St Croix: Escape to the US Virgin Islands

      Frederiksted, St Croix 00840, USVI

      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      129 reviews
      Oct 7 - 14, 2023
      Group size: 11 - 17
      St Croix: Escape to the US Virgin Islands
      Frederiksted, St Croix 00840, USVI

      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      129 reviews

      $NaN
      Oct 7 - 14, 2023
      Group size: 11 - 17

      About this trip

      Join Blue Planet for another week of fabulous diving in St. Croix, the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. St. Croix’s rich culture and history, along with its beautiful beaches and exciting recreational activities, create an experience unlike any other in the Caribbean. Whether you are newly certified or an advanced diver, diving is easy, accessible and offers an array of experiences for everyone. Dive a wreck, wall, pier and reef all in one day!

      St. Croix 

      Formerly the stomping grounds of some of history’s most famous pirates, the Virgin Islands are now invaded by thousands of visitors who arrive daily by air and by sea. There are approximately 100 green, hilly islands, some governed by the United States and some by Great Britain. Christiansted and Frederiksted, the two main towns of St. Croix, flourished as commercial ports during the eighteenth century and nineteenth century. Distinct architecture reflects the seven flags -- Spanish, Dutch, British, French, Knights of Malta, Danish and American -- that have flown over the island. Today, visitors to St. Croix can enjoy many indoor and outdoor activities, from fine dining, shopping and a casino, to golf, scuba diving and horseback riding. 

      The Diving

      Minimum dive certification/experience:  Perfect for beginners. A great spot to complete your Advanced Open Water Diver and more. 


      Sea life is abundant in the U.S. Virgin Islands. More than 500 species of fish, 40 types of coral and hundreds of invertebrates inhabit the water. Vibrant blue tang, silvery horse-eye jacks, queen triggerfish, spiny Caribbean lobster, spotted eagle rays, creole wrasses and cleaner gobies are just a sampling of the marine life populating the underwater terrain. As sun sets, octopus, seahorses and moray eels make their appearance. Hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles call the USVI home and can be seen on many a dive. Lucky vacationers may even witness turtles hatching on one of the many turtle nesting grounds.


      The best scuba diving is along “The Wall” that runs about 7 miles parallel to the North Shore of St. Croix. Cane Bay Dive Shop has a prime location on this northern shore and offers divers more than twenty different dive sites to explore within one mile in either direction as well as the "must-do" Frederiksted Pier, the wrecks at Butler Bay and other west end dives.

      Other Activities

      From visiting historic Fort Frederik and following the Heritage Trail to hiking the rainforest and wading in secluded tidal pools, there much on St. Croix that awaits your discovery. Buck Island Underwater National Park is one of St. Croix's most popular attractions, boasting 704 acres of clear water and healthy coral reefs. Estate Whim Plantation, the Cruzan Rum Factory and casinos are the other popular attractions on the island.  Plus there's kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, biking and more to keep you busy! Sunset sail, anyone? Or a rum and beer tour?

      Cane Bay Dive Shop & Arawak Bay Inn

      The Cane Bay Dive Shop is a PADI 5-Star IDC Dive center that's been diving the north shore of St. Croix for almost 30 years. In addition to to boat dives, we can do shore dives right in Cane Bay plus dive the Frederiksted Pier.


      Located on the tranquil north side of the island of St. Croix, the Arawak Bay Inn overlooks the beautiful Salt River Bay. The charming B&B has 14 rooms, each with a king bed or 2 full-size beds, a balcony and air conditioning, plus a pool, honor bar and more. It's just a short 15-minute drive from the airport and 3-minute walk from the dive boat and Salt River Marina, from which kayaking and boating tours can be arranged. 

      Travel

      When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel  -- no passport required! You should plan to fly into St. Croix (STX) on Saturday, October 7. You can fly home at any time on October 14. OR stick around for the Sirens & Sunsets Mermaid Retreat! Please email or call the shop before booking your flight!  

      Cancellation Policy

      Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a $250 cancellation fee and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 


      Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information. 

