So much to say, so much to love in St. Croix. Part 1 of this report, on the fam I attended a couple of weeks ago, talked about the properties we visited. Access it here.
But beyond the hotels, the eight travel advisors in the group and I found an abundance of amazing food; snorkeling and scuba diving just a step away, no boats required; and since this is a US territory, an easy commute requiring no passports or money exchanges. Our group had sunset cocktails at The Waves, dinner at Savant, lunch at The Buccaneer, and brunch at Caroline’s. Some surprising food options were the sustainable vodka made of breadfruit and snacks at the Mutiny Island Vodka distillery (try the conch fritters and the small-batch Meyer lemon vodka), and a sunset dinner at Ama at Cane Bay (get the filet, and then the homemade limoncello and crack pie for dessert).
Travel Advisor Feedback
Interestingly, each of the travel advisors in the group seemed to favor a different property for a different kind of clientele. Iris Martin has a honeymoon couple headed to The Fred. Susan Jeske is thinking of a buyout of the 150-room Carambola Beach for her group of scuba divers, who’d love the onsite dive shop to store their gear and then just walk into the waves. The King Christian or the Buccaneer would work for some of Allison Carrow’s luxury customers. While the island isn’t a luxury destination per se, “I have a family from Canada that likes that kind of barefoot luxury accommodations and has a budget of $30,000,” she said.
At the Carambola Beach, Becky Meadows was looking for a site for the strategic planning meeting she puts together every year for the board of directors of the National Fenestration Rating Council Inc. Until now, all have been in traditional US meeting destinations like Florida, California, and Arizona. But this time, excited to be gathering in person post-COVID, the group of window experts is more focused on the “mental-health aspects that light provides.” They want a destination with a unique flavor and a great view—but one that does not require passports. “We want to be in St. Croix; it’s beautiful, but it’s still the US,” she says.
Iris Martin liked St. Croix “for clients who want that small-island vibe; it feels intimate, like a melting pot with a Caribbean flavor. I could so see me coming here with a group of friends.”
And Gayle Shussler is especially interested in the “unique buy-out opportunity” at the 11-room Waves Cane Bay, for a girl’s group or a honeymoon.
In the end, stuck in St. Croix for two extra days after Fiona blew away our flights and grounded the seaplane to St. Thomas, we came to appreciate the special feeling that comes from pulling together on a small island.
Our terrific hostesses from the Department of Tourism, Shana Whyte and Sharon Rosario, happened to pass the owner of Sand Castles on the street, and he offered to give us shelter from the storm. We didn’t need the property’s backup generator, but we did make use of the covered outdoor restaurant and lively bar.
We sat for hours watching the sea and schmoozing with the locals and guests from nearby properties. (I understand an invitation to swing was involved at one point, but I’m not sure the source was reliable. Still, there is a nude pool at the far end of this LBGTQ-friendly property. Perhaps that’s another customer base to consider.)
Some would say Hurricane Season might not be the best time to send customers to the Caribbean. But by the time Fiona passed, everyone had only positive comments about our little adventure on the littlest of the US Virgin Islands.
“You have to leave that commercial vibe behind if you are planning to go to a small exotic island like St. Croix; it’s not for clients who want concierge service,” Gayle Shussler says. “But I don’t need a five-star resort when I’m at a five-star location. I want to be able to walk into my room with sand on my feet—and these properties are all homey and beachy. It’s not like where you are coming from—but isn’t the whole point of a vacation to leave that all behind?
“Being here, I have gained a new respect for the people, and the food is phenomenal. We’ve seen it all, and I haven’t been disappointed. I feel like it’s my home away from home here.”
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.