Voyager of the Seas - Part 1 St. Thomas and St. Croix

December 14, 2023

Voyager of the Seas - Part 1 St. Thomas and St. Croix

Today I'm looking back on our 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas cruise we took last November. The itinerary included 6 islands with no days at sea. Of the six, we had been to two so we were looking forward to seeing some new islands on this itinerary. Let's get started!

St. Thomas

St. Thomas was one of the islands that we had previously visited. But we had visited in 1995 so if my math is correct that was some 28 years ago. We were pretty sure that it had changed. But there was one place in particular we hoped hadn't changed too much - our favorite place we visited from before - Magens Bay Beach. Therefore, we signed up for a shore excursion that would have us spending the afternoon here.

We met up with our excursion right by the ship and boarded our open air bus that would take us up the mountain and then down to Magens Bay. We drove through a very busy Charlotte Amalie and then made a stop - along with so many other buses - at the fabulous viewpoint overlooking a good bit of St. Thomas. It was just a quick stop for photos and then we were on our way.

If my memory of Magens Bay serves me correctly, then the beach had changed quite a bit. Well, not the beach per se, but the tourist facilities on the beach. When we visited before it was just a beach with two cliffs on either side of the water. Now, unfortunately, there was a admission gate to enter, restrooms, a beach wear shop, a cafe and many lounge chairs that you had to rent. So much for no change. (I'm being very tongue in cheek here - I do realize that all things change)

So we walked across the parking lot and paid for our chair rental. Then we hung out in the clear water for awhile. We had a beverage. Enjoyed the breeze. And it was time to head back. As all shore excursions go, our time was too short.

The good spots on our visit were: the water was exactly the same - clear and calm to swim in. It wasn't crowded. And it wasn't too hot. Plus I liked that there were restrooms available and the chairs were comfy. It's just that memory and realism don't always go hand in hand. Did I still enjoy it? Oh yeah! A beautiful beach and a nice swim - fantastic!

A beverage upon leaving St. Thomas

Views from the ship of St. Thomas

St. Croix

St. Croix was a very special stop for us as we had our very own tour guide. Our good friends daughter-in-law lives part of the time on the island - she wears many hats including chef and bartender -and she volunteered to be our tour guide for the day.

St Croix is one of three US Virgin Islands. Formally an island of the Danish West Indies. It's a laid back tropical destination with some popular attractions including Buck Island Reef National Monument (where Mr. UR went snorkeling), Christiansted National Historic Site and Cane Bay, a popular scuba diving and snorkeling spot.

Our first view of St. Croix

Lots of chickens

Mr. UR signed up for a morning snorkeling excursion so I was meeting our friend for lunch until he was done. I started the day by visiting Fort Frederick in Fredericksted right by the pier. A US National Historic Landmark, it was built between 1752 and 1760 by Denmark-Norway to defend their economic interests and ward off pirate attacks. It changed hands from Denmark to the US government in 1917. It's a very interesting historical spot and I learned a lot from my short visit. (You really don't need very long here) The cost to visit is $5. And a side note, Fredericksted is referred to as Freedom City because in 1848 then Governor General Peter Van Scholten read a proclamation abolishing slavery.

Officers quarters

Not a bad view from a fort

Exibit in the forts museum

After I sauntered through a street market outside of the fort, I then visited the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts. This small, but well done, museum "serves and promotes the rich cultural and artistic traditions of Caribbean art." I enjoyed my time here and would highly recommend a stop if you are in Fredericksted.

I met up with our friend for lunch and then Mr. UR joined us when he was done with his excursion. We headed out in her car for a tour of the island. First stop was the extremely unique Mt. Pellier Hut Domino Club which turned out to be a highlight of the day. Located in the heart of the rain forest, a thatched roof covers this locals haunt, jungle bar and it dirt floors. You can stop in for a cold drink - try the infamous momma wanna, a mixture of rum, honey and herbs- or a bite to eat and then feed the pigs beer!

This unusual activity started many years ago when the original owners of the bar, George and Norma, were farmers. They decided to downsize and sell all of their pigs but two. One of the visitors to the farm walked by Buster the pig with a beer in his hand and Buster helped himself. The rest is history.

There are now 4 non-alcoholic beer drinking pigs kept on the property. You may buy a $2 beer for them and feed them it - they will happily drink it. We had a blast doing this and totally enjoyed our visit to this unique tropical bar. (Please be assured that the pigs only are fed non-alcoholic beer and they are treated like family. There is no abuse here.)

Next up was Leatherback Brewing Company where we enjoyed a Caribbean crafted beer. We were running out of time, however, so we made a short stop here before our friend hightailed it to the cruise dock. We made it in time! Though I do believe we were one of the last ones back to the ship for the 5pm onboard call.