Just got a great fare to STX, now what?
 

I was one of the lucky ones who got a great USAir fare to St. Croix. I'm a frequent Europe or Hawaii traveler who has never been closer to the Caribbean than Key West . . . so I'm way out of my league.

Should I stay on St. Croix or head somewhere else? I'm a comfortable-but-not-fancy, relatively-bargain-conscious type and I'll be travelling with wife and teen son. Nightlife isn't important, but good food and decent beaches are.

Thanks for any advice.

St. Croix is by no means a transit hub, so it's unrealistic to think that you would be able to get to many islands from there; however, if you are spending a week or more, it's certainly feasible to take the seaplane to St. Thomas for a few days, though I believe that's the only other place you get get to directly from St. Croix.

Anyway, St. Croix is my personal favorite among the US Virgin Islands, so I think you'll be happy there. Restaurants are good and beaches are also decent. I really like the Buccaneer as a resort---it also has good beaches---but it is an upscale hotel; it's near Charlotte Amalie, the main town on the island. But there are many other places to stay that are much cheaper. Another personal favorite of mine is Carringtons, an inexpensive but particularly welcoming B&B in the hills above Charlotte Amalie, but it's not near the beach. Other posters will have their own favorites, so I'm sure you'll have some more advice. Unless you stay at the Buccaneer, you'll probably need a car to do some exploring. Go on a snorkeling trip to Buck Island, visit the Cruzan Rum Distillery, and have a good time. St. Croix is lovely.

Thanks so much.

I think what Doug meant was Christiansted and not Charlotte Amalie (which is the city on STT).

Yup, thanks. I think I muddied the waters with my asking about the possibilities of other islands.

My inclination after more research is to stick to St. Croix. I've got a week.

From what I hear the diving is good in St. Croix.

And there is really plenty to do in St. Croix, not to worry. Loads of great restaurants as well.

RL

Doug, I'll be at the Buccaneer in a couple weeks and was wondering what you meant by not needing to rent a car if staying there? I was planning on renting a jeep for a week, does the Buc suppply some sort of transportation? Thanks.

Buccaneer has a shuttle into Christiansted (not Charlotte Amalie, as I wrote in an earlier post ---that would be some long shuttle ride). If you're just going into town a few times, you might be able to get by with the shuttle, organized trips, and taxis. However, if you plan to do any island exploring or dine out a lot, then you'll need a car. And it's even more important if you are on the island for a whole week. Renting a car on St. Croix isn't that expensive, and it has almost the cheapest gas in the Caribbean (Trinindad has THE cheapest gas). You don't necessarily need a jeep to get around; most of the roads are quite good enough for a regular car, but the choice is ultimately up to you.
It's usually cheaper to rent from a local company like Olympic than one of the majors.

Diving is good on St. Croix. Also I think it is the only Island with a Casino? And they have a few golf courses.

Here are some good maps of the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can click the water close to shore and it will give you the bottom info. - good for divers, boaters and swimmers.

www.cccarto.com/virgin_islands.html