{"id":2224,"date":"2019-01-28T18:01:39","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T23:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/?p=2224"},"modified":"2019-03-15T21:35:18","modified_gmt":"2019-03-16T01:35:18","slug":"cruise-port-of-call-wheelchair-accessibility-review-st-thomas-us-virgin-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/01\/28\/cruise-port-of-call-wheelchair-accessibility-review-st-thomas-us-virgin-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruise Port of Call Wheelchair Accessibility Review: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

St. Thomas is the gateway island of the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It’s known for its beaches and snorkeling spots. The territorial capital of Charlotte Amalie, founded by the Danish in the 1600s, is a very busy cruise ship port. Historic buildings include a 1679 watchtower called Blackbeard’s Castle, in reference to the areas pirate history. On the harbor, 17th-century Fort Christian is now a local history Museum. Seemingly above most other attractions, St. Thomas is known for its extensive shopping opportunities, from bargain bazaars to deals on luxury jewelry and precious gemstones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The primary dock for cruise ships<\/a> is at Havensight, also called the West India Company Dock. Once you disembark your cruise ship, you will be right in the middle of what looks like a miniature downtown. There are more than 50 shops, many of which are outposts of Charlotte Amalie’s better-known boutiques. The great thing about St. Thomas for wheelchair users is that it is a US territory, so technically it must comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. All of Havensight is very easy to maneuver with ample ramps and accessible public toilets. Just outside of this shopping facility are convenience stores, coffee shops, and caf\u00e9s that offer free Wi-Fi. There is also an upscale shopping and dining area called the Yacht Haven Grand Marina within rolling distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you want to leave the port area and see some of the more scenic parts of St. Thomas, or just head straight into Charlotte Amalie for more shopping, you will have to take a wheelchair taxi. These are extremely sparse and must be arranged ahead of time. I arranged for a 4-hour accessible tour in a wheelchair van through ICBW Mobile Transportation<\/a> (which stands for It Could Be Worse). St. Thomas is extremely hilly, so be prepared for some rough roads, tight turns, and a lot of back and forth in a van. We were able to get up to some very high vantage points for beautiful scenic overlooks of the famous Magens Bay before driving to the beach itself for a few photos. We drove around pretty much the entire island through various neighborhoods, then ended at Mountain Top, probably the most popular scenic overlook on St. Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you are feeling more adventurous, I have read that there are many more sightseeing opportunities in St. Thomas for wheelchair users because it is a US territory. There are ferries that cross from St. Thomas to St. John in only 20 minutes, and I believe that these ferries are wheelchair accessible. However, I cannot comment on the accessibility levels in St. John or what there is to do or see there. I am also aware that there are opportunities for accessible snorkeling or scuba diving in St. Thomas, although I did not take part in this myself. If you make arrangements to go to the Main Street area in Charlotte Amalie, there are over 400 shops there. I did not visit myself, so I cannot comment on the accessibility of these shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you interested in booking a wheelchair accessible cruise that calls on St. Thomas? Contact me at <\/em>Spin the Globe\/Travel<\/a> and we’ll get started!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St. Thomas is the gateway island of the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It’s known for its beaches and snorkeling spots. The territorial capital of Charlotte Amalie, founded by the Danish in the 1600s, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,4357,9],"tags":[3757,35,1267,3620,3803],"yst_prominent_words":[322,3796,250,3793,3795,3802,1265,1514,771,1125,3798,251,227,1271,2166,3792,3800,3799,332,636],"class_list":["post-2224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cruises","category-ports-of-call","category-reviews","tag-crown-princess","tag-cruise","tag-cruises","tag-port-of-call","tag-st-thomas","latest_post"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/683576C2-BA4E-439B-A436-8C283C5B98D7.jpeg?fit=3904%2C2144&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8IhCJ-zS","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2214,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/01\/28\/cruise-port-of-call-wheelchair-accessibility-review-basseterre-st-kitts\/","url_meta":{"origin":2224,"position":0},"title":"Cruise Port of Call Wheelchair Accessibility Review: Basseterre, St. Kitts","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Basseterre has been the British capital of St. Kitts since 1727, though it was part of the French sector when the two nations held the island concurrently. The name in French means \"low land,\" which is evident in the commercial district and its pre-disposal to flooding during the rainy season.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cruises"","block_context":{"text":"Cruises","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/cruises\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_2506.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_2506.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_2506.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_2506.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_2506.