Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Location

If you fly to the 32-square-mile (83-square-km) island of St. Thomas, you land at its western end; if you arrive by cruise ship, you come into one of the world's most beautiful harbors. Either way, one of your first sights is the town of Charlotte Amalie. From the harbor you see an idyllic-looking village that spreads into the lower hills. If you were expecting a quiet hamlet with its inhabitants hanging out under palm trees, you've missed that era by about 300 years. Although other islands in the USVI developed plantation economies, St. Thomas cultivated its harbor, and it became a thriving seaport soon after it was settled by the Danish in the 1600s. The success of the naturally perfect harbor was enhanced by the fact that the Danes—who ruled St. Thomas with only a couple of short interruptions from 1666 to 1917—avoided involvement in some 100 years' worth of European wars. Denmark was the only European country with colonies in the Caribbean to stay neutral during the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 1700s. Thus, products of the Dutch, English, and French islands—sugar, cotton, and indigo—were traded through Charlotte Amalie, along with the regular shipments of slaves. When the Spanish wars ended, trade fell off, but by the end of the 1700s Europe was at war again, Denmark again remained neutral, and St. Thomas continued to prosper. Even into the 1800s, while the economies of St. Croix and St. John foundered with the market for sugarcane, St. Thomas's economy remained vigorous. This prosperity led to the development of shipyards, a well-organized banking system, and a large merchant class. In 1845 Charlotte Amalie had 101 large importing houses owned by the English, French, Germans, Haitians, Spaniards, Americans, Sephardim, and Danes. Charlotte Amalie is still one of the world's most active cruise-ship ports. On almost any day at least one and sometimes as many as eight cruise ships are tied to the docks or anchored outside the harbor. Gently rocking in the shadows of these giant floating hotels are just about every other kind of vessel imaginable: sleek sailing catamarans that will take you on a sunset cruise complete with rum punch and a Jimmy Buffett soundtrack, private megayachts for billionaires, and barnacle-bottom sloops—with laundry draped over the lifelines—that are home to world-cruising gypsies. Huge container ships pull up in Sub Base, west of the harbor, bringing in everything from breakfast cereals to tires. Anchored right along the waterfront are down-island barges that ply the waters between the Greater Antilles and the Leeward Islands, transporting goods such as refrigerators, VCRs, and disposable diapers. The waterfront road through Charlotte Amalie was once part of the harbor. Before it was filled in to build the highway, the beach came right up to the back door of the warehouses that now line the thoroughfare. Two hundred years ago those warehouses were filled with indigo, tobacco, and cotton. Today the stone buildings house silk, crystal, and diamonds. Exotic fragrances are still traded, but by island beauty queens in air-conditioned perfume palaces instead of through open market stalls. The pirates of old used St. Thomas as a base from which to raid merchant ships of every nation, though they were particularly fond of the gold- and silver-laden treasure ships heading to Spain. Pirates are still around, but today's versions use St. Thomas as a drop-off for their contraband: illegal immigrants and drugs. To explore outside Charlotte Amalie, rent a car or hire a taxi. Your rental car should come with a good map; if not, pick up the pocket-size "St. Thomas–St. John Road Map" at a tourist information center. Roads are marked with route numbers, but they're confusing and seem to switch numbers suddenly. Roads are also identified by signs bearing the St. Thomas–St. John Hotel and Tourism Association's mascot, Tommy the Starfish. More than 100 of these color-coded signs line the island's main routes. Orange signs trace the route from the airport to Red Hook, green signs identify the road from town to Magens Bay, Tommy's face on a yellow background points from Mafolie to Crown Bay through the north side, red signs lead from Smith Bay to Four Corners via Skyline Drive, and blue signs mark the route from the cruise-ship dock at Havensight to Red Hook. These color-coded routes are not marked on most visitor maps, however. Allow yourself a day to explore, especially if you want to stop to take pictures or to enjoy a light bite or refreshing swim. Most gas stations are on the island's more populated eastern end, so fill up before heading to the north side. And remember to drive on the left!

Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Itineraries

20 Nights

Transatlantic Crossing and Caribbean Celebration

Departure Date
13 Nov 24
Cruise Line Cunard Line
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Queen Mary 2
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Southampton
Destination Port New York, New York
Itinerary
Southampton, New York, New York, Saint Thomas, Saint Kitts, Dominica, Bridgetown, Castries, Sint Maarten and New York, New York

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

27 Nights

Caribbean Celebration

Departure Date
13 Nov 24
Cruise Line Cunard Line
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Queen Mary 2
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Southampton
Destination Port Southampton
Itinerary
Southampton, New York, New York, Saint Thomas, Saint Kitts, Dominica, Bridgetown, Castries, Sint Maarten, New York, New York and Southampton

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

Star Collector: Lovely Leewards

Departure Date
16 Nov 24
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Pride
Region Caribbean
Departure Port San Juan
Destination Port San Juan
Itinerary
San Juan, Saint Thomas, Philipsburg, Gustavia, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, San Juan, Saint George's, Port Elizabeth, Bequia, Pigeon Island, Terre-de-Haut, Philipsburg and San Juan

From £5,208pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

San Juan & the Virgin Islands

Departure Date
16 Nov 24
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Pride
Region Caribbean
Departure Port San Juan
Destination Port San Juan
Itinerary
San Juan, Saint Thomas, Philipsburg, Gustavia, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke and San Juan

From £2,574pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

13 Nights

Caribbean Celebration

Departure Date
20 Nov 24
Cruise Line Cunard Line
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Queen Mary 2
Region Caribbean
Departure Port New York, New York
Destination Port New York, New York
Itinerary
New York, New York, Saint Thomas, Saint Kitts, Dominica, Bridgetown, Castries, Sint Maarten and New York, New York

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

20 Nights

Caribbean Celebration and Transatlantic Crossing

Departure Date
20 Nov 24
Cruise Line Cunard Line
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Queen Mary 2
Region Caribbean
Departure Port New York, New York
Destination Port Southampton
Itinerary
New York, New York, Saint Thomas, Saint Kitts, Dominica, Bridgetown, Castries, Sint Maarten, New York, New York and Southampton

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

Star Collector: Lovely Leewards

Departure Date
23 Nov 24
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Pride
Region Caribbean
Departure Port San Juan
Destination Port San Juan
Itinerary
San Juan, Saint George's, Port Elizabeth, Bequia, Pigeon Island, Terre-de-Haut, Philipsburg, San Juan, Saint Thomas, Philipsburg, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Gustavia, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke and San Juan

From £5,208pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

21 Nights

Roundtrip Fort Lauderdale

Departure Date
27 Nov 24
Cruise Line Crystal
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Crystal Serenity
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Destination Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Itinerary
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Saint Thomas, Road Town, Tortola, Marigot, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, San Juan (Puerto Rico), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Santo Domingo, Pointe-à-Pitre, Gustavia, Saint John's, Road Town, Tortola, San Juan (Puerto Rico), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, Saint John's, Gustavia, Saint Thomas and Fort Lauderdale, Florida

From £8,550pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

Fort Lauderdale to San Juan

Departure Date
27 Nov 24
Cruise Line Crystal
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Crystal Serenity
Region South America
Departure Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Destination Port San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Itinerary
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Saint Thomas, Road Town, Tortola, Marigot, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

From £3,050pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

4 Nights

Fort Lauderdale to Road Town

Departure Date
27 Nov 24
Cruise Line Crystal
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Crystal Serenity
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Destination Port Road Town, Tortola
Itinerary
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Saint Thomas and Road Town, Tortola

From £1,800pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

San Juan & the Virgin Islands

Departure Date
30 Nov 24
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Pride
Region Caribbean
Departure Port San Juan
Destination Port San Juan
Itinerary
San Juan, Saint Thomas, Philipsburg, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Gustavia, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke and San Juan

From £2,737pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale

Departure Date
03 Dec 24
Cruise Line Silversea
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Silver Shadow
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Destination Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Itinerary
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, San Juan (Puerto Rico), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Little Bay, Îles des Saintes, Castries, Basse-Terre, Gustavia, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, Saint Thomas and Fort Lauderdale, Florida

From Please Call

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises