The Department of Tourism for the island of St. Croix, which is the largest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands (tel. 800/372-USVI; www.usvitourism.vi), recently announced a flight promotion that saves couples up to $500 on future flights to the island. In order to be eligible, you must book a minimum seven-night stay at one of the participating hotels (more on that in a minute) by October 31 and choose from the following valid travel dates: December 1-20, January 2-31, 2008, April 1-30, 2008 or May 5-31, 2008. The promotion credits individuals with a $250 voucher that's redeemable on an airline of your choosing, but the promotion is only valid based on double occupancy. To visit St. Croix, you don't need a passport if you are a U.S. citizen departing from Puerto Rico or the mainland, and you don't need to change your money, either, although you may lose (or win) some of it -- a couple of the participating hotels have casinos.
Some of the participating resorts and hotels include the Buccaneer, which has seven separate beach areas, a spa and a golf course; Carambola Bay Beach Resort & Casino, which is finishing up a $20 million renovation; Chenay Bay Beach Resort, which is comprised of small cottages; and Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort and Casino. Other properties include Club St. Croix Beach Resort, Colony Cove Beach Resort, The Hotel Caravelle, King Christian Hotel, the Palms at Pelican Cove, and Sand Castle on the Beach. A one-week stay, depending on the time of travel and the property you select, can range anywhere from about $1,100-$2,000. You have some flexibility in terms of booking too -- you can reserve through a handful of tour operators (the Virgin Islands site does not accept reservations), whether it is Apple Vacations, (tel. 800/517-2000; www.applevacations.com), Classic Vacations (tel. 800/635-1333; www.classicvacations.com), or U.S. Airways Vacations (tel. 800/455-0123; www.usairwaysvacations.com); the latter is currently advertising weeklong trips, including airfare, to St. Croix from $492.
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