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1196,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/02\/05\/best-cruises-disabled-wheelchair-users\/","url_meta":{"origin":2224,"position":1},"title":"Best Cruises for Wheelchair Users and the Disabled","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"February 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Going on a cruise is easily the best way for wheelchair users to see the world! Cruise ships are becoming more accessible every year, and ports of call are increasingly aware of the need to cater to disabled visitors who both use wheelchairs and have money to invest in their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cruises"","block_context":{"text":"Cruises","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/cruises\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/4E78C278-C604-454A-9AE7-8386630C5645.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/4E78C278-C604-454A-9AE7-8386630C5645.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/4E78C278-C604-454A-9AE7-8386630C5645.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/4E78C278-C604-454A-9AE7-8386630C5645.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/4E78C278-C604-454A-9AE7-8386630C5645.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2287,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/02\/04\/tips-for-going-on-a-wheelchair-accessible-caribbean-cruise\/","url_meta":{"origin":2224,"position":2},"title":"Tips for Going on a Wheelchair Accessible Caribbean Cruise","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"February 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Temperatures are hitting record lows in northern latitudes right now, so it's no surprise that this is the busiest time of year for cruise bookings. One of the most popular destinations for cruising is the Caribbean, and I always say that taking a cruise is the easiest way for wheelchair\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Caribbean"","block_context":{"text":"Caribbean","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/caribbean\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/BE04814C-05BB-4FB5-A9B8-31AC44C9AF6C.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/BE04814C-05BB-4FB5-A9B8-31AC44C9AF6C.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/BE04814C-05BB-4FB5-A9B8-31AC44C9AF6C.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/BE04814C-05BB-4FB5-A9B8-31AC44C9AF6C.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/BE04814C-05BB-4FB5-A9B8-31AC44C9AF6C.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2203,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/01\/28\/cruise-port-of-call-wheelchair-accessibility-review-st-johns-antigua\/","url_meta":{"origin":2224,"position":3},"title":"Cruise Port of Call Wheelchair Accessibility Review: St. John’s, Antigua","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The skyline of St. John's, the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, is dominated by the beautiful white baroque towers of the St. John's Cathedral. The towers are the first sight of Antigua for about half of the island's visitors each year, many of whom arrive by cruise\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cruises"","block_context":{"text":"Cruises","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/cruises\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2BD578A5-3206-4E55-9EA7-3740DED96E1B.jpeg?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2BD578A5-3206-4E55-9EA7-3740DED96E1B.jpeg?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2BD578A5-3206-4E55-9EA7-3740DED96E1B.jpeg?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2BD578A5-3206-4E55-9EA7-3740DED96E1B.jpeg?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2BD578A5-3206-4E55-9EA7-3740DED96E1B.jpeg?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2219,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/01\/28\/cruise-port-of-call-wheelchair-accessibility-review-grand-turk-turks-and-caicos\/","url_meta":{"origin":2224,"position":4},"title":"Cruise Port of Call Wheelchair Accessibility Review: Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Grand Turk Island is part of the Turks and Caicos, a British overseas territory comprised of 40 islands and cays. Seven miles long and 1 \u00bd miles wide, Grand Turk has served as the seat of government for the territory and the British governor since 1766. The island is renowned\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cruises"","block_context":{"text":"Cruises","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/cruises\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7C4E3AC9-0C15-4D4C-BDBB-FE301C7BFFA1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7C4E3AC9-0C15-4D4C-BDBB-FE301C7BFFA1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7C4E3AC9-0C15-4D4C-BDBB-FE301C7BFFA1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7C4E3AC9-0C15-4D4C-BDBB-FE301C7BFFA1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/7C4E3AC9-0C15-4D4C-BDBB-FE301C7BFFA1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2209,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/01\/28\/cruise-port-of-call-wheelchair-accessibility-review-fort-de-france-martinique\/","url_meta":{"origin":2224,"position":5},"title":"Cruise Port of Call Wheelchair Accessibility Review: Fort de France, Martinique","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Martinique is a Caribbean island that is an overseas territory of France, located to the north of Trinidad and Tobago. The island is dominated by Mt Pelee, which erected in 1902 and completely destroyed the city of St. Pierre. In the south of Martinique, there are many beautiful beaches with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cruises"","block_context":{"text":"Cruises","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/cruises\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CB577A83-1A0E-4B83-ACF8-092CF84F3512.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CB577A83-1A0E-4B83-ACF8-092CF84F3512.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CB577A83-1A0E-4B83-ACF8-092CF84F3512.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CB577A83-1A0E-4B83-ACF8-092CF84F3512.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CB577A83-1A0E-4B83-ACF8-092CF84F3512.jpeg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2224"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=2224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}