8 hours on Tortola, enough time for Baths?

I see the ncl option lasts 4.5 hrs so I gather you head over on the 8AM and return on a noon ferry which would get you back at 12:30. That's $72pp versus $38 for the round trip ferry and taxi on your own. Is that really the price for the ship excursion??? If so going on your own is the way to go. Can't remember if there is a small fee for the Baths but still no contest...

my thoughts exactly! Plus we have a 3.5 year old and NCL would charge $51 for her. Going on our own, she's free.

my thoughts exactly! Plus we have a 3.5 year old and NCL would charge $51 for her. Going on our own, she's free.

I totally agree with you both.. Im just a nervous nelly with time and catching the ship. LOL I will probably do it on our own anyway. AS long as its an easy venture....

I see the ncl option lasts 4.5 hrs so I gather you head over on the 8AM and return on a noon ferry which would get you back at 12:30. That's $72pp versus $38 for the round trip ferry and taxi on your own. Is that really the price for the ship excursion??? If so going on your own is the way to go. Can't remember if there is a small fee for the Baths but still no contest...

Yes they raised it twice since I booked. The only reason I might take the ship excursion is we have on board credit. All the freebies: ship excursion credit, beverage & dining packages, free DSC, have just caused prices to go up and up.

Yes they raised it twice since I booked. The only reason I might take the ship excursion is we have on board credit. All the freebies: ship excursion credit, beverage & dining packages, free DSC, have just caused prices to go up and up.

Yes.

Did you book through a TA or through the cruise line?

I totally agree with you both.. Im just a nervous nelly with time and catching the ship. LOL I will probably do it on our own anyway. AS long as its an easy venture....

It is very easy, and unless they have a separate ferry you'll probably be on the same ferry and taxis with folks who chose the ship option. But there's nothing wrong with using the ship excursion in a new place...

Yes.

Did you book through a TA or through the cruise line?

I booked direct, before all the free drinks, free dining promotion started & got on board credit. The price went up $700 a cabin & then sold out:eek: so I got a good deal. First stop with this huge ship at the port, so I'm worried about Speedy's being overwhelmed. 4200+ passengers on that little island makes me nervous.

It is very easy, and unless they have a separate ferry you'll probably be on the same ferry and taxis with folks who chose the ship option. But there's nothing wrong with using the ship excursion in a new place...

When I called the excursion desk to inquire about the excursion, she told me that Speedy's is running a separate ferry. She also told me the excursion price will go up on board because I wanted to use my on board credit. We'll see what the situation is when we board.

would love to hear from someone who did the 2:15 ferry back to the ship. A little nervous about making it back on time for 4:00 pm departure.

Also, how do you go about booking Speedys on the way to the Baths and Smiths on the way back?

Wearen't taking it but no worries, you'll have plenty of time to be on board by 3:30, and the ship wouldn't leave with a ferry full of people not back yet.

Just tell the clerk at the ferry terminal you want a one-way for each ferry company. The roundtrip cost using one company is $30 and the price will be $20pp each way using both Smith's and Speedy's. But it's worth it if you can get more time on Virgin Gorda.

I decided to chime in as I just came back on my cruise with the same port time.

This was the only DIY excursion I was a bit nervous and considering my flight to the cruise was delayed by 3.5 hours making me almost missed my cruise, I debated doing this myself or booking with NCL.

As fate would have it, there was only one spot left on both excursion time, so it was destined for me to do this on my own with my girlfriend.

Waited to get off the gangway at 6:50am, boat had cleared customs and I was the first one off the boat. The walk to the ferry was about 10 minutes, ignore the recommendations to take a taxi. It's a waste of money and you probably won't find much available at that time. I overheard a family of 6 paid $30 for the 10 minute walk....

Got to Speedy Ferry terminal at like 7:00am, waited a good 45 minutes for the 7:45am departure. No need to rush down, take your time, grab breakfast. Don't wake up early like I did. A safe bet would be leave the ship around 7:15am.

Over 100+ people from my ship was doing the same thing as I was. Taxi is included with the $38 round trip from Speedy. I got to the Baths about 8:45am, I would say it took longer to get there than on the way back. That's because you are sharing the same ferry as people who go to school and work from the islands. There's two taxis when you arrive, make sure you get off the boat first and get the first taxi to save a bit of time. I easily spent a good 3 hours at the Baths.

If I had gone with the Excursion, the caves would be packed with everyone I was going with NCL. By arriving much earlier, I was able to enjoy Devil's Bay before people arrived and also after people had to leave.

I also recommend to go down the Left side, don't even bother going to the right side. It's mostly stairs with no view and that side of the beach is nowhere near as good as Devil's Bay.

