lisabees

I am trying to settle between the Buccaneer and Windjammer Landing for a family of six, four kids. In trying to research both places, I am finding they are full of crime and poverty. I fully understand that it can be just as bad as here in the states. But, in comparng the two islands, I can't get a feel for which I may feel more comfortable.

We have travelled to Puerto Rico (vieques and all throughout the mainland - have family there). Yes. there is poverty and honestly, it is an eye opener for my kids. Yes, my grandfather triple locks his house and has bars on his windows. But PR has never scared me.

How does St Croix and St Lucia compare?

Thanks!

lisabees

I am going to top this, because I need to know the difference between these islands. I am perfectly willing to visit them; just need a reason to go to one over the other.

Lisa

ejcrowe

I have no direct experience with St. Croix and I have visited St. Lucia only once. And discussing poverty in the Caribbean is a tricky issue because it's hard to know what one's frame of reference is. There usually is a stark line of demarcation between the lifestyles of the local population and the lifestyles of the tourist population. And that is only compounded by the often conspicuous consumption found at the larger, more luxurious resorts.

It's also important to keep in mind the different values that Americans tend to put on possessions versus other cultures. Yes, there's a lack of material wealth on the surface, but there's more to the full story than what is on the surface.

I can't compare St. Lucia to PR because I've not spent any time in PR yet. I also cannot comment one way or the other on crime or safety issues. I at no time felt unsafe on St. Lucia, and I've only heard or read rumors of safety issues on St. Croix and St. Lucia without having read any statistics or details documenting any incidents. I wish you luck in doing more reading to determine which place will be more comfortable for you.

lisabees

Thank you for your response. I appreciate that this is a touchy subject and hesitated before I brought it up. I am NOT expecting an island with no crime or poverty. We experience poverty firsthand when we see my grandfather in PR. And crime doesn't stop me from taking my kids to New York or anywhere else for that matter.I am just trying to get a feel for one island versus another as I hear wonderful things about each resort.

I can play it smart anywhere and feel comfortable. But, having four kids and only two adults, things can get tricky at places like a new airport or city or sightseeing in new places.

I appreciate your considerate repsonse. I am not obsessing over this issue; just weighing my options for each island and resort - in all aspects.

Lisa

Tuxedocat

Well, I guess the most salient difference between the two places might be the fact that St. Croix is a U.S. territory, and being such you can expect that criminal law is similar if not the same to the states. Poverty is everywhere and so is resentment of those who have enough means to travel. But on the other hand, these Caribbean islands depend heavily on tourism for income, so there is more petty crime against tourists than major crimes. The resorts do not want their island to get a bad reputation so they are happy to guide you as to how best to stay away from problematic areas or safeguard your possessions. If PR doesn't scare you, then I think you'll find at least St. Croix comparable.

bellastar

Your question seems to focus on the issue of crime/pverty as a measure of comparison.

I have spent 2 weeks on St Lucia, where we were fortunate to meet 2 local families, which we enjoyed very much. The sons were my boyfriends students here in the states.

I saw poverty, as would be expected in many places who were under colonial rule in the past. Since it's incorrect to assume crime and poverty always go hand in hand, we opened ourselves to what turned out to be a wonderful experience. They showed us warmth and hospitality.

I also spent a week on Culebra a sister island of Vieques. I was a female on my own, but found no serious problems.

Never been to St. Croix

When I travel, I don't flaunt any material possesions, so that probably is why I'm not harassed very much. I think there can be seedy characters everywhere, but I think they can be avoided if one is alert.

I live in NY, which you allso mentioned in thr following way:

"And crime doesn't stop me from taking my kids to New York or anywhere else for that matter."

You may be unaware, but NY is no longer on the short list for crime in the US- I believe that honor falls on some other cities these days.

I think if your grandfather feels the need to triple lock his house, and have bars on the windows, and you are comfortable visiting him, you would probably be comfortable on St Lucia or St Croix, because after all, you are talking about staying at resorts, not mixing with locals.

Good luck with your research and enjoy your vacation.

Tuxedocat

I guess I want to add two clarifications. Poverty isn't necessarily correlary to crime but understandably, desparate circumstances often provoke desparate acts. (Morocco, rural Turkey, rural China etc. also have poverty but not necessarily high rates of crime). Also, whether you're flashy or not with your wealth, most of the time it's just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and that can happen anywhere. That being said, if I were you, I guess my decision would be based on whether one destination interests you more than another for whatever reason. Neither of these islands have a significantly/ particularly high rate of crime towards tourists.

schmerl

It also depends on what you want ot do during you vacation. If you want to spend a lot of time on the beach, I would say go to St. Croix. St. Lucia is not really known for nice soft white beaches. From St. Croix you can also take a trip to Buck Island for fantastic snorkeling.

doug_stallings

I've been to both St. Lucia and St. Croix, though I traveled more extensively across St. Croix. Yes, there's poverty on both. I think the crime problems on St. Croix are more closely related to drugs. I stayed near Frederiksted and was told not to walk alone in town at night. The same was true for Christiansted. It's the first place I've ever been where putting a "Club" on my rental car was a requirement that I had to initial on the car-rental agreement. Nevertheless, I've never felt unsafe on either island. I worried more about driving around the dark roads on St. Croix at night than I did about crime. I don't think you're going to find much difference between PR and St. Croix or St. Lucia.

nankar

I cannot comment on St. Lucia but we took a family vacation last fall in St. Croix. It was great! We traveled all over and never felt unsafe with the exception of Fredrikstad which is now very blighted as the cruise ships are no longer stopping there. We walked in Christianstad many times at night and never felt unsafe. The people were very friendly. The island is easy to drive. We played golf at the Buc which is a beautiful place! You will love it. The golf course is stunning and very reasonably priced. We had lunch at the beach restaurant which was very good. There is much to see and do including a boat trip to Buck Island. I would go back without hesitation. We also played golf at the Carambola which was beautiful.

Curt

We never felt unsafe in St Lucia. We used local "buses" (actually minivans at 50 cents a ride) for transport, just as the locals do. We spent lots of time walking around Castries, shopped in the farmers market where we had great time visiting with the vendors and fishermen selling their fresh wares. We shopped in the local shops, and ate in local dining venues. We were never approached by anyone in a threatening manner nor did we ever feel unsafe. We loved St Lucia and would return without hesitation. I agree that the beaches are not as good as other islands, but they are OK. We also did not think St Lucia had as much visible poverty as other islands we have visited, being much neater and cleaner than say Jamaica. Overall we were very impressed with St Lucia and the people.

beth48

We felt very safe on St. Croix - although we parked in a well lit area of Christiansted at night. Driving thru Christiansted, there were several local bars with people sitting along the street - I don't know if I'd want to walk in that area, but driving thru was fine. I agree with the previous post about the driving at night making me more nervous than the people. We stayed at the Carambola Beach Resort, which is beautiful. There's poverty on every island, but they really depend on tourism and most people are very friendly.

MzPossum

My husband and I stayed at the Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia about 2 years ago and loved it. The resort is beautiful and you can take any kind of tour from there that you want. 2 pools, nice beach, many restaurants on the property. If you take a taxi to the Rodney Bay area you'll find many lovely shops and restaurants and feel perfectly safe walking here. There's also a nice grocery store there where you can get food if you have cooking facilities in your accomodation