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St. Croix Vs St. John?
St. Croix Vs St. John?
Good morning fellow forumites,
We have visited St. John twice now and love it...
We are now thinking of checking out St Croix....
Has anyone stayed on both, and can I get a comparison of the two...
Whats the same?, whats different?, more or less expensive?
Better or not for snorkeling?...
Anything you'd think was notable...
We are not party people, but do like to hang in a bar or nightclub on a few evenings...
Thank you all in advance... for any opinions youd like to pass along!
We have visited St. John twice now and love it...
We are now thinking of checking out St Croix....
Has anyone stayed on both, and can I get a comparison of the two...
Whats the same?, whats different?, more or less expensive?
Better or not for snorkeling?...
Anything you'd think was notable...
We are not party people, but do like to hang in a bar or nightclub on a few evenings...
Thank you all in advance... for any opinions youd like to pass along!
BetsyV
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steveo2916
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:02 pm
- Location: san antonio,tx
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
I like St Croix and I love St John. St Croix has some lovely beaches. It's much bigger, (with an actual highway!) and is really very attractive. Lots to see. Can't speak to the snorkeling but have always heard that Buck Island is cool. I know that houses can be a lot less expensive on St Croix but have never priced rental villas.
St John has pulled me back way more often than St Croix so I guess that would be my preference. Certainly worth a visit though!
St John has pulled me back way more often than St Croix so I guess that would be my preference. Certainly worth a visit though!
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
I am interested as well.
We have a friend of the family from St. Croix (a real Crucian/Cruzan) who can't, for the life of her, understand why we like STJ! She says we are missing the best of the VIs by never visiting St. Croix.
We had close friends (since deceased) that loved St. Croix. They had friends there. Their main motivator was housing cost as they would go for weeks at a time and they tended to eat in a lot, meaning that the size of the island didn't matter to them as they stayed close to their home base aside from occasional (like once a week) sight seeing trips.
We have a friend of the family from St. Croix (a real Crucian/Cruzan) who can't, for the life of her, understand why we like STJ! She says we are missing the best of the VIs by never visiting St. Croix.
We had close friends (since deceased) that loved St. Croix. They had friends there. Their main motivator was housing cost as they would go for weeks at a time and they tended to eat in a lot, meaning that the size of the island didn't matter to them as they stayed close to their home base aside from occasional (like once a week) sight seeing trips.
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Teresa_Rae
- Posts: 2053
- Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:44 pm
- Location: Downstate IL
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
I would be willing to try STX but only if it was my second beach vacation of the year, the first one being STJ...but I also think about our 12th trip to STJ at least hourly, 7 days a week, so I might be more of an addict than you 
Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.
- Mark Twain
- Mark Twain
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
It's been said before; St Thomas is the big city, St John is the rich suburb, St Croix is the country.
STX does not quite match STJ for the beaches & snorkeling, but it's a very close second, beaches are not crowded and parking is never an issue.
For scuba, STX hands down. Buck Island is still great, although like most reefs it is not what it was decades ago.
Having two towns and a lot more land to explore, from arid in the east to the rain forest in the west, there's a lot more variety of scenery.
The main difference is in accommodations & price, STX has many more waterfront villas at way lower rates. There are a also a lot of small resorts & condos on the beach at great prices, but of varying quality.
There are great dining choices, from true local to fine cuisine.
If you are on STJ and want to check STX for the day or more ferry to St Thomas then take the seaplane to STX, it's an E ticket ride!
STX does not quite match STJ for the beaches & snorkeling, but it's a very close second, beaches are not crowded and parking is never an issue.
For scuba, STX hands down. Buck Island is still great, although like most reefs it is not what it was decades ago.
Having two towns and a lot more land to explore, from arid in the east to the rain forest in the west, there's a lot more variety of scenery.
The main difference is in accommodations & price, STX has many more waterfront villas at way lower rates. There are a also a lot of small resorts & condos on the beach at great prices, but of varying quality.
There are great dining choices, from true local to fine cuisine.
If you are on STJ and want to check STX for the day or more ferry to St Thomas then take the seaplane to STX, it's an E ticket ride!
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equineannie
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:24 pm
- Location: Florida
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
By far, St Croix....beautiful island, great diving and snorkeling...best reef in the islands just off Cane Bay. Beautiful beaches, an inexpensive day trip will take you to Buck Island - rated one of the best beaches in the world. Hike the rain forest
. People are great. I've lived on St Thomas and St John. St Croix is next. You won't regret this choice!
