Day 6 of our Royal Caribbean Cruise on Adventure of the Seas took us to the Frederiksted Pier in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.
We started our day with a quick breakfast at Windjammer, swung by Cafe Promenade for lattes and then grabbed towels on our way off the ship. Skipping passed the shops we headed for the taxi area and took a van for $5/per person to Rainbow Beach. The driver who dropped us off did not charge for the kids but he did give us a heads up that other drivers typically do. When we got picked up from Rainbow Beach to head back, we had a different driver who said it would be $20 for the 4 of us. We recognized this driver from earlier in the day; he happened to be talking with our other driver at the port when we got off the ship so we politely mentioned that his buddy who dropped us off did not charge for the kids and he kindly honored that (doesn’t hurt to ask). I know some people walked since Rainbow Beach is only about one mile from the pier. *Remember to take cash for taxis and tips.
Rainbow Beach
You get dropped off at Rainbow Beach right in front of Rhythms. There are lounge chairs and umbrellas you can rent conveniently located next to Rhythms so food, drinks, the bathroom and West End Water Sports are all close by. It’s a la carte style pricing and there is a sign that lists the costs at the entrance. To give you an idea, our two loungers with an umbrella was $40. If you want to skip the cost for loungers, you can walk farther down the beach, around the corner and put towels down for the day.
Potential Cons:
The water here was rougher than Columbus Cove in Labadee, Haiti and Magens Bay in St Thomas and it was much rockier. Getting into the water was challenging for some of the older folks because the beach dropped off a little right where the waves were crashing which made it a struggle to step down to get in and step up to get out because they were getting knocked off balance at the same time. We were glad that we all wore our sneaker water shoes because we definitely saw people hurting their feet stepping on rocks/shells or stubbing their toes on the rocks.
Pros:
Our kids were actually excited that the water was rougher. The other beaches were calm and flat; Rainbow Beach had waves. They loved being able to float on top of the waves and let the waves push them into shore. St. Croix’s water was clearer and the best out of the ports we visited for snorkeling. We brought our snorkels with us, snorkeled right off the beach and saw some neat fish. A few people nearby said they saw an octopus hugging a rock, sting rays and turtles. Noah and Leah spent most of the day playing with some of the kiddos they met at Adventure Ocean while Frank and I relaxed in our hammock style rafts or on the loungers.
Lunch at Rhythms
We enjoyed our lunch at Rhythms! It was the perfect spot to sit in the shade and take in the beautiful view because the water is just gorgeous. The kids liked their wings and our smash burgers were good. Menu & Pricing for Rhythms
Jet Skis from West End Water Sports
Noah has been begging to do jet skis so we rented two of those for 30 minutes for $75/each from West End Water Sports. 30 minutes was plenty of time so I am glad we did not opt for the full hour. Noah loved it and kept yelling for Frank to go faster. Leah was nervous about falling off but was fine once we got going. *If you are planning to do jet skis, be sure to reserve a time slot and pay as soon as they open. Once the first group got out on the jet skis, a lot of people started to sign up and they quickly filled their time slots for the day.
Next Trip
If go back to St Croix, we will absolutely book the Snorkeling Excursion on Buck Island through Big Beards. We had no idea how clear the water would be and after just snorkeling at the beach, we would LOVE to see what’s really out there! There were a few people on the Ship who we heard raving about this excursion.
Must Haves
We were really glad that we took these items off the ship with us! For more recommendations check out our Full Amazon Shopping List from this trip!
- Water Shoes – these were a must have for us with how rocky Rainbow Beach was
– Kids Slip On Quick Dry Water Shoes – We ordered the same ones for both kids
– My Mesh Slip On Water Shoes
– Frank’s Athletic Water Shoes - Waterproof Cell Phone Cases – We put our phone, cash, credit cards in these so they weren’t laying on the beach while we went on the jet skis
- Snorkel Sets – We all liked snorkeling here because of how clear the water was
– Adult Snorkel Set
– Kid Snorkel Set - Hammock style floats and electric air pump
- Sunscreen – We use Hawaiian Tropic Lotion and Coola Face Sunscreen for us and then Alba Spray Sunscreen and a Neutrogena Face Stick for the kids because it goes on clear and does not need rubbed in. Also high recommend O’Keefe’s Lip Repair 35 SPF for a lip sunscreen.
- Welly First Aid Kit
- Hair Items – Mini Wet Brush, hair ties and It’s a 10 for detangling