ST. THOMAS WARMED US UP!

Monday, January 19, 2026
Enchanted Princess/St. Thomas U.S.V.I.
80F, sunny but some sprinkles

 

Enchanted Princess in front, Grand Princess in back

I’m just going to dive in and say that Alpha Jewelers sent a taxi for Donna and me, and TK and Lawrence of course.  When we arrived at the store all the clerks and owner Sonny applauded and greeted us like long lost friends.  I know that you are smiling, maybe even laughing, as you read this and think that we spend oodles of money at this jewelry shop. I will say that Donna and I are not good at following the limits we set, but over the past 12 years Sonny has been so good to us. How many jewelers back home will replace a small diamond that was lost from a ring without charging?  How many jewelers rebuild the worn tips of the prongs holding the diamond with no charge?  

Janie and Ivana at Alpha Jewelers

This go round I returned a bracelet I bought two years ago that had broken and Sonny refunded the full price.  I “might” have made another purchase and Donna did for sure.  While we waited for ring sizing, the four of us went to a recommended restaurant, The Tuck Shop.  It was so clean and inviting, and authentic.  The grilled cheese sandwich was like a panini, very good.  More in TK’s Takes.

On our way to The Tuck Shop, we encountered

a Martin Luther King Day parade

TK and Lawrence

Inside The Tuck Shop

Heartily recommended!

TK and Janie

We shopped a little more after picking up our new sparkles and headed back to the ship. The shuttles are $6/per person. We have walked the route back before, but it a long walk, and today was hot and humid.

I love hens and chicks!

That is it for St. Thomas, my favorite shopping port.  

Aside to Friend Julie:  You will like this new piece, too.

 

TK’s Takes:  He had a big ice cream dessert after our trip to St. Thomas that spoiled his dinner. No more, he said.  Tuck was an interesting restaurant, but the pumpkin soup was too spicy. He really liked the conch fritters.

TK in his favorite chair at Alpha

2026

TK--2020

He wanted me to add this photo

ST THOMAS NEVER DISAPPOINTS! CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TODAY!

Regal Princess/Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI
Monday, October 21, 2024
Sun, 88F

 

Port of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

WARNING:   This post contains information about buying jewelry.

Since this was our 23^rd time in St. Thomas, we knew what we wanted to do. Let me rephrase that—I knew what I wanted to do! But first, because this was our first U.S. port after being in Europe, everyone on the ship had to go through Customs and Border Protection.  Passengers were given a specific time slot to go through this procedure in the ship’s dining room, beginning at 7 a.m.  Apparently all the CBP agents did not show up, so everything was backed up. It is a simple procedure: show your passport and have your photo taken, that is all.  It took us one hour.  We were in the 6^th group. I really felt sorry for those after us because we found out some did not get off the ship until after 11 a.m.  

 

L to R: Regal Princess, Sapphire Princess

Only two ships in port today

When we were finally able to leave the ship at the Havensight port area, we looked for an open air taxi for downtown.  This part was a mess too. Usually, the taxis are organized into those going to beaches and those going downtown.  Taxis were all over the place with virtually no plan for the two groups. Finding a taxi took another 45 minutes. Don’t they know we have jewelry shopping to do?   We did learn later in one of the shops that today/this week was the opening of the season.

 

Open Air Bus in St. Thomas
(photo from another passenger)

I think downtown Old St. Thomas is a treasure—the buildings are very old.  Charlotte Amalie has the largest collection of colonial buildings in the Caribbean. Most of them are classic Caribbean adaptions of English Georgian architecture built by the Danes, dating to the 1830s. What I call the main street is filled with stone buildings that have withstood multiple hurricanes through the years, with major hits about every eight years. Even the double hit in 2017, Hurricanes Irma (178 mph wind, Category 5) and Maria, did not destroy these stone buildings. Of course, other areas of the island near this port were devastated, including Friend H’s favorite hotel.

I wonder what stories these buildings have to tell. Many of the shops maintain the original bare stone walls and I do find them fascinating.  After visiting our favorite jewelry shop, Alpha Jewelers, for a check on my rings, reinforcing the prongs, a thorough cleaning, and replacing a small diamond on one ring (all at no charge), we continued our walk around the charming town.   https://alpha-jewelers.com/

 

Alpha Jewelers

We stopped at Gladys’ Cafe (https://gladyscafe.com/) for lunch where many locals eat, roast chicken, rice and beans, plaintains for TK and a burger for me and then headed back to Alpha to retrieve my rings. I may or may not have made another purchase.  By the way, I am grateful that my brother makes beautiful necklaces for me!

Gladys' Cafe

Inside Gladys' Cafe (photo from Internet)

TK’s Takes: Even though the temperature is 88F, it feels like 99F. This is the only cruise where he went from wearing gloves, layers of shirts, long pants, and a coat to wearing shorts and a tee.

