Charlotte Amalie has two cruise piers on opposite sides of the harbour. Havensight, on the east, takes most big ships and is a half-hour walk into town. Crown Bay, on the west, handles the largest vessels and everyone takes a taxi.
Where cruise ships dock in Charlotte Amalie
St Thomas has two cruise docks, and the one you get shapes your morning. Havensight, run as the West Indian Company Dock, sits on the east side of Charlotte Amalie harbour. Crown Bay, the Austin ‘Babe’ Monsanto Marine Terminal, is over on the west at Subbase, the old US naval base.
| Dock | Side of the harbour | What is at the pier | Getting downtown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Havensight (West Indian Company Dock) | East | Havensight Mall, Skyride across the road | About 1.5 miles; flat walk of 25 to 30 minutes, or a few minutes by taxi |
| Crown Bay (Austin ‘Babe’ Monsanto Marine Terminal) | West | Crown Bay Center, marina, Frenchtown close by | About 1.7 miles; 5 to 10 minutes by taxi |
Havensight is the busier pier and takes most of the big ships. Nearly every major line turns up there somewhere in the published schedules. Its water is shallower, which is why the biggest hulls go to Crown Bay: Oasis-class ships berth there, and Star of the Seas is scheduled at Crown Bay too.
Crown Bay has two docks that can hold three ships at once, plus a smaller dock for tour boats. You step off into shops either way. Havensight Mall runs alongside the WICO berth and Crown Bay Center sits beside the Crown Bay dock, both with restaurants and local vendors a couple of minutes from the gangway.
Your cruise line assigns your pier and confirms it in the daily planner. Ships can move between the two docks from one sailing to the next, so check the planner for the pier you are using on the day.
Charlotte Amalie cruise port map
Ships dock at Havensight (West Indian Company Dock). From Havensight pier, Skyride to Paradise Point is about a 12-minute walk, Fort Christian about 20 minutes and 99 Steps about 24 minutes. Tap a pin for directions.
- Havensight (West Indian Company Dock)Where ships dock
- Crown Bay (Austin Babe Monsanto Marine Terminal)Where ships dock
- Skyride to Paradise PointAbout 12 min walk from Havensight pier
- Fort ChristianAbout 20 min walk from Havensight pier
- 99 StepsAbout 24 min walk from Havensight pier
- Edward Wilmot Blyden IV Marine FacilityAbout 2 km from Havensight pier
- Magens BayAbout 4 km from Havensight pier
- FrenchtownAbout 3 km from Havensight pier
- Trunk Bay, St JohnAbout 21 km from Havensight pier
How far is Charlotte Amalie from the cruise port?
Downtown Charlotte Amalie is about 1.5 miles from Havensight, a flat 25 to 30 minute walk along the waterfront. From Crown Bay it is about 1.7 miles, which most people do in a 5 to 10 minute taxi ride.
You’ll also hear the Havensight walk called 15 minutes, and a slow amble with photo stops can take 40. The route is flat and paved for most of the way, though some stretches put you on the road shoulder rather than a pavement. That’s where the 15 and the 40 come from.
Taxis in Charlotte Amalie: fixed fares, cash and no Uber
Shared open-air safari taxis wait at both piers and take 5 to 10 minutes to reach downtown. Fares are set per person by destination on a tariff approved by the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission. They’re posted at the taxi stands, and you agree the fare before you set off.
Two things catch people out. The single-passenger rate is higher than the per-person rate when two or more of you travel together, and drivers take cash.
Carry small bills. There are ATMs at Havensight and at Crown Bay. There’s no Uber or Lyft on St Thomas.
The trucks are open-sided with high steps, so boarding is a climb rather than a step up. VITRAN buses are the only public transport on the island and every route serves town. The local dollar buses run fixed routes along the main road, stop if you flag them down, and drop you on the road rather than at a beach entrance.
Skyride to Paradise Point from Havensight
The Skyride is the cable car up to Paradise Point, 700 feet above the harbour. Its base is across the road from Havensight Mall, a 5 to 10 minute walk from the ship, with about 36 steps up to the loading area. The ride takes roughly seven minutes and lands you at an observation deck and the Skywalk, looking down on the ships and the whole of downtown.
