Cruise ships will return to St Thomas USVI on November 10, less than a couple of months after the island was ravaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria, the U.S. Virgin Islands' government announced on Monday, October 16.
The Virgin Islands government said in a statement that Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas would be the first cruise ship to return to the island on a regular voyage since the back-to-back storms.
Royal Caribbean said it was working with the government to restore the famed Magens Bay beach area just in time for the arrival of Adventure of the Seas on November 10. Magens Bay is among the biggest draws for tourists on the island.
The cruise line also said that most of St Thomas's restaurants, bars and downtown shops, as well as tour operators would be operational when the ship arrives. Among the tours available to passengers are catamaran and boat excursions around the island as well as trips to area beaches.
Royal Caribbean is also resuming cruise visits to the hurricane-ravaged islands of St. Martin and Puerto Rico by the end of November.
By December 1, all scheduled visits to the 3 islands will operate as planned, Royal Caribbean announced.