Birthday celebration in St. Thomas

Best Things Nearby:
Shopping, beaches, and great restaurants.

Best Things About the Resort:
The view is fantastic from the castle. Each morning we woke to see what cruise ships had pulled into the harbor overnight.

Resort Experience:
Bluebeard's is obviously in a rebuilding period. It is working hard to gain back it's Resort of International Distinction status. The concierge desk was very helpful with setting up dinner reservations, tours, etc. The Castle is more of a laid back kind of place with much more personality than the huge, well-known name hotels on the island. Our first impression wasn't the best but the place sure grew on us. The owners that we met there were very friendly and helpful also. The restaurants there (Banana Tree Grille and Room with a View) are top notch!

There have been some problems with break-ins here although we had no problems. Be smart and use the security boxes provided at the front desk for any valuables. The break-ins seem to be in the Pirates Pension units which are lower on the hill. There are many stairs here so be prepared. You can always stop for a look at the harbor if you need a rest.

K-mart and the Pueblo are the places to shop for necessities and also liquor to take home. Ballerina's jewelry store was very highly recommended to us by owners that have shopped there for years. I can home with a beautiful set of black opal jewelry from there - not bad considering we were celebrating my husband's birthday :)

• Unit Type: Studio
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

The Greenhouse is right on the waterfront downtown. It has a noisy atmosphere with a mix of tourists and locals. The food was cheaper than most of the restaurants we went to and was very good. It is not the place to go for a quiet romantic evening.

Banana Tree Grille is located at Bluebeard's Castle. It has a beautiful view of the harbor. The food is excellent. I had the Banana Tree filet and my husband had the regular filet. Both were very good. Nice place for a romantic evening. There were some children there but I would consider it more for adults for a romantic night out. The tablecloths and soft music added to the romance of the view. Remember the sun sets around 6 - 6:30pm if you want to be there during the sunset. The cruise ships also leave around 6pm if you want to watch them leave while you dine.

Room with a View has just what it says - a gorgeous view overlooking the harbor and downtown Charlotte Amalie. Be sure to make your reservation for around 6pm if you want to see the sunset. The evening view if beautiful also with the town and hills lit up. It's also fun to watch the sea planes coming and going.

This is a more formal restuarant - quite small and therefore you get individual attention. There is talk that it will be moving soon to a larger location at the castle. There were no children there while we were there, and I would not recommend taking them.

My husband and I both had the lobster thermador, which was delicious. The servings were generous. It was probably the most expensive dinner we had on St. Thomas but the view and the food were worth it. The french onion soup was also great. The banana flambe looked delicious although we were too full to try it. This is a nice place to share a special occasion in an elegant setting.

We spent a day with Sharon on the Winifred. We started out with some breakfast and juice. She took us to St. John where we snorkeled in Caneel Bay and then had lunch on the boat. It was a wonderful day to relax, snorkel, and enjoy the views. She only takes up to six people so you aren't with a huge group. Sharon makes it personal and friendly.

When we visited St. John for the day, everyone said to go to Trunk Bay. We liked the quiet at Maho, although there were no facilities there. We also found the best shell of our trip laying on the beach there. Cinnamon was beautiful and had all the facilities that Trunk had, and it was free. There is a little general store, rental facilites for boating and all the amenities you need there.

We took a two hour trip with the Atlantis Submarine. You meet at the office in Havensight and from there they take you to a boat. On the boat ride out to the submarine there is water and rum punch available, along with a bathroom. Once you board the submarine, there is no bathroom and no moving around.

We saw sting rays, sharks, a green moray eel, and many other beautiful fish. They take you from 60' - 90' down along the reef where most of the fish are. The people on the other side of the sub did see turtles also. It was a fun way to explore the ocean and see many fish without getting wet at all!

We signed up for this dinner sail through Bluebeard's Castle. We started out with a little rain but they headed for a dry area and we ended up dropping anchor in Christmas Cove by Great St. James Island. We were greeted with champagne. As we began sailing, they started to bring hors d'oevres around including cream cheese on crackers topped with caviar or smoked salmon. Then came the skewers with veggies, shrimp, and scallops. Dinner included fruit, crab legs, mahi mahi, pork, chicken, green beans with feta cheese, etc. It was topped off with a chocolate dessert followed up by cookies and chocolate candies. There was an open bar the whole time also.

We had a beautiful sunset to enjoy along with good food. They take only 24 people and this is fairly new, so book early if you want to go. Right now they offer just a Thursday night dinner cruise. Wednesday and Friday nights they do just a sunset cruise without the dinner. No shoes are allowed on the boat, so wear shoes that are easy to take off. If you are lucky you'll get them back at the end of the trip.

The flowers were gorgeous all over the island. I couldn't help taking some pictures up close of them. The iguanas and lizard seemed to enjoy them as much as I did!