St. Thomas, USVI

One of the most popular ports of call for cruise ships is St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. This is the shopping capital of the Caribbean. Shuttles take you from the pier to the downtown area. Countless shops selling jewelry, liquor, clothing, and souvenirs line the quaint streets of Charlotte Amalie, the largest town on St. Thomas. We went into town for a stroll and to pick up a few small items before returning to the ship to take a half-day excursion to nearby St. John for swimming and snorkeling. The trip to St. John was by catamaran boat staffed by a young enthusiastic crew determined to make it a fun day for all on board. St. John is a beautiful island and a part of the U.S. National Park system. We anchored about 50 yards off a secluded beach. Dan went swimming while I took the opportunity to snorkel. After about an hour and a half we returned to St. Thomas. Food and rum punch, champagne, and beer were provided on the catamaran, and we had quite a nice party. Once back on board the Celebrity Solstice, we enjoyed an evening cocktail at one of our favorite spots on board, the Martini Bar. This bar features an ice coated bar surface, and showman bartenders adept at mixing many Martinis at once. After dinner we relaxed while the ship steamed toward our next destination: the Dominican Republic.

The view from our cabin: Charlotte Amalie harbor:



The shopping district:



Harvey, Adrian, and Dan at the beach in St. John:



Martinis, Martinis, Martinis: