Amalie, interests turned to more suitable forms of trade, and St. Thomas became a major commercial distribution center for the West Indies. Today, while tourism is the island’s main business, some former distribution warehouses serve as fancy duty-free boutiques in Charlotte Amalie. Trading on St. Thomas has come a long way. [Read more about the U.S. Virgin Islands in our feature article.]

Charlotte Amalie and Historic Attractions

Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is a pretty town that can be easily explored on foot, and in fact, many walking tours are offered. The town primarily revolves around the rows of boutique-lined streets along the waterfront, at Royal Dane Mall and International Plaza. Those charming streets and alleys, however, are now “getting cut out of the action” as a local says, due to duty-free shopping centers at town’s edge, the latest being the $150 million Yacht Haven Grande complex that features upscale shopping with many fine European boutiques, expensive condos and a marina.

 

• Charlotte Amalie, the largest city in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was once a haven for pirates.

Courtesy of USVI Tourism

In the center of town is a colorful flea market with local crafts and souvenirs, and Fort Christian, a U.S. National Landmark originally built in 1680 for the island’s defense that now hosts a museum on Virgin Island history.

Up the hill from the Fort are the famous 99 Steps (though there’s actually 103) built by the Danes to maneuver the town’s steep incline. The old steps lead up to Governor’s Hill, which features Blackbeard’s Castle watchtower (the pirate rumored to have used the tower as a lookout), the Government House and the Seven Arches Museum, a restored historic house that tells the story of life in a bygone era.

A few blocks away is the St. Thomas Synagogue, the oldest continuously operating synagogue under the American flag, its sand-covered floors originally designed, it’s said, to muffle the sounds of prayer so worshipers could avoid religious persecution.

 

• This stone staircase was build by Danish settlers in the 18th century.

Courtesy of USVI Tourism

Shopper’s Delight

On the east end of town, near the cruise ship docks, is the St. Thomas Skyride, a tram that whisks visitors up to Paradise Point for stunning views of the harbor and surrounding islands ($21 adults; $10.50 ages 6 to 12; 5 and under free).

Directly adjacent to the cruise docks is the shopping at Havensight Mall and the newer Yacht Haven Grande. The two centers are magnets for duty-free shopping with prices as much as 60 percent lower than stateside; U.S. citizens, including children, are each permitted a $1,600 allowance in the U.S. Virgin Islands, double the $800 per person limit from other islands. Vendors are especially flocking to Yacht Haven Grande, which features everything from stalwarts such as Coach and Tommy Hilfiger to more luxurious brands like Louis Vuitton, Bulgari and Salvatore Ferragamo.

Steer a Submarine

Meanwhile, aside from buying gems, china, clothing and more, visitors to Havensight can also drive a submarine. Atlantis Adventures, which offers tourist rides around the reefs off St. Thomas, features an authentic submarine ride to a depth of 80 feet; $99 for adults, $49 for children 12 and under. The award-winning attraction is so popular, Atlantis opened up a mini-submarine attraction at Havensight Mall where shoppers can visit an authentic submarine pilot’s console and “drive” a submarine in between power shopping; the attraction is free.[Read more about boating in the U.S. Virgin Islands.]

 

• This synagogue on St. Thomas has been in operation for more than 160 years.

Anne Kazel-Wilcox

Favorite St. Thomas Restaurants

To re-energize after such tough duty, head across the street to the Shipwreck Tavern with arguably the best hamburgers on St. Thomas.

Good restaurants abound on St. Thomas but some favorites include Banana Tree Grille for international cuisine, Bella Blu for Mediterranean dishes, Havana Blue at Frenchman’s Reef for Cuban fusion and Mahogany Run’s Grille for a good deal on steaks and seafood.

The east end Red Hook area of St. Thomas is restaurant central. Try the East End Café for great Italian, Caribbean Saloon for steaks and seafood, Off the Hook for seafood, Robert’s American Grille and Lotus Asian Grill.