March 8, 2026 – Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas – Partly Cloudy – 82F
Port Information. Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas, is the capital of the US Virgin Islands. It was founded by the Danish in 1672 and is named for the Queen of Denmark. The Danish West Indies (St Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix) were purchased from the Danish government for $25 million in gold in 1916. The islands became a US territory in 1917. Charlotte Amalie is a key Caribbean port home to cruise ships as well as yachts and superyachts. The city itself has a population of about 8,000 with the greater urban area containing 14,400 people. The island of St Thomas has a population of 42,000. Charlotte Amalie is home to the second oldest Synagogue (The Hebrew Congregation of St Thomas) in the United States. The Synagogue is located on Government Hill, home to many historical homes, government buildings, and museums. Government House, completed in 1867 is the keystone of Government Hill.
I had a tough night – the ship was bouncing and the wave slaps sounded like cannons firing but I think the coffee I had at dinner was not the decaf I ordered. I was up early enough to take my fifth consecutive morning shower – I used to do that when I was working and I like it because it kind of wakes me up.
I got to the Terrace Café at around 7:00 AM and my favorite seat on the veranda was taken (I always eat breakfast out there). The nerve. I had my usual breakfast and the coffee kept coming even though the waitstaff had rotated.
It's a beautiful day in the US Virgin Islands and its capital, Charlotte Amalie.
We decided to get off the ship today. Even though the ship is docked at Havensight (West Indian Company Dock)
which is closer to the town, it is not walkable (1.5 not so easy miles away). There is no real cruise terminal at Havensight – just a garden area and a restaurant. We are the only ship at this terminal - the Jewel of the Seas is docked over the hill at Crown Bay (where the big ships hang out).
There was a van parked there and we asked about an island tour and he said this was not a tour van (we would need to catch those in town). We then asked about just a ride to town and he said he was leaving imminently. We got into the van and found that it was already full of guests that had been waiting about an hour to leave for town. I guess it’s best to be the last on board. We took the van to Charlotte Amalie city center - $12 each way going rate. The driver said that the return ride could be picked up at the drop site.
We walked up Veterans Drive, which ran alongside the busy street bordering the bay. I looked up the Hebrew Congregation of St Thomas on Google Maps (Raadets Gade and Krystal St.)
and walked a few more blocks arriving at the bottom of Government Hill. Government Hill, home to government building and nice homes, is a fairly steep hill.
Even so, there is traffic on the hill and you need to be careful. We took the hill slowly. The synagogue is nettled between homes and difficult to pick out from the street. We found it but it was closed.
Next time, we will make arrangements. There is a lot more to see on Government Hill but that would involve more climbing. So, there’s that.
We carefully went down the hill (high fall potential) and walked through the historic shopping center (300 shops).
We did stop at the A.H. Riise Mall, home to upscale Jewelry Store and other fine establishments.
The mall is named for A.H. Riise, who in 1834 was asked by the Danish Government to establish the first pharmacy in St Thomas. This allowed him, in 1840, to produce alcohol, in the form of rum, if he provided medicines free of charge to poor residents. The business stayed in the Riise family for some time before being bought by the present owners.
The shop were run down and all about the same. After about five blocks the stores stopped and we turned back to where the van dropped us. We found a cab driven by a young cabbie who drove like a maniac but somehow got us safely back to the ship.
We had lunch outside at Terrace Cafe. Assorted stuff from the buffet. A big dinner is on the way so fewer calories at lunch would seem wise.
We took in the fine weather on open Deck 5 and their comfortable loungers. Today, as most days when we visit here, there are a lot of yachts and superyachts at anchor or docked. Among those yachts are the superyachts, "Amor a Vida" - 200 ft long and valued at $60 - 80 million, and "Kismet" - 400 ft long and valued at $360,000,000.
We once again went for afternoon tea up in Horizons. No food this time, just tea, and a relaxing ambience. Big dinner ahead.
Another special meal for dinner – hot dogs and lamb chops.
I had indicated that I wanted the dogs well done and they came charred and perfectly cooked. This time I put yellow mustard and relish on the order and they both came. The dogs were delicious. The buns do not look like the ones out in Waves and are bespoke to be milk-free. The bun to dog ratio was perfect. Ellen liked the lamb chops.
The sky and sea provided a scenic backdrop to this dinner. Still warm and pleasant on the Terrace Cafe veranda.
We once again passed on Violinist Katerina Rossa, who was playing rock stuff. Not sure what that would be like.
We put in a lot of steps today, including some extra credit steps on Government Hill, so lights out at 10:15 PM.
No comments:
Post a Comment