. People are great. I've lived on St Thomas and St John. St Croix is next. You won't regret this choice!
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
Well I was ready to pick STX, but the logistics and cost of getting there...is more, and harder than getting to St. John.. even with having to catch the ferry. 
Unless we go for a resort..Im really not into the resort thing.... I have also read that crime is a thing to be considered there...
Never felt unsafe on STJ...
STJ is starting to pull me back.... The best snorkeling I have ever experienced...
and I know what Im gonna get...
Lower prices would be nice, but I can control most of that.
Unless we go for a resort..Im really not into the resort thing.... I have also read that crime is a thing to be considered there...
Never felt unsafe on STJ... STJ is starting to pull me back.... The best snorkeling I have ever experienced...
and I know what Im gonna get...Lower prices would be nice, but I can control most of that.
BetsyV
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
We have done both and prefer STJ beaches. STX was a free company paid trip for a week at Carambola resort. Isolated area that needed a substantial car ride to see anything else. Felt like we were riding forever to go to restaurants/bars/casino. The resort was nice but prefer a villa but hey it was free. Given a choice on my dollar STJ wins hands down.
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
St John for me...our condo rental was cheaper on ST Croix, but I never found the beaches to be as nice as St John. We explored from one end of St Croix to the other, and just didn't feel the same vibe as St John. Snorkeling off shore was not very good. We snorkeled all sides of the island. Google maps is sometimes challenged on St Croix. It couldn't find the Cruzan Rum Factory.
We never made it to Buck Island, our jeep was broken into so we cut back expenses for the remainder of the trip. It was our fault, we pulled off a dirt road past Fredericksburg, jumped out to make pictures. We were gone maybe 10 minutes, and when we came back the jeep window was smashed, and one tire cut. (so we couldn't catch him I guess). I lost my drivers license, but still had my passport in safe in condo. both my kids had their drivers license stolen and my daughter's passport also. (took an extra hour or so to get through security..not something I want to repeat) My daughter had a picture of her passport on her phone, but they wouldn't even look at it.
With that being said, we met some great people on St Croix. We visited Chenay Bay Beach resort and had a great time at the bar and the snorkeling there was so so. We actually met a policeman there who helped us with the robbery report. I don't know that we would have received the report before we left the island if it had not been for him. The key for the spare tire would not work, so we were stranded a couple of miles out of town after the break in. Finally someone came by that had some tools, and we cut the wire holding the tire. I had purchased Travel Guard insurance since we were going during hurricane season. Most of what we lost was covered under baggage policy. We had issues with police report leaving off some items, waiting for them to correct but they never got the all items and we had to leave to catch plane. so my Daughter lost her new snorkel gear and we didn't get reimbursed for that.
We did enjoy Cane Bay (Eat @ Cane Bay was great) Rowdy Joe's in between Cane Bay and Christiansted. We preferred the East end of the island.
There were some pretty beaches, but there wasn't a magnificent view around every turn like St John. It's hard to explain. If you decide to go to St Croix, message me and I will reply with some of the beaches and restaurants that we enjoyed.
We never made it to Buck Island, our jeep was broken into so we cut back expenses for the remainder of the trip. It was our fault, we pulled off a dirt road past Fredericksburg, jumped out to make pictures. We were gone maybe 10 minutes, and when we came back the jeep window was smashed, and one tire cut. (so we couldn't catch him I guess). I lost my drivers license, but still had my passport in safe in condo. both my kids had their drivers license stolen and my daughter's passport also. (took an extra hour or so to get through security..not something I want to repeat) My daughter had a picture of her passport on her phone, but they wouldn't even look at it.
With that being said, we met some great people on St Croix. We visited Chenay Bay Beach resort and had a great time at the bar and the snorkeling there was so so. We actually met a policeman there who helped us with the robbery report. I don't know that we would have received the report before we left the island if it had not been for him. The key for the spare tire would not work, so we were stranded a couple of miles out of town after the break in. Finally someone came by that had some tools, and we cut the wire holding the tire. I had purchased Travel Guard insurance since we were going during hurricane season. Most of what we lost was covered under baggage policy. We had issues with police report leaving off some items, waiting for them to correct but they never got the all items and we had to leave to catch plane. so my Daughter lost her new snorkel gear and we didn't get reimbursed for that.
