Rick's Note: As of Monday, May 16, I have not written this story yet.  Stay tuned!

St Thomas is the most developed and most cosmopolitan of the US Virgin Islands.  Though it’s only 32 square miles in size, St. Thomas has a million miles worth of things to do.

Go shopping and sailing, snorkeling and sightseeing, or diving and dining. Enjoy the island’s world-renowned golf course, picture-perfect beaches and spectacular nightlife. Take the Skyride 700 feet above the city or climb the famous 99 Steps of Charlotte Amalie for an incomparable view of the Caribbean.

If you’re interested in culture and history, don’t miss seeing the second-oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, the 1680-built Fort Christian or the childhood home of Camille Pissarro, one of the best-known French Impressionists.  St. Thomas's history and culture alone are worth a visit to the island. Fort Christian, a U.S. National Landmark, is the oldest standing structure in the Virgin Islands and home to the Virgin Islands Museum, where early island memorabilia and old maps trace the islands' history. Market Square, a bustling produce marketplace, was once one of the West Indies' busiest 18th-century slave markets.
 
Historic buildings found throughout downtown Charlotte Amalie take visitors back to the Danish era when the town was a bustling port of trade; while modern additions of taxis, shops, souvenir vendors and cruise ships in the harbour remind that it is tourism that currently drives the economy.
 
Also of interest is the Synagogue of Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the United States. On nearby Government Hill, looming over Charlotte Amalie, stands Blackbeard's Castle. Known during colonial times as Skytsborg, this 17th-century fortified tower also serves as a popular restaurant and hotel.
 
Located in the hills not far from the heart of Charlotte Amalie, Government House has been the center of government in St. Thomas since the mid-1860s. Visitors interested in seeing St. Thomas's political life may tour the building's first two floors. The 99 Steps, made by bricks that were once used as ballast on Danish and British ships, were built into the hillside to keep the orderly grid of the city intact.

St. Thomas is largely mountainous. Many roads around the island offer terrific panoramic views of the island and ocean. Amongst the hills on St. Thomas and along the beaches you will find an assortment of accommodations; resorts, historic inns, guest homes, vacation homes, villas and condos,
 
St. Thomas is a water lover’s paradise. If you prefer, relax on the beach, snorkel, and scuba dive, windsurf, and kite board, sail, fish, kayak or parasail.   The underwater world in the Virgin Islands is stunning and truly amazing! Explore corals and gorgonian forest of sea fans and sea whips. Dive around caves, explore sunken boat wrecks or take a night dive and explore the fantastic world of nocturnal marine life! Swim among turtles, bright parrotfish, blue tangs, schools of fry and so much more.

On land you can play a round of golf, take an island tour, check out some attractions, take in the historical sites downtown, explore a colonial church or do some shopping.

Due to the Virgin Island’s unique history and picturesque setting, you will find an experience unlike anything else in the Caribbean.

The population in the US VI is largely made up of Caribbean people whose ancestors were Africans and Europeans. You will find people from all across the Caribbean living in the Virgin Islands as well as Americans from the mainland, Europeans and Hispanics.
 
English is the main language in the US VI and the majority of the population speak, write and read English only. Some residents speak quickly and with an accent making it difficult to understand. Emigrants from other islands have brought other languages to the Virgin Islands therefore it is not uncommon to hear Spanish, French-Patois and Creole.
 
Music in the Virgin Islands is definitely Caribbean. You can hear reggae, steel pan, calypso and soca. Many other music venues can be enjoyed from Latin and blues to jazz and classical.
 
Virgin Islanders are religious people. Popular religions include Baptist and Catholic.

Superstitions and storytelling are very common. There are often stories about jumbies (spirits) that walk around in homes, on the street and anywhere the person telling the story wants them to be. Jumbie stories are a Caribbean tradition and are often used as cautionary tales for children. Bru Nansi, a spidery-man who prevails in the most adverse circumstance, is a popular story character.
 
In the Virgin Islands saying Good Morning, Good Afternoon and Good Night are not the same thing as saying Hello or Hi; the former is a warmer greeting and is the norm for friends and strangers.
 
