While the Caribbean is best known for snorkeling, sunbathing and tropical fruit, there are plenty of other things to do on beautiful Caribbean cruise vacations, such as shopping. Of the many islands that make up the Caribbean, St. Croix has some of the best shopping to offer, from amazing handmade goods to unique food items to take home from your cruise.
Whether you’re visiting Christiansted or Frederiksted, there are plenty of shops to visit to pick up some souvenirs from your visit. Below are a few of our favorites.
Jewelry:
Crucian Gold – Handmade jewelry is one of the best items to take away from your cruise as a souvenir. Crucian Gold offers bracelets, pendants, earrings, rings, necklaces and other unique items made from gold and/or silver. Owned and operated by Brian Bishop and his family, the shop is named after the native name for anything from St. Croix. Located at 1112 Strand Street, Christiansted, this is a must-stop for anyone looking to bring home a handcrafted, quality piece of jewelry from your visit.
The Turkshead rings are wedding bands made from a single strand of gold. The Butterfly symbolizes that small actions can bring big changes in the world. The Crucian Knot represents the sailing and diving culture in St. Croix The Pottery Shards created from pieces of pottery. Photos courtesy of Crucian Gold in St. Croix, Virgin Islands
ib Designs – ib Designs also creates beautiful handcrafted pieces of jewelry, turning island culture into wearable pieces of art. Run by Whealan Massicott, a native of Commonwealth of Dominica, all of ib’s work is based on the Caribbean islands’ history, culture and spirit of the people. ib Designs is located at the corner of Company St. & Queen Cross St. in Christiansted.
Photo courtesy of Rashad Martinez, and beautiful model is Janeisha Jones
Sonya Ltd. – Another amazing jewelry studio is Sonya Lore. When Sonya Hough moved to St. Croix in the early 1960’s, she never envisioned that some day she would own a little corner shop and would design one of the most sought-after pieces of jewelry in the Virgin Islands. You can pick up an original St. Croix “Hook bracelet,” a unique style of bracelet originally created by owner Sonya. This shop also works in gold and silver, bringing unique Caribbean designs to life in a wide variety of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, pins, anklets and rings. Sonya Lore is located in Christiansted at 1 Company Street. . “Wear the hook up or down depending on your luck or love,” the saying goes. Simply translated it means, wear the hook down if you are single and up if you are taken.
Photo courtesy of Sonya Lore
Clothing:
From the Gecko – From the Gecko is a boutique offering amazing island clothing for men and women, as well as jewelry. Select from their collections of traditional island clothing, from beautiful island dresses to Escapada resort wear. An article of clothing from From the Gecko is sure to bring a bit of the Caribbean back to your wardrobe at home. The store is located at 2106 Company St. Suite 1, Christiansted.
Photos courtesy of From the Gecko
Hot Heads – An essential item for any Caribbean cruise is a hat, to keep the sun off your head! Hot Heads offers an excellent collection of hats with an island flair to them. From raffia to straw, get a hat made from a variety of light, breathable materials to keep your head in the shade on your vacation. The store also offers a selection of women’s swimwear, sarongs, sandals and other beach necessities. Hot Heads is located at 1 Queen Cross Street in Christiansted.
Souvenirs:
The Blue Mutt – No island cruise is complete without souvenirs to bring home, and pets are an integral part of the family. The Blue Mutt offers a variety of local goods, from soaps to t-shirts, with proceeds going to the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center. All items are pet themed, and perfect gifts to bring home for friends or to keep for yourself. Visit the shop at 55 Company St., Christiansted.
Photo courtesy of The Blue Mutt
Are you ready to embark on an exciting trip to St. Croix? Let the agents at CruiseExperts.com do the hard work for you. Contact us by calling 1-888-804-CRUISE (2784) or visiting our website, www.CruiseExperts.com.
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