The wife is a flower lover so we had to make a trip here before we left. We went on a weekday and…read morethe garden was not busy at all. The admission is very reasonable. The woman who works there--did not get her name--is incredibly nice and generous with her time. She not only explained several unique plants and features of the garden, but we engaged with her and got some of her personal history how she came her, lost her home to a hurricane in 1995, relocated to the mainland and then came back and has been on ST ever since. The garden itself is on the small size but very interesting and beautiful. It's a self-guided tour. Many different types of exotic flowers, plus turtles and lizards. There are some great views of the nearby islands and the famous Magens bay. Overall, if you are looking for some plant beauty and want to escape the crowds, this is worth checking out.

Do not leave the island without a visit to Phantasea Botanical Garden! You will be greeted warmly…read moreand shown to the top deck where local birds snack on grapes while dancing along the deck rail. Next, your self-guided tour winds you through well-marked foliage and an abundance of orchids. Lush, easy to follow, and peppered with vantage points and places to sit and soak in your beautiful surroundings, the trail meanders through surprise after surprise. Our time at Phantasea was a delight!

Carnivale's pretty fun overall. My favorite was the food fest and the Children's Parade. Honestly,…read morethe food fest was awesome. Had a grilled stuffed lobster, pumpkin Johnny Cake, a shark pate, cake, pea ball, guava pie, coquito, mauve, and fruit drinks. It's all just awesome eating. The parades are really slow moving. Super slow. They have these spots where they stop and perform so both parades take hours. Bring a fold-out chair and bring either an umbrella, hat or both as it gets super hot. I got slightly sunburned on my arms and almost on the back of my neck. Also be forewarned that a lot of restaurants close down the weekend of Carnivale.

Oh Carnivale! What a…read morepleasant surprise it was to come in to St Thomas on a two weeks trip and run into the Carnival. Talk about a party town. Oh so fun Carnival go on every year from April 26th- 28th. Thursday is usually the practice day, Children parade on Friday and the final shebang~ Adult parade and fireworks on Saturday. It is pure madness. Pro~ non stop, all day dancing and partying fun in the streets of Charlotte, Amalie. Carnival village at the end with tons of food,drinks, ferris wheel and live bands. Con~ Every shops (diamond, gold, restaurants) in town is closed to participate in this Carnival. Only a very few restaurants are open (of course, non local food from non local people). Carnival village at the end of the parade is pretty darn good. We had Barbados fly fish( its a big deal here) since they only come over to St Thomas during carnival time. A tons of rum bars with $5 rums, pina coladas, pain killers, bushwhackers and all. Lots of fried chicken, fried fish, popcorn, candy, curries, stews. You name it, there's a little shop/hut/truck for it. Getting in and out of Charlotte, Amalie is not only hard but impossible after 8 pm. We were staying in the Marriot Frenchman and caught one of the very few taxis back. But overall, it was so much fun. All day of eating, walking, taking pictures and just enjoying the carnival. What else can you ask for??? :)

Fun museum if you like pirates and treasures. We had fun very educational with two levels and…read more interactive activities to explore. Loved dressing up in the pirates attire. The museum guide lady was very helpful and answered any questions that was needed. It's actually a small museum but we stayed there a bit longer than most. They had a hurricane simulator booth which we had fun with. Also had a gift shop which I picked up a St.Thomas Christmas ornament. To take back home for my Christmas tree. We enjoyed our visit. I recommend checking them out if this is your sort of thing.

This was better than I thought! Came here as a combo ticket with the skylift (found no savings by…read morebuying the combo). The museum starts either a quick video explaining what you're about to see. Then the doors open and you walk into a well done exhibit hall. Exhibits include vases, weapons, tools and coins found from various shipwrecks. The centerpiece is the Odyssey which is an in underwater robot used to collect artifacts. There is a second floor accessible by a slow elevator or stairs which tells a little bit about some of the pirates in the area. There are a few photo spots, hands on exhibits and a hurricane simulator with wind speeds up to 75 mph. I felt the $20 admission fee was reasonable compared to the $30 for the skylift. The museum is located next to the skylift and about a 15 minute walk from the cruise ships.

Seriously, this place is freaking awesome! When you're shopping your way through the fifty…read morethousand jewelry stores in Charlotte Amalie, you get really hot between the heat and the humidity, so Magic Ice is like a little slice of heaven, I want to preface this by saying I've been to Minus 5 in Las Vegas where you pay $37 to hang out in a bar made of ice and have a couple of drinks... but don't even think of bringing your own camera in there. Magic Ice is completely different and better in so many ways! First, Magic Ice is not just a bar made of ice, it's an ice museum with a large collection of ice sculptures. You walk through the collection of ice sculptures that are lit with colored lights AND YOU CAN TAKE AS MANY PHOTOS AS YOU WANT! In the middle of the museum of ice there is a large ice bar shaped like a pirate ship where you get a shot of rum. You can choose to buy more drinks if you want to, the first shot is included in the $20 entrance fee. AND, there is a slide! I wussed out and skipped the ice slide, but the husband had fun going down it. It is super cold in there... obviously, but they give you a big hooded cape and leg warmers and gloves to keep you warm. My toes still froze in my flip flops, though! The bartender told us that these particular sculptures were carved all the way back in November, so they last some time. There was some melting that had taken place on some and he said it was about time when they are going to be redoing them now. It's really an awesome experience. If you are in St. Thomas, seriously, do this. We had a lot of fun in there goofing around and taking photos. I highly recommend Magic Ice! I want to go back!

We were literally melting and wandering around Saint Thomas when we stumbled upon the "biggest ice…read morebar in the Caribbean". It's actually not that big and we were done walking around the entire ice bar within a minute. Price is $22 dollars for a free shot of cruzan rum, a souvenir glass, and a couple slides down the ice slide. It's not the most exciting thing I've done but it serves it's purpose for my touristy self in the US Virgin Islands.

Best place to escape the heat and hounding of people begging you to do their tour or visit their…read moreshop. The bar is clean, has great A/C and WiFi, board games to enjoy, TVs, and delicious rum drinks. No worries if you're not a rum fan, there is a full bar too. Food wise you can buy homemade roasted or boiled peanuts or bags of chips. You can also order from a few local restaurants and have it delivered to your table. Pricing is comparable to other bars in the area with a few drink specials. Piña colada and bushwhacker were well balanced and not too heavy on syrups or alcohol. Definitely a must try on your vacation. Cheers!

When a Carnival Cruise Insider tells you to visit a hidden gem, you visit and this spot did not…read moredisappoint! The List Turtle is an art gallery with a bar in back. Talking with the lovely couple who runs the place, could with the very delicious drinks, we could not have asked for a better place! The Pina Coladas are excellent as is their Bahama Mamas! They have a fun sign that reads, "Husband Daycare" and I can see why! Clean bathrooms too. Definitely do not pass it by!

We came here because my husband was looking for a good rum-tasting experience, and we were not…read moredisappointed. It's a combination between a rum bar and an art gallery, so it has a wide variety of options here. They had such a great variety of rum to taste - you could choose one of the pre-picked flights, customize your own flight, or even enjoy a rum-based cocktail. They had so many great rums from both the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean at large, especially ones that we wouldn't have been able to find at home. The rum sommelier was so incredibly knowledgeable about all the rums, tailored our tastings to our preferences, and was able to provide a wide breadth of information to everything we tried regardless of if it was on a pre-made flight or not. Highly recommend stopping here, whether you're a rum expert or just looking to try some of the local rum.

Service is always good. Owners very personable. Drinks (both with or without alcohol) are…read moredelicious. Attended a poem open mic night with jazz music, great and intimate ambiance.

Upon finding ourselves in Red Hook after 10pm and starving, we thankfully stumbled upon Bernie's…read more It's typical bar food with a few extras on the menu. The service was outstanding considering our waitress was also one of the bartenders. The ambiance is upbeat and lively. A wonderful 4 out of 5 experience.

This is a great little local spot! We've been here a few times since arriving on the island. All…read morethough I cannot speak to the food experience, I can say what I've seen served & pictured on the Yelp page; it all looks pretty good. This we've found to be a nice place to go and have a few more drinks before ending the evening. They have darts which are always a fun time! Two boards to battle if you have a big crew like we did. They also have really friendly patrons to join in and play too! We have met some really nice people here from all over the country. The staff is amazing and on point ensuring you don't get thirsty too! Cheers

Located in downtown Red Hook. On the opposite side of the more touristy road…read more This tiki shack style place sits to the middle of a parking lot in a small strip mall. Hand down the best place to eat in the area. It's very small, but packs a punch with great customer service, cool drinks and outstanding food. Best to try and get in on their off hours to get a table without a wait. We literally ate here 4 times when we were on the island. An absolute MUST to order is their Bacon Jalapeno tater kegs! OMG-They're the bomb! Wings are decent and the burgers are juicy, flavorful and delicious! You really can't go wrong with ANYTHING on the menu. Everything is made fresh to order. The decor is island themed chaos in every fun way possible. If you happen to have to use the restroom it's located outside (customs ONLY) The key ring they'll hand you is a toilet lid! LOL You can ring in another way too! On your trip to the john, call in sick to work and stay on the island! You're enticed too by the retro phone sitting a top a keg outdoors as well. Great photo opts! Happy Hour is daily! The Love Shack offers particular deals with half-priced cocktails. We did Margs on Monday! Signature drinks include the 50oz Volcano Drink, Shark Attack, and souvenir cocktails like the Pirates Booty in a ceramic mugs. FYI- They may attach a certain creature to your glass also. Perfect vibe, casual dinning and great accommodations by the staff (for our big party) who were so friendly and professional. This is a must experience spot when visiting St Thomas.

We needed a lunch place driving from the car ferry to the airport and we thought the Red Hook area…read morewould be a bit less crowded, far from cruise ships. Duffy's provides free parking which is a rarity and right at noon, the mall lot had tons of open spots. We both ordered burgers, one with the standard fries and one with onion rings. It took a good half hour for the food to be delivered but when we got it, it was hot and cooked to our specs. Fries were crispy. Burger was thick with a nice crisp, almost tasted like a smash burger but thicker. Service was good. It was the one spot where we didn't have to pay for a refill of soda. They were playing the best music! No waitlist or host so you have to linger and wait for someone to leave if you need a table and they are full. Great stop.