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St Thomas · U.S. Virgin Islands
A park beach, a harbor-view tram and a ferry to a national park.
Magens Bay is a park beach on the north shore, and the Skyride climbs Paradise Point above Charlotte Amalie. Ferries run from Red Hook to Cruz Bay on St John, where two-thirds of the island is national park.
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See History
Downtown, about 0.7 mile from Havensight
The St Thomas Historical Trust museum on Raadets Gade is free and opens weekdays from 10 am to 2 pm. The Trust's guided walk passes Fort Christian, the 99 Steps and Government House on Thursdays at 9 am ($55, book 48 hours ahead).
See the Downtown Walking Tour (opens a new tab)Unwind Beach
North shore, about 2.1 miles from Havensight
A park beach with a hiking trail, arboretum, showers, a bar and equipment rental. It is open daily from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, and entry is $7 per person (children under 12 free).
See the Magens Bay Page (opens a new tab)Explore National Park
St John, by ferry from Red Hook
Two-thirds of St John is national park, with beaches, plantation ruins and snorkeling. From St Thomas, take a taxi to Red Hook, then the 20-minute ferry to Cruz Bay.
See the National Park Page (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
St Thomas has two cruise docks, Havensight (WICO) and Crown Bay, about 2.1 miles apart. Some small ships anchor off St John instead.
| Cruise line | Ships | Dock | Distance to town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | All ships (Adventure of the Seas once at Havensight) | Crown Bay | 1.7 miles |
| Norwegian | Most ships (Gem and Getaway once each at Crown Bay) | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Carnival | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Celebrity | All ships | Crown Bay | 1.7 miles |
| SeaDream Yacht Club | All ships | Anchored off St John (most calls), or Crown Bay | Tender to Cruz Bay, or 1.7 miles from Crown Bay |
| Silversea | All ships | Anchored off St John (most calls) | Tender to Cruz Bay |
| Disney | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Holland America | All ships (2 calls at Crown Bay) | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Princess Cruises | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Emerald Cruises | All ships | Anchored off St John (most calls) | Tender to Cruz Bay |
| Explora Journeys | All ships | Anchored off St John or Havensight (WICO) | Tender to Cruz Bay, or 0.8 miles from Havensight |
| Oceania | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| MSC | All ships (1 call at Crown Bay) | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Viking | All ships (1 call at Crown Bay) | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection | All ships | Anchored off St John | Tender to Cruz Bay |
| Azamara | All ships (1 call at St John) | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Margaritaville at Sea | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Marella | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Regent Seven Seas | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
| Virgin Voyages | All ships | Havensight (WICO) | 0.8 miles |
Docks can change, and the port's two schedules do not always agree. Your cruise line's app or daily planner shows yours. Source: WICO ship schedule, FY2027 Rev 4.
Where you dock decides the day: Havensight is the closest to downtown, Crown Bay is farther out, and ships at St John tender to Cruz Bay.
Cyril E. King Airport is about 1.2 miles from Crown Bay and about 3.3 miles from Havensight in a straight line.
If you do one thing here
The tram takes about 7 minutes from the harbor to the top of Paradise Point. The views take in Charlotte Amalie and, on a clear day, Puerto Rico and St Croix. The base is about 0.4 mile from the Havensight dock.
A round trip costs $34.95 for adults and $24.95 for children. Tickets are not sold in advance: buy them at the window or through your ship. It opens at 9 am on most ship days and closes on some days, so check its schedule first.
Homicides run far above the US rate, and the wettest months fall in the hurricane season.
Crime figures: Virgin Islands Police Department 2025 homicide count as reported by the V.I. Consortium (no official VIPD table found); population from the 2020 Census (St Thomas Island 42,261 plus St John Island 3,881 = 46,142); US rate from the FBI's 2024 national figures. The per-100,000 rate and the ratio are our maths and count residents, not visitors. Weather: NOAA 1991 to 2020 monthly normals, Charlotte Amalie airport.
Make it part of your voyage
Ships from 17 cruise lines are scheduled to call at St Thomas.
Ships use two docks: Havensight (the WICO dock) and Crown Bay. Carnival, Norwegian, Disney and Princess ships mostly use Havensight; Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships use Crown Bay. Some small ships anchor off St John and tender passengers to Cruz Bay.
The VI Port Authority posts the Crown Bay schedule, and WICO posts a schedule that covers every dock, with a berth for each call. Both say the schedule is subject to change.
Downtown Charlotte Amalie is about 0.8 mile in a straight line from the Havensight dock and about 1.7 miles from Crown Bay. Walking routes are longer.
From Havensight, yes: Fort Christian is about 0.7 mile and downtown about 0.8 mile in a straight line. From Crown Bay, downtown is about 1.7 miles away, so most visitors take a taxi.
VInow's copy of the 2022 Taxicab Commission rates lists $15 for one person or $12 each for two or more from Havensight, and $18 or $15 each from Crown Bay. Fares are per person, not metered. Check the card posted in the taxi, as rates may have changed.
Take a taxi to Red Hook, then the ferry to Cruz Bay. The ferry leaves every hour on the hour from 5:30 am to 10:00 pm, takes about 20 minutes, and costs $8.15 one way for non-resident adults.
Entry is $7 per person for non-residents, and children under 12 are free. Parking is $2. The beach is open every day from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm.
A round trip costs $34.95 for adults and $24.95 for children. Tickets are sold at the window or through the cruise ship, not in advance, and each cabin holds up to 8 people.
From Havensight, the Skyride base is about 0.4 mile away and Fort Christian is about 0.7 mile. Magens Bay is about 2.1 miles from Havensight in a straight line, and Coral World at Coki Point is about 4.0 miles.
The St Thomas, St John and Water Island police district recorded 19 homicides in 2025, by the police department's count as reported in the news. That is about 41 per 100,000 residents, about 8 times the US murder rate of 5.0 in 2024. The figures count residents, not visitors.
Daily highs run from 84°F in January to 90°F in August. February and March are the driest months, at about 1.9 inches of rain each. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