Love this police car!

TK was very interested in this

A Hampton Inn is being constructed

right next to the port at Havensight!

Note:  Tonight at dinner I learned from Friend F that there is a Maitre d' on Sapphire Princess who has worked for Princess for 52  years!!   That is a wonder!

A WALK ALONG THE WATERFRONT LEADS TO CHARLOTTE AMALIE!

Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Sky Princess
Stateroom S222/17
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
Sun, 83F

 

TK captured a sunrise at St. Thomas

I will admit one of my favorite ports is St. Thomas, because of the shopping.  We have toured the island, walked it extensively, but a few years ago I told TK that all I ever want to do in St. Thomas is shop. TK told me that it was only 1.6 miles from the cruise ship at Havensight to downtown Charlotte Amalie, so we started early this morning for a walk.  Five thousand steps later (5,000), we reached the town. What happened? I think the Internet site TK checked was wrong, or Charlotte Amalie moved a little further away. One or the other. 

The walk along the waterfront is beautiful, a sunny day, palm trees, dragon flies, yachts and other boats in the harbor, more cruise ships arriving. Thankfully we both are able to do such a walk.  Even though St. Thomas is part of the United States, people drive American style cars with the driver sitting on the left, but they also drive on the left hand side of the road, like the British.  This makes for interesting driving. 

 

Public art in a shopping area!

NCL Encore (left), Sky Princess (right)

Photo Opps!

We are about half way to Charlotte Amalie

For the last many years my first stop has always been Alpha Jewelers (https://alpha-jewelers.com/). They clean and check the prongs on my rings and sometimes I decide to add something.  TK likes to sit in the king’s chair. I introduced Cruise Friend Donna to the shop and now she buys her jewelry here too.  It is always a good experience.

 

TK in the king's chair!

Alpha Jewelers!

Today another couple was near me as I was looking at earrings. We left the store at the same time and struck up a conversation, they were experienced cruisers, had shopped at Sonny’s for about 15 years. We were talking about our upcoming cruise to Great Britain, and they were giving us some pointers. Sonny, the owner of Alpha Jewelers, came out of the store and said, “Why don’t I treat all of you to lunch?” He had one of his clerks take all four of us to nearby Gladys’ Café (https://gladyscafe.com/) and we had a lovely lunch!

 

Our new friends, Pam and Glenn M from South New Jersey, shared some of their cruise stories (e.g. Iceland, Greenland, Australia, Tahiti, Great Britain) and we made some suggestions on cruising in the Mediterranean. They were both educators in a public school system in NJ.  This week they are sailing on the maiden voyage of the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/icon-of-the-seas/). 

 

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas

The Icon of the Seas, brand new, is the largest cruise ship on the seas today. It is 1,197 ft. long, has a beam of 159 ft., 20 decks, 6 water slides, an ice skating rink (and so much more), maximum passengers-7,600, and crew 2,350. That is two and a half times more people than Union City, PA, where I grew up!

After parting ways with our new friends, we continued our walk around the town, but by 2 p.m. I was ready to return to the ship where TK rested before dinner and I read a new book on the balcony, a nice breeze keeping me cool.

 

There are three of these passageways in

Charlotte Amalie

The town was the first permanant European

settlement in St. Thomas in 1672.

The passageways were probably built

in the early 1800s.

Cafe Amici in one of the passageways

Another great day!

 

TK’s Takes:  He enjoyed the walk into Charlotte Amalie and spotted a fish in the water.

ST. THOMAS REPRISE: ONE MISSION
Carnival Celebration
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Thursday, February 16, 2023
84F, Sunny

 

TK and Janie at Stone House Cafe-Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

I had one mission today in my favorite shopping port and that was to pick up my new ring at Alpha Jewelers in downtown Charlotte Amalie.  After an incident with an open air bus that was way too crowded, but Donna got on, then tried to get off when the bus was starting to move, we boarded the next bus and the four of us were safely on our way.   

Donna and I walked at a fast pace after being dropped off—TK and Lawrence could not keep up—and we were soon at Alpha. Sonny (the owner) recognized me immediately and went to get my ring. I love it!  This is the 5^th ring I purchased there, and Sonny has incorporated diamonds that I already had or inherited. The new ring is another spectacular sight.  Donna, who has also purchased jewelry at this shop, saw two tone gold earrings she loved and bought them.  I will slow down after this, I think.  https://alpha-jewelers.com/  

What does one do after all that fun? Shop some more, but no more jewelry this trip.  We slowed our pace a bit and walked the lovely streets of the charming old city, popping in and out of souvenir shops. We arrived at the water front where the shop, “I Love St. Thomas,” is located (5197 Dronningens Gade, Ste 1)—this shop opened just a few years ago and is run by Sonny’s wife Nikita and their son. It is one of the best souvenir shops in town. I noticed Donna holding a bag in my favorite colors and rushed over to find that it was the last one. My favorite colors, blue and green, are hers too. The sales clerk showed me another with a different design and similar colors, and so we both bought bags—TK, who was there at the time, thinks I need more bags. Well, maybe not.  (www.ilovestthomas.com )    The bottom line is that a lot of people think Donna and I are sisters, we do think alike.

