Buck Island snorkeling, Cruzan rum and a beach five minutes from the gangway.
St. Croix is the big, quiet sister of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and your ship ties up at the Ann E. Abramson pier in Frederiksted on the sleepy west end, a walk-off berth with the town, a beach and the old Danish fort all within ten minutes on foot. Most cruisers either stay west for a beach and the Cruzan rum distillery or head out on a boat to Buck Island Reef National Monument; Christiansted, the bigger town, is a 30 to 40 minute taxi ride away. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at St. Croix from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do St. Croix
Stay on the west end, go out to Buck Island, or cross to Christiansted; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Frederiksted beaches and the rum distillery
- Fort Frederik Beach is a 10 minute walk from the pier; Rainbow Beach, with its beach bar and jet skis, is about 5 minutes north by taxi
- The Cruzan Rum Distillery is about 10 minutes from the pier; the tasting experience runs about $15 as of 2026 and ends with two cocktails
- Back on the ship in minutes, so this works even on a 7 hour call
Best for: families, first-timers, anyone who wants zero logistics
Buck Island Reef National Monument
- An 880 acre island and reef a mile off the north shore with a marked underwater snorkel trail inside a national monument
- Ship excursions run about 4.5 hours and start around $180 to $200 per adult, boat ride, lesson and gear included
- Local half-day boats from Christiansted cost less, but only book them if your call is 8 hours or longer
Best for: snorkelers, couples, repeat visitors
Christiansted and the east end
- Taxi across the island (about $24 for two, 30 to 40 minutes) to the yellow Danish fort, the boardwalk and the Gallows Bay shops
- Point Udall, the easternmost point of the United States, is about an hour from the pier and the classic photo stop on taxi island tours
- Driver-led island tours from the pier run about $25 per person for 4 hours with a full van
Best for: history buffs, shoppers, longer port calls
St. Croix cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at St. Croix from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at St. Croix
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to St. Croix
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in St. Croix
The pier end of the island is walkable; everything else is a taxi, and the drivers at the pier charge government-set per-person rates.
Which lines call at St. Croix?
St. Croix is a winter port for Royal Caribbean and Carnival and a year-round call for the San Juan ships, with luxury lines spread through the season.
When to go
St. Croix sits in the low to mid 80s all year with steady trade winds; December to April is dry and busy, summer is hotter with short showers, and hurricane season runs June to November with the peak in September.
St. Croix questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in St. Croix and how far is town?
Big ships dock at the Ann E. Abramson pier in Frederiksted, a 1,500 foot walk-off pier that holds two ships, with an electric trolley running the length of it since 2023. Frederiksted town, a beach and Fort Frederik are 5 to 10 minutes on foot. Christiansted, the larger town, is on the other side of the island, about 30 to 40 minutes by taxi. Only very small ships (under about 200 passengers) use the dock at Gallows Bay in Christiansted.
How do I get around and what do taxis cost?
Taxis and open-air vans line up at the foot of the pier and charge government-set rates, quoted per person or per pair: about $24 for one or two people to Christiansted and about $11 for each additional rider, about $5 per person to Rainbow Beach, and about $25 per person for a 4 hour island tour with a full van. There is no Uber or Lyft; a local app called VI Hail and a public bus exist but are not reliable on a port day. Cash is preferred and you drive on the left.
Do I need to change money, and will my phone work?
No. St. Croix is a U.S. territory: the dollar is the currency, English is the language, U.S. cell plans work without roaming, and there is no customs or immigration when you step off. The island stays on Atlantic Standard Time all year, which matches Eastern Daylight Time in summer and is one hour ahead of the East Coast in winter; follow the ship’s instructions on ship time.
Is St. Croix safe for cruise passengers?
The pier, Frederiksted waterfront, beaches and Christiansted’s historic district are busy and well patrolled on ship days, and the U.S. State Department issues no travel advisory for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Use the same sense as at home: licensed taxis, tourist areas, valuables out of sight on the beach, and no wandering off the main streets after dark.
What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?
If you snorkel, Buck Island is the signature trip and the one to book through the ship: it needs a boat, a national monument permit and a fixed return time, and ship-sold versions run about 4.5 hours for $180 to $200. Everything else (beaches, the rum distillery, a taxi island tour, Christiansted) is easy and cheaper on your own because the pier taxis work on set rates and know the all-aboard time.
Do I need a passport for a cruise that stops in St. Croix?
St. Croix itself is U.S. soil, so no passport is needed here. On a round-trip cruise from a U.S. port that also visits foreign islands, U.S. citizens may sail under the closed-loop rule with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate. We recommend a passport anyway: if you have to fly home from a foreign port mid-cruise, you will need one.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on SmartCruiser includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions, drinks and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a St. Croix cruise specialist
Our consultants know which Caribbean sailings give you a full day in Frederiksted, which ones pair St. Croix with St. Thomas, and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.