Havensight?

[bishop84]

Maybe the docking charges at Crown Bay are a lot cheaper and HAL chooses to dock there even when there was availability at Havensight? We've been at terrible docks at some Caribbean ports when there was space available right by a terminal building the whole day we were there.

 

Not sure about other ports but the reason HAL go to Crown Bay, even when there is space at Havensight, is that they have a guaranteed berth contract. Basically they get a berth even on busy days and other ships have to go to anchor if required, with the exception of Princess who have 1st preference.

[sail7seas]

If you're there on Dec 4th, you're with Oasis OtS, Emerald Princess, and Maasdam. The Oasis and Emerald are probably at the two Crown Bay berths, forcing you to Havensight. :) :) Maasdam might be tendering.

 

If you're not there Dec 4, go to www.cruisetimetables.com to see what ships are there on your date.

 

We've read here that HAL and Princess signed a ten year contract to dock at Crown Bay vs. Havensight and that has seemed to be true.

 

There have been a few exceptions where a HAL ship docked at Havensight but in the end,

 

Doesn't the Harbormaster assign where every ship will dock or if/where they will anchor for tendering?

 

Please correct me if I am wrong but isn't that one of the functions of Harbormaster?

 

 

Also, you are correct about the possibility of tendering.

We were on Noordam January, 2007 and anchored in inner harbor at STT and tendered. When we heard we were doing that, we groaned and thought it would be awful. Actually, tendering went fast and efficiently and it was very convenient. The tenders dropped us right in the middle of downtown Charlotte Amalie and it was great. :) I'd rather that than docking at Crown Bay. ;)

 

 

 

[Typhoon1]

the outlet malls south of Milwaukee.

 

Reprehensible too kind for that place. :eek::eek:

[Krazy Kruizers]

It was open last winter!

 

That picture was taken this February when we were in Crown Bay. It is the building right next to the parking lot where all the safari buses are.

[GeriatricNurse]

I love it when people take a cruise to go shopping at St Thomas - which has the highest prices and lowest quality in the Caribbean.

Then they want to go to Havensight, which has the highest prices and lowest quality in St Thomas.

 

Is this your personal opinion or is this an established fact that may be read online from a reputable source? :confused:

[bishop84]

That picture was taken this February when we were in Crown Bay. It is the building right next to the parking lot where all the safari buses are.

 

It was open in December. Selling T-Shirts etc. Maybe it was just open for the Holiday season?

[bishop84]

We've read here that HAL and Princess signed a ten year contract to dock at Crown Bay vs. Havensight and that has seemed to be true.

 

There have been a few exceptions where a HAL ship docked at Havensight but in the end,

 

Doesn't the Harbormaster assign where every ship will dock or if/where they will anchor for tendering?

 

Please correct me if I am wrong but isn't that one of the functions of Harbormaster?

 

Hi, The VI Port Authority is in charge of Crown Bay and the anchorages and I assume schedules the ships there but Havensight is privately owned/leased so I guess it is upto them to schedule the ships on that pier.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It was open in December. Selling T-Shirts etc. Maybe it was just open for the Holiday season?

 

Maybe it was just a holiday thing.

We were also there in November and it was all boarded up.

[VioletHorse]

We've gotten accustomed to docking at Crown Bay with both HAL and Princess.

 

A couple of months ago we were on a Celebrity cruise and docked at Havensight. I looked for a couple of my favorite stores that carried more upscale merchandise - they were gone. The jewelry stores did not have the selection of merchandise that they formerly carried. I've seen much better at Crown Bay and downtown Charlotte Amelie.

 

That being said, the merchants in St. Maarten got my business. They had exactly what I wanted at the price that I was willing to pay.

[sail7seas]

Hi, The VI Port Authority is in charge of Crown Bay and the anchorages and I assume schedules the ships there but Havensight is privately owned/leased so I guess it is upto them to schedule the ships on that pier.

 

 

Thanks. :)

 

Is the Harbormaster under the direction of VI Port Authority?

 

[iflyrc5]

According to our TA (she contacted HAL) our Jan stop on the Noordam and our Feb stop on the Ryndam will both be using Charlotte Amalie. We have been to St. Thomas on HAL a couple of times but I don't remember what the pier was called. From what I remember it was the "newer area" and it was about a mile or so from what I would call the main part of town. When you would be up on the hill the place we had docked was to our right but I could also see many ships docked closer to the town on the leve. So - if we are docking at Charlotte Amalie are we docking at the same place as in the past or will we be at the pier closer to town?

I hope this makes sense:confused:

Thanks for your help.

[sail7seas]

According to our TA (she contacted HAL) our Jan stop on the Noordam and our Feb stop on the Ryndam will both be using Charlotte Amalie. We have been to St. Thomas on HAL a couple of times but I don't remember what the pier was called. From what I remember it was the "newer area" and it was about a mile or so from what I would call the main part of town. When you would be up on the hill the place we had docked was to our right but I could also see many ships docked closer to the town on the leve. So - if we are docking at Charlotte Amalie are we docking at the same place as in the past or will we be at the pier closer to town?

 

I hope this makes sense:confused:

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Charlotte Amalie is the name of the port city. It is the capital of the largest of the USVI, St. Thomas.

The docking area that HAL uses is called Crown Bay. It is over a mile from Crown Bay to the center of downtown Charlotte Amalie.

The other dock area is named Havensight. HAL and Princess almost never dock there.

If you are high up in the hills of St. Thomas, when you face the harbor, Crown Bay is on your right; Havensight is on the left and is much larger than Crown Bay though they have added more shops etc to Crown Bay area.

