It's been a while since we stopped here, because St. Thomas had been cancelled the last time the ship was here. We recall that there was a local mandate that required the entire population of the ship to be tested prior to going ashore. Guess that was not possible, so we had an extra sea day with refunded port charges. So we did not know what to expect when we arrived here today. Was it a go, or not? And since there was no special instructions in today's When & Where, we figured it was a go. And, by 8:15am or so, we got our answer……yes, we were cleared.
When we arrived to Club Orange, it was almost empty of guests, even though it had opened at 7:30am. Perhaps everyone had booked tours this morning. Guess we were wrong since by 8:30am, the place filled up. The people had slept in. As soon as the ship cleared, the exodus began out of the dining room. Folks had their backpacks and beach bags ready to meet onshore for their excursions. Boy, what a difference from the past, when people on tours had to go to the Queen's Lounge to get "stickered", then wait until your tour number was called. We were ordered to sit in a seat, and not stand. People crowded the rope at the exit, then ran down the stairs like a herd of elephants to be first on the bus. Heaven help you if you were coming up those stairs. And that was about the time we quit taking the tours. From what we see now, the tour bus folks go down the gangway, and wait for their group there. Much more civilized.
OK back to today and a very few facts about the American Virgin Islands. There are three main islands in this group. The island of St. Thomas is 13 miles long, and 4 miles wide with 60,000 residents. St. Croix is 84 square miles with 51,000 people, while St. John is 20 square miles with 5000 people. If you are seeking excitement and crowds, then St. Thomas is for you, but if you want quiet, go to St. Croix 40 miles away. St. John is a beautiful national park with pretty beaches and water activities.
Two hundred years ago, the exports were indigo, tobacco, and cotton. Today, it is silks, crystal, linens and leather.
We left the ship by 10:45am, and found the weather to be almost perfect. It was partly cloudy but warm with a following breeze as we walked the same path we took last time. A better idea, we had a map today. The N. Statendam was docked the furthest away it could be. Instead of heading into the Havensight Mall with the 60 shops, we followed the pier until we reached the Yacht Haven Grande. This is a beautiful small marina with many mega yachts and sailboats of all kinds. We had spotted a very nice indoor/outdoor restaurant called the Navy Beach Restaurant, figuring it might be a good spot for beer later, but only if it was not crowded. The boardwalk led past the marina, where we could see the large tarpin swimming under a bridge. Tropical fish were among them, and that's when we figured that people from a nearby café must feed them.
Coming out the gate, we started walking Veteran's Drive, the main street on the waterfront. It appeared that recently, much work has been accomplished making this a beautiful walkway with benches and landscaping. It took us past many historical buildings for a couple of miles at least. One of the oldest buildings was Fort Christian, or what we called the Red Fort for the color it was painted. It is St. Thomas's oldest standing structure built between 1672 and 1680. It has earned the US National Landmark status and has been used for a governor's residence, a town hall, a courthouse, a church, and even a jail. Since it was crumbled badly, millions of dollars went into the restoration back in 2008. Right alongside of this fort was Vendor's Square, which was filled with tent-covered tables full of typical souvenirs. It was full of people, so we did not attempt to cross the busy street to check it out. By the way, when we began walking the main street, we spotted the Celebrity Millenium docking in front of our ship. There was also another cruise ship docked in another port area, making that only three ships here today. Sometimes there can be eight of them.
We came upon a couple of fellows fishing along the harbor's edge. It appeared that one of them had something rather large on his line. His buddy helped him haul up a long barracuda. They got it up on the concrete, then carefully removed the hook and lure. Holding it up by the gills, many people took photos. Then he released the fish to probably catch it again another day. Lucky fish…..
We walked as far as the ferry station, where you can take one to nearby Water Island or Hassle Island for the day. Back in 2009, the fare was $9 for a round trip, but we are sure that has gone up. Time to head back, we took our time, stopping at a few benches along the scenic drive. That's when we met a very nice couple from Alabama. Also from the N.Statendam, they said they had been following our blog, and wanted to thank us for the info. Gosh, that is always nice for both of us to hear. They were even concerned enough to ask how I was doing now after the Covid episode. Better, I said. Getting out and walking in the fresh sea air has helped a lot.
Passing by the Millenium, we saw a group of Caribbean dancers, one on stilts, performing right off of their gangway. Sure brought back memories of our very first stop here many years ago. Back onboard by 1:30pm, we finished our 3 hour tour. Time for lunch and beers in the Dutch Café, then we finished the afternoon in our room and veranda. Surprisingly, we watched as waves of light showers came over the hilltops and down to the harbor. The rain was gone as fast as it started. It did cool things off.
All aboard was 4:30pm, and we left the harbor by 5pm. Due to the heavy layers of clouds, there was a brief sunset. Dinner was with Barb tonight….always fun. We had chicken tenders, salad, and a potato soup. Entrees were jerk chicken with beans and rice, while Barb had a series of appetizers and two small desserts. We had one frozen yogurt and a hot fudge sundae with extra nuts….hold the marshmallows. Our kind waiters know our likes and dislikes, and it sure would be nice to keep them. So far, that has not happened, as they rotate about every two cruises.
Tomorrow we have a day at sea with two invites in the morning. One is for another Covid test (not looking forward to that), and the next is the Mariner medal party. Hope we pass the first one, and make it to the party this time. We missed two of them when we had to leave the ship.
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, February 11, 2022
Report #55 Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands Thursday - February 10, 2022 Mostly cloudy & 78 degrees
