Banks -- FirstBank Virgin Islands (tel 340/773-0440; www.firstbankvi.com) has full-service locations in Christiansted (12–13 King St. and Orange Grove); in Frederiksted (6A Strand St.); and at Sunny Isle Shopping Center. Scotiabank (tel 340/693-2966; www.scotiabank.com) has a full-service locations in Sunny Isle Shopping Center. Banco Popular tel 800/724-3655; www.popular.com/vi) has full-service locations in Christiansted (Orange Grove) and Sunny Isle. Most are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 3pm and Friday 9am to 4pm; both Scotiabank and FirstBank have Saturday-morning hours.
Business Hours -- Typical business hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm. The V.I. Dental Center, 2024 Estate Mt. Welcome, Ste. 15–16 (tel 340/772-6000; http://videntalcenter.com), has a team of dentists that are members of the American Dental Association. Call for information or an appointment.
Doctors -- For a referral, call Sunny Isle Medical Center (tel 340/778-0069) or the Beeston Hill Medical Complex (www.vihealth.com).
Drugstores -- Try the Golden Rock Pharmacy, Golden Rock Shopping Center (tel 340/773-7666), open Monday to Saturday 8am to 7pm and Sunday 8am to 3pm.
Emergencies -- To reach the police, fire department, or an ambulance, call tel 911.
Hospitals -- The main facility is Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center, 4007 Estate Diamond Ruby (tel 340/778-6311).
Maps -- Newspapers & Magazines -- St. Croix has its own online newspaper, “St. Croix Source” (http://stcroixsource.com). “The Virgin Island Daily News” (http://virginislandsdailynews.com) covers all the Virgin Islands. A good source of local information is “St. Croix This Week,” which is distributed free by the tourist offices to hotels, restaurants, and most businesses.
Police -- Police headquarters is on Market Street in Christiansted. In case of emergency, dial tel 911; for nonemergency assistance, call tel 340/778-2211.
Post Office -- The post office is on Company Street (tel 340/773-3586), in Christiansted. The hours of operation are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm.
Safety -- St. Croix is safer than St. Thomas. Although there have been random acts of violence against tourists in the past, even murder, most crime on the island is petty theft, usually of possessions left unguarded at the beach while vacationers go into the water for a swim, or muggings (rarely violent) of visitors wandering the dark streets and back alleys of Frederiksted and Christiansted at night. Exercise caution at night by sticking to the heart of Christiansted and not wandering around in Frederiksted. Avoid night strolls along beaches. Night driving in remote parts of the island can also be risky; you might be carjacked and robbed at knifepoint.
Taxes -- The only local tax is an 10 percent surcharge added to all hotel rates.
Telephone -- You can dial direct to St. Croix from the mainland by using the 340 area code. Omit the 340 for local calls. Make long-distance, international, and collect calls as you would on the U.S. mainland by dialing 0 or your long-distance provider.
Toilets -- There are few public restrooms, except at the major beaches and the airport. In Christiansted, the National Park Service maintains some restrooms within the public park beside Fort Christiansvaern.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
