Feb. 3, 2009 — They came down the gangway early Tuesday, 2,700 strong, a phalanx of tourists disembarking from the cruise ship Disney Magic, fanning out from the pier in Frederiksted in taxis and tour buses and on foot to explore St. Croix.
And they were captivated by the sights of the island, the balmy weather and mostly by the people.
"Everybody is so friendly," said Michele Willicombe of Pennsylvania.
"There are a lot of friendly people here," agreed her husband, Brian.
Michelle manages a bar back home, and Brian is a building inspector. Both agreed that the weather in the Caribbean Tuesday was far superior to the below-freezing temperatures they left behind.
"We're just relaxing, walking down the street and looking around," Michelle said. "It's so beautiful."
A small village of craft, clothing and souvenir booths clustered around the end of Ann Abramson Pier to help the tourists take home mementos of their visit. At one, Steve and Sara Stratton from Dayton, Ohio, and their young children, Isabel and Andrew, looked over beautifully turned wooden bowls and vases created by local artisan Rodger Nickel.
Sara said her first thought as she came off the ship into the warm Caribbean sunshine was, "Why are we not living here?"
Why not, indeed?
At the Cane Bay Dive Shop on Frederiksted's Strand, Jeanne Davis said plenty of visitors were coming and going, picking up souvenirs and keepsakes. And Crucians, she said, were on their best behavior greeting the crowds.
"Everyone's very excited about it; everyone's in a good mood," she said.
Davis said she was in the bank that morning when a passenger from Magic came in looking for change for a $10 bill to take the taxi.
"Everyone just stepped back and let him go to the front of the line," she said.
Colin and Ann Brock of Devon in the United Kingdom had ambled all the way south on the Strand, and they were overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people they met.
"Everyone's so friendly, it all feels very welcoming, Ann said. "Everyone says 'good morning' and smiles."
At that moment, a local woman passed by, glanced at the visitors from England and said "good morning" with a smile.
"See?" Ann said.
Disney's Magic was scheduled to depart Tuesday afternoon, moving on to St. Thomas, St. John and then on to Castaway Key, Disney's private island resort in the Bahamas, before returning to home port in Port Canaveral, Fla.
The visit by Disney's Magic was the first of three cruise ships slated to stop on St. Croix this week. Holland America's Eurodam will make her inaugural call on St. Croix at 8 a.m. Wednesday, arriving with 2,104 passengers and 800 crew and departing at 5 p.m. Upon her arrival, Brad Nugent, assistant commissioner for St. Croix, will present the ship captain with a plaque commemorating the inaugural call.
At 8 a.m. Sunday Azamara's Journey will make her second call to St. Croix, arriving with 710 passengers and 390 crew. Journey departs at 6 p.m.
All three ships will be met by St. Croix greeters distributing souvenirs and rum punch to the passengers and crew. Mocko jumbies and live music entertain passengers as they disembark the ships.
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