USVI-On-Line

ST. CROIX, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, January 30, 2009 - St. Croix welcomes three cruise ships to the island next week, with the arrival of the Disney Magic on Tuesday, February 3 at 7:00 a.m., Holland America's Eurodam on Wednesday, February 4 at 8:00 a.m. and the Azamara Cruise Line Journey on Sunday, February 8 at 8:00 a.m.

More <a href="http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/travel ... ere</b></a>.

Nice to see they've worked out the issues they were having and that the cruise ships ae returning.

This is probably very welcome news to their local economy!

Gromit - if you talk to residents on STX they are not terrifically enthused about this return - kind of a wait and see. They'd like a little more tourism - but not too much - and that's the fear. It's really a very laid-back place and folks seem to like it that way. They would like to see people come and stay for a week at a resort or villa and really enjoy what the island has to offer - not do a quick hit off a ship. One of the problems with the cruise ships is that there is an expectation of revenue and mark-up from shops and shore excursions. STX cannot support the kind of revenues the ships see from STT and other large ports (which was one of the reasons the ships pulled out of STX, the other being the problem with the USVI government over Crown Bay on STT. They could NOT stop calling as the revenue was too good so they punished the USVI by boycotting STX and cited crime as the reason. STX has learned to get along without the cruise ships - it really is a lovely island.

Margy-

My comment was meant to be supportive and generally benign -- not sure why you read so much into it and that it required so much explanation.

But OK.

Whatever you say...

Guess I'll have to work on acquiring the virtue of brevity.

The whole thing about the cruise ships leaving STX and then coming back and the reasons behind that is interesting to me - thought it was to you, too, since you posted on this thread. Just wanted to share what I had heard and read.

Seems that was not the best call I've made this week - good thing it's Friday.

- Margy

Bottom Line: People that come on cruise ships and spend a little money and enjoy the island return for a week.

If the people of STX are not happy about this, they are very short sighted.

When the ships stopped when I was on island, it was devastating to the economy. They petitioned to get them to come back to no avail for many years.

I think this is great fot the island and for all of the US islands. More tourists means more dollars into a very weak economy. Thanks for the update Anthony!

I have to add that this has been a huge priority for as long as I can remember. Getting the ships back and getting some tourism dollars back. It seems very strange that the DOT and the Govt. would be so out of step with the population. Is this really something only big business and govt. want?

Anthony - It would be nice to get some STX resident input on this topic. All I can relay is what the people we have encountered have expressed to us – granted, that is not a true sampling or a cross-section of opinions, just folks we have met along the way. What we have been told is that there is continued resentment of the perception that the ships left because of high crime and that STX continues to be painted with that brush whenever any crime is reported because this reputation is rehashed and kept alive as fact. They don’t see that happening on the other two virgins even with some of the more sensational crimes that have occurred. I am sensitive to seeing this tag perpetuated, myself, because I think that this is a beautiful, underestimated destination with a great deal to offer. It’s unfortunate if more travelers never get there because of an undeserved reputation and I do find myself inclined to defend STX.

On the first day a ship was in port, many shops in C’Sted were closed in honor of Three Kings Day. Some on the island were furious; others felt little impetus to change customs to honor the return. There is distrust that this "return" is really going to mean much in the long run. They don’t seem to anticipate that there's a chance many folks who cruise and stop will return to stay for a week. Maybe that's being short-sighted and unwilling to put in the effort to create such a great shore experience that people are going to want to come back. Maybe they feel that, coupled with bucking the reputation, that it's just too big a hill to climb.

I’m sure it was devastating when the ships pulled out and it stands to reason that many attempts were made to reverse the decision because, at that time, STX was indeed seeing revenue from these ships. As I understand it, Carnival’s departure was a decision based on a port fee issue and the USVI pulling out of a planned development partnership agreement for Crown Bay. The ships could not stop calling on STT as it was such a popular destination and there was too much ship revenue there. But, STX, on the other hand, was not a big earner for the ships, so the ships left and cited high crime as a reason. It’s my understanding that the crime statistics do not support that reason.

STX has had to get along without those ships since 2002. F’Sted is no longer thriving as a tourist spot and it will take a lot to build it back up again. C’Sted is a good half hour away from the dock and that’s where most of the shopping is located. It kind of seems like a Catch-22 – do they or don’t they spend the money and to build up for the ships / will the ships keep coming or will they stop again because revenues may still not be anywhere near those from some of the other ports of call.

I think that the DOT has the big picture in mind and I do hope that STX will participate fully and see the results of the effort to try to make this return work for them.