So much to say, so much to love in St. Croix. Part 1 of my report talks about properties we visited; stay tuned next week for Part 2.
My travel advisor friends told me St. Croix is a feet-in-the-sand US destination with a Caribbean vibe, a mix of luxury and kitschy properties, a home to water sports you can dive into from the beach. So when the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism (VisitUSVI.com) invited me and eight travel advisors on a fam last month, I was in.
For a small island, St. Croix offers many properties to choose from—and many that have been renovated and rethought while Covid kept the crowds away. Whether looking for a honeymoon or a meeting destination, a solid corporate or a party vibe, everyone in our group found something she thinks she can sell to her own unique customer base.
At the luxury end, the traditional favorite, The Buccaneer, was looking beautiful and welcoming, as it has to generations of Caribbean travelers. Founded in 1947 as an 11-room inn and family-owned (today by Elizabeth Armstrong, granddaughter of the original owner), The Buccaneer has been home to honeymoons and family vacations for generations of travelers.
Today there are 131 rooms and 6 villas, plus a six-bedroom house on a secluded beach—and fine dining, golf, tennis and water sports across 340 acres. Even the sargassum is a good sport, blowing in the other direction to keep the beach clean. Nestled within the luxury you can feel the history; honeymooners can do a private dinner in the sugar mill on the property and history buffs can stay in the Hamilton Wing. The luxury beachside double runs about $1,300 a night in high season, the deluxe oceanfront about $1,000, but deals can be had in summertime.
Poolside at The Fred 
Poolside at The Fred 
Lobby of the Carina Bay 
Affordable adults-only at the island’s only all-inclusive, the Divi Carina Bay 
Lobby of The Buccaneer 
Kitschy elegance at the King Christian 
Home sweet home, Suite 500 at Sand Castle by the Sea 
The Waves at Cane Bay 
Waiting for sunset at The Waves at Cane Bay 
The dive center at the Carombola Beach
For those looking for more of a beachy feel, options abound. Consider the in-the-process-of-being-renovated bungalows of the 23-acre Carambola Beach Resort & Spa, each with a full porch overlooking the waves. The ocean kisses the shore at two next-door neighbor properties—the LBGTQ-friendly Sand Castles on the Beach and the colorful Cottages by the Sea. And The Waves offers an amazing view of the sunset at both its bar and its restaurant; the actual beach is a short walk away, but the hotel is adding a pool on property.
On the waterfront, the King Christian, a shiny peacock of a boutique right on the boardwalk in Christiansted, is just a short walk from the seaplane. It will soon add what it hopes will be the island’s first Michelin-star restaurant. Its touristy little corner already is home to two popular restaurants, Caroline’s and Shupes on the Boardwalk, and the new chef at the King Christian’s El Leon, Liliana Ojeda, says Kings Alley also is being renovated. The next phase will add a sushi bar, event venues, and banquet areas on the cay.
The Danish-inspired Company House, completely renovated and reopened in 2019, is a good choice for corporate travelers with an onsite pool and meeting space. And for a little kitsch try The Fred, a brand-new beachfront boutique resort and spa.
For customers who love all-inclusives, the almost-brand-new, adult-only Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort and Casino is the only—but a good—option. There are 200 rooms, some connecting and some one-bedroom villas, plus two pools, hot tubs, an Italian restaurant, paddleboards, and kayaks. For travel advisors, “anything you want in the room, we’ll do it,” promised GM Sandra Grisham.
While many travel advisors feel all-inclusives are not the best choice in a destination with so much to see and so many great restaurants, it’s “what guests are looking for right now; they want to know what their holiday will cost,” Grisham says. And with rates starting at just $1,634 per couple for four nights, the majority of her customers do eat elsewhere on the island at least twice during a week-long stay—much as cruise customers pay extra to eat in specialty restaurants even though they already have paid for dinner. Travel advisors “will want to encourage them to do that,” she notes.
Stay tuned for the rest our report next week.
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.
