Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI

CHARLOTTE AMALIE : Overview

OVERVIEW

Charlotte Amalie is the largest city of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and also serves as the capital. It is a busy port on the Caribbean cruise ship circuit, and is worth a visit. The island offers a variety of activities including shopping, dining, an accessible beach with accessible snorkeling, and nightlife.

LANGUAGE

The official language of the U.S. Virgin Islands is English.

CURRENCY

The official currency of the U.S. Virgin Islands is the U.S. dollar.

QUICKLINKS

LOGISTICS: Air – Water – Ground
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels – Resorts
ENTERTAINMENT: Tours – Activities – Restaurants & Nightlife
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hospitals – Medical Equipment
ABILITYTIPS: Precautions

CHARLOTTE AMALIE : Logistics

AIR TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORT

Cyril E. King Airport, located west of Charlotte Amalie, offers convenient access to the island of St. Thomas. The airport features the following resources for travelers with a disability: Automatic opening and revolving doors, restrooms with wheelchair accessible stall, ramps, elevators, lowered public telephones, disabled parking spaces, curb cuts, and a portable wheelchair lift to assist with boarding and disembarking off the plane since the airport does not have a jet bridge.

If wheelchair transport (vehicle with ramp or lift) is needed, arrangements should be booked in advance as these vehicles do not frequent the airport.

Add your accessible travel knowledge about airports for this destination.

FERRY

If you’re spending more than a day in St. Thomas, another beautiful island to explore nearby is St. John (Cruz Bay), which can be accessed by ferry. There are two ferry dock locations on St. Thomas. One ferry dock is located in Charlotte Amalie and the other is located in Red Hook (45 minutes from Charlotte Amalie). All three ferry docks are fairly wheelchair accessible depending on the tide (especially at Charlotte Amalie). Cruz Bay, Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook ferrys can be accessed via ramp with assistance. To get to the ferry dock, you can prearrange a ride with Dial-A-Ride. Dial-A-Ride is located on both St. Thomas and St. John.

Add your accessible travel knowledge about the ferry for this destination.

CRUISE PORT

Charlotte Amalie is served by two distinct cruise ports, which collectively are able to accommodate multiple cruise ships at one time. Because the island is such a popular destination, some cruise ships are forced to moor in the harbor, and their passengers must utilize ferries to access the city. For the physically challenged traveler that is dependent on a electric wheelchair or cart, it is worthwhile to check if your ship will be docking or mooring so you can plan for the stop accordingly. Charlotte Amalie is some distance away from both cruise terminals, and we would recommend utilizing accessible ground transportation to get there.

Havensight: The Havensight Port has a mall with over 100 shops, bars and restaurants, a butterfly farm, and they also have a pharmacy in building 4. The Havensight Mall is wheelchair friendly and most of the shops and restaurants are accessible. If you have problems navigating around the center, visit the Havensight  Tourist Center, located near the entrance of Havensight, as they are always happy to answer any questions.

Crown Bay: Holland America uses the Crown Bay port to dock on visits. Crown Bay features a large dock, and was not very crowded, unlike some stops. This dock did not have a curb along the side to prevent falling into the ocean. However, there is plenty of room on the dock which allows one to stay safely away from the edge. Outside the Crown Bay Center Gate are a plethora of shops. The shops are typical jewelry store and souvenir shops. Most of the stores were wheelchair accessible as well as the restaurants, but surprisingly not all were. There is a taxi stand around the right hand corner of the shopping plaza. None of the taxis waiting were wheelchair accessible, and transportation should be secured in advance if accessible travel is needed.

“If you’re looking for something else to do at Crown Bay, unfortunately there’s not much more. It looks like they are still in the process of developing the surrounding area further. You can find more shopping in Havensight or downtown Charlotte Amalie, but you should use transportation to get there. We arranged weeks in advance for Dial-A-Ride, a company with a wheelchair van, to pick us up and take us to an accessible beach, which was about a 40 minute scenic drive with traffic.” Christopher, 3/1/09

Add your accessible travel knowledge about the cruise port for this destination.

TAXI/SHUTTLE

There are a couple of wheelchair accessible transportation options available on the island of St. Thomas. Click through pictures located on the top right of this page to view vehicle types.

When we visited in 2006, Chilly’s taxi service offered a full-size van complete with electric lift. Chilly’s dropped us off in the center of Charlotte Amalie and picked us up several hours later in town right on schedule. We have also used the accessible tour trolley services and Dial-A-Ride on other visits. Below is a list of transportation options:

Dial-A-Ride: Dial-A-Ride is a service that provides wheelchair accessible transportation for a fee. It costs $30 to register, which is a lifetime membership. Other costs depend on where you would like to go on the island of St. Thomas. You can contact Dial-A-Ride via email: dar@viaccess.net or by telephone 340 776-1277. Dial-A-Ride also provides services on St. John.

