When my wife and I think of our adventure to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, we can’t help but to think of the people and gorgeous sunsets right outside our room. As we were deciding on a trip to the Caribbean, we realized that there were so many choices as each island was so beautiful and offered something different.
We were looking for a nice relaxing island with very few tourists and easy to get around for some sightseeing. Once again, we had our nightly research episodes in bed. Both of us sat at our computers comparing notes as we searched different islands.
After a few nights of research, we decided that St. Croix was the island we were most interested in. We immediately started checking flights, making our reservations, and getting excited with our new upcoming adventure!
Our Adventure begins
Our first sights of the island were absolutely breathtaking. Of course, nothing beats flying over the Caribbean islands knowing you’re about to land in tropical paradise. The water was so blue, and we could see reefs for miles at a time.
Being more than ready to get our adventure going our excitement grew once the airplane door opened letting in the warm Caribbean air.
Divi Carina Bay Resort
During our planning we decided to make this trip easy and stress free! We wanted to sit back and have all the meals taken care of and zero concerns. This trip was strictly all about relaxing and enjoying one another.
While planning our stay we thought an all-inclusive resort would be perfect! Divi Carina Bay resort offered everything we were looking for! No worries about meals, drinks, or transportation for adventuring out and about.
Once we arrived at Divi Carina Bay resort we were pleasantly surprised. The entrance definitely set big expectations for our stay! The lobby was completely open to the outdoors. Words could not express the feeling of such a warm welcome, immediately we felt like at home in the Caribbean.
Feet from the ocean
After a small tour around the resort, we made our way to the room we would call home for the duration of our stay. Being a bit tired from the long day of travel, we thought maybe taking a small nap before dinner would be a great idea. Once we opened the door, all we could see was water, water, and more water! The view was absolutely amazing literally feet from the beach. We could almost reach out and touch the sand from our room!
We could smell the warm ocean air rush right into our room while we unpacked. The weather was so nice and view stunning that we left the balcony doors open to hear the ocean and allow the warm ocean breeze flow right into our room. We were too excited for a nap as we just sat and relaxed staring off into the ocean.
Gourmet meals
We arrived at the resort restaurant which was a very nice open layout with almost 360-degree views of the water and sunsets. The setting was quite romantic!
The menu was absolutely amazing. A typical Caribbean choice of local seafood favorites! One of many things we enjoyed about Divi Carina Bay resort was that the dinner venue changed nightly. Dinner was either up in the main dining area with a view or beautiful tables were set up by the pool and bar area with entertainment provided nightly. My wife and I especially enjoyed cooking our meals on the hot lava rocks brought to our table. This added a bit of uniqueness to dinner.
Breakfast time was our favorite meal (usually is no matter where we stay), simply amazing! A full spread of all you can eat pancakes, eggs, bacon, pastries and juices were available. If we craved something more…no worries the chef would cook to order! You can expect lots of smiles, laughter and warm good mornings!
Activities
The best part about staying at Divi Carina Bay resort are the activities! We found it very convenient not having to go far for fun and sun. An abundance of water activities was at our fingertips, especially with the ocean just a few feet away from the pool and bar area. We spent the better part of a day snorkeling in the reef just off of the resort.
If you’re the type who enjoys seeing marine animals up close and personal, then you most certainly will enjoy snorkeling St. Croix, as the fish were beautiful swimming right up to us with curious eyes. We found ourselves swimming through a maze of coral that was thick with very tall walls to swim around and through.
The pool offers a nice relaxing area to swim, lay back and enjoy a few drinks and food. We spent quite a bit of time swimming and enjoying the poolside tanning and taking in the nice warm Caribbean scenery.
Poolside Bar
Usually neither of us spends much time at the bar areas of resorts we stay at. We are not big drinkers or partiers. That being said, we did enjoy this poolside bar quite a bit. What was not to like? The views were gorgeous, drinks were the best, and the atmosphere was all anyone could ask. We couldn’t think of a more relaxing environment!!
St. Croix bartenders are the best! They made some of the most amazing rum drinks we have ever tasted! Pure naturals at making drinks that fit our style. We enjoyed them so much that we often asked the bartenders to surprise us with the next drink. Not one time did they ever disappoint! We even received a short history lesson on the making of rum and the local distilleries in the area.
Night out
If you’re looking for a change of pace from the beach/pool and bar for a night Divi Carina Bay resort has just the thing! Just a short walk down the road from the resort is the Divi Carina Bay Casino. This was exactly what the doctor ordered…allowing us to have a break from the nightly routine we had come accustomed to. We enjoyed a bit of gambling and drinks as this was a nice couples night out, and the venue was better than expected for a small casino in the middle of the Caribbean. My wife and I ended up getting into a couple’s competition to see who could win the most money. I am ashamed to admit that I lost…she just couldn’t stop winning!
The town of Christiansted
Just a short 10-15 minute ride from Divi Carina Bay resort you can find the town of Christiansted on the east side of the island. We enjoyed spending the day in this small coastal town. Christiansted has a small boardwalk where you can enjoy local restaurants on the water such as Polly’s at the pier and the Rainbow beach Bar and Restaurant. We enjoyed both as the food was perfect for a warm stroll along the boardwalk (definitely recommend the grouper Po boy)!
Walking through the streets of Christiansted we strolled through the small local shops selling anything from local souvenirs to high end clothing and of course more food! The streets were quaint and traffic free as they seemed to be well kept considering that the buildings are so close to the salt water. The locals were very polite and kind as we made our way into different shops and stores looking about town.
We were surprised at how local the town was with very few tourists out and about, which was nice as we didn’t experience any overcrowding that can often be experienced on vacation. Christiansted is definitely nice to town to look around and not deal with crowds of tourists.
Our final thoughts
St. Croix definitely had what we were looking for in a couple’s getaway. Not overly crowded, beautiful scenery, welcoming locals, of course plenty of great food and a very relaxing vibe! Staying at Divi Carina Bay resort was perfect for us! We still talk quite often about our trip to St. Croix and how much fun we had. There is something special about living a bit of the Caribbean life, sitting pool side looking out at the ocean views, and of course sipping on a Bob Marley made from the world’s best bartenders! This is a trip we most certainly would love to do again and are certain St. Croix will be a future destination of ours. Thank you to the locals who made this trip amazing, and the staff at Divi Carina Bay resort who took such great care of us. We look forward to another trip soon!
Music from our stay:
more photos ….
