Explore St. Croix For the Day!

Good Morning, Good Morning!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are staying safe, happy and healthy out there in the world 🙂  A lot of folks have recently asked about going to St. Croix for the day.  Well, during normal times of year, I might not necessarily recommend the ferry…Especially if you have a tendency to get a little woozy on the water!  But, during these beautiful months of the year where the water is calm and the breezes have subsided, The Native Son Ferry to St. Croix is a lovely option for a day trip from St. Thomas!

The Native Son Ferry operates trips, three days a week between St. Thomas and St. Croix.  On Sunday, Wednesday and Friday each week, the ferry departs on a 90 minute voyage over the 40 nautical miles between our sister islands.  The departure time is 8AM and delivers you St. Croix by 9:30…Just in time for a late breakfast and several hours of time for exploration of the largest of the US Virgin Islands.

The boat picks up guests at the downtown Charlotte Amalie Blyden Terminal on St. Thomas and drops off at the Gallows Bay Terminal in Christiansted on St. Croix for their three round trip ventures each week.

The boat departs from St. Croix at 4PM and will get you back in time (5:30PM) to catch the end of happy hour or an early dinner at one of your favorite St. Thomas establishments before returning to St. John after a day of adventure and exploration!

While you’re on St. Croix for a few hours, do dive into the natural and historical offerings that our sister island to the south has to offer!

• Downtown Christiansted:  Explore the history of the fort and the Danish architecture of this town that, present day, is teeming with boutique shops and restaurants.  If you enjoy a little historical venture, you can do a self-guided walking tour of Alexander Hamilton’s Christiansted.  Or, go on a local culinary adventure with Virgin Islands Food Tours.  On Fridays they offer a three hour tour of local food stops infused with historical information about the area.

• Take an Island Tour:  Many of you may have participated in a taxi tour of St. John in your early years of visiting.  Well, on St. Croix, you can do a similar style of tour in an open air taxi that includes stops at the Botanical Gardens, impeccable overlooks, a historic rum distillery, a visit to the beer drinking pigs and a Danish Sugar Cane Plantation.  Tours are five hours long Monday-Friday and include your admission to all attractions for $71 per person.  Bring cash for your lunch and souvenir shopping and book in advance online!
• Play Underwater!:  The diving and snorkeling around St. Croix are absolutely unbeatable!  Most of the group tours do not necessarily coincide with the ferry schedule unfortunately, but you never know what you can accomplish by making a few phone calls during this slower time of year!  GoToStCroix.com has a wonderful selection of companies offering diving and snorkeling tours and you may be able to talk someone into coordinating with your pick up or drop off schedule 🙂

• Play Outside:  Ziplining, golfing and horseback riding on the beach are just a few of the adventures you can experience while on St. Croix for an afternoon!
• Stay for the Weekend:  If you have a few days to kill, take the early boat over on Friday and the late boat back on Sunday and book yourself a little weekend getaway!  Spend your days exploring untouched beaches, take a night dive at the pier or explore Buck Island and spend your evenings exploring the absolutely inventive culinary scene on St. Croix.

Whether you are staying for the day, or for the weekend, book your ferry ride with Native Son online ahead of time to secure your seat.  Each round trip ticket is $120 per adult or $90 for kiddos 12 and under.  During this slower time of the year, and with the BVI still pretty much closed for international day trippers, its a great way to spend a day exploring the diversity of a new and different island.