St. Thomas cruise port

Magens Bay, duty-free gold and a ferry to St. John in one easy day.

St. Thomas is the cruise capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and your ship docks at one of two walk-off piers, Havensight on the east side of Charlotte Amalie harbor or Crown Bay on the west, both a short taxi from downtown. Most cruisers split the day between Magens Bay, one of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean, and the duty-free jewelry and liquor shops of Main Street, while adventurous types ferry over to St. John. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at St. Thomas 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.

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DockedHavensight or Crown Bay, both walk-off piers

USDU.S. territory: dollars, English, your phone works

Dec to Aprdry season, low 80s and trade winds

All inevery price includes taxes and fees

Start here

Three ways to do St. Thomas

Beach, shopping or a hop to St. John; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Beach day

Magens Bay

A mile of calm, shallow, palm-lined sand on the north shore, about 20 minutes over the mountain from either pier
Open-air safari taxi about $10 to $15 per person each way, admission about $7 per adult
Chairs, a snack bar and showers on site; go early, the beach fills by 11 am when three ships are in

Best for: families, first-timers, anyone who wants a sure thing

Island hop

St. John and Trunk Bay

Taxi to Red Hook (about $15 per person, 30 minutes) then the 20 minute ferry to Cruz Bay, about $16 round trip
Trunk Bay’s underwater snorkel trail sits inside Virgin Islands National Park
Allow 6 hours port to port; ship-sold versions do it by catamaran straight from the pier

Best for: snorkelers, couples, repeat St. Thomas visitors

Town and views

Skyride, Main Street and Fort Christian

Paradise Point Skyride is a 5 minute walk from Havensight: 700 feet up, a bar and the harbor view, about $25 per adult
Charlotte Amalie’s Main Street is the duty-free capital of the Caribbean, with a $1,600 per person allowance for U.S. residents
Fort Christian, the 99 Steps and Blackbeard’s Castle are all on foot from the waterfront

Best for: shoppers, photographers, short port days

Live from the cruise lines

St. Thomas cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at St. Thomas 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 first

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Every cruise that calls at St. Thomas

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Prices 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.

Where you start

Home ports that sail to St. Thomas

Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.

MiamiRoyal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and MSC 7 night Eastern Caribbean loops that pair St. Thomas with St. Maarten Fort LauderdaleCelebrity, Princess, Holland America and Royal Caribbean 7 to 10 night Eastern Caribbean cruises Port CanaveralDisney, Royal Caribbean and Carnival 7 night Eastern Caribbean sailings from the Orlando port San JuanSouthern Caribbean loops that reach St. Thomas on the first morning, only 40 miles away Cape Liberty (New York)Royal Caribbean and Celebrity 9 to 12 night cruises from New Jersey with two or three sea days each way New York (Manhattan)Norwegian 10 to 12 night Caribbean cruises from the Manhattan terminal BaltimoreCarnival and Royal Caribbean 8 to 10 night Eastern Caribbean sailings from Maryland

In port

Things to do in St. Thomas

Everything is 10 to 30 minutes by open-air taxi, so two stops in a day is realistic.

Magens Bay BeachThe postcard beach: a mile of calm, shallow water in a sheltered bay, about 20 minutes from either pier. Safari taxi about $10 to $15 per person each way, admission about $7 per adult, chairs and floats for rent.

Coki Beach and Coral WorldSmall, lively snorkel beach on the east end with fish right off the sand, next to Coral World Ocean Park (adult admission $29, child $17). Sea lion and shark encounters are extra; taxi about 30 minutes.

St. John and Trunk BayTaxi to Red Hook, 20 minute ferry to Cruz Bay, then a taxi to Trunk Bay inside Virgin Islands National Park. Budget about $50 per person in transport plus $5 park entry and 6 hours; ship catamaran versions run $120 or more.

Skyride to Paradise PointGondola from across the road at Havensight to a 700 foot overlook with a bar and the classic harbor photo. About $25 per adult, 15 minutes up and back, open whenever ships are in.

Main Street duty-free shoppingCharlotte Amalie’s old Danish warehouses are now jewelry, watch and liquor shops; U.S. residents can bring back $1,600 per person duty free, five liters of liquor if one is made in the USVI. Taxi from Havensight about $5 per person.

Fort Christian and the 99 StepsFree walking history in town: the red 1670s Danish fort by the waterfront, the 99 Steps brick staircase and Blackbeard’s Castle tower above. Allow 90 minutes and wear real shoes; it is hilly.

Sapphire or Secret Harbour beachesQuieter east-end beaches with snorkeling over turtle grass and resort bars for lunch. About 25 to 30 minutes by taxi, $12 to $15 per person; chairs about $10.