“When we used Dial-A-Ride the van was in good shape and could fit 6 people, 1 power wheelchair, and 1 stroller. Our driver, Raniqua (spelling) was very friendly and shared a lot of her island knowledge with us. Our scheduled pick up was for 10:00 AM and Dial-A-Ride arrived within 5 minutes. They were also flexible about where we wanted to go as long as the locals weren’t scheduled to use the service.” Christopher, 1/25/09

Taxi: Contact Mr. Williams through email in advance to schedule a wheelchair accessible cab. Email: ianellis52@hotmail.com

Add your accessible travel knowledge about taxi or shuttle services for this destination.

RENTAL CAR (Wheelchair Van)

Add your knowledge about wheelchair accessible rental vans for this destination.

CHARLOTTE AMALIE : Accommodations

HOTELS

Secret Harbour: Secret Harbuor is located in a secluded cove, on the East side of the island. There are a total of 4 ADA, ocean view rooms at this hotel and 1 of the rooms has a roll in shower. To get to the hotel, it’s about a 35 minute drive from downtown Charlotte Amalie. Secret Harbour is also close to the Red Hook ferry terminal that goes to St. John, in case you would like to island hop a bit. The ferry is wheelchair accessible, and Dial-A-Ride, the wheelchair transport, is also on St. John. There is a lot to do at this resort, in fact, there is a dive/water sports center called Aqua Action Dive Center right next door that offers everything from accessible snorkeling and scuba, to beach wheelchairs.

At the resort there are also wheelchair accessible companion bathrooms that can be accessed by a ramp. They are located between the Aqua Dive Center and the Blue Moon restaurant. If you click through the pictures on the top left on this page, you can see a few pictures of the restaurant, bathroom, beach chair, and resort.

Add your accessible travel knowledge about hotels for this destination.

LUXURY RESORTS

Add your accessible travel knowledge about luxury resorts for this destination.

CHARLOTTE AMALIE : Entertainment

SIGHTSEEING TOURS

St. Thomas is a hilly island, and is worth touring – the views of the port and surrounding islands from higher elevations are breathtaking. Tour coaches frequent the cruise terminal, at Havensight, including wheelchair accessible trolleys. A sight seeing tour company called Accessible Adventures is equipped to handle the physically challenged traveler. It is best to call ahead to arrange the tour in case they get booked.

ACTIVITIES

Accessible Scuba and Snorkel Lessons: Aqua Action Dive Center offers accessible scuba and snorkel lessons for people with disabilities. The main instructor has been certified by the Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA). Lessons must be booked at least two weeks in advance and be sure to mention you have a disability in order for them to book you with the right instructor.

Butterfly Farm: At Butterfly Farm you can admire the beauty of the many butterfly species up close and personal, as they fly elegantly around the enclosure. You can also be in awe of the various stages the butterfly goes through to becoming a baby butterfly. With assistance, the guides will allow you to hold the butterflies and caterpillars.

“Butterfly Farm is really nice, and you should be able to take your wheelchair through with no issues.” Pam, 1/25/09

Havensight Mall: The Havensight Mall is conveniently located near the Havensight cruise ship dock. The mall is wheelchair friendly and has over 100 shops, restaurants, bars, and shady places to lounge to escape the island sun.

“The Havensight shopping mall on the pier is large and you will be able to go all over it in your chair and into the Yacht Haven Grande area next to it. That area is very nice and offers lots to look at. If you are docked in Crown Bay, you will be able to go in your chair around the pierside shopping area.” Pam, 1/25/09

Skyride to Paradise Point: We found out that Skyride to Paradise Point is not wheelchair accessible.

“The Skyride is like any ski lift, everything is built on the hillside and requires going up and down to various levels. Access from the street is by stairs only.” Pam, 1/25/09

Add your accessible travel knowledge about sightseeing tours for this destination.

RESTAURANTS/NIGHTLIFE

The Blue Moon (An American) Cafe: The Blue Moon Cafe is an outdoor cafe, located on the beach. The cafe offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they also have a full bar. You can enjoy the dining experience at a table underneath a tropical palm tree, umbrella, or in the Caribbean sun.

“On our visit to the Secret Harbour resort, we ate at the Blue Moon (An American) Café. We were very impressed with the food, drinks, and the friendly Iguanas that kept coming by to visit. The service was also great!” Christopher, 3/1/09

Add your accessible travel knowledge about restaurants or nightlife for this destination.

CHARLOTTE AMALIE : Emergency Services

MEDICAL SERVICES/HOSPITAL

Schneider Regional Medical Center: The Roy Lester Schneider Hospital is located on St. Thomas and is the only facility on St. Thomas for the local people of St. Thomas and visitors.

Add your knowledge about medical services or hospitals for this destination.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RENTALS

Add your knowledge about medical equipment rentals for this destination.

CHARLOTTE AMALIE : AbilityTips

PRECAUTIONS

The city of Charlotte Amalie is a far walk from the cruise terminal. The Caribbean can get quite hot, and one can easily overheat while wandering through the streets and shops of Charlotte Amalie. Be mindful and bring plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and cool.