St. Croix Archives | Rum Therapy

February 23, 2020February 23, 2020

Why You Should Plan a Trip to St. Croix, USVI

St. Croix is the largest island in the United States Virgin Island (USVI) chain. The southernmost USVI island, St. Croix offers a wide variety of activities and experiences and a diverse landscape, including a sub tropical rainforest, a bio-luminescent bay, the best wall diving in the Caribbean, three national parks to explore and beautiful sandy beaches. In addition, St. Croix is home to the Cruzan Rum Distillery, the only golf courses in the USVI (Mahogany Run on St. Thomas closed after the hurricanes in 2017 and its future is still in question), a number of excellent restaurants, and historical sights to explore. Read on to find out why you should plan a trip to St. Croix, USVI.

US Residents Don’t Need a Passport to Travel to St. Croix

As with St. Thomas, St. Croix is a US Territory so US residents don’t currently need a passport to travel to St. Croix. (However, you may need proof of US citizenship to re-enter the US mainland, which may include a birth certificate and a government issued ID – be sure to check with your airline to make assure you have the required documents).

In addition, there are daily non-stop flights from several major US airports including Miami, Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale so you can get to the beach faster! Are you finding better flights flying into St. Thomas? Consider taking the seaplane from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas to Christiansted, St. Croix. It’s only 25 minutes from “downtown to downtown”!

Beaches

Before visiting St. Croix for the first time, we heard that the beaches were…just o.k. Not so! We’ve enjoyed several amazing beaches during our visits to St. Croix and look forward to our next return to find more! Some of our favorites?

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. The gorgeous 2 mile white sand beach at the Sandy Point Wildlife is the longest in all of the US Virgin Islands. The beach and surrounding area serve as a protected area for the endangered leatherback turtle. It is closed to the public from April to August during turtle hatching season and is only open on Saturday and Sunday the rest of the year. Read more here.

Turtle Beach, Buck Island. Buck Island is a small, uninhabited island off the northeast coast of St. Croix. Designated a National Monument in 1961, the 176 acre island is home to several endangered species such as the hawksbill turtle. In addition to enjoying the gorgeous white sand beach with views of St. Croix in the distance, you can hike the island, and snorkel the underwater trail in crystal clear water with vibrant coral and fish below. There are excursions that can take you to Buck Island for 1/2 day or full day trips.

Shoy’s. Not far from Christiansted, this pretty, secluded beach is a great place to relax, unwind and just listen to the waves lap the shore. Usually not crowded, Shoy’s doesn’t have any amenities and is a little harder to access and that could be why it’s nice and quiet. There is some good snorkeling, and the beach is great for walking or just digging your toes into.

Jack and Isaac Beach. Access the hiking path down the hill from close to Point Udall. Do you want to watch the sunrise on the beach in St. Croix? This is the place!

Rum

Like rum? You’re in luck when you visit St. Croix. There is not just one, but two rum distilleries that you can tour and rum flows freely at restaurants and beach bars. Want to enjoy learning about and tasting rum on St. Croix? Here are a few ways.

Cruzan Rum Distillery. The Nelthropp Family began making rum on St. Croix in the 1800’s and today award winning Cruzan Rums are well known to rum lovers. Cruzan offers really informative tours that take you into the actual rum making process and at the end of the tour there is a rum and rum drink sampling. Find out more about St. Croix Rum Distillery Tours here.

Captain Morgan Rum Distillery. Not far from Cruzan Rum (so you can tour both in one day!) is the Captain Morgan Rum Distillery. Built in 2011, Captain Morgan offers a different kind of tour than Cruzan, but both are worth exploring. Again, rum samples are provided at the end, so you might want to take a taxi!

Beach Bars. There are several fun beach bars to be found on St. Croix and…shock…they all serve rum! One of our favorites? Rhythms at Rainbow Beach. Not far from Fredriksted and the cruise ship pier, this can be a rockin’ place to hang out. Beach volleyball, a great beach, live music and spectacular sunsets make this a place to enjoy and enjoy a drink or two. Try a Cruzan Confusion or a Cruzan Chaos!

