shopping in St. Thomas

[where's the ice cream machine?]

After our excursion we would like to get to/from St. Thomas for some shopping. Can we get transportation from the dock to town easily?? What do we look for/avoid??

Thanks,

Glory--Eastern Caribbean--July 4th

[penny3333]

Hi where's the ice cream machine, welcome to Cruise-Chat. You can either walk into town or grab a cab (open air mini-vans). If you dock in Havensight, which is where most ships dock, the walk into town is about a mile. Also, there's a good chance your excursion would drop you downtown. There are tons of places to shop in St. Thomas. Don't know of anything to be wary of, just check out comparable stores for whatever you want and find the best price. The ship will hold a shopping talk, most of the places they recommend they have something to do with (like own or partly own). If you're buying jewelry, just make sure you get something you like. Sometimes, the prices on the ship is as good as you will find in town, so check out the ship first. Then you'll have something to compare to when you hit the stores. There are also a lot of street vendors, for t-shirts and trinkets-they're fine, don't buy any jewelry from them unless it's a shark's tooth necklace (not) or something like that. Congratulations on your upcoming cruise! Best wishes and once again, welcome aboard!

[Dwayne]

There are plenty of stores at Havensight mall for shopping as well. That is where most ships dock as Penny noted. A lot of the stores are the same as their downtown version. One thing to be wary of and watch out for on St. Thomas are "Gypsy Taxis". These are unlicensed people offering taxi service.

One thing to look for if you go downtown to shop and get thirsty is the Green House restaurant. It is located on the waterfront and is my favorite place to sit a spell and sip a drink.

Click here for Havensight mall info.

Welcome aboard,

Dwayne

[where's the ice cream machine?]

Thanks for the warning about the Gypsy Taxis. Is there a way to know the good guys from the bad guys??

[Dwayne]

Thanks for the warning about the Gypsy Taxis. Is there a way to know the good guys from the bad guys??

You are welcome. I didn't say they were bad guys necessarily. Just something to be aware of because they are not licensed as taxis and don't have to adhere to the fare guidelines. Not to mention the lack of proper insurance to transport passengers.

You won't have to worry about them entering the Havensight dock/mall area. The access is tightly controlled. They mostly solicit on the streets when they see cruise passengers walking. Licensed taxis on St. Thomas should have a taxi dome on the roof of the vehicle, and the letters TP on their license plates.

Dwayne

[Cruise Fanatic]

Attend the Port Talk on the ship and ask the Port Lecturer about the taxis. I believe on some of the islands the licensed taxis also have a different color license plate.