Water Island for a Day?

Can anyone offer any feedback/suggestions on traveling to Water Island for a day (will be on Celebrity Summit) and renting a golf cart? Our ship will be in port all day so I am assuming time will not be an issue. Also, when on Water Island, are there any not to miss places to explore? Thanks.

We visited Water Island for the first time in 2007 while on a Princess cruise. The ship docked within walking distance of the Water Island Ferry. Not sure where your cruise docks (Crown Bay Marina)? In those days, not very much on Water Island. We walked to Honeymoon Beach and pretty much had the place to ourselves. There was some picnic benches and maybe restrooms. We met a nice family with a home on Water Island that offered to take us back to the ferry at the end of the day - we took them up on the offer to avoid the long walk up the hill! It was a fun beach day - quiet and peaceful escape from the cruise crowds.

Fast forward to the Summer of 2014... We rented a villa on St Thomas for a week that overlooked Magen's Bay. Our son had such fond memories of Water Island that we decided to visit for the day. We packed a cooler for a picnic lunch and arranged to rent a golf cart to explore from Kelly's Karts. We actually rode the ferry over with Kelly and she warned us how much the island had changed. Honeymoon Beach is still beautiful but quite busy! There's a bar/restaurant on each end and cruise ship excursions pull in for a few hours at a time. We LOVED exploring the island on the golf cart. It truly is a beautiful island and a nice change from the hustle and bustle of St. Thomas. We had also spent 3 nights on St. John before our week villa stay and were determined to swim with the turtles! It finally happened on Water Island. Not the best snorkeling, but we swam with three turtles!

If your cruise ship docks at Crown Bay and you like to do things on your own, Water Island is an easy excursion. You catch the ferry near the marina grocery store. You will even see locals stop in for snacks and drinks before boarding the ferry for a fun beach day. There are restrooms on the beach and the island is a short ferry ride away. A golf cart is not required, there was an open air taxi truck that met the ferry when we arrived (maybe from the bar). I'm not sure of the cost?? You can also easily walk to the beach. We were able to explore the entire island with the golf cart. There is a fort that was being built for World War II that you can drive to.

Cruisin’sz – just a couple of other things to give a balanced perspective. You didn’t say in what season you will be visiting. In the Caribbean season makes all the difference. Summer months are the SLOW season and descriptions from those months are much different from conditions during the HIGH season when the VI is heavily visited.

Beginning with the ferry - It is a small boat that holds only about 25 passengers (nothing like the ferry to St. John). Locals use it to commute to work, get groceries, and go to school. It runs on a posted schedule. On days when cruise ships are in port (especially in Crown Bay) demand for seats on the ferry exceeds capacity on many crossings. That means there may be additional wait time of up to an hour both ways. Daily golf cart rentals are not always available during winter months as most are taken by weekly rentals. This past week I believe there were no carts available for day rentals. And lastly beaches (including Honeymoon) are heavily used between the fall holidays and the month of April. The beach is small especially considering the number of cruise ship excursions which bring guests. Services include two places to get food and beverages and marginal restrooms that can best be described as “rustic” and sometimes not functional. They are no showers or changing rooms. Water Island is unique but not for everyone. Some people love it and some are disappointed that it is not the deserted paradise they expected.

Honeymoon Beach is where you will spend your beach/lunch time. We enjoyed Heidi's and Dinghy's beach bars. The beach is small and not worth the trip in itself. And it just gets so crowded there with the excursions dropping their people there and it's much worse with ships in Crown Bay, we would avoid WI with ships in Crown.

Having said that renting a golf cart at least you'll have some quieter time. You'll find both cart rentals at the ferry dock and a gal providing a ride to Honeymoon Beach for tips. We saw a much larger boat transporting cruise passengers back to Crown, I assume it was offered through the ship. Otherwise you walk to the ferry dock, go upstairs to get a ferry token if the ship doesn't sell them, then wait for the ferry. We did see folks get left behind and have to wait for the next ferry so do get in line early!

" a gal providing a ride to Honeymoon Beach for tips."

Actually, I believe it is someone from Dinghy's, hoping you will spend your money at their establishment.

Blue is correct that there are a number of cruise ship excursion boats out of Crown Bay that go to Buck Island aka "Turtle Bay" then Honeymoon.

" a gal providing a ride to Honeymoon Beach for tips."

Actually, I believe it is someone from Dinghy's, hoping you will spend your money at their establishment.

She may be have an agreement with the owner and may even be using their small pick up, I didn't ask. But I was under the impression she's there temporarily and does a considerable amount of sailing. Interesting stories!

The fish sandwich is good at Dinghy's and the beer is cold...they lose their generator every so often but got it running while we were there...

Do they still have beach chairs there? They did when we were there 2 years ago.

Celebrity usually docks at Havensight. Princess and HAL more often than not dock at Crown Bay which is convenient for Water Island. Havensight is certainly doable but is less convenient. You will need transportation from Havensight to Crown Bay. Too far to walk.

Do they still have beach chairs there? They did when we were there 2 years ago.

Yes, there are chairs available.

