May 5, 2005 – The U.S. Virgin Islands is ranked as one of the top-rated vacation destinations in the May 2005 issue of Caribbean Travel & Life magazine.
St. John was listed as the number one overall best destination, edging out the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, and Jamaica, while St. Thomas was listed as both the number one cruise port, and the number one shopping destination in the region.
The May issue of the popular magazine discloses findings from a survey of well-traveled readers who identified their Caribbean favorites from snorkeling spots to rum drinks, according to a release from Tourism.
"The survey illustrates the U.S. Virgin Islands' broad appeal as a destination and underscores the islands' diverse offerings," Pamela C. Richards, commissioner of Tourism, said in the release.
For Virgin Islanders grown accustomed to the beauty and first-rate service available in the territory's world-class resorts, it may be surprising to learn that our very own Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort was deemed by those in the know to be the best overall resort between Florida and South America, beating out the Four Seasons, Nevis. The East End's Ritz Carlton also made the list, coming in at number four.
Bolongo Bay Beach Club was given the thumbs-up by globe-trotting survey respondents who judged it to be the third best mid-sized place to put their vacation on.
Meanwhile, back on St. John, Caneel Bay was acknowledged to be the best place for a wedding and, not surprisingly, the second most romantic vacation spot in the Caribbean. And for those who like to track the great outdoors back to the room with them its all about Maho Bay and Cinnamon Bay, the number one and two places to get the job done.