While visiting the islands take your time to appreciate the local arts, events and music. Definitely try some local food, deserts and drinks, you will enjoy them. Make your vacation a true Caribbean experience by enjoying the local culture!

The Virgin Islands were named by an explorer familiar to all of us in the Americas--Christopher Columbus. After seeing the large number of islands in 1493, he named the group Las Once Mil Virgenes in honor of St. Ursula's 11,000 martyred maidens of Christian belief.

Although the islands have seen many flags, the chain is currently split between the United States and Great Britain. The U.S. purchased its share of the Virgin Islands paradise from Denmark in 1916 for $25 million. This was considered a huge sum to pay for island real estate at the time. However, the U.S. government was on the eve of World War and was concerned that Germany might take over the islands from the Danes and use them as a base to prey on shipping going through the Panama Canal
 
Our ship will visit the harbor of Charlotte Amalie, capital of St. Thomas, than any other port in the West Indies. The beautiful beaches and lots of opportunities for shopping draw the ships to the 12-mile long island. Vacationers discovered St. Thomas right after World War II, and it currently has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean.
 
You can walk into Charlotte Amalie and shop and see the city. For getting around outside the city, the island has a bus service and taxis are plentiful. The taxis are unmetered, so be sure that you agree on a price before setting off with one. Many taxi drivers will also serve as tour guides, and sometimes you can hire one for the day. Again, agree on a price up-front.

The cruise ship will also offer island tours as one of their shore excursions. Traveling up into the mountains and looking down at the city, harbor, and cruise ships below is quite a sight, and Magen’s Bay is one of the prettiest bays in the Caribbean.

Fort Christian

Scuba and Snorkeling Paradise

Charlotte Amalie at Sunset

Blackbeard's Castle

St Croix is the largest of the United States Virgin Islands, 84 square miles in area. The beautiful island of St. Croix is the largest of the 3 inhabited US Virgins Islands (St. Thomas and St. John are the other two). In fact, it is about three times the size of St. Thomas, however, it only has a population of about 60,000 residents, about the same as St. Thomas. This gives visitors to the island a lot more breathing room!

St. Croix lies approximately 40 miles south of St. Thomas and St. John, and is separated from them by a deep oceanic trench...the deepest in the Atlantic basin! St. Croix has beautiful white sand beaches with warm, crystal clear waters. All beaches on the island are open to the public.

St. Croix, US VI, offers everything you would expect from a Virgin Island...lush green hills, warm aquamarine water, sugar white sand beaches, fabulous weather, great dining and duty free shopping, incredible SCUBA diving, three golf courses.

St. Croix is a paradise for water and sports enthusiasts, offering every activity from sailing and motor yachting, snorkeling including Buck Island snorkeling tours, swimming, and SCUBA diving to riding wave runners, Jet Ski, water skiing, kayaking, parasailing, windsurfing, sailing, sport fishing, horseback riding, tennis, golf and bicycle riding.

Whether you are an avid athlete or just someone that wants to enjoy a fun day in the sun and water, you will find that land and water activities on St. Croix are plentiful. St Croix has awesome water temperatures that average 80 degrees year round, making a day in the water even more enjoyable!

Many Loyalties

Saint Croix has flown seven different flags. Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, the Knights of Malta, Denmark, and the United States have all taken turns colonizing the island.

The Cruzan Rum factory (see picture) is based on St. Croix and Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and Beer Company, is constructing a high capacity distillery on the island. The new facility will produce bulk rum beginning in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the distillery will supply all bulk rum used to make Captain Morgan branded products for the United States.

Christiansted

There are two distinct towns to visit: Christiansted and Frederiksted. Each has its own distinctive style; together that is the Twin Cities, a must-see. The architectural quality and historic interest of the one-time Danish West Indies capital has made part of Christiansted (founded in 1734) a National Historic Site.

Christiansted is on the north shore of the island, just a little east of center, and is filled with historic buildings displaying the greatest example of Danish architecture outside of Denmark! The picturesque harbor town of Christiansted attained its present state by the late 1700s, when St. Croix was a crown colony of Denmark and the city was one of the Caribbean's major ports.

