Has anyone ever been to St. Thomas?

[antiquesparkler]

So, after much research it seems like Key West doesn't have the beaches we are looking for. We have been looking into St. Thomas but the thought of trying to plan our elopement to somewhere I know nothing about is freaking me out. Any honest reviews, tips, tricks, hotel suggestions, beach recommendations, time-of-year suggestions, etc. would be greatly appreciated! I am open to all of them! Thank you!!

 

[mary poppins]

I haven't been to St. Thomas but it sounds nice.

Popped in to say you might increase chances of getting responses to this thread if you ask admin to move it to the Diamond Hangout subforum, or just make a new thread there.

 

[boerumbiddy]

Pros: Charming downtown shopping/dining district when the cruise ships are not in port. Magens Bay is on everybody's list of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Charming old hotel called 1829 House up the famous 100 Steps. Also Bluebeard's Castle. Incredible hilltop views.
Cons: Outside the main tourist areas, it is a third-world country. There is more crime than you would think; friend had his head knocked on in public parking lot by the bay.
I love it and go every time I can, but I am careful.

 

[star sparkle]

I attended my BFF's destination wedding in St Thomas in Feb 2012, and it was fabulous. She had her wedding at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef, and I thought it was a nice venue. DH and I didn't stay there even though the majority of the other guests were staying there, we opted for something a little less tourist resort-like. We stayed for 9 days and had an absolute blast.


As I said above, we were there in February and I thought it was a great time of year. Not peak tourist season, but still perfect weather. My recommendations are going to be based on what exactly you're going for - do you want a big resort that has everything you might need so you don't ever have to leave the resort? Do you want something more low-key and DIY? Do you want to go out exploring, or would you rather just sit on a beach with a tropical drink in your hand?

 

[iluvshinythings]

I've stopped there a couple of times on cruises. The beaches are really beautiful. The last time we were there was in February and the weather was really nice and warm.

It's on my list of place I'd like to go to and stay a while.

 

[LJL]

I was there just about a month ago. We stayed at the Ritz and it was super nice. But I will reiterate that it is def a third-world country outside of resort/tourist areas. And the resort areas seemed quite expensive to me. I expected to pay $10 for a frozen drink... but not necessarily $14 ...

That said, I did have a great time and would definitely go back.

October was great weather, not the MOST touristy time.

 

[GracieLee]

Definitely prefer St. John over St. Thomas, but the Marriott the previous poster mentioned is very nice.

 

[pinkjewel]

I don't know if you're still looking at St. Thomas, but I got married there almost 12 years ago and we go back every couple of years. This coming May we will be renewing our vows. We got married at the Marriott in the Gazebo- it was just beautiful. At that time they totally decorated the Gazebo with bouganvilla(?spelling) and it's on a cliff overlooking the water.I've seen more recent pictures and it no longer looks like they decorate it. Lots of photo ops on beach, rocks etc. At that time I let the wedding coordinator at the resort handle the details. We never stay at the Marriott-we always stay at the Ritz. The Ritz is a beautiful venue for a wedding, too- but much, much more expensive. They now offer both Gazebos and beach settings. There are many wedding coordinators on the island to help, too. Most handle St John as well- which does have gorgeous beaches. I prefer other beaches to Magen's as it's usually quite crowded. Lindquist Beach( St. Thomas) is a lovely, quiet beach for a ceremony. Janelle at Island Bliss seems to have a good reputation as a coordinatorif you want to talk with her. I will probably use her husband as our minister.

We got married in May- it's quite warm (as in very hot and humid-lol), but there's usually a good breeze. Tradewinds die in late summer and Fall so it is actually hotter then- also hurricane season which I would avoid. January- March and late November thru December probably have the best weather- but many get married in May and June,too.

We are thinking of doing our vow renewal at Oceana on their rocky beach at sunset with dinner at the restaurant following. I think it's the best restaurant on the island. Blue Glass will be doing the photography, East End is doing the flowers, and Sweet Stuff is making the cake. They all have websites-so you might like to check them out. If you would like any other info, please let me know.