Frequently Asked Questions - St. Croix
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1. Why should I choose St. Croix for my vacation?
2. What do I need to bring with me?
3. What documents do I need to enter/leave the US Virgin Islands?
4. Where can I get snorkeling gear?
5. What will the weather be like while we are there?
6. Will there be a lot of cruise ship passengers crowding the island?
7. Should we consider travel insurance?
8. Will my cell phone work on the island?
9. Can I access the Internet on St. Croix?
10. What airport do we fly into?
11. Is the water safe to drink?
12. Do we need to conserve water while on the island?
13. Do we need to rent a car?
14. What is the currency in the U.S. Virgin Islands?
15. What is the electric voltage on St. Croix?
16.What time zone is St. Croix in?
17. Is there a hospital on St. Croix and what about doctors?
18. Where should I stay while on St. Croix?
19. I have special travel needs. Does St. Croix accommodate travelers with special needs?
20. I want to have my wedding and get married on St. Croix. Is it difficult to arrange?
21. We are planning a vacation with children of varying ages. Will they be bored?
 

1. Why should I choose St. Croix for my vacation?

St. Croix is a wonderful Caribbean destination that offers everything you would expect from a Caribbean Island...the charm of the Caribbean culture, the powder white sand beaches, the soft warm breezes, the lush green hills, swaying Palms and water so brilliantly aquamarine that you can't believe it's real! The island has lots of wonderful restaurants and plenty of duty free shopping. It has the only casino located in the Virgin Islands. It has a varied terrain, from a dry and arid East end to a lush and green West end that even includes a small rainforest! There is an endless array of activities on the island and a slow pace not found in many other Caribbean destinations. St. Croix is an ideal choice for your Caribbean holiday and you will be supporting a US territory while you relax!

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2. What do I need to bring with me?

All you need to bring is casual clothes and of course your bathing suit and plenty of sun block! You will find St. Croix to be a very casual island. Casual, comfortable dress is the norm. Even at fine restaurants, nice, casual clothes are fine! The island has two Kmarts, so if you forget something , you can always find it on the island.

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3. What documents do I need to enter/leave the US Virgin Islands?

***** U.S. Citizens DO NOT need a passport to travel to St. Croix!!! *****

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4. Where can I get snorkeling gear?

If you don't have your own snorkel gear to bring with you, you can buy some on the island at one of two Kmarts or at Cost-u-Less (the island's version of Costco, without requiring a membership) or you can rent gear at several dive shops on the island.

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5. What will the weather be like while we are there?

The temperature averages 82 degrees year round on St. Croix. You will find daytime highs to be around 84 in winter months and 88 in the summer. Nighttime lows will be around 72 in the winter months and 76 in the summer. It doesn't get any better than that!

Rainfall varies with the time of year but there really is no season where it just rains all the time. The real difference between a "dry" season and a "rainy" season on St. Croix is that you will get a daily 10 minute shower in the dry season and a daily 15 minute shower in the rainy season. Most of the time the showers happen at night. Obviously, we can't guarantee that you will have perfect weather, but you are more than likely to have spectacular weather anytime of the year!

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6. Will there be a lot of cruise ship passengers crowding the island?

No! Unlike some other Caribbean destinations, St. Croix is not overrun with cruise ship passengers. St. Croix gets at most, only a couple, of cruise ship visits per week. St. Thomas, on the other hand, can have 4-6 ships in port each day! That can add up to 12,000 passengers getting off of cruise ships each morning and flocking to town and the beaches! Ouch!

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7. Should we consider travel insurance?

Travel Insurance can be a trip saver. There are hundreds of circumstances that could cause you to cancel your trip, return home early or even worse, force you to seek emergency medical treatment while traveling. Here are some common examples of what could go wrong. 

1. It's 10 p.m. and your family arrives at the airport for a connecting flight, only to find that your flight has been cancelled. How do you get your family home?

2. Your traveling companion's bag was lost with his insulin inside. He needs help to locate his bag as soon as possible and his emergency prescription filled. Who do you call?
3. Your first visit to the Caribbean, and your passport and wallet are stolen. Where do you turn for emergency cash, and how will you get your passport replaced?
4. Your spouse is involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. Who will help arrange and pay for a medical evacuation?
5. If your sister-in-law becomes seriously ill and you choose to cancel your trip, what happens to your non-refundable deposits or pre-payments?
6. You arrive in St. Croix and your luggage doesn't. If it's lost, who will help you find it? If it's delayed, who will pay for your necessities? If it's stolen, who will pay to replace it?
7. Your airline or accommodations operator goes bankrupt. Who will pay for your non-refundable expenses? Who will help get you to your destination?
8. You're walking down a street in Christiansted and twist your ankle. Who can help you find a physician?
9. Three weeks before your scheduled arrival, a terrorist incident occurs in the city to which you are planning to visit. Who will pay if you want to cancel your trip?
10. You are at a beach resort or villa/condo on St. Croix, and you are forced to evacuate due to an approaching hurricane. Who will help you evacuate and who will reimburse your lost vacation?