Livethelife, we will be in St. Thomas on a Thursday in February with only one other ship in port - both at Crown Bay. We have been to St. Thomas a few times and also had a cruise that called on St. John (a charter, special situation).

I was thinking of going to Water Island for something different. Do you think renting a golf cart would be an issue in our situation? Are there other beaches other than Honeymoon Beach to check out? Any other ideas about what to see would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Water Island is heavily, heavily visited the whole month of February. Most accommodations are weekly rentals which, unfortunately for day visitors, means few or no golf carts available for daily rental. And with two ships in Crown Bay the ferry will almost certainly be filled to capacity on it's scheduled runs. Be prepared for waits on both sides. On the way over to Water Island this is merely an annoying inconvenience which wastes up to an hour of your precious time; on the way back to St. Thomas DON'T wait until the last minute before "back on board" to return to the St. Thomas side because you may not be able to get on the ferry at the time you wish. Sorry - this is probably not what you were wishing to hear but it accurately reflects the situation as it exists.

Livethelife Water Island is heavily, heavily visited the whole month of February. Most accommodations are weekly rentals which, unfortunately for day visitors, means few or no golf carts available for daily rental. And with two ships in Crown Bay the ferry will almost certainly be filled to capacity on it's scheduled runs. Be prepared for waits on both sides. On the way over to Water Island this is merely an annoying inconvenience which wastes up to an hour of your precious time; on the way back to St. Thomas DON'T wait until the last minute before "back on board" to return to the St. Thomas side because you may not be able to get on the ferry at the time you wish. Sorry - this is probably not what you were wishing to hear but it accurately reflects the situation as it exists.................................

IMO actually sound input. Last week cancelled our 2-11 Kelly Karts reservation for these very reasons in addition to the cruise ship tours to Water Island/Honeymoon Beach - will be a busy beach.

Water Island is heavily, heavily visited the whole month of February. Most accommodations are weekly rentals which, unfortunately for day visitors, means few or no golf carts available for daily rental. And with two ships in Crown Bay the ferry will almost certainly be filled to capacity on it's scheduled runs. Be prepared for waits on both sides. On the way over to Water Island this is merely an annoying inconvenience which wastes up to an hour of your precious time; on the way back to St. Thomas DON'T wait until the last minute before "back on board" to return to the St. Thomas side because you may not be able to get on the ferry at the time you wish. Sorry - this is probably not what you were wishing to hear but it accurately reflects the situation as it exists.

Wasn't hoping to hear that but I'd rather know in advance and I am glad that I asked. That's what Cruise Critic is do good for! Thank you for taking the time to answer.

Our ship will arrive at 9:00 and and the Regal Princess will arrive at 10:00 am; both ships leave at 7 pm so that doesn't help either.

We have been to St. Thomas a few times on cruises and have been to St. John as well so we were looking for something different and low-key; a beach with some good local food that is not overrun with those other cruisers. :D Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Water Island is heavily, heavily visited the whole month of February. Most accommodations are weekly rentals which, unfortunately for day visitors, means few or no golf carts available for daily rental. And with two ships in Crown Bay the ferry will almost certainly be filled to capacity on it's scheduled runs. Be prepared for waits on both sides. On the way over to Water Island this is merely an annoying inconvenience which wastes up to an hour of your precious time; on the way back to St. Thomas DON'T wait until the last minute before "back on board" to return to the St. Thomas side because you may not be able to get on the ferry at the time you wish. Sorry - this is probably not what you were wishing to hear but it accurately reflects the situation as it exists.

We were there last week. 6 ships in port. We anchored and taxied to Crown Bay. There were about 10 people on the 10:00am water taxi. In no way was Honeymoon Beach crowded. Maybe 15 people all day at left side facing water. 2 or 3 party boats came in for about an hour each. It was a fantastic and relaxing day for all. We left at 2:30 and not a full boat.

Hope this helps!!

>> Water Island is heavily, heavily visited the whole month of February. Most accommodations are weekly rentals which, unfortunately for day visitors, means few or no golf carts available for daily rental. And with two ships in Crown Bay the ferry will almost certainly be filled to capacity on it's scheduled runs. Be prepared for waits on both sides. On the way over to Water Island this is merely an annoying inconvenience which wastes up to an hour of your precious time; on the way back to St. Thomas DON'T wait until the last minute before "back on board" to return to the St. Thomas side because you may not be able to get on the ferry at the time you wish. Sorry - this is probably not what you were wishing to hear but it accurately reflects the situation as it exists. <<

>> We were there last week. 6 ships in port. We anchored and taxied to Crown Bay. There were about 10 people on the 10:00am water taxi. In no way was Honeymoon Beach crowded. Maybe 15 people all day at left side facing water. 2 or 3 party boats came in for about an hour each. It was a fantastic and relaxing day for all. We left at 2:30 and not a full boat. Hope this helps!! <<

Two very different descriptions. We went to WI one day with 1 ship docked at Crown and 1 at WICO and our experience was in the middle of these. The ferry over was very light. We did see a much larger boat making runs however that was full of people, I never found out if that is used to transport folks going to WI through the ship or something else...

