We have been to all the Virgin Islands except St. Croix, and thought we might like to try it as a change. There appears to be practically no mention of St. Croix in any of these chats. Is there something wrong that we don't know about? The Fodor guide mentions good beaches and snorkeling on the north shore.
Would appreciate any comments concerning the island in general, specific hotels, and quality of beaches for snorkeling and swimming.

We love STX. There's lots to do there and wonderful restaurants. Snorkeling is not as good as STJ. Diving on the wall is very good. If you are really interested in snorkeling, stay near Cane Bay. Otherwise Chenay Bay or Buccanneer are nice.

We, too, love St. Croix - it's not as crowded as St. Thomas or St. John. we stay at the Carambola Beach Resort - a lovely resort at the end of a road... it's beautifully landscaped. The beach is lovely but has a small area for swimming due to sea urchins - plenty of swimming room because of the low number of people. The rooms are spacious - get a second floor room which has a great vaulted ceiling. Our garden view room had views of the ocean in the distance. Food was very good there, but the menu is small. If you're hungry, you'll find something! Please rent a car so you can explore the entire island. Some places we've eaten are: Kendrick's (make a reservation or they don't treat you well - and a bit expensive) have breakfast or lunch at the Carambola Golf Course - an open air terrace overlooks the course; Ft. Christian Brew Pub - a nice casual place overlooking the harbor. There's also one casino (small casino) on the island. Enjoy STX!!

Thank you Beth48 and Alabamasusana for your replies.
We most likely will not rent a car, so think either Buccaneer or Chenay Bay would be closer to town. Snorkeling is important but not the only consideration.
Buccaneer sounds very nice, but Chenay offers kitchenettes which is a plus for us, and also shuttles to town. Could you comment on the choice between those two. Which has the best snorkeling? Are the rooms at Chenay very inferior to Buccaneer? Any other thoughts?
Also could you tell us about Buck Island? Is it very touristy? Is there a place to change into dry clothes? Is there a place to eat or to picnic?
One more question: We have heard rumors of crime on St. Croix. Is safety a problem? How does it compare with St. Thomas? We have never had a problem there.
We certainly appreciate all the help you can give us. Thanks!

I have written a few times on these boards about St. Croix and the Buccaneer (with some specific room suggestions). Try searching USVI with Buccaneer in the search box. There's always a lot of talk on these boards about crime everywhere in the Caribbean. St. Croix seems to get a bum rap as we've been there five times in the past seven years and have had no problems. There are definitely spots in Christiansted that I would avoid at night (I believe the locals call the drug hangout 'Times Square') but I have shopped on my own in C'sted during the day and been perfectly fine. One of the reasons we like the Buc so much is that it is near C'sted for dining options and their own taxi cabs will pick you up with a quick call (they basically assign them to you for the evening--they take you to and from your restaurant).

I've never been to Chenay Bay so can't compare accommodations. I would guess there is quite a difference.