Left side gives you a nice scenic trail down to Devil's Bay where you end up on the other side of the caves. Lots of grottos and areas you can navigate yourself.

I stayed till around 11:30am before trekking back up, you can easily stay till 12pm and trek back up in about 5-7 mins. Taxi driver said he would be around 12:00pm to 12:15pm. We actually got back on an early taxi. I arrived at the ferry at around 12pm, I think if you stretched it comfortably you can get a good 3.5 hours at the Baths. Since I went Coki Beach at the day before at St. Thomas, didn't need to stay that long at Gorda.

The dock for the ferry has a goregous beach. Imagine getting a beer and swimming in the water off the same body of water the ferry is waiting for you. When the ship was ready to depart, they flagged us and we hopped out of the water and right on the ferry. The best experience ever while waiting for the boat.

All in all, I got a good 3 hours at the baths versus the 1 hour you would get with NCL. The cataraman option is pretty good too, you come up 15 feet from shore and jump in with a life jacket with a guide leading you straight to the beach.

Thank you Ponshu for the great and detailed review! I usually do excursions on my own and your review makes me feel comfortable in doing the Baths on my own. I can't wait!!!!

I decided to chime in as I just came back on my cruise with the same port time.

 

This was the only DIY excursion I was a bit nervous and considering my flight to the cruise was delayed by 3.5 hours making me almost missed my cruise, I debated doing this myself or booking with NCL.

 

As fate would have it, there was only one spot left on both excursion time, so it was destined for me to do this on my own with my girlfriend.

 

Waited to get off the gangway at 6:50am, boat had cleared customs and I was the first one off the boat. The walk to the ferry was about 10 minutes, ignore the recommendations to take a taxi. It's a waste of money and you probably won't find much available at that time. I overheard a family of 6 paid $30 for the 10 minute walk....

 

Got to Speedy Ferry terminal at like 7:00am, waited a good 45 minutes for the 7:45am departure. No need to rush down, take your time, grab breakfast. Don't wake up early like I did. A safe bet would be leave the ship around 7:15am.

 

Over 100+ people from my ship was doing the same thing as I was. Taxi is included with the $38 round trip from Speedy. I got to the Baths about 8:45am, I would say it took longer to get there than on the way back. That's because you are sharing the same ferry as people who go to school and work from the islands. There's two taxis when you arrive, make sure you get off the boat first and get the first taxi to save a bit of time. I easily spent a good 3 hours at the Baths.

 

If I had gone with the Excursion, the caves would be packed with everyone I was going with NCL. By arriving much earlier, I was able to enjoy Devil's Bay before people arrived and also after people had to leave.

 

I also recommend to go down the Left side, don't even bother going to the right side. It's mostly stairs with no view and that side of the beach is nowhere near as good as Devil's Bay.

 

Left side gives you a nice scenic trail down to Devil's Bay where you end up on the other side of the caves. Lots of grottos and areas you can navigate yourself.

 

I stayed till around 11:30am before trekking back up, you can easily stay till 12pm and trek back up in about 5-7 mins. Taxi driver said he would be around 12:00pm to 12:15pm. We actually got back on an early taxi. I arrived at the ferry at around 12pm, I think if you stretched it comfortably you can get a good 3.5 hours at the Baths. Since I went Coki Beach at the day before at St. Thomas, didn't need to stay that long at Gorda.

 

The dock for the ferry has a goregous beach. Imagine getting a beer and swimming in the water off the same body of water the ferry is waiting for you. When the ship was ready to depart, they flagged us and we hopped out of the water and right on the ferry. The best experience ever while waiting for the boat.

 

All in all, I got a good 3 hours at the baths versus the 1 hour you would get with NCL. The cataraman option is pretty good too, you come up 15 feet from shore and jump in with a life jacket with a guide leading you straight to the beach.

Thank you!! This is what I needed to read!

Kerri

Good report , just a few comments for other first-timers to Virgin Gorda.

There are numerous threads on this forum with ideas to enhance an excursion to Virgin Gorda (and the Baths in particular), and if you have 8 – 9 hrs in port you can often make a good day great by taking advantage of options that are available like taking alternate ferries on your own to get more time on the island, working with taxi drivers who will drop you and pick you up at different times and places, and either getting to the Baths before the main crowd or after.

You can see Speedy’s and Smith’s ferry schedules by googling their sites, and be sure to get to the terminal early so you’re not on a 2nd ferry following your fellow cruisers on the 1st ferry. Not a good way to start!

The Baths will always have crowded times when ships are in port, but with enough time you can often plan your time at the Baths around the larger crowd and enjoy other areas as well.