Frank Robinson at BES Craft Cocktail Lounge

Restaurant/Bar. We were blown away by BES Craft Cocktail Lounge and it’s owner, Frank Robinson. Located in Christiansted, we enjoyed some terrific food and originally crafted rum cocktails while there. It was so good, we returned the next night! Find out more here.

Other Things to See and Do on St. Croix

Crab Races – looking for something different and surprisingly fun to do with the family? Bet on your favorite crab at the crab races! Find out more about this popular St. Croix event here.

Point Udall – said to be the easternmost point of the US, Point Udall is marked by the Millennium Monument and offers stunning panoramic views of the sea surrounding St. Croix. Great place to catch the sunrise. Find out more about Point Udall here.

Dive the Wall – St. Croix has a number of great dive sites, but the best know site is simply called “The Wall”. This dive site can either be accessed by boat or by swimming out from the shore at Cane Bay Beach. Find out more about Diving the Wall here.

Beer Drinking Pigs at Mt. Pellier Domino Club

Beer Drinking Pigs – take a drive through the subtropical rainforest on the West End of St. Croix to the Mt. Pellier Domino Club to enjoy a beer with the resident pigs! Although the pigs are only given non-alcoholic beer, they certainly enjoy their beverage! Check out some photos of our visit here.

Explore the History of St. Croix with the St. Croix Heritage Map. Check out some of the highlights here.

Explore Salt Bay, a bioluminescent bay as it lights up at night on See Through Kayaks!

Still want more ideas of what to do during your St Croix vacation? Check out a list of 100 Things To Do On St. Croix here.

What to Bring Home

St. Croix Hook Bracelet – available at several stores, but we chose to purchase ours at Sonya Ltd. in Christiansted. Sonya is said to be the originator of the St. Croix Hook Bracelet.

Cruzan Rum – available at the distillery and, well, mostly everywhere in the VI. Some flavors (aged and Single Barrel too) are even available stateside, but if there is a flavor you fall in love with, be sure to bring a bottle or two home with you!

St. Croix Food and Wine Experience Book – Featuring recipes from Top Chef and Iron Chef contestants and James Beard and A Taste of St. Croix award-winning chefs, this is a keepsake full-color 9×9 cookbook and island guide to St. Croix.

Other posts you might be interested in:
Why You Should Plan a Trip to St. Thomas, USVI
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Barbados
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Kauai
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Tortola

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

June 5, 2017July 8, 2021

Cruzin Scooters – Scooter Rental & Bar, St Croix

Before flying over to St. Croix from St. Thomas recently, a friend told us, “Be sure to check out the Scooter rental shop that’s also a bar in Christiansted”. Hmmm. Quite the combination. Sounded just strange enough that we wanted to check it out.

(Update: 6/2021. A recent search for contact information for Cruzin Scooters indicated that they may be permanently closed. If this is not correct, please let us know so that we can update this information.)

We caught a quick glimpse of Cruzin Scooters & Full Bar as we walked out of our hotel in Christiansted on our way to the boardwalk. It was right across the street, just off the boardwalk, and during the day, looked like a normal shop. Later that night, after returning from a relaxing evening at BES Craft Cocktail Lounge, the quiet shop had transformed into a rowdy little bar. All of the scooters and bikes were parked out front, making room for a small dance floor, and the musician was really rockin’ on the keyboard.

We walked in to see what was happening and were greeted by owner Philip who asked if he could get us a drink. We tried to chat a bit over the music and asked how he’d come up with the idea to put a bar in a scooter rental place. He said it just seemed like a good idea, after all, people tended to congregate in the area, so he applied for a liquor license and got it. Of course, the liquor is available only after rentals shut down for the day- scooter rentals by day, bar by night!

