usvi-on-line
Cruise line plans day-stops in St Croix
Cruise line plans day-stops in St Croix
This can only be good news for St. Croix:
<blockquote>"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: St. Croix is readying its brightly painted colonial buildings and centuries-old sugar mills to welcome cruise ship passengers to the U.S. island that has been bypassed in recent years because of concerns about crime.
Disney Cruise Line on Tuesday announced new eastern Caribbean itineraries for 2009, with one seven-night cruise featuring a day stop in the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where tourism provides much-needed income and islanders greet passengers with a fair of crafts and music.
Most major cruise lines suspended visits to St. Croix five years ago, citing crime and a lack of consumer demand.
The director of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, Michael Dembeck, said robberies have become far less frequent on the island - the poorest in the three-island chain - while adding that safety concerns were "overblown" by the cruise ship industry back in 2002.
"I think the entire community has become aware and very cognizant of the importance of combating crime," Dembeck said from the St. Croix town of Christiansted. "There is a real commitment here to keeping our streets safe."</blockquote>
More here from the <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/ ... >AP</b></a>
<blockquote>"SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: St. Croix is readying its brightly painted colonial buildings and centuries-old sugar mills to welcome cruise ship passengers to the U.S. island that has been bypassed in recent years because of concerns about crime.
Disney Cruise Line on Tuesday announced new eastern Caribbean itineraries for 2009, with one seven-night cruise featuring a day stop in the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where tourism provides much-needed income and islanders greet passengers with a fair of crafts and music.
Most major cruise lines suspended visits to St. Croix five years ago, citing crime and a lack of consumer demand.
The director of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, Michael Dembeck, said robberies have become far less frequent on the island - the poorest in the three-island chain - while adding that safety concerns were "overblown" by the cruise ship industry back in 2002.
"I think the entire community has become aware and very cognizant of the importance of combating crime," Dembeck said from the St. Croix town of Christiansted. "There is a real commitment here to keeping our streets safe."</blockquote>
More here from the <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/ ... >AP</b></a>
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line