It opens at 9am and usually closes about an hour before your ship sails. Days and hours follow the ship schedule and it shuts on some days, so check before you walk over. It isn’t accessible for guests using wheelchairs, canes or rollators, and from Crown Bay you need a taxi to reach it.
Magens Bay: the beach most passengers head for
Magens Bay is on the north side of the island, over the ridge, about 5.5 miles and a 20 minute taxi ride from either dock. Safari taxis run there from Havensight, Crown Bay and downtown all day, so there’s nothing to book. You join the queue at the stand and pay the driver.
The park opens in the morning and closes in the late afternoon, and there’s an entrance booth to pay at on the way in. Times shift with the season, so check the board at the booth. On a day when three or four ships are in, the taxi vans start arriving by mid-morning, so an early start gets you the sand at its quietest.
The return is the part to plan properly. Taxis wait in the car park at Magens Bay but thin out late in the afternoon and fill quickly when a ship is due to sail. Leave more time than feels necessary and aim to be back at the dock well before all-aboard.
Fort Christian and the 99 Steps in downtown Charlotte Amalie
Fort Christian is the rust-red Danish fort on the downtown waterfront. It was completed in the late 1600s, is the oldest standing structure in the territory, and is a National Historic Landmark with a museum of Danish-period relics inside. It’s a walk or short taxi from Havensight and a taxi ride from Crown Bay.
The catch is the calendar. It opens on weekdays only and closes at weekends and on territorial and federal holidays, so a Saturday or Sunday call means seeing it from the outside. It closes in the early afternoon on weekdays, so go before lunch and you won’t have to rush.
The 99 Steps and the old town lanes sit just above the shops, a short climb up from the waterfront. It’s stairs the whole way, with a harbour view from the top.
St John and Trunk Bay: a full day, not an add-on
St John is the next island across and the reason people ask about ferries, but it’s a full day rather than an hour’s add-on. The main crossing runs from Red Hook on the east end of St Thomas to Cruz Bay, hourly from 5:30am to 10pm and about 20 minutes on the water. You still need a taxi on St John at the far end.
Before you sail
- Check your daily planner for which pier your ship uses that day
- Confirm the ship's all-aboard time, since it differs from the port schedule
- Bring small-denomination US dollars for taxis, which are cash only
Short port day: under 6 hours
- On dockingSkyride to Paradise PointGo early for photosWalk 5 to 10 min to the Skyride base across from Havensight Mall, then ride about 7 min up to the observation deck.
- +45 minFort ChristianWeekdays onlyWalk 25 to 30 min along the waterfront into Charlotte Amalie to reach Fort Christian, the Danish fort and museum.
- +1 hr 30 min99 StepsClimb the stone staircase just above the shops for a harbour view from the top.
- +2 hrsLunch in Charlotte AmalieTry rum punchStop in town for local fare and a glass of Cruzan rum punch, made with rum from St Croix.
- All-aboard minus 60 minWalk back to HavensightRetrace the flat waterfront route, about 25 to 30 min, back to the Havensight pier.
The time on the map is the whole walk, every stop added together.
Open this walking route in Google Maps
If plans change: If Fort Christian is closed for the weekend, admire it from outside and spend longer at the Skyride or Havensight Mall.
Long port day: 8 hours or more
- On dockingSkyride to Paradise PointGo early for photosWalk 5 to 10 min to the Skyride base across from Havensight Mall, then ride about 7 min up to the observation deck.
- +45 minFort Christian and the 99 StepsWeekdays onlyWalk 25 to 30 min into Charlotte Amalie for Fort Christian, then climb the nearby 99 Steps for a harbour view.
- +1 hr 45 minTaxi to Magens BayCash onlyJoin a safari taxi at the stand, about 20 min to Magens Bay. Agree the per-person fare before setting off.
- +2 hrs 15 minLunch at a Magens Bay beach barTry rum punchEat at the beach bar and order a Cruzan rum punch, made with rum from the St Croix distillery.
- +3 hrsSwim and relax at Magens BaySettle on the sand. Early morning and late afternoon are quietest, before the taxi vans build up.
- +5 hrs 30 minTaxi back towards HavensightLeave earlyTaxis thin out late afternoon and fill fast near departure, so queue for one well ahead of all-aboard.
- All-aboard minus 60 minBack at Havensight pierConfirm you are at the correct pier, since ships can swap between Havensight and Crown Bay.
This map shows the taxi ride from the ship. The time is the drive only, not your time ashore.