The musician, Zenith Apollo, was just killing it on the keyboard. Originally from the states, he had music in his blood; learning from his musician mom who’d performed at the Grand Ole Opry. He’d been friends with Philip in the States, and had come down to visit Philip and ended up staying.

Zenith Apollo would sing and play for a while and then he’d accompany a friend or a friends child as they sang a tune or two.

The vibe was super casual, biker-bar(esque) and we had such a good time that we stopped in once again the next evening to enjoy an ice cold beer at a most unique Caribbean bar.

Have you stopped by Cruzin Scooters to rent a scooter or enjoy a cold beer while on St. Croix? Tell us about it!

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

March 5, 2017June 24, 2021

Rum Distillery Tours on the Island of St. Croix

St. Croix, the largest of the US Virgin Islands, not only has beautiful beaches, top-notch culinary experiences and a wide variety of great accommodations, it offers two distinctly different, yet interesting, rum distilleries tours for rum lovers – or those that would just like to learn more about rum.

Cruzan Rum and Captain Morgan are the two distilleries found on this, the largest US Virgin Island. Cruzan Rums have been crafted on St. Croix by the Nelthropp family for generations while Captain Morgan opened it’s St. Croix Distillery in 2011 and a visitor center on the site the following year. What does that mean for rum lovers like you and me? You’ve got two completely different tours to experience on St. Croix and you can easily do both in one afternoon!

We began our rum tour by getting a lift in Christiansted from Joseph, of Joseph’s VIP Taxi Tours (contact him at 340-277-6133). We knew we would be enjoying the rum drinks at the end of each tour and hiring a taxi is the way to go. Joseph was a great tour guide and was recently voted taxi driver of the year on St. Croix. He was warm and welcoming, and gave us some great info on St. Croix along the way.

First stop? The Captain Morgan Experience Center. Here we started the tour with a short and entertaining movie about Captain Morgan, then followed a tour guide through the Information Center, learning about the history and current Captain Morgan products.

Outside, we boarded a small tram to take a short tour through the distillery, learning about the distilling process along the way.

Once back at the facility, we were treated to two rum drinks of our choice and tastes of any the different types of rums, if desired.

At the end of the tour, you can peruse through the Captain Morgan shop and take home a souvenir of your visit.

Joseph was waiting for us outside and we boarded the van for our next rum experience. Just a short hop away, we entered the Cruzan Rum facility.

We were immediately taken by the Cruzan rum culture and our first view of a sugar mill surrounded by the flags of the seven nations that have ruled St. Croix – the most of any of the US Virgin Islands.

Walking up to the Visitors Center, we enjoyed the sights of a generations old facility.

Our tour guide took us through the actual distillery and we loved being so close to the process, smelling the molasses and watching it ferment.

In one of the storage rooms, filled with barrels and barrels of the delicious aging elixir, she explained the aging process and the color variations of different rums.

At the end of the tour, we were deposited in the Cruzan tasting room – not a bad place to be, where we enjoyed our choice of several different Cruzan Rum cocktails and again could sample the individual rums, if we wished (we did…).

After a few minutes of shopping, we headed back to find Joseph, who was waiting patiently for his, then, very happy crew, and we made our way back to our home for the night, Hotel Caravelle in Christiansted.

Have you taken the rum tours on St. Croix? Tell us about it!

Find out more about the rum tours here:

Captain Morgan

Cruzan Rum

A special thanks to USVI Tourism Board for arranging our rum distillery tours!

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

February 3, 2017June 6, 2019

Frank Robinson and BES Craft Cocktail Lounge, St. Croix

His business card reads “Frank Robinson, a bartender who cooks” and should, in our opinion, include, “award winning mixologist and one of the nicest guys around”. Frank recently opened his own cocktail lounge called BES Craft Cocktail Lounge in the heart of Christiansted, St. Croix.