Catamaran sail and snorkelHalf-day sails to Buck Island or Christmas Cove with open bar and snorkel gear, boarding right at Havensight or Crown Bay. Ship-sold at about $90 to $130 per person; the best way to see the water without the taxi shuffle.

Pick your style

Which lines call at St. Thomas?

Practically every line sailing the Eastern Caribbean stops here; the big ships use Crown Bay, most others use Havensight.

      Royal CaribbeanOasis and Icon class ships at Crown Bay on 7 night Eastern Caribbean loops from Florida, plus the Cape Liberty and Baltimore shipsSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      CarnivalNearly every Carnival ship from Miami, Port Canaveral, Baltimore and Galveston on Eastern Caribbean routesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      NorwegianPrima, Breakaway and Epic classes from Miami, Port Canaveral, San Juan and New YorkSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      CelebrityEdge and Solstice class ships from Fort Lauderdale and Cape Liberty, usually paired with St. Maarten and San JuanSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      PrincessSun, Sky and Regal Princess on 7 to 10 night Eastern Caribbean cruises from Fort LauderdaleSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Holland AmericaRotterdam, Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam on winter Eastern and Southern Caribbean itineraries from Fort LauderdaleSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      DisneyDisney Fantasy and Treasure on 7 night Eastern Caribbean sailings from Port Canaveral, with Castaway Cay on the way homeSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      MSCSeascape, Seashore and World America on 7 night Eastern Caribbean loops from Miami and Port CanaveralSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
    

Timing

When to go

Trade winds keep St. Thomas in the low to mid 80s all year; December to April is dry and busy, summer is hotter with brief showers, and hurricane season runs June to November with September the riskiest month.

December to AprilHighs 82 to 85, lows in the low 70s, the driest months and the calmest sea; peak season, so three or four ships a day is normal.

May to JuneMid 80s with a short shower most afternoons, fewer ships and softer fares; the water is already 82 degrees.

July to AugustUpper 80s and humid, brief tropical downpours; the start of hurricane season but storms are rare this early.

September to NovemberThe wettest stretch and the peak of hurricane season, especially September; November dries out and the fleet returns for winter.

Good to know

St. Thomas questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in St. Thomas and how far is town?

There are two walk-off piers. Havensight (the West Indian Company dock) is on the east side of the harbor, about 1.5 miles from downtown Charlotte Amalie: a flat 25 minute walk along the waterfront or a $5 per person taxi. Crown Bay, where Royal Caribbean’s Oasis and Icon class ships and some Princess, Holland America and Cunard ships dock, is about 2 miles west of town; walking is not pleasant, so take the $5 taxi. Nobody tenders here.

How do I get around and what do taxis cost?

Open-air safari taxis line up at both piers and charge government-set rates per person, not per car: about $5 to downtown, $10 to $15 to Magens Bay, $12 to $15 to Coki or Sapphire, $15 to Red Hook. There is no Uber or Lyft. Confirm the per-person price before you climb in, and allow extra time coming back from Crown Bay, where fewer taxis wait.

Do I need to change money, and will my phone work?

No. St. Thomas is a U.S. territory: the dollar is the currency, English is the language, U.S. mobile plans work with no roaming charge, and you do not clear customs or immigration getting off the ship. The island stays on Atlantic Standard Time all year, which equals Eastern Daylight Time in summer and is one hour ahead of the East Coast in winter; the ship will tell you whether to change your watch.

Is St. Thomas safe for cruise passengers?

The tourist areas, beaches and both piers are busy and well patrolled, and the U.S. State Department has no advisory for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Use the usual sense: stick to licensed taxis, do not wander the back streets of Charlotte Amalie after dark, and keep valuables out of sight on the beach.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

Magens Bay on your own by taxi is the best value on the island and needs no booking. For St. John, the ship’s catamaran or ferry excursions cost more than doing it yourself but take the Red Hook taxi and ferry timing off your plate and guarantee the ship waits. Book anything with a boat ride through the ship; do beaches and shopping on your own.

Do I need a passport for a cruise that stops in St. Thomas?

St. Thomas itself is U.S. soil, so no passport is needed to visit it. But on a round-trip cruise from a U.S. port that also calls in foreign ports like St. Maarten, U.S. citizens sail on the closed-loop rule: a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate. We recommend a passport anyway, because flying home early from a foreign island requires 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. Thomas cruise specialist

Our consultants know which ships dock at Crown Bay versus Havensight and which Eastern Caribbean sailings give you the longest day at Magens Bay. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560