8 days in USVI, St. Thomas safe yet?
 

Hi all, I am planning a family trip to USVI the coming April. We are a family of 5, the kids will be 16, 13 and 7. We love nature and national parks, so I've decided on Saint John first. I can only find reasonably priced hotel for 3 nights there(otherwise would love to stay longer), and we have 5 nights left. Initially I booked all 5 nights on St. Thomas. My kids all love aquarium, and snorkeling, etc., I figure we will relax on the island, going to beach and do watersports, as well as spend a full day at the water park. Then I read these older posts about how dangerous Saint Thomas can be, even during broad daylight. Now I am concerned. Should I just cut short our vacation, spending 2 or 3 nights in Saint Thomas then head home, or should I fly from Saint Thomas to Saint Croix for 3 nights there? Or is this itinerary too hectic? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Or should I keep the original 5 nights on St. Thomas, while take ferry to St. John on 2 of the 5 days?

I would stick with the 5 days on STT. St. Croix is a bit a haul for just a couple of days -- too hectic.

The area around Coki Beach (where the aquarium is located) can be, in my opinion, a bit rough around the edges, but I always felt safe enough. There are just a few characters hanging around and you may feel a bit hustled.

I would not suggest hanging out in downtown CA after dark, but not much is opened that you would care about at that time of the day anyway. There is not a lot of crime focused on tourists, but I wouldn't leave anything in the rental car when parked and I would make sure I could see my stuff on the beach at all times. But, the same is true of just about all the islands.

If you are staying in a full service resort (like the Marriott), you will be fine day or night. Go out and about during the day and be "home" by after dinner and things will be fine.

A day trip to St John is always an option if you get bored - and it is easy to arrange. Have a great trip!

Thank you Andrew304. I ruled out St. Croix already. Now I'm debating if we should add 2 nights camping on St. John, and leave 3 nights on St. Thomas. My family goes camping in tent each year anyway. So Cabin/Tent should be no problem for us. Thanks again for your input.

Cinnamon Bay, the campground on St John, is undergoing renovations by a new vendor. They are supposed to open November 1, but I haven't heard if that will happen. You might want to check prices, as they are suspected to go up.

There are plenty of safe places to stay on St Thomas. A two bedroom condo at one of the east end properties could be a good fit for your family.

Did you look into renting a house or condo on St John?

We booked a VRBO for St. John for 7 nights and then booked another VRBO for 2 nights on St. Thomas. We will be going August 1, 2017. We traveled to Hawaii as a family last summer through VRBO and we were very happy and will check it out first before booking through hotels. It is much cheaper, more room and you stay in a 1, 2 or 3 bedroom condo. We buy food for breakfast and lunches and eat out for dinners. It saves lot of money when it comes to dining out!

Why did you rule out St Croix? Our family of 5 loved The Buccaneer there.

Great service,
three beaches,
free use of snorkel equipment and kayaks,
snorkeling trips from the resort dock,
amazing breakfast buffet included,
one pool snackshop,
one beachside cafe,
two restaurants at the main house,
reasonable prices for food and sundries,
manager's reception weekly, with personal tour,
family-owned for generations,
gorgeous property with lots of history.

Not all that expensive, with many lodging choices.
Contact the hotel directly for best rates.
We did not need a car, but did rent one for a day-trip around the island.
The hotel will arrange the car to be delivered and picked up again at the hotel.

http://www.thebuccaneer.com

PS. Click on my screenname and you will find my threads about this hotel.

Also, the USVI is offering a $300 gift to visitors this year:
http://www.visitusvi.com/package_and_promotions

I suspect you will very much enjoy St John. Congrats,