We wanted to visit BES during our recent adventure on St. Croix and wandered into Frank’s establishment at about 9pm on a Thursday to an intimate and well designed space with lighting and music that created a welcoming vibe and a perfect place to meet, mingle and chill. We introduced ourselves to Frank, who behind the large bar, was busy creating some beautiful craft cocktails – cocktails where many of the elements are handmade, include interesting and creative flavor combinations, and are tailored specifically to the drink. If you’ve never experienced a true craft cocktail, well, the results of the hard work can be quite…satisfying.

While assembling our cocktail choices using fresh and local ingredients and liquors infused with fruits, vegetables, roots and herbs (you can see the array of infusions in bottles and jars behind the bar), Frank alternated between moments of intense concentration and bouts of joviality – his infectious, booming laugh filling the bar.

We ordered a drink called “The Darker The Berry”,

featuring Plantation Rum and a caramelized spiced orange,

and a “Crucian Queen” that included Cruzan Single Barrel and a Tamarind-Habanero Syrup.

Both unlike anything we’d tried before and both quite delicious.

Did we enjoy our visit with Frank at BES? So much so that we returned the following night, where we enjoyed a private rum tasting with Frank, who so very kindly brought in some of his private and vintage Cruzan Rum stock to share and compare with us.

During our rum tasting, we picked up a mouthwatering aroma coming from the kitchen and ended up ordering some Beef Meatballs Smothered in Curry Sauce, created by none other than Frank (remember – the bartender who cooks?) which tasted even better than they smelled, if that’s even possible. Excellent night, excellent experience at BES.

Have you enjoyed some time at BES Craft Cocktail Lounge? We’d recommend putting it on the list of places to visit while in Christiansted!

To find out more about BES, follow them on Facebook and Instagram or give them a call at 340.773.2985.

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

January 27, 2017June 6, 2019

Virgin Island Food Tours – a Taste of St. Croix & So Much More

When visiting new locations, do you look to find out more about the local cuisine and restaurants? Do you consider yourself a foodie? Are you equally as interested in local culture? If you answered yes to any of those questions and you’re visiting St. Croix, you will love the Virgin Islands Food Tour in downtown Christiansted.

We joined our guide, Anquanette for the Virgin Islands Food Tours – Taste of Twin City tour last week while on St. Croix. This 3 – 3.5 hour food tasting & cultural walking tour meets in Christiansted and winds its way around Christiansted’s historical sites and restaurants.

We enjoyed a good sized taste of local cuisine from 6 very different restaurants that featured food samples with Crucian, Trinidadian, Latin and West Indian influences,

as well as treats from a local bakery, a homemade ice cream shop and a rum drink.

In addition to the delicious food and drink samples, the tour introduced us to Christiansted and St. Croix history – made even more interesting by Anquanette, a personable and knowledgeable Crucian native and by actually stopping to visit some of the sites.

Want to know what Bush Tea is? What does West Indian Food taste like? What are Lentil Balls?

Delicious Lentil Balls

How many flags has St. Croix flown under? What is Armstrong Ice Cream? For answers to these questions and so much more – consider booking yourself on a Virgin Islands Food Tour in Christiansted during your next visit to St. Croix!

To find out more about Virgin Islands Food Tours, visit them on their website, Facebook page and Instagram!

A special thanks to Anquanette and Virgin Islands Food Tours for arranging for us to take this very special tour!

January 26, 2017June 6, 2019

Caravelle Hotel & Casino – Comfort and Convenience in the Heart of Christiansted

During our recent VI adventure, we were given the opportunity to visit Caravelle Hotel & Casino, a newly refurbished waterfront boutique hotel in the heart of Christiansted, St. Croix, and we jumped at the chance. In previous visits we found ourselves wishing for more time to explore this pretty, historic town on the north side of St. Croix and we were excited to have the chance to do so.

Our trip to St Croix from St Thomas was via a Seaborne Airlines sea plane. The short and convenient flight left from Charlotte Amalie and landed in Christiansted Harbor within walking distance of Caravelle Hotel, just down the scenic boardwalk. You can read more about the sea plane flight here.

