St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

May 27, 2011 – Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Resort & Spa

St. Croix, the largest of the US Virgin Islands at 82 square miles, is completely surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. This beautiful island has been under seven flags, with each leaving a little bit of its influence and making for a real melting pot. Its cultural diversity includes residents from Africa, Denmark, France, England, Holland, Spain, India, and the United States.

Temperatures hover around 76 to 82 degrees year-round. Rare hurricanes occur during late summer/early fall.

Make Your Travel Plans Early

All participants, speakers, sponsors, et al. are responsible for making all of their own travel arrangements.

Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Resort & Spa

The Renaissance Carambola Beach Resort and Spa (newly renovated as a Marriott property) was created to celebrate the unspoiled beauty of the Caribbean by Laurance Rockefeller in 1986. The design of the resort was inspired by the cultural heritage and history of St. Croix and the Virgin Islands:

- Red roofs reflect St. Croix’s Danish heritage
- British inspired in-room screened porches
- Spanish Colonial mahogany woodwork
- Creole symetry and central entrance
- French inspired louvered windows

Room Rates/Taxes

The Carambola is the official COPE Caribbean-St. Croix Conference host hotel. Rates are $179.00 per night plus taxes. All participants should book their own stay. A credit card guarantee is required with each reservation request. Reservations received without a valid credit card will not be processed.

Call 340-778-3800 or 888-503-8760 to book your reservations.

Hotel Registration Payment

All credit card and check transactions must be processed in U.S. Dollars. International payments must be submitted in U.S. Dollars. Educational expenses are generally tax-deductible as an ordinary business expense.

Getting There

Because St. Croix is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens traveling to and from the 50 states as well as the territories of the United States do not need a passport when arriving in the U.S. Virgin Islands from the U.S. or returning to the U.S.

Non-U.S. Citizens are generally subject to the same requirements as traveling from the home country to/from any of the 50 states.

For more information, check the U.S. State Department’s Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_2223.html

…

Airlines. The airport code for St. Croix is STX. American and Delta Airlines fly directly to St. Croix from the U.S. Mainland. Connections on Spirit, US Air, and Continental are available through St.Thomas or San Juan, Puerto Rico.

If you’re traveling from the Eastern Caribbean, LIAT or American Eagle will get you there.

Make your reservations early. We do not have a conference code for discounted flights. If you’re traveling from the USA, no passport is needed.

Local Transportation. Taxi Cabs are available at the Henry Rohlsen Airport. Visit the Carambola Website for more details on traveling to the island and to the hotel.

More on St. Croix

The picturesque arid east end of the island, dotted with several types of cacti, on sheer cliff sides, with the Caribbean sea below is the easternmost point of United States Territory. It’s also the monument placed at Point Udall to celebrate the new Millennium, which is a sight one should not miss. From there, you can see Jacks and Isaacs bay, which will probably remain undeveloped, thanks to the Nature Conservancy.

If you have the opportunity to see “Point Udall,” then you may get a chance to try your luck at the only Virgin Islands casino at The Divi Carina Bay Hotel and Casino.

On the western end of the island, you’ll experience the exact opposite – a rainforest. Stop at the Domino Club and see the world famous beer drinking pigs before heading back to your  hotel.

As you traverse the island, you will see the bases of more sugar mills than any other island. Each mill belonging to an old plantation, when Sugar was King. Our island still maintains the romantic estate names of days gone by like “Work and Rest,” “Mary’s Fancy,” Rust Op Twist,” and many more.

This land of tranquil beauty has two towns whose  stunning architecture has a heavy Danish influence with rows of covered arches along the roads. Each town was guarded by a fort, and both are available for history buffs to inspect. The Danes had a knack for building handsome forts. Fort Christianvern, which you will see on your boat ride into Christainsted, is ready to defend the Cristainsted harbor. Fort Fredrick is ready to do the same in Fredericksted.

For happenings on St. Croix, visit www.GoToStCroix.com.