"Cottages by the Sea, a quaint, family run and value priced vacation escape
located on a perfect stretch of beach on the Caribbean paradise
of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands."
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Do you offer airport transportation? No, we do not, because taxi vans are readily accessible for hire from the airport for a reasonable fee. Tell them you need to go to "Cottages by the Sea in Frederiksted".
Q: How far are you from the Airport?The trip to or from the airport is a simple 8 mile ride that takes about 10 minutes.
Q: Do you have laundry facilities? YES, close to the office. We have a coin operated washing machine and dryer available for $2 a load and small boxes of soap are available in the office. We also have clothe lines to dry your clothes.
Q: Do you offer continental breakfast? No, there is a continental breakfast available at the restaurant adjacent to our property Beach Side Cafe' from 7-9am everyday for a $4.50 per person charge. Their hours of operation are:
Continental Breakfast is served 7:30am - 10:00am daily
Full breakfast available on Saturdays 8-11 am
Sunday Brunch is served 10am - 3pm
Lunch is served 11:30am - 2:30pm
Lite fare is available at the Iguana Lounge 11:30am - until...
Dinner is served 6pm - 9pm
Q: What time is check in and check out? Check in is at 3:00pm. Check out is 12 noon.
Q: What do I do if I have a late departure? We can store your luggage in the office and there is a bathroom available with a shower if needed.
Q: Do you offer Wi-Fi? YES, full property coverage.
Q: Can you swim and snorkle at the Cottages? Definately yes. Our beach is as good or better than any other beach on the Island for swimming and snorkeling.
Q: Do you have a pool? No, there is no pool available on the property. There is a pool for adults available at the hotel next door (Sandcastle on the Beach) for a daily fee to our guests.
Q: We are two couples traveling together, what Cottage do you recommend? We do not have any two bedroom cottages so we recommend two separate cottages to ensure your comfort. Take advantage of the second cottage at half price offer in the summer for select cottages (Crew, Chocolate, Sylvia, Cone, Cowry). If two couples were to squeeze into one cottage, then we only recommend Commodore cottage or Chart House cottage.
Q: Do you recommend renting a car? Definately. Rental cars are reasonably priced and driving on the left is easier than you would think considering people drive slowly and most roads are only one lane in each direction. It is as simple as following the car in front of you. You must be 25 years or older with a credit card to rent a car.
Q: Who do you recommend for car rental? We recommend Judy of Croix Car Rental. If no cars are available there, Hertz, Avis, and Budget are the large chains that are available at the airport. Off-Airport Local car rental businesses are also available but make sure they are not located in Christiansted (such as Thrifty or Olympic) because this is out of your way to pick up your car.
Q: Is Parking available and does it cost anything? Yes, parking is available for no charge. Our parking lot is also relatively close to your cottage which makes unloading your car easy.
Q: Do you provide towels and bed linens? Absolutely, including beach towels!
Q: Is it safe there? Yes, it is safe however guests sometimes get too relaxed and let their guard down which make them vulnerable and a potential target. Petty theft is sometimes a problem all over St. Croix and the Caribbean. Be careful and follow all safety rules such as locking your doors when appropriate and using your street smarts.
Q: Can you walk to town? The walk into town is less than a mile and recommended for exercisers only during the day. We don't recommend walking into town to shop; it is a little too far and the objects you carry with you could make you a potential target for petty theft. The walk into town does have isolated areas with no sidewalks forcing you to walk in the street which is also a hazard for guests. Keep in mind that we do have bikes available for our guests to use during the day.
Q: Where do you shop for souveniers? There are only a few shops in downtown Frederiksted for souvenir/tourist shopping. Most guests arrange to spend a day in Christiansted where you will only need an afternoon or less to complete your shopping.
Q: Is there a place nearby to Golf or Play Tennis? The closest golf course is Carambola golf course about 15 to 20 minutes away (highly recommended) and there is a lighted public tennis court on the water in the downtown Frederiksted area next to Fort Frederik.
Q: Are the Cruise Ships a problem? We do get some cruise ship business but not much compared to St. Thomas and other islands. Ships do dock in Frederiksted but we are located just far enough outside of town that traffic is not a problem. Usually our guests like Cruise Ships because they are picturesque and the activities in town are fun to attend.
Q: Are there good resturants nearby? Overall, the restaurants on the island get very high marks from guests. In Frederiksted, we have a several fine dining establishments as well as beach bars and local cuisine. Please see our Guest Services Directory to see a complete list of resturants.
Q: Do you provide snorkling equipment? Yes, we have a closet by the office where guests leave their snorkeling equipment behind that is available for guest use. Otherwise, K-Mart sells low cost snorkeling equipment and the dive shops (just down the street) sell and rent equipment.
Q: Do you recommend the Ferry? The only ferry to the island is to and from St. Thomas which is 40 miles away. The ferry ride is approximately 90 minutes long and can be extremely bumpy. The cost is less than a plane ride so you will save a little money. We do not recommend the ferry after a long day of travelling from the US or if you have a tendency toward motion sickness. The ferry is better for a quick day or overnight trip to St. Thomas and back. There is not a ferry to Puerto Rico.
Q: Who do you recommend for Scuba Diving? The island is excellent for Scuba Diving and highly recommended for beginners as well as experts. The closest Scuba shop that we recommend is "N2 the Blue".
Q: Who do you recommend for Buck Island Tours? We recommend Big Beards.
for a wonderful Buck Island experience.
Q: Is noise an issue? Generally noise is not an issue, however, sometimes guests complain of noise at night during major holiday events and occasionally on Sunday afternoons.
Q: Do you have boats, kayaks or bikes? We do not have a boat, but we do have 2 Kayaks and life jackets available for guest use at no charge. We also have bikes availble at our office for free for our guests to use during daylight hours. We cannot allow our guests to use the bikes or kayaks after dark.
Q: Do you have beach umbrellas and lounge chairs? Yes, we provide dozens of lounge chairs on our beach for our guests. Please check with our office staff for mbrella use. Our beachfront coconut trees and foliage also provide shade for guests as well as our covered patios directly on the beach just 15 steps from the water's edge.
Q: Are there any ATM's? No ATM's on the property but two ATM's are located on the waterfront in the downtown area of Frederiksted just a 5 minute drive.
Q: Where do you buy groceries? There are three small convenience stores just 5 minutes down the road in Frederiksted. The closest grocery store is Stop and Shop, located at Hannah's Rest, which is open utill 9PM daily.
Q: Is their Public Transportation? Yes, buses and taxi's are available, but not recommended. It's easier to rent a car.
Q: Do cell phones work on the island? Most of the major US cellular providers like AT&T, Verizion, Nextel and T-Mobile have antennas on the Island. Some of the other cellular providers work as well.
Q: Are there phones in the rooms? NO. Most of our guest like the fact that there are no phones in the rooms. If they need a phone, most use there cellular phone. There is phone at the Office for guest use.
Q: Is there a "safe" in the room? All the rooms will have a "safe" installed.
Q: Do the Cottages have Air Conditioning? Yes, all cottages.
Q: Do you have Cable TV? Yes, all Cottages have cable TV.
Q: Do you have DVD Players? No.
Q: Do you have Hair Dryers? Yes.
Q: How far is it to drive from The Cottages to Christiansted? Approximately 20 miles or about 45 minutes. Maps of the Island are available in the office.
Q: Do you offer a full refund if our vacation is cancelled due to a Hurricane? Yes.
Cottages by the Sea 127A Smithfield Rd.,
Frederiksted, St. Croix
U.S. Virgin Islands 00840
800.323.7252 | 340.772.0495 | email us
