Getting to St. Croix from St. Thomas

St. Croix sits about 40 miles south of St. Thomas, across open Caribbean water — so unlike the quick ferry hop to St. John, you have two very different options. Here's the Seaborne seaplane and the sea ferry, side by side.

Fly: Seaborne seaplane (~25 minutes, downtown to downtown)

The fastest way across is the Seaborne seaplane. It lifts off from the Charles F. Blair Jr. Seaplane Terminal on Veterans Drive in Charlotte Amalie — right next to the Blyden ferry terminal — and lands at the Svend Aage Ovesen Seaplane Terminal in Water Gut, Christiansted, about 25 minutes later. Because it's downtown to downtown with no airport transfer and no TSA line, it's a popular choice for business travelers and island-hoppers, and the low run over the reefs is a highlight of the trip in itself. Fares typically run about $120 to $250 each way, depending on the season and how far ahead you book.

Prefer a regular airport flight? Commercial carriers also connect Cyril E. King (STT) and Henry E. Rohlsen (STX) airports — check the live St. Thomas airport crowd forecast before you go.

Ferry: Blyden Terminal → Gallows Bay (~2 hours)

The passenger sea ferry runs a regular schedule between the Edward Wilmoth Blyden Marine Terminal in Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas) and Gallows Bay in Christiansted (St. Croix) — a scenic crossing of about 2 hours over roughly 40 miles of open Caribbean. It sails Wednesday through Monday, but not Tuesday.

• St. Croix → St. Thomas: departs Gallows Bay 8:00 AM, arrives Blyden 10:10 AM.
• St. Thomas → St. Croix: departs Blyden 3:00 PM, arrives Gallows Bay 5:10 PM.
• Fares: $85 per person one way, or $75 each way with the round-trip discount.
• Checked bags are a $15 add-on, up to 50 lbs each.

Schedules and fares can change, so confirm current departure times before you travel; see our USVI & BVI ferry schedules for more.

Which should you take?

The seaplane wins on speed and convenience — about 25 minutes, downtown to downtown, with no airport transfer on either end — though it costs more, roughly $120 to $250 each way. The ferry is a genuine alternative if you'd rather stay on the water or trim the cost: $85 one way (or $75 each way round-trip) on a 2-hour crossing. The trade-offs are that it runs just once in each direction per day, skips Tuesdays, and takes much longer overall. Either way, once you reach St. Croix you'll want a ride from the dock or terminal — see official St. Croix taxi fares.

More planning tools: Virgin Islands weather · ferry schedules · airport wait times · island map.

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