Honeymoon was very crowded at Dinghy's and Heidi's was a little busy. The powerboats that drop off at Dinghy's take up much of the space there, a large cat also contributed to the overcrowded conditions. But if you like a bruiser vibe you're fine. We did see folks who arrived at the return ferry at the last minute have to wait for the next ferry, not very happy of course.

Beachbum1944 - That's the thing especially during "high" season - the number of people at any beach (or attraction) is unpredictable! Some days there are hundreds of people; some days very few. Some days the music blares so loud you can't have a conversation; some days the beach is serene and peaceful. And some days the ferry is so crowded that everyone can't get on it at their planned departure hour. When this occurs the next hour is spent worrying that they won't make their BOB time - unfortunately a stressful end to an otherwise relaxing day.

Happy for you that things were ideal the day you visited and that you had the type of day everyone dreams of! :)

We have been to Water Island 3 times (all while cruising Princess and docking at the Crown Marina). It is always a highlight of our cruise. We take the first ferry over in the morning and there is usually only one or two other couples heading to the beach. Honeymoon Beach is THE beach on Water Island and it is easy to walk to. Just up a hill and back down and you are there. We have usually had the beach to ourselves and leave on the 2 pm ferry. You can explore some of the island on foot and don't really need a golf cart (unless you have mobility issues or want to go far away from the beach area.) We have never used a golf cart and just walked. It's been a few years since we've been there and it sounds like our private paradise is now gone. I wrote a blog post on our time there and here it is if you would like to read it (pictures attached): http://www.joyfuljourneyist.com/blog/10-to-paradise

Hi Tourismtessy - You have a lovely blog and it is obvious that you love pristine beaches. Unfortunately the situation has changed in the 3 years since you have visited Water Island. Honeymoon Beach as you knew it has succumbed to popularity. Today there were a minimum of 8 ship excursions arriving starting at about 9:30 am. Many remained until nearly sunset. The photos below were taken today. No one visiting this winter season should expect to find the unpopulated beach that appears in your pictures.

Hi Tourismtessy - You have a lovely blog and it is obvious that you love pristine beaches. Unfortunately the situation has changed in the 3 years since you have visited Water Island. Honeymoon Beach as you knew it has succumbed to popularity. Today there were a minimum of 8 ship excursions arriving starting at about 9:30 am. Many remained until nearly sunset. The photos below were taken today. No one visiting this winter season should expect to find the unpopulated beach that appears in your pictures.

Thanks @livethelife. It makes me sad to know that our private little piece of paradise is no longer "private". The whole lure of Water Island for us was the privacy/seclusion. I guess we will venture off to new places next time we port in St Thomas.

Tourismtessy,

Nice blog. Years ago, we too discovered that little "paradise".....and for years I never let on that it ever existed. Certainly now, as someone else's pictures show, the cat is out of the bag. Too bad, over run like all the rest of them.

Tourismtessy,

 

Nice blog. Years ago, we too discovered that little "paradise".....and for years I never let on that it ever existed. Certainly now, as someone else's pictures show, the cat is out of the bag. Too bad, over run like all the rest of them.

Thanks! I feel blessed that we got to experience the piece of paradise 3 times before she became overrun with tourist groups. We'll just hold onto our memories and do something different next time we hit St Thomas.

Water Island JuNE? There will be two ships at Havensight. We don't dock until 11am.

We loved our last visit to Jost van Dyke (2011).

What do you think we should expect on a Tuesday in June?

Thank you !

Hi,

We will be the only cruise ship in on Sunday, November 13th (Royal Princess). We arrive at 8:00am.

Do you know if the ferry will wait a few minutes while we go flying down the Marina walkway over to where the ferry is? Or, if they don't leave at EXACTLY 8:00 when there is a ship scheduled to arrive at 8?

We are the kind of cruiser that is waiting in the hallway... just waiting for the gangway to be in place. I have never scheduled a day over on Water Island, even though I have known about it for years. Sounds like I may be too late for pristine, and we would probably plan a different beach if we can't be on the first ferry.

Thanks for your help!

AC

The Water Island ferry consistently runs on schedule. It functions primarily to provide local residents transportation to and from St. Thomas. Residents use it daily and depend on the ferry to keep to the schedule so they can commute to work, school, medical and other appointments. Unfortunately I'm sure this is not what you wish to hear, but the ferry does not adjust it's scheduled 8 AM run to accommodate arriving cruise ships and the next ferry departing from the St Thomas side is at 10 am.

The Water Island ferry consistently runs on schedule. It functions primarily to provide local residents transportation to and from St. Thomas. Residents use it daily and depend on the ferry to keep to the schedule so they can commute to work, school, medical and other appointments. Unfortunately I'm sure this is not what you wish to hear, but the ferry does not adjust it's scheduled 8 AM run to accommodate arriving cruise ships and the next ferry departing from the St Thomas side is at 10 am.

Hi Livethelife,

Truthfully, I was pretty sure that was the case, as it should be. I would not want to alter the schedules of those who depend on the ferry as their means of transport. It wasn't so much that it's not what I want to hear, it just clears any doubts I was having. I've been to numerous places where transportation was unreliable, it's good to know the ferry runs on schedule.

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I appreciate your help:).

AC