Caravelle Hotel recently underwent extensive remodeling, re-opening in 2016 and now has a breezy, modern tropical feel on the inside, while the exterior vibrantly retains the Danish architectural charm found in much of Christiansted.

Lobby
In addition to the new décor in all 42 rooms and the lobby, Hotel Caravelle now incudes a new on-site casino with 76 slot machines.

What we loved the most about our stay at Caravelle Hotel & Casino was its close proximity to the many fine amenities found in Christiansted. All within walking distance, (or request a ride on one of their golf carts), you will find fine dining options such as balter, St. Croix, Zion Modern Kitchen and 40 Strand Eatery. BES Craft Cocktail Lounge is just a few blocks from Caravelle Hotel and is an excellent place to relax and enjoy craft cocktails masterfully created by award winning mixologist Frank Robinson. In addition to the many dining and drinking options, we enjoyed shopping at the nearby jewelry stores which offer beautifully handcrafted and original pieces, boutique clothing shops – and exploring the rich history of Christiansted at Fort Christianvaern . We also enjoyed learning about (and tasting!) some of the authentic flavors of St. Croix on the Virgin Islands Food Tour – an excellent guided food tasting and cultural walking tour in Christiansted. Or, if you don’t want to leave the comfort of Caravelle Hotel, you can dine and/or enjoy a cocktail at Rum Runners (downstairs and on the water), or stop in Big Beards Adventure Tours (attached to Caravelle) to set up an excursion to beautiful Buck Island.

In addition to all the wonderful things to explore in Christiansted, we took the two St. Croix rum distillery tours: Captain Morgan and Cruzan Rum. We easily toured both in one afternoon via a taxi so that we could enjoy the rum drinks offered at the end of each distillery tour.

After all of the exploring, we had a hard decision to make; pull up a lounge chair at the pool overlooking Christiansted Harbor, or take a short water taxi from the boardwalk to the pretty beach on Protestant Cay. We ended up doing (and enjoying) both!

And – at the end of each day, this was a really great place to land…

View of Christiansted Harbor from our room

Caravelle Hotel & Casino – comfort and convenience in the heart of Christiansted.

Are you ready to enjoy some time exploring Christiansted, St. Croix? Get more information on Caravelle Hotel & Casino on their website and follow them on Facebook and on Instagram.

A special thank you to Caravelle Hotel & Casino for arranging our wonderful stay. Stay tuned in the next couple of days as we post more about some of the fun things we experienced in Christiansted!

All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

January 25, 2017June 6, 2019

Taking the Sea Plane from St. Thomas to St. Croix

“Port to port with no airport” is the phrase used by Seaborne Airlines representative Angelia when spoke to her about the short flight on a sea plane from Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas to Christiansted Harbor in St. Croix.

And sure enough, we conveniently boarded the sea plane from a dock in Charlotte Amalie, received our flight safety information from the pilot while in the cockpit, then skimmed over the water of the harbor, passing boats and buoys, taking off on our way to St. Croix.

20 minutes later, after a smooth and scenic flight, we descended into Christiansted Harbor, gently touching down on the water and then pulling up to the dock to de-plane.

No airports – no fuss and there we were, just feet from the boardwalk in Christiansted! How convenient is that?

From there, we were able to walk right down the boardwalk to our hotel in Christiansted without having to rent a car or get a taxi – although both are available right at the Seaborne Terminal as well, if needed!

Check out the Seaborne Airlines website for more information on the Sea Plane flight from St. Thomas to St Croix and other flights available.

A special thanks to Seaborne Airlines for providing our flight from St. Thomas to St. Croix!

To see more posts on St. Croix and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

August 19, 2015June 6, 2019

Best of USVI Survey Results

Thanks to all who took our survey on the “Best-Of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix”. We hope the results of our Readers Choice survey will give people planning to visit one of these beautiful islands in the near future some ideas of what to do during that well deserved vacation. The results below are simply a compilation of the answers given by our readers based on what they’ve enjoyed while vacationing in the USVI and we do not endorse, nor discount any of the properties, restaurants, shops or attractions listed or not listed. We encourage you to continue to do your own research prior to your trip.