We did enjoy Cane Bay (Eat @ Cane Bay was great) Rowdy Joe's in between Cane Bay and Christiansted. We preferred the East end of the island.
There were some pretty beaches, but there wasn't a magnificent view around every turn like St John. It's hard to explain. If you decide to go to St Croix, message me and I will reply with some of the beaches and restaurants that we enjoyed.
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
My husband and I have been to STJ 9 times and STX twice. STX is definitely different but we thoroughly enjoyed both stays. STX is bigger, has more amenities (shopping, groceries, casino), and attractions (Rum Factory, Historical sites, golf course, Botanical Gardens, Wildlife Preserves, especially Sandy Point to name a few). We stayed at Carambola during our first visit and at a villa in Cane Bay,right on the water that was awesome, our second trip. There was more driving due to the size of the island and there were not as many nice beaches, but that being said, we were amazed at the expanse of beach at Sandy Point (not open year round and a wild ride to get there), delighted with the flora and fauna at the Botanical Gardens, and enjoyed shopping in both Fredericksburg and Christianstead. We found snorkeling to be different but there were plenty of beaches to try. One of the best snorkeling spots turned out to be around the old piers in Frederickstead. I tried scuba diving for the first time at Cane Bay, at the Wall, and despite some claustrophobia and ear trouble, it was incredible! The Buck Island snorkel was good too but the stop at the beach on the island was even better. I suppose it all depends on what your expectations are for an island vacation. You can get some really good deals on STX during the off season. We look forward to going back some time ... after our April trip to STJ.
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
Thank you everyone for the replies and opinions.
We have decided to just stick with St. John for now...
We have decided to just stick with St. John for now...
BetsyV
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
We're also curious about St. John vs. St. Croix.
On St. John, we stay in a condo close to Cruz Bay and walk everywhere without renting a car, even for multi-week stays. Can we do this on St. Croix, near Christiansted, for example? Are there close-in condos that are easy and safe to walk to/from Christiansted at night? If so, what are they and where are they located?
Thanks.
TM
On St. John, we stay in a condo close to Cruz Bay and walk everywhere without renting a car, even for multi-week stays. Can we do this on St. Croix, near Christiansted, for example? Are there close-in condos that are easy and safe to walk to/from Christiansted at night? If so, what are they and where are they located?
Thanks.
TM
Re: St. Croix Vs St. John?
Toon Mann,
The nicer white sand beaches are not close to Christiansted in my opinion. I can't imagine taking a trip to St Croix and not having a car to explore the other beaches. A lot of the restaurants are also spread out from the East end back towards Cane Bay. we also enjoyed some out toward East End of the island.
We stayed at The Palms at Pelican Cove, but it was not walkable to town. The beach here is not comparable to St John Beaches or several other beaches out of town. We never spent a day on the beach here. There are condos on Condo row which are across from project housing that are closer to town. I am not sure how walkable the distance is from here back into town either. I wouldn't want to walk back at night with my family even if the distance was manageable. We walked all around town in Christiansted and the harbor front and felt safe. But we were always out of town by 10 or 11. There wasn't a huge amount of tourists in town at night when we were there in August 2013. Several restaurants were not open during the week and it wasn't crowded at all.
The island is so diverse from the rain forest to Cruzan and Capt Morgan rum factories, the eastern most point, and different beaches to explore. I wouldn't enjoy a vacation on this island without a car.
Good luck with what you decide. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
The nicer white sand beaches are not close to Christiansted in my opinion. I can't imagine taking a trip to St Croix and not having a car to explore the other beaches. A lot of the restaurants are also spread out from the East end back towards Cane Bay. we also enjoyed some out toward East End of the island.
We stayed at The Palms at Pelican Cove, but it was not walkable to town. The beach here is not comparable to St John Beaches or several other beaches out of town. We never spent a day on the beach here. There are condos on Condo row which are across from project housing that are closer to town. I am not sure how walkable the distance is from here back into town either. I wouldn't want to walk back at night with my family even if the distance was manageable. We walked all around town in Christiansted and the harbor front and felt safe. But we were always out of town by 10 or 11. There wasn't a huge amount of tourists in town at night when we were there in August 2013. Several restaurants were not open during the week and it wasn't crowded at all.
The island is so diverse from the rain forest to Cruzan and Capt Morgan rum factories, the eastern most point, and different beaches to explore. I wouldn't enjoy a vacation on this island without a car.
Good luck with what you decide. Let me know if you have any specific questions.