Open the taxi route in Google Maps
If plans change: If taxis are scarce at Magens Bay, ask at the entrance booth or share a ride with another group heading back.
The Edward Wilmot Blyden IV Marine Facility on the downtown waterfront runs a seasonal Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay ferry, about 45 minutes with three round trips a day. It’s suspended for part of the year, which catches people who planned around it. From Blyden there are also crossings to Tortola and Virgin Gorda, covered in the British Virgin Islands cruise port guide.
Do the sums before you commit: a taxi to Red Hook, the crossing, a taxi out to Trunk Bay and the same again back is most of a port day. A ferry running three times a day leaves little room for a delay. Organised shore excursions in the US Virgin Islands cover the crossings and Trunk Bay for anyone who would rather not chain the legs together.
St John is one of the US Virgin Islands in its own right and gets its own cruise calls, set out in the US Virgin Islands cruise port guide. If the rest of your itinerary stays in the eastern Caribbean, the Caribbean cruise port guide compares what the other islands give you ashore.
What to wear in Charlotte Amalie: outfit ideas for a port day
Wear flat shoes with grip and leave the sandals for the beach. Steps decide the outfit here more than any dress code: the Skyride has about 36 steps up to its loading area, the 99 Steps are stairs the whole way, and the safari taxis are open trucks with a high step up into them.
A pair of walking shoes that grip will handle the fort, the steps and the cable car. If the day ends at Magens Bay, carry swimwear and a cover-up in the bag rather than walking through town in it.
For more ideas, the Caribbean cruise outfit ideas cover a whole week of port days.
Where to eat near Charlotte Amalie cruise port
The nearest food is at the pier. Havensight Mall alongside the WICO berth and Crown Bay Center beside the Crown Bay dock both have restaurants and local vendors within a couple of minutes of the gangway. For something more local, Frenchtown, the waterfront neighbourhood just west of Crown Bay, is known for its restaurants and its slower pace.
Two drinks are worth seeking out on a port day:
- Bailey’s Bushwacker at the bars at the top of the Skyride, made with Baileys, vodka, coconut rum, amaretto, Kahlua, Coco Lopez and whipped cream. It’s close to a chocolate piña colada, and you drink it at Paradise Point.
- Cruzan rum punch at the beach bars, made with rum from the Cruzan distillery on St Croix.
Best photo spots in Charlotte Amalie
The best photographs here come from above the harbour or along the waterfront. Paradise Point, Fort Christian, the 99 Steps and Magens Bay between them give you the shots worth carrying home.
- Paradise Point: the observation deck and Skywalk at 700 feet look straight down on the ships and downtown. Go up early, while the sun is at your back and on the harbour rather than in your lens.
- Fort Christian: the rust-red walls against the water, and the harbour view from the roof.
- The 99 Steps: the old town lanes above the shops, with a harbour view from the top of the flight.
- Magens Bay: the curve of sand is emptiest early morning and late afternoon, either side of the cruise taxi vans.
If you’d rather follow the day from your phone, save this port day plan to Pinterest.
Charlotte Amalie cruise port FAQs
Where is Charlotte Amalie?
Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the US Virgin Islands, on the island of St Thomas in the eastern Caribbean. St John and St Croix are the territory’s other two main islands.
Is Charlotte Amalie a US territory?
Charlotte Amalie sits in the US Virgin Islands, a US territory, so UK visitors arrive on an ESTA or a visa and face no separate USVI entry formalities. The FCDO’s USA travel advice covers the islands.
Are there beaches within walking distance of the cruise ship?
There are no beaches within walking distance of either pier. The closest beach to Havensight is Morningstar, and the closest to Crown Bay is Lindbergh Bay, also called Emerald Beach. Both need a taxi. Magens Bay is the one most passengers head for.
What time do I need to be back on board?
Your all-aboard time is not the departure time printed in the port schedule, and ship time may not match local time. Work from the time in the ship’s daily planner rather than the one on your phone.
Do I need to book the Skyride or Magens Bay in advance?
You don’t need to book the Skyride, Fort Christian or Magens Bay in advance. The Skyride and Fort Christian are walk-up, and Magens Bay is a taxi plus an entrance booth. Anything you want guided, including the St John crossings, is booked through your cruise line or a shore excursion operator.
Last Updated: 2 November 2026