      What’s included

      • 7 nights accommodation
        Double or single occupancy
      • Full breakfast daily
        On-site at our hotel
      • 10 boat dives
        5 days of 2-tank dives
      • Unlimited shore diving
        By the dive shop
      • Guided night dive
        At the Frederiksted Pier
      • Taxes, etc.
        Room taxes and service charges
      • Flights
        flights to St Croix (STX)
      • Scuba equipment
        Only tanks and weights included; rental gear available
      • On-island transportation
        We can coordinate on rental cars
      • Other meals
        Not already mentioned above
      • Tips
        Tips for the dive shop's excellent crew

      Available Packages

      Double Occupancy
      5 left

      Double occupancy in room with 2 full-size beds. Each room includes free wifi, satellite TV, air conditioning, etc. You'll also have access to the pool and honor bar, balconies for lounging and an island breakfast every morning with house specialties, local pastries and other treats.


      Bringing a non-diving companion? Contact us for pricing!

      $1,550
      Deposit: $500
      Single Occupancy
      only 2 left

      Single occupancy in room with 1 king bed. Each room includes free wifi, satellite TV, air conditioning, etc. You'll also have access to the pool and honor bar, balconies for lounging and an island breakfast every morning with house specialties, local pastries and other treats.

      $2,355
      Deposit: $500


      Itinerary

      Saturday
      Arrival in St. Croix

      Arrive at the STX airport and transfer to Arawak Bay Inn.  Meet by the pool around 5:30 PM for a rum punch welcome and to complete paperwork with staff. Grab some dinner and rest up for diving!

      Your Organizer


      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      129 reviews
      Blue Planet is a different kind of scuba diving organization — aimed at providing the best education and experiences to divers in the Washington, DC area and beyond, while harnessing the excitement and adventure of scuba diving to help protect our fragile oceans.

      Reviews

      MT
      Had an amazing time! Beautiful accommodations and resort staff. Magnificent dive sites and of course well executed by the Blue Planet Staff. Already have my next dive trip lined up with Blue Planet!
      By Marie T for Escape to Paradise: Taveuni, Fiji on Sep 13, 2023
      SF
      Amazing second trip with Blue Planet Scuba! Bonaire is a unique adventure, whether we dove off the boats, or from the shore. I hope to do it again. As someone who'd been certified in scuba for about a year, and had done only a few dives at Lake Phoenix over the summer, this was a big step up in terms of experience. Andrea and Travis were both excellent instructors. I took the Advanced Opened Water course on the trip, and while that was good, I feel like what really advanced my skills was the variety of challenging experiences Bonaire had to offer, and the generally excellent divers I had the opportunity to team up with both on training dives and when left to our own devices, rolling around the desert in our little Taliban trucks. The East Coast Dives excursion was amazing, and challenged my bravery as much as much as my dive skills. While we didn't get to witness coral spawning due to a jellyfish hazard, the bioluminescent ostracod dive was absolutely magical, and the night dives in general were wonderful. All in all, a wonderful learning opportunity for me, and a challenging adventure. Thank you for the opportunity.
      By Sarah F for Bonaire: Shore Diving Paradise on Sep 12, 2023
      EM
      The diving was amazing, and I never got tired of heading over to Bloody Bay Wall! The resort accommodations and food were great! The staff are awesome! Another exceptional Blue Planet trip in the books! 🩵
      By Elsbeth M for Big Dives in Little Cayman on Jul 11, 2023
      Thanks Elsbeth! It really was some awesome diving and the resort and staff of Little Cayman Beach Resort were amazing. Hope to see you on another trip again soon!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Jul 11, 2023
      BP
      EK
      Second trip with Blue Planet. Wonderful time again. Really wonderful group of people, and the dive shop where we went was equally great. Well organized both on the Blue Planet side and at the dive resort itself. Little Cayman is absolutely beautiful. Would go on another trip there again in the future.
      By Elizabeth K for Big Dives in Little Cayman on Jul 10, 2023
      Thanks Elizabeth! We're so glad you could join us for the Little Cayman trip and that you had a great time! We'll definitely be looking to go back there in the next year or two so stay tuned!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Jul 11, 2023
      BP
      JK
      I had an excellent time on my June Certification Weekend in Cozumel. Suzanne and Michael were incredible instructors - knowledgeable, patient, efficient. I felt totally comfortable and prepared for anything by the time of my first certified dive.
      By Jonathan K for June Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Jun 27, 2023
      Thank you so much, Jonathan! Your attentiveness and ability to adapt to our constantly shifting schedules made it a true pleasure working with you. We can't wait to join you on a future trip!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Jun 27, 2023
      BP
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