 

Signe near door for the gift shop

called I Love St. Thomas

I wanted to know a little history of the island because of the building where we had lunch. St. Thomas was first sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and was first colonized by the Dutch (1657) and then by the Danish (1666). That is why street names and other features have Danish names. The U.S. purchased this island, along with St. John and St. Croix, from the Danish in 1917 for $25 million in gold coin. People here are U.S. citizens.  The island’s population is about 43,000. About 18,500 live in the Charlotte Amalie, the capital.

The Stone House Café, Restaurant, and Bar came highly recommended, so we decided to eat there—the building is an old warehouse (5197 Dronningens Gade, Ste1) and the food was excellent—whether cheeseburgers, chicken wings, or meatball sliders, our choices. The desserts, including baklava, are made in house, but we did not have room for dessert.  https://stonehousecafe.myncrsilver.com/ 

Entrance to Stone House Cafe

 

Donna and Lawrence at Stone House

Interior, Stone House

Bar area, Stone House

It was time to return to the ship and we were able to hail an empty open air bus for the return trip ($6/pp). We were docked in Havensight which has many more shops, but after a quick run around we returned to the ship.

TK took this photo from the open air bus

Celebration is in the background

TK watched from the balcony as 

Janie and Donna finally stopped shopping to 

return to the ship

Tonight we opted for Festivale Dining Room again. We were delighted when the red lights were not on, but about 10 minutes later a switch was flipped and we were drenched in red light. But, the meal was better—caprese salad and lasagna (me) and caprese salad for TK with barbecue pork.

Festivale Dining Room, no red lights 

Festivale Dining Room--2 stories

Caprese Salad

Grand Theater before a show

1934 Rolls Royce onboard the Celebration

First installed on the Carnival Ecstasy,

which is no longer in service

Dian makes us towel animals every night

Today we returned to three more in our room

A frog (right) and his friend

A seal

 

TK’s Takes: The ship is too big, too many people. Great weather.

 

 

ST. THOMAS AND SHOPPING!

Caribbean Princess
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
January 30, 2023
80F, sunny, intermittent sprinkles

St. Thomas bay

 

By 10 a.m. we were off to downtown St. Thomas. The area where one secures a taxi/open air mini bus has changed, but no worries, we found it.  I headed straight to Alpha Jewelers (https://alpha-jewelers.com/) because I wanted them to work on a new ring using my own diamonds. They thoroughly cleaned my current rings and all of them were purchased here, some using my own diamonds.  I have bought jewelry here for at least the last six years. Sonny, the proprietor, his wife Nikita, and the rest of the staff are very experienced and very fair.  I will pick up my new ring in two weeks when we return to St. Thomas with Donna and Lawrence on the Carnival Celebration.

Sonny waves good bye from his shop, Alpha Jewelers

Aside to Donna: There is still some jewelry in the store for you!
Aside to Julie: You will like my new ring!

St. Thomas has changed over the last thirty years. Fewer shops are open, for one thing. There used to be so many camera shops and they are gone.  Diamonds International and Little Switzerland shops are downsized.  There are more souvenir and shops, and stores selling art. Three ships were in port today, but the streets were not as packed as before. 

Even the Green House, a favorite restaurant, did not seem busy.   TK had conch fritters and I had a cheeseburger there today, with a window seat overlooking St. Thomas’ bay.

Palm Passage

TK at the Greenhouse Restaurant

 https://www.thegreenhouserestaurant.com/index.html

TK decided to catch the Sky Ride where he can take spectacular photos.  

After dinner and a movie-----

TK did take some excellent photos of St. Thomas ---he was gone about an hour.

Sky Ride/St. Thomas

Another view of St. Thomas bay

Panoramic of St. Thomas bay

After dinner (highlight: lemon meringue cheesecake), TK wanted to go to Movies Under The Stars (MUTS) to see Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. He forgot to tell me this was the 3^rd movie in a series and that he had seen the other ones. He also forgot to tell me I would not understand what on earth was going on. While the movie played, I googled Wikipedia’s plot and that helped a little.  I did like the little animals. 

 

MUTS is fun, blankets are provided, as well as popcorn. I could see some stars in the St. Thomas sky.  It was better than going to see the ventriloquist. 

 

TK’s Takes:  He remembers the year that I awoke on our ship very early and we were in downtown St. Thomas before shops even opened. He wanted me to post these Before and After photos...

TK, probably 2018

TK today