We’d recommend taking the main path down to the beach and working your way through the boulders as that’s the reason you are there. Spend a little time in Devils Bay before walking up the path from there to the Top of the Baths. You can enjoy a cold beverage and perhaps lunch right there at the Top, or consider heading elsewhere if time allows.

Taxi drivers will work with you and drop you at different places and their rates are very reasonable. We like stopping at the Mineshaft Café for their signature drink (the Cave In – “It’s all in the Juice, Mon!” and lunch with the spectacular panoramic view, or a ride by Savannah Bay and then into Spanishtown for lunch at the Baths & Turtle. It’s a short walk to the ferry from Spanishtown.

If you prefer to use a package from the ferry company, Speedy’s also offers a package that includes lunch and drinks at the B&T. Depending on your time in port you can also take one ferry over (Speedy’s or Smith’s) and the other back and get more time on VG. The fare is $20 each way rather than $30 round trip on one ferry, but it’s worth the extra $10pp if you can get another 1.5 or 2 hours on VG to explore, and the taxi fare is still $4pp from the ferry to the Baths. With a short time in port you usually have just one ferry that is available but it’s still worth the effort to visit the Baths. Going to Virgin Gorda on your own is very easy and the ferries are very reliable. Additional ferries will be used to ensure everyone returns safe and on time.

Is it easy getting a taxi ride back from the Mine Shaft? The only reason I did not go, was because I already had the taxi voucher with Speedy and they had 4 available taxis on the way back.

I was concerned about not finding a ride back to the ferry, though I'm sure I could have used that voucher for them to make a detour to Mine Shaft for those returning to the ferry.

The reason I suggested going down the left path instead of the main path first as others have suggested, you do get a panoramic and scenic view which you won't capture the beauty if you are going up.

Plus for those that might not be in the best physical shape, it is much easier going down the left path, then it is to go up. Conversely, going up on the main path is pretty easy given the path and steps that are artificially created.

Regardless of which path you decide to go first, you can still go through the boulders into the baths. I actually went against my own advice and took the main path and still met some traffic. I have been told if you take the Devil's Bay path, by the time you enter the caves there is less people.

Make sure you research online if you are the only ship at Port that day, it was in my scenario and made the experience much less crowded.

http://ports.cruisett.com/

Is it easy getting a taxi ride back from the Mine Shaft? The only reason I did not go, was because I already had the taxi voucher with Speedy and they had 4 available taxis on the way back.

 

I was concerned about not finding a ride back to the ferry, though I'm sure I could have used that voucher for them to make a detour to Mine Shaft for those returning to the ferry.

 

The reason I suggested going down the left path instead of the main path first as others have suggested, you do get a panoramic and scenic view which you won't capture the beauty if you are going up.

 

Plus for those that might not be in the best physical shape, it is much easier going down the left path, then it is to go up. Conversely, going up on the main path is pretty easy given the path and steps that are artificially created.

 

Regardless of which path you decide to go first, you can still go through the boulders into the baths. I actually went against my own advice and took the main path and still met some traffic. I have been told if you take the Devil's Bay path, by the time you enter the caves there is less people.

 

Make sure you research online if you are the only ship at Port that day, it was in my scenario and made the experience much less crowded.

 

http://ports.cruisett.com/

The idea is to have a driver "work with you" and drop you and return when you request, works well. Yes with the Baths I just seeing both "sides", that's all. The number of people there with you can be managed by your choices if time allows - ie some folks will go to nearby Spring Bay and let the Baths clear out...that works well because they're so close to one another and I should have included that in my last post

I decided to chime in as I just came back on my cruise with the same port time.

 

This was the only DIY excursion I was a bit nervous and considering my flight to the cruise was delayed by 3.5 hours making me almost missed my cruise, I debated doing this myself or booking with NCL.

 

As fate would have it, there was only one spot left on both excursion time, so it was destined for me to do this on my own with my girlfriend.

 

Waited to get off the gangway at 6:50am, boat had cleared customs and I was the first one off the boat. The walk to the ferry was about 10 minutes, ignore the recommendations to take a taxi. It's a waste of money and you probably won't find much available at that time. I overheard a family of 6 paid $30 for the 10 minute walk....

 

Got to Speedy Ferry terminal at like 7:00am, waited a good 45 minutes for the 7:45am departure. No need to rush down, take your time, grab breakfast. Don't wake up early like I did. A safe bet would be leave the ship around 7:15am.