Some of the answers were eye-opening to us and after reading this, we’ve added a few things to our list to see and do during our next visit! Enjoy!

St. Thomas

Best Beach on St. Thomas:
1. Magens Bay
2. Sapphire Beach
3. Coki Point
4. Bolongo Bay

Best Beach Bar/Island Bar on St. John:
1. Duffy’s Love Shack
2. Iggies
3. Big Kahuna Rum Shack
4. Island Time Pub

Best Rum Drink on St. Thomas:
1. Painkiller
2. Bushwacker
3. Banana Daiquiri
4. VooDoo Juice

Best Restaurant on St. Thomas:
1. Sunset Grille
2. Fish Tails
3. Banana Tree Grille
4. Mafolie

Best Hotel/Resort on St. Thomas:
1. Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
2. Marriot’s Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort
3. The Ritz-Carlton
4. Dreams Sugar Bay
Write ins with multiple votes: Mafolie Hotel, Bluebeards Castle

Best Villa/Condo Rental in St. Thomas:
1. Slice of Heaven, Magens Bay
2. Sapphire Beach Condos – write ins
3. Point Pleasant – write ins
4. Brigadoon – Red Hook

Best Shop or Boutique on St. Thomas:
1. Pirates in Paradise
2. Bones Rum
3. Native Arts & Crafts Cooperative
Write ins with multiple votes: Fish Face, Caribbean Surf Co.

Best Souvenir to bring home from St. Thomas:
1. Bones Rum
2. Larimar Jewelry
Write ins with multiple votes: Hook Bracelet, Cruzan Rum

Best attraction to experience in St. Thomas:
1. Coral World Ocean Park & Undersea Observatory
2. Skyride to Paradise Point
3. Mountain Top
4. Tree Limin’ Extreme
Write ins with multiple votes: Great House Botanical Gardens, Drake’s Seat, Magens Bay

St. John

Best Beach on St. John:
1. Trunk Bay
2. Cinnamon Bay
3. Maho Bay
4. Salomon and Honeymoon
Write in with multiple votes: Gibney

Best Beach Bar/Island Bar on St. John:
1. The Beach Bar
2. Skinny Legs
3. Woody’s
4. Joe’s Rum Hut

Best Rum Drink on St. John:
1. Painkiller
2. Bushwhacker
3. Rum Punch
Write ins with multiple votes: Mojito and Island Girl from Joe’s Rum Hut, Lime in de Coconut

Best Restaurant on St. John:
1. The Lime Inn
2. Cruz Bay Landing
3. The Banana Deck
4. The Terrace Restaurant
Write in with multiple votes: The Fish Trap

Best Place to Stay on St. John:
1. Private Villa: There were more write ins on this one than votes on the entries posted. Most of the write ins were for private villas with no specific name mentioned with the exception of Villa Mar de Amores and Villa St. John.
2. Westin St. John Resort & Villas
3. Caneel Bay Resort
4. Gallow’s Point Resort

Best Shop or Boutique on St. John:
1. St. John Spice
2. Bougainvillea
3. Coconut Coast Studios
Write ins with multiple votes: Sloop Jones, Caravan, Freebird, Bamboo Studio

Best Souvenir to bring home from St. John:
1. St. John Hook Bracelet
2. Cruz Bay Grill Rub from St. John Spice
3. A Hand Painted Shirt from Sloop Jones
Write ins with multiple votes: T-shirt from The Beach Bar, Larimar Jewelry, rum, a good suntan

Best Attraction to Experience on St. John:
1. Snorkeling the trail at Trunk Bay
2. Snorkeling at Waterlemon Cay
3. Hiking anywhere in the VI National Park
Write ins with multiple votes: Drunk Bay, Exploring the town of Cruz Bay