 

[iflyrc5]

Thanks so much - exactly what I needed to know.:D

[sail7seas]

Glad it was helpful.

 

Have great cruise(s). :)

 

[iancal]

I think that swissmyst is correct. I believe that Carnival Corp signed a long term agreement. It involved capital costs, rebates from rentals, and a rebate to Carnival of port taxes paid by cruisers.

 

Carnival Corp has agreements with many Caribbean Islands. They typically involve rebating most of port fees that are charged to cruisers back to Carnival Corp.

 

It is done on a sliding percentage based on how many ships/cruisers they deliver to a specific island. That is often why Carnival Corp ships dock in very specific areas. Not sure about the agreements that other cruise lines have. This is a great deal of money that flows right back to Carnival Corp's bottom line. They are very good business people.

[sail7seas]

I think that swissmyst is correct. I believe that Carnival Corp signed a long term agreement. It involved capital costs, rebates from rentals, and a rebate to Carnival of port taxes paid by cruisers.

 

Carnival Corp has agreements with many Caribbean Islands. They typically involve rebating most of port fees that are charged to cruisers back to Carnival Corp.

 

It is done on a sliding percentage based on how many ships/cruisers they deliver to a specific island. That is often why Carnival Corp ships dock in very specific areas. Not sure about the agreements that other cruise lines have. This is a great deal of money that flows right back to Carnival Corp's bottom line. They are very good business people.

 

 

Yet, Carnival docks at Havensight.

It is Princess and HAL at Crown Bay.

Of course, Carnival has ships 12 months a year doing Caribbean but Princess and HAL do not.

 

 

[Boytjie]

The best picture I coudd find online:

 

 

Havensight is in the foreground and two ships can be seen at Crown Bay in the distance (top left)

[Sherry H]

Bet I'm not the only one who cruises to "see and do" rather than shop.

I do my shopping at home.

If docking at Crown Bay, consider taking the little ferry from Crown Bay to Water Island. Takes 10 minutes......cost $10.00 round trip. Nice Island to hike around and only a 10 minute walk from the ferry dock to beautiful Honeymoon beach. Great way to spend a few hours.

Do a search for Water Island for more info.

[cruz chic]

Bet I'm not the only one who cruises to "see and do" rather than shop.

I do my shopping at home.

If docking at Crown Bay, consider taking the little ferry from Crown Bay to Water Island. Takes 10 minutes......cost $10.00 round trip. Nice Island to hike around and only a 10 minute walk from the ferry dock to beautiful Honeymoon beach. Great way to spend a few hours.

Do a search for Water Island for more info.

Good info. Thanks.

[bishop84]

I think that swissmyst is correct. I believe that Carnival Corp signed a long term agreement. It involved capital costs, rebates from rentals, and a rebate to Carnival of port taxes paid by cruisers.

 

Carnival Corp has agreements with many Caribbean Islands. They typically involve rebating most of port fees that are charged to cruisers back to Carnival Corp.

 

It is done on a sliding percentage based on how many ships/cruisers they deliver to a specific island. That is often why Carnival Corp ships dock in very specific areas. Not sure about the agreements that other cruise lines have. This is a great deal of money that flows right back to Carnival Corp's bottom line. They are very good business people.

 

I don't think it works like that as there was a case lost by a non Carnival cruise line concerning passengers being charged more port taxes than actually required by the port. I think that is why port tax refunds (and increases) are more common nowadays.

 

Looking at the press releases the deals that Carnival Corp make with ports usually involve them guaranteeing to bring a minimum number of passengers to the port so the port has guaranteed revenue. In return the port can give Carnival Corp ships berth preferences, such as at Crown Bay, or a flat tax guaranteed for the period of the agreement. In the case of Port Everglades they are using the guaranteed revenue to improve the terminals that Carnival Corp ships use.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For those who want to go to Water Island:

You get the ferry right at Tickles Restaurant:

 

 

This is the ferry:

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Bet I'm not the only one who cruises to "see and do" rather than shop.

I do my shopping at home.

If docking at Crown Bay, consider taking the little ferry from Crown Bay to Water Island. Takes 10 minutes......cost $10.00 round trip. Nice Island to hike around and only a 10 minute walk from the ferry dock to beautiful Honeymoon beach. Great way to spend a few hours.

Do a search for Water Island for more info.

 

I don't buy anything in the islands -- but I do like to look and wonder around the shops.

Water Island is not for those of us who have to use walkers and scooters.

[sail7seas]

Thanks for posting this KK and Sherry H. I had forgotten all about it and think we may like to ride the ferry over on one of our stops in STT this fall/winter.

 

I'm going to mark it down to put with our cruise notes.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

According to our TA (she contacted HAL) our Jan stop on the Noordam and our Feb stop on the Ryndam will both be using Charlotte Amalie. We have been to St. Thomas on HAL a couple of times but I don't remember what the pier was called. From what I remember it was the "newer area" and it was about a mile or so from what I would call the main part of town. When you would be up on the hill the place we had docked was to our right but I could also see many ships docked closer to the town on the leve. So - if we are docking at Charlotte Amalie are we docking at the same place as in the past or will we be at the pier closer to town?

 

I hope this makes sense:confused:

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Thanks so much - exactly what I needed to know.:D

 

Our Noordam, Maasdam and Ryndam cruises -- we were docked at Crwn Bay.

Here is a listing of the shops there - there are a lot of small vendors that sell t-shirts, etc. in open air booths:

[sail7seas]

That list isn't complete. It doesn't reflect AH Riise. They opened a small store.

 

There is also a small space with slot machines.

I'm not sure but think I noticed Internet as well?