Christiansted and Charlotte Amalie have recently introduced new food tours for cruise passengers in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“They are really unique. They offer a combination of culinary and history as you meander through town,” said Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty.

A new tariff system in St. Thomas has led to long-term agreements with multiple cruise lines across two facilities, which will help build traffic back up again.

“It’s now a single-tariff destination. We definitely want to improve our numbers and re-gain our position in St. Thomas,” Nicholson-Doty said, in an interview with Cruise Industry News. “We have seen some slippage. We want to make sure we build St. Thomas up as the number one port in the region.”

Growth can also come in St. Croix.

“There is significant room to grow there,” she said. That will combine the Frederiksted Pier and Gallows Bay, where plans are on the table to dredge the harbor, opening it up to small cruise ships.

St. John, a tender destination, fits well with the niche lines. Combining the destinations, SeaDream, for example, offers round-trip sailings from St. Thomas, with calls in St. John, Tortola and other ports in the area.