St Croix

Best Beach on St. Croix:
1. Sandy Point Beach
2. Rainbow Beach
3. Cane Bay Beach
4. Sandcastle Beach
Write ins with multiple votes: Buck Island Beach

Best Beach Bar/Island Bar on St. Croix:
1. Rhythms at Rainbow Beach
2. Rum Runners
3. eat @ cane bay
4. Off the Wall
Write ins with multiple votes: Beachside Café

Best Rum Drink on St. Croix
1. Painkiller
2. Cruzan Confusion
3. Green Flash
Write ins with multiple votes: Lime in de Coconut

Best restaurant on St Croix:
1. Polly’s On the Pier
2. Rowdy Joes
3. The Waves at Cane Bay
4. Galangal
Write ins with multiple votes: Duggans Reef, Rum Runners, LeReine Chicken Shack, eat @ cane bay

Best place to stay on St. Croix:
1. TIE: Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort & Spa and Sand Castle on the Beach
2. The Buccaneer
3. Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort
Write ins with multiple votes: Cottages by the Sea, Condo Rental

Best shop or boutique on St. Croix:
1. Sonya Ltd
2. Purple Papaya
3. ib designs
4. From the Gecko Boutique
Write ins with multiple votes: Franklins on the Waterfront

Best Souvenir to bring home from St. Croix:
1. St. Croix Hook Bracelet
2. Cruzan Rum
3. Chaney Jewelry

Best attraction to experience on St. Croix:
1. Catamaran Sail to Buck Island
2. Kayaking at night in a bioluminescent bay
3. Point Udall
4. Beer drinking pigs at Montpellier Domino Club
5. Cruzan Rum Factory Tour
Write ins with multiple votes: dive the wall, dive or snorkel the pier, Jump Up Festival, St. George Village Botanical Gardens

To read more about these and other islands, be sure to check our Blog Directory by Island

November 22, 2013May 11, 2017

Is An All-Inclusive Caribbean Vacation Right For You?

Is an all-inclusive Caribbean vacation the right choice for you?

Lobby of the Barcelo Maya, Riviera Maya, Mexico

With more and more all-inclusive resorts being built or re-modeled into all-inclusives in many Caribbean destinations, we’re receiving more inquiries from our readers on whether an all-inclusive resort would be a good vacation choice for them. After all, vacation dollars are hard to come by and no matter what your vacation budget, you want to choose the best accommodation for you and your family.

Dominican-Republic-Beach - copyright Rum Therapy Beach at the Hark Rock Hotel, Punta Cana

We enjoy staying in all types of accommodations during our Caribbean travels from cruise ships to catamarans, high end resorts to budget resorts, villas to condos, etc., and, all-inclusive resorts. We’ve had the pleasure of enjoying quite a few all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Antigua and even one in St. Croix. So, how do we decide whether or not to stay at an all-inclusive? What are some things to consider prior to booking?

The first thing to know right off the bat is that all all-inclusives are not equal and all-inclusives are not available everywhere. As with other resorts, all-inclusives range from budget to very high end and everywhere in between. Do your research, ask your friends, look at on-line reviews, call the resort with questions and then enjoy what can be a wonderful stress-free vacation! All-inclusive resorts can be an excellent value for the money and an easy way to budget vacation dollars by including all of your meals, drinks and entertainment in one price!

Caribbean Lobster dinner at the Divi Carina Resort, St. Croix

Here are some things to consider when exploring all-inclusive options:

1. Are you a foodie? Be sure to look for the all-inclusives that offer a wide range of dining options, including fine dining. Some offer buffet dining only, but many offer dining at several themed and very nice restaurants on site. In addition to premium dining experiences, some resorts also offer or include premium wine & other liquor options.

Some of the water-sports included at Jewel Runaway Bay, Jamaica

2. Do you just want to relax at the resort all week? Look for a resort that offers the amenities you desire, i.e., a great beach, good swimming pools, golf, tennis, water-sports, nightly entertainment, etc.