Purchasing travel insurance it is something to consider. When selecting a company be sure to ask plenty of questions, especially concerning a particular area of concern for you. Click here for TravelGuard.com, one of the largest travel insurance companies.

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8. Will my cell phone work on the island?

Yes, and Maybe. Most cell phone companies have service on the island, although some may include roaming charges. ATT & Sprint definitely will work and offer state to state service. Verizon has virtually no service on the island. We recommend contacting your carrier before you arrive to avoid huge cell phone charges.

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9. Can I access the internet on St. Croix?

Yes!  Most hotels and many villas and condos offer internet connections. There are also several internet cafes on the island.  BroadbandVI also offers WiFi connections in many areas of the island.

For a dial-up connection you can look for a local number to connect to your ISP but we generally call home using our regular dial-up number. For example, to connect to AOL you can connect to a St. Thomas number which is local, however, AOL will charge you a surcharge of $.10 per minute to connect. Don't expect to get dial-up connections faster than 24-40K.

10. What airport do we fly into?

You will fly into Henry E. Rholsen International Airport (airport code: STX). The airport is newly expanded and renovated with very modern facilities. It's recently extended runway can safely accommodate very large aircraft.

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11. Is the water safe to drink?

The water in town and at most hotels is perfectly safe to drink. If you are in doubt simply ask.

The water at most of the villas on the island is collected rain water that is stored in cisterns below the villas. While it may be safe to drink, we recommend buying bottled water for drinking purposes. Bottled water is available in gallon jugs everywhere on the island for about $1.00 per gallon. Anytime you go out of the country, you run the risk of getting a bug that your body is not used to from the local water supply. The same would apply to someone coming to the U.S. from out of the country!

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12. Do we need to conserve water while on the island?

It is not absolutely necessary, however, we do ask that you try to conserve as much as possible. The water at most major hotels, and while in either Christiansted or Frederiksted, is safe to drink. The water at most private villas comes from rainwater collected from the roof and stored in a cistern under the house (this is very common in the Caribbean), or by costly water deliveries by truck. Although St. Croix is an island, surrounded by water, fresh water is very scarce. We recommend buying drinking water from the grocery store.

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13. Do we need to rent a car?

It is not entirely a necessity but we highly recommend it. There is a lot to see and do on the island and you will have a great time exploring the island, seeing it's attractions or just beach hopping! You must be at least 25 years old to rent a car on the island. Click here for some St Croix car rental agencies.

Public transportation is not the best on St. Croix. There are public buses (VITRAN) available in certain areas of the island but they are not very convenient and really don't follow a schedule of any kind. Locals tend to use Taxi Vans. You will see them clearly marked with a Taxi sign on the roof. You just flag them down and the cost is based on distance.  Regular Taxis are also available. Click here for more taxi info.

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14. What is the currency in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

U.S. Dollars. Credit cards are widely accepted and you will find many ATMs on the island.

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15. What is the electric voltage on St. Croix?

The voltage on St./ Croix is 110 volts, the same as on the U.S. mainland.

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16. What time zone is St. Croix in?

St. Croix lies in the Atlantic Time zone. We do not follow Daylight Savings Time. During the spring and summer we are on the same time as the East Coast of the U.S. When the clocks are set back for daylight savings, in the fall and winter, we are one hour ahead of East Coast time.

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17. Is there a hospital on St. Croix, and what about doctors?

Yes, Juan F. Luis Hospital - Sunny Isle, located across from the Innovative Building. In fact, there is a new cardiac center that is one of the largest and most modern in the Caribbean. There are doctors of every kind available on the island. Click here for more medical doctor information.

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18. Where should I stay while on St. Croix?

St. Croix offers visitors to the island many options for accommodations. You will find large beachfront resorts and hotels,  smaller independent hotels and Inns, B&Bs and condo and villa rentals. Accommodations range from luxury to modest. You can even go camping! The rates will vary by the time of year. Typically, Peak Season runs from mid-December to mid-April and Off Peak runs from mid-April to mid-December. The US Virgin Islands imposes an 8% tax on all short-term lodging. That means you will pay the same 8% where ever you choose to stay.

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19. I have special travel needs. Does St. Croix accommodate handicapped travelers with special needs?

Yes! There are many businesses, restaurants and lodgings that fully accommodate travelers with special needs. The U.S. Virgin Islands is fully committed to the provisions of the ADA. 

20. I want to have my wedding and get married on St. Croix. Is it difficult to arrange?

No, not at all.  A marriage license needs to be obtained at the courthouse. Your union will be recognized as a legal union by any court in the United States. There are several wedding planners on the island to help you. Click here for more wedding information and for a Marriage Application and License that you can download.

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21. We are planning a vacation with children of varying ages. Will they be bored?

No! St. Croix has a multitude of things to do for children. You can choose from crab races,  snorkeling and swimming,  horseback riding, kayak rentals, a Buck Island sail, miniature golf, and museums, parks and national monuments. Believe me, your kids won't be bored!

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