What's on in Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas), U.S. Virgin Islands through the year

Busy — Cruise season, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  Humpbacks on the north drop

  15 Jan – 15 Apr · usuallyWhale season

  Humpbacks pass north of the islands on the way to and from the Silver Bank, and are sometimes seen from the ferries or off the north drop. Nobody runs a dependable whale trip from town, so it stays luck.

Still on: Cruise season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)), Christmas winds (15 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Cruise season

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Humpbacks on the north drop (15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)), Cruise season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)), Christmas winds (15 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — travelers describe it as peak season, Cruise season

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Humpbacks on the north drop (15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)), Cruise season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually)), Christmas winds (15 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — St Thomas Carnival, Cruise season

• Season

  Sargassum on the east end

  1 Apr – 31 Aug · usuallySargassum season

  The south and east shores catch the drift and the bays that hold it smell for a week at a time. Magens Bay on the north side and the beaches inside the harbour usually stay clear.

• Festival

  St Thomas Carnival

  26 Apr – 2 MayCrowdedBook early

  The big week ends with J'ouvert before dawn and the Adults' Parade through town, with free nightly shows in the Carnival Village either side of it. Smaller pageants start weeks earlier. Source ↗

Still on: Humpbacks on the north drop (15 Jan – 15 Apr (usually)), Cruise season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — St Thomas Carnival

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Sargassum on the east end (1 Apr – 31 Aug (usually)), St Thomas Carnival (26 Apr – 2 May)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Hazard

  Hurricane season

  1 Jun – 30 Nov

  Irma and Maria crossed the territory two weeks apart in September 2017 and the islands still plan around that fortnight. Small hotels and charter boats close for September outright. Source ↗

Still on: Sargassum on the east end (1 Apr – 31 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Sargassum on the east end (1 Apr – 31 Aug (usually)), Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Sargassum on the east end (1 Apr – 31 Aug (usually)), Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Busy — Cruise season

• Season

  Cruise season

  1 Nov – 30 Apr · usuallyCrowded

  Five or six ships alongside at Havensight and Crown Bay on a winter weekday. Main Street's duty-free shops open and shut to the ship schedule, and Magens Bay has the tour buses by ten.

Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Busy — Cruise season, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Christmas winds

  15 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyWind seasonRisk

  The trades stiffen from around Christmas into March. Sailors plan around them, the ferries over to Jost Van Dyke get bumpy, and the north-shore beaches pick up a shorebreak.

Still on: Cruise season (1 Nov – 30 Apr (usually))