I find the island of St. Thomas to be one of those places that has been spoiled by its own success. That is to say, a beautiful place that has been over-populated, over-commercialized and over-developed, to the point where it is little more than a shopping place with beaches. I know that sounds mean, but like a lot of places what made it famous and desirable ain’t there any more.
We got off the ship long enough to walk around the immediate port area long enough to stretch our legs and get a few steps. I did manage to take a few photos, which are fun but nothing especially interesting. Probably not tourist photos, at least not all of them!
I understand what you’re saying and no it’s not mean. Probably a better word is truth. The things we destroy in pursuit of making more money is astounding. I digress. One thing that I always notice about your images on your cruises is the blue, blue skies. Love it!
Well, I try to only make “Chamber of Commerce” photos when we’re traveling. It makes everyone at home quite jealous. 😉
Actually, it is very rare for us to encounter gray and cloudy days. Most days if it rains at all it is a quick thunderstorm, then back to sunshine.
Your post made me think back to two or three spring break trips in my teens – my parents would take us to St. Thomas to a super-low-key beach resort (Bolongo Bay?) where we’d spend an idyllic week with warm water and sand and open-air dining. I wonder if those sorts of experiences are still available in the Caribbean…
I think those kinds of experiences are still available, but are getting rare. Sure, if you don’t mind staying at (and paying for!) a high end resort you can get a very nice experience.
We have stayed at a Four Seasons on Nevis, Half Moon on Jamaica and a Fairmont in Hawaii – all high end resorts and not our usual! – and they were lovely with beautiful atmosphere and that “just right” feeling. But the quiet, idyllic “off the beaten path” kind of atmosphere has mostly gone by the wayside of the loud, party vibe, like many places in the world.
Part of the reason we have come to love cruising is that the value is so good. Yeah, you have to deal with lots of people at times, but we’ve managed to mostly figure out how to do things our way.