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

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 £2,615pp

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 £5,900pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

15 Nights

Fort Lauderdale to Bridgetown

Departure Date
06 Dec 24
Cruise Line Silversea
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Silver Moon
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Destination Port Bridgetown
Itinerary
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Samaná, Oranjestad, Willemstad, Saint Thomas, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Saint John's, Deshaies, Castries, Scarborough, Port Elizabeth, Bequia and Bridgetown

From £4,800pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

Caribbean Yachting Hideaways

Departure Date
07 Dec 24
Cruise Line Emerald Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Emerald Azzurra
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Saint Thomas
Destination Port Saint John's
Itinerary
Saint Thomas, Culebra Island, Vieques, Saint John Island, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Philipsburg, Gustavia, Gustavia, Little Bay and Saint John's

From £3,329pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

Discover the Yachting Islands of the Caribbean

Departure Date
07 Dec 24
Cruise Line Emerald Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Emerald Azzurra
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Saint Thomas
Destination Port Saint Thomas
Itinerary
Saint Thomas, Culebra Island, Vieques, Saint John Island, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Philipsburg, Gustavia, Gustavia, Little Bay, Saint John's, Gustavia, Barbuda, Îles des Saintes, Deshaies, Norman Island, Virgin Gorda and Saint Thomas

From £5,854pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

Winter Antilles Escape

Departure Date
07 Dec 24
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Pride
Region Caribbean
Departure Port San Juan
Destination Port Bridgetown
Itinerary
San Juan, Saint Thomas, Gustavia, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Roseau, Pigeon Island, Saint George's and Bridgetown

From £2,309pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

Star Collector: White Sands of the Windwards

Departure Date
07 Dec 24
Cruise Line Windstar Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Star Pride
Region Caribbean
Departure Port San Juan
Destination Port Oranjestad
Itinerary
San Juan, Saint Thomas, Gustavia, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Roseau, Pigeon Island, Saint George's, Bridgetown, Man O War Bay, Tobago, Mayreau Island, Soufrière, Saint George's, Willemstad and Oranjestad

From £3,869pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

San Juan to Fort Lauderdale

Departure Date
11 Dec 24
Cruise Line Crystal
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Crystal Serenity
Region Caribbean
Departure Port San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Destination Port Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Itinerary
San Juan (Puerto Rico), Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, Saint John's, Gustavia, Saint Thomas and Fort Lauderdale, Florida

From £2,850pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

9 Nights

Willemstad to Bridgetown

Departure Date
12 Dec 24
Cruise Line Silversea
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Silver Moon
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Willemstad
Destination Port Bridgetown
Itinerary
Willemstad, Saint Thomas, Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Saint John's, Deshaies, Castries, Scarborough, Port Elizabeth, Bequia and Bridgetown

From £6,750pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

14 Nights

Discover the Yachting Islands of the Caribbean

Departure Date
14 Dec 24
Cruise Line Emerald Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Emerald Azzurra
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Saint John's
Destination Port Saint John's
Itinerary
Saint John's, Gustavia, Barbuda, Îles des Saintes, Deshaies, Norman Island, Virgin Gorda, Saint Thomas, Culebra Island, Vieques, Saint John Island, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Gustavia, Philipsburg, Little Bay and Saint John's

From £7,294pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

Caribbean Yachting Discovery

Departure Date
14 Dec 24
Cruise Line Emerald Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Emerald Azzurra
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Saint John's
Destination Port Saint Thomas
Itinerary
Saint John's, Gustavia, Barbuda, Îles des Saintes, Deshaies, Norman Island, Virgin Gorda and Saint Thomas

From £3,329pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises

7 Nights

Caribbean Yachting Hideaways

Departure Date
21 Dec 24
Cruise Line Emerald Cruises
Cruise Type Ocean
Ship Emerald Azzurra
Region Caribbean
Departure Port Saint Thomas
Destination Port Saint John's
Itinerary
Saint Thomas, Culebra Island, Vieques, Saint John Island, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Gustavia, Philipsburg, Little Bay and Saint John's

From £3,749pp

Plus substantial savings from Deluxe Cruises