Arrival in St. Thomas
We were up at 3:45 (yuck!) and on the shuttle bus at 4:35. Unfortunately US Airways check-in didn't start until 5. We were told when we booked that we did not have seat assignments but seats popped up when we checked in. Unfortunately, they sucked and there was no changing them other than amongst ourselves. In the end, Lin was alone in the second to last row, I was alone (but at least on an aisle) in 14, Krista was with Noah and Steve was alone in a center seat across the aisle from them. Though we took off a tad late, we arrived in Charlotte Amalie a bit early. The wind at the airport was gusting to 30 so the pilot was busy but he greased it in.
The Explorer we had reserved from Budget was not avail but after a LOT of grief we got a Jeep Wrangler and were off.
We got checked in to the hotel by about 2:00 and had lunch at Iggy's. After lunch, Lin took a little nap while I sat on the beach. Later, we boarded the resort’s 53-foot “Heavenly Days” for the 2-hour “Catamaran Sunset Tour”. I naturally spent most of it talking to the captain, Peter. The wind was gusting to 25-30 and the seas were a bit rough so it was a great trip. The wind was fluky so, like the pilot, Peter was working damned hard! Having sailed since I was a kid, I usually ask for a trick at the wheel but with the wind conditions, I didn't want to even ask. Unfortunately, there was little color in the sunset but we still had a great time.
We'd made 7:30 reservations at the Lobster Grill. Some of the reviews said the food at Bolongo Bay was terrible but I strongly disagree, at least as to the food at the Lobster Grille. OK, it's not Michelin quality but still very good; certainly much better than cruise food. I had tuna appetizer, Caribbean Caesar salad, Duck in mango sauce and "Bushwacker" crême brulée. All were great but the crême brulée was the best I've ever had. Service was friendly if very slow but hey, this is the islands! The only issue was that Noah was really fading fast; it had been a hard day for all of us but especially for him. We gt to bed around 10, I guess.
The resort is remote so the choices are to just hang out there, pay some pretty hefty taxi fares or rent a car. One distinct advantage of the seclusion is that it's peaceful even on days when the cruise ships disgorge their hordes. The beach isn't all that great but neither is it horrible. A woman sitting next to me on the plane said you simply could not swim there and that's just not true. You should take my comment, though, as coming from someone who grew up swimming in a lake with a rocky bottom and a bit of seaweed. There are lots of iguanas around so if they creep you out, St. Thomas may not be the place for you. However, they didn't bother us one bit and were fun to watch.
The reviews we read differed widely about food and our own experience bore that out. Dinner at the Lobster Grille was great; dinner at Iggy's was disappointing at best. The fact that the Lobster Grille is closed 3 nights a week was a major disappointment and in fact is enough to assure that we don't return. If you do eat at Iggy's and happen to have children with you, be sure to sit far from the bar; the loud, vulgar language there is more than offensive. OTOH, if you're one of the many people who like a loud, drunk crowd, this may be for you.
We took an all-inclusive package and I'm glad we did! Though neither food nor drinks were added to our bill, we did have to sign a check each time we ate or drink and the amounts were high.
|
|
