St. Thomas to Buck Island RC snorkel excursions

We'll be in St. Thomas the first week of July. We've never been to Buck Island and Royal Caribbean has 2 excursions that we're curious about:

Turtle Bay Sail & Snorkel Adventure - ST97

Buck Island Catamaran Sail & Snorkel to Shipwreck Cove - STO9

Does anyone have options on either of these excursions?

We've never swam with turtles, so that sounds like fun. But do these two excursions go to the same places at Buck Island? Both excursions mention turtles, fish and coral. Or is the description over-selling the experience?

We're experienced snorkelers with our own gear. The description of ST97 mentions pirate tattoos, is the excursion more oriented toward younger families? If so, did it affect your snorkeling?

Buck Island is not a bad place for snorkeling. There are lots of fish and turtles if you are lucky. I do not consider this a great place to snorkel but it is ok. Lots of other islands are better. I prefer Coki beach from St. Thomas.

Yes but if you are at St. Martin, then Coki beach isn't a viable option. What is better than Buck Island at this location?

Buck Island is not a bad place for snorkeling. There are lots of fish and turtles if you are lucky. I do not consider this a great place to snorkel but it is ok. Lots of other islands are better. I prefer Coki beach from St. Thomas.

I agree with the first half of this statement. The 2nd half is probably good too, but I took a boat dive to a different location when I was there. I hope to get back and go to Coki my next time.

Thanks guys. Sorry for the previous confusing comment about St. Martin. I was in fact asking about St. Thomas, not sure why I mentioned it.

Buck Island is not a bad place for snorkeling. There are lots of fish and turtles if you are lucky. I do not consider this a great place to snorkel but it is ok. Lots of other islands are better. I prefer Coki beach from St. Thomas.

I agree, there were about 6 different boats there with snorklers and scuba divers. I was one of the divers. Lots of interesting coral and fish. Didn't see any turtles till my next visit at another location about 60 ft down.

How long does it take to get from ship to the Coki diver location?

How long does it take to get from ship to the Coki diver location?

If you don't get an answer, check their website, or ask them on their facebook site. I might try them next time I go to St Thomas.

I've been to Buck Island for both snorkeling and SCUBA diving. Buck Island is the place most of the cruise ship tours take you. Every time I've been to the spot, there have been several boats in the cove... some with divers and some with snorkelers.

It's really a nice place for both divers and snorkelers. There are lots of marine life and the remains of a ship-wreck. The ship-wreck is a little deep for most snorkelers but still interesting. It is probably my favorite dive place on an "Eastern" cruise. (Haven't been diving in Grand Turk yet... to busy with Margaritaville and Jack's Shack.)

Bob

Searching for Kokomo

My vote is to grab a taxi over to Coki. The snorkeling right from the beach there is simply AMAZING!!! The coral is so colorful and so many fish. We just returned from there a few weeks ago. I highly recommend it and you'll probably see more there and it will cost less than any ship excursion.

I have a complete review listed in my signature. Just click on it and go to the post count. It goes on for pages and pages. TONS of pictures with the amazing snorkeling. :)

How long does it take to get from ship to the Coki diver location?

approx. 20 to 30 minutes