Sunset by the pool at Jewel Runaway Bay Resort, Jamaica

One of the many pools at the Hard Rock Resort, Punta Cana

3. Want to explore the island outside of your resort? Look for a resort that offers good excursion packages, or if you’re like us and like to see what you want without traveling in a larger group, choose a resort that is in good proximity to the sights you want to explore.

4. Want to enjoy some pampering at the spa? Many resorts offer spa services (most at an additional cost) such as a wide range of massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, etc., and some have over-the-top spa facilities offering some of the finest pampering around.

5. Is the resort family-friendly or adult only? There are some terrific all-inclusives that cater to the young ‘uns with resort attractions (lazy rivers, waterslides, kiddie pools), entertainment and dining options. If you’re traveling without children, you may want to opt for an adult-only resorts that offer amenities, dining options and entertainment geared more for the grown-ups.

Waterslide at the Beaches Resort, Negril, Jamaica

5. Pricing. There are all-inclusive resorts geared for the budget minded all the way to luxury all-inclusives, and there can be a huge difference in amenities and level of services. If you’re traveling on a budget and don’t require a lot of services or amenities, you might opt for the less expensive resorts. If you want to be completely pampered, there are resorts that can offer that to you, at a higher price, of course. Again, just do your research to make sure there are very few surprises when you arrive.

Enjoying coffee on the deck at Divi Carina Resort, St. Croix

6. Transfers. Does the accommodation provide transfers to the facility? This is not a big deal in some cases, but if you will have to travel quite a distance from the airport and are not renting a car, having transfers included in your package can be a big bonus.

One of the beautiful and comfortable rooms at the Beaches Resort, Negril, Jamaica

7. Last, but certainly not least – your room. Again, there can be a BIG difference in the rooms provided at all-inclusives – as with other resorts. What are the rooms amenities? Does it include a decent sized safe? Is there a mini-bar (usually included in the price) or refrigerator? In room hot tub? Is it located in a good area of the resort? (Check to see if there is a map of the rooms on the website) Is it size that will comfortably accommodate your party? Is the bed size guaranteed? If you can’t find this information on the website, you might try to call the resort to see.

In room Hydro Spa at the Hard Rock Hotel, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Negril Sunset from a cabana at Beaches Resort

Have you enjoyed vacationing at an all-inclusive resort? What did you like the most about it?

To see more posts on Caribbean islands and travel, check out our Island Blog Directory

For helpful travel hints, check out our posts in Tropical Tips & More

October 22, 2013June 6, 2019

Crab Races in St. Croix

A bucket full of crabs = a whole lotta fun? In St. Croix the answer would be yes!

Crab Races in St. Croix take place in several different locations, several times a week. We experienced our first Crab Races at the Divi Resort on the SE side of St. Croix.

Tito and Sue run Crab Races at the Divi once a week and it’s a surprisingly good time!

We arrived that evening and paid $2 each for a crab, assigning them a winning (or so we thought) name for the event. Michael Johnson, Crab-tastrophe, Send Momma Home (don’t ask…) and Pinch Me all seemed strong and ready for the race.

Once all bets were placed, Tito began to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Well, not really a frenzy, but we were certainly excited to see how our crabby athletes could perform.

They turned the bucket of crabs over in the middle circle and watched as they began to scurry.

Within a minute or two, we had our first winner. There were several heats, and the winner of each heat then competed for the Grand Prize. Unfortunately Michael Johnson, Crab-tastrophe, Send Momma Home (don’t ask…) and Pinch Me did not win, or actually even place, so we didn’t win any of the great prizes offered from local establishments such as locally made jewelry, dinner or a trip for two to Buck Island, but we had a great time anyway.

And, while enjoying the races, enjoyed a number of delicious Cruzan Confusions masterfully concocted by the crew at the Divi Resort. Mmmm. good.

Have you enjoyed the Crab Races in St. Croix yet?

To see more posts on St. Croix and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

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