The U.S. National Park Service maintains the neoclassical-style buildings as they appeared in the 1830s through the 1850s, the period following the peak of prosperity for the island's sugar, cotton, rum and slave trades. Many street signs are still in Danish. In Christiansted, you can shop the day away through quaint shops filled with French perfumes, china, crystal, batik clothing and jewelry. A boardwalk follows the harbor's edge that offers many great places to eat and drink as well as several small hotels. A great place to watch the seaplane takeoff and land on it's way to and from St. Thomas.

Frederiksted

Frederiksted has its share of shops and shopping. It also has a tropical Rain Forest and Whim Greathouse, a plantation restored to the way it was in the 1700s. Frederiksted has charming "gingerbread" Victorian architecture and is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, since cruise ships began calling on the port again in 2008. Fort Fredrik dates back to 1700 and is the site where Governor General Peter Van Scholten read the proclamation abolishing slavery on the island in 1848. Today the fort houses a museum.

The area right in front of the Frederiksted fort and waterfront has been made into a beautiful town park. Frederiksted has a beautiful waterfront that draws cruise ships and visitors from around the globe.

Salt River

Moving west along the North Shore, visit the west side of Salt River where Columbus' crew landed in November of 1493. Christopher Columbus is credited as the first European to discover the island in 1493, landing at Salt River on the central north coast, in search of fresh water. He didn't find any as Salt River, as it is now known, was just an inlet from the sea that resembled the mouth of a river.

Rain Forest

There can be small running streams/rivers in the rainforest, depending on how much rain there has been, but nothing navigable. The far eastern part of the island is more arid and you will even find cactus plants growing up to 15 feet high on the hills. Even though the island is only 27 miles long, east to west, the western half is lush with beautiful green hills including a small rainforest, while the East end is much more arid. There are wonderful white sandy beaches all around the island.

Historic plantations from the days when slavery and agriculture drove the economy are scattered throughout the island. Estate Whim Plantation, located on the west end of the island, is a great example of one these plantation & "great houses". With large areas of rolling green hills and expanses of fertile flat land on the south central area of the island, St. Croix's plantations also grew many other crops that are still prominent in Caribbean cuisine.

When the slaves used by the plantation owners were freed, the sugar industry rapidly declined and tourism became the most important part of the economy on the island...it remains that way today. The ruins of dozens of sugar mills are scattered all over the island, a vivid reminder of the island's past.

Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge

St Croix also has great duty free shopping areas and a variety of activities and water sports, enough to keep visitors very entertained. Among it's natural attributes are natural reserves for plant and animal life including Buck Island Reef National Monument, with an underwater snorkeling trail, Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, a rainforest, and botanical gardens. Created among the ruins of an 18th century sugar plantation the Botanical Gardens are a wonderful place to visit.

The gardens are planted on 16 acres containing over 1000 species of local and exotic tress and shrubs. An interesting blend of history and flora and fauna awaits you at St. George's Gardens. A rich history surrounds the location of the gardens as they are built upon a pre-Columbus Indian settlement and the ruins of a sugar plantation. A cactus garden, rain forest trail and beautiful mahogany trees surround acres of tropical garden.

Buck Island Reef National Monument was established to preserve "one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea." The park is one of a few fully marine protected areas in the National Park System. The 176-acre island and surrounding coral reef ecosystem support a large variety of native flora and fauna, including the hawksbill turtle and brown pelican. Visitors to Buck Island can enjoy a leisurely swim in the crystal clear waters, snorkeling or SCUBA diving through the fantastic reef to witness tropical marine life.

At the eastern most point of the reef is the famous underwater trail; both novice and expert snorkelers will enjoy the passages through the reef. Those not wishing to get wet may chose to hike over the island enjoying native flora and fauna while getting a birds-eye view of the reef and sea below.

The lure of St. Croix's sun-drenched beaches is virtually impossible to resist; they have been ranked among the most beautiful in the world. Picture crescent moons of sugar-white sand rimming secluded coves, lush tropical scenery and the sun reflecting diamond sparks on crystal-clear aquamarine waters that about sums up what you'll find on this island paradise.

Cruzan Rum Factory

Buck Island Waterfall