Help please with which Sight-seeing/Beach Tour to book

Hi there. I'm looking for help/advice as to which Sight-seeing and Beach Tour to book.

My friend and I will be in St. Thomas aboard the Harmony of the Seas the first week in May and we were looking at an excursion through Royal Caribbean that:

would take us on Skyline Drive to a stop at Drake's seat, drive to Magens Bay beach (2 hrs there, admission included), off to Blackbeard's castle (they say that entrance fee is included), then we are on our own to make it to downtown Charlotte Amalie via 99 Steps to explore and then we have to pay for a taxi to take us back to Crown Bay Pier. (seems like a kind of weak ending to a tour and we are not that interested in shopping)

I know I shouldn't expect the world for what we are paying and an excursion of about 3-4 hrs but can someone chime in about who they would recommend for a Tour that includes a fair number of the main sights (i.e Blackbeard's, Drake's seat, Mountain Top etc etc.) and a definite beach stop/time at Magens bay Beach?

I have scoured Trip Adviser reviews and a number of Tour Operators' websites and I'm stumped.

Many of the local companies are ambiguous as to how they allow a choice of various beaches to go to. Some say that they would take it into consideration that I would like to go to Magens bay beach; others say it is a vote. Uggh.

How was your beach choice accommodated or what was the process of determining your beach stop location on your Tour?

I cannot afford to do a private tour with just the two of us I don't think.

I do like that these private local operators take us back to the ship at the end of the tour, but it's the not being guaranteed to go to Magens bay beach thing that gets in the way.

So should we stick with RCL's Tour (Magens said to be guaranteed but with a few flaws) or go with another Tour?

We'd still like to have the sight-seeing part of the Tour, so advising us to just go to the beach by taxi is a no go.

Any information/experiences and advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

The problem with the "cookie cutter" group tours - whether through the ship or with an independent tour guide - is you are part of that group. You will either have to adhere to an itinerary the guide sets, or be subject to the group vote. I believe the "private local operators" you are mentioning are actually independents offering these group tours.

If you use the search function or read through recent threads you'll find private and semi-private driver and taxi options that are affordable, not much more than the option above. And you choose your itinerary with the guide's help. Then you can choose to go to a beautiful beach that is not crowded like Magens.

A few thoughts. Are you on the message boards for your cruise? You should be. You could get a small group together (10-12) for less money than the cruise ship charges. Pick your beach (Sapphire is gorgeous) and decide where you want to go. Our favorite guide is Henry's Triple E Tour. Over the past year and a half Henry has gone totally blind BUT he uses excellent drivers and he knows the island better than most. You can design your tour as you wish, give him the info and he will let you know what's doable & the cost so you can divide it between the passengers. We just got back from a fabulous tour with him; Mountain Top, swimming, Drake's Seat. Do a little research. Continue to ask questions. If you use Henry, tell him "Lady Kathleen" says hello.

The roll call forum for your ship and sail date is a good source for finding others interested in sharing an excursion. The main benefit is agreeing on an itinerary and not being subject to a group vote later, hopefully.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2427564

If you do look into the private tour options (e.g. just the two of you in a van with your driver) you'll find these run about $50pp which seems a bargain to avoid a group tour and have the utmost flexibility, unless you would rather enjoy the tour with a with a group as Kathleen suggested.

Many options on STT...