 

Over 100+ people from my ship was doing the same thing as I was. Taxi is included with the $38 round trip from Speedy. I got to the Baths about 8:45am, I would say it took longer to get there than on the way back. That's because you are sharing the same ferry as people who go to school and work from the islands. There's two taxis when you arrive, make sure you get off the boat first and get the first taxi to save a bit of time. I easily spent a good 3 hours at the Baths.

 

If I had gone with the Excursion, the caves would be packed with everyone I was going with NCL. By arriving much earlier, I was able to enjoy Devil's Bay before people arrived and also after people had to leave.

 

I also recommend to go down the Left side, don't even bother going to the right side. It's mostly stairs with no view and that side of the beach is nowhere near as good as Devil's Bay.

 

Left side gives you a nice scenic trail down to Devil's Bay where you end up on the other side of the caves. Lots of grottos and areas you can navigate yourself.

 

I stayed till around 11:30am before trekking back up, you can easily stay till 12pm and trek back up in about 5-7 mins. Taxi driver said he would be around 12:00pm to 12:15pm. We actually got back on an early taxi. I arrived at the ferry at around 12pm, I think if you stretched it comfortably you can get a good 3.5 hours at the Baths. Since I went Coki Beach at the day before at St. Thomas, didn't need to stay that long at Gorda.

 

The dock for the ferry has a goregous beach. Imagine getting a beer and swimming in the water off the same body of water the ferry is waiting for you. When the ship was ready to depart, they flagged us and we hopped out of the water and right on the ferry. The best experience ever while waiting for the boat.

 

All in all, I got a good 3 hours at the baths versus the 1 hour you would get with NCL. The cataraman option is pretty good too, you come up 15 feet from shore and jump in with a life jacket with a guide leading you straight to the beach.

Thank you. I appreciate you sharing your experience with us. Give me confidence we can do this on our own! Did you experience crowds when taking the ferry. Were they able to accomodate everyone or did you see some people having to wait for another ferry?

Everyone that was waiting for my ferry was able to get on with no issues. Please keep in mind that we were the only ship at port that day, so it definitely helps to cross reference ahead of time. If I had to guess, I think the ferry can hold about 200 people.

Also on my particular day, there was some confusion as to how payments are handled. I believe if you go early, the kiosks are not opened so they tell you to pay on the ship. Then around 7:30am, we were told to pay at the kiosk.

Either method is fine, as the ticket collector on the ferry will either accept your voucher or you can pay him cash if you didn't get it at the kiosk. Also note, despite the fact that they accept credit card, the kiosk would not take credit card that day perhaps due to the line.

I suggest bringing cash just in case that happens for the cost of the ferry. I'm sure if you really forced the issue, they would take credit card since the machine was clearly in working order.

Everyone that was waiting for my ferry was able to get on with no issues. Please keep in mind that we were the only ship at port that day, so it definitely helps to cross reference ahead of time. If I had to guess, I think the ferry can hold about 200 people.

 

Also on my particular day, there was some confusion as to how payments are handled. I believe if you go early, the kiosks are not opened so they tell you to pay on the ship. Then around 7:30am, we were told to pay at the kiosk.

 

Either method is fine, as the ticket collector on the ferry will either accept your voucher or you can pay him cash if you didn't get it at the kiosk. Also note, despite the fact that they accept credit card, the kiosk would not take credit card that day perhaps due to the line.

 

I suggest bringing cash just in case that happens for the cost of the ferry. I'm sure if you really forced the issue, they would take credit card since the machine was clearly in working order.

Yes, I just wanted to provide some additional information for folks who are interested in getting the most out of their day ;)

And cash is king in the islands, especially on self-excursions.

Enjoy all!

Curiousity question...does anyone have any pictures and/or video of that path that goes to the left, the one that goes straight to Devil's Bay? This was a new stop for us and I could've sworn I read on here that it was a fairly easy path compared to the other one.

My MIL had knee replacement surgery and really needs it on the other one too, and we ended up booking through NCL because I thought the rush to the 7:45 ferry would be too much for her. I thought for sure I had ready on here the path straight to Devil's Bay was pretty easy...she can walk just fine with a little assistance but uneven ground and rocky terrain are rough for her. We asked three separate people on the NCL excursion and they all insisted the path on the right was the easy one.

It ended up being very difficult for her and very stressful for us, and the only way I could convince my husband to go through the Baths at all was by agreed to leave 45 minutes early to help her back up to the top. She made it ok, but it really put a damper on what could've easily been our favorite stop. I was just curious if I was crazy about the Devil's Bay trail or if the guides were just being lazy.

The path to Devil's Bay (left) is definitely more challenging than the path to the Baths (right).

Most guides seem to suggest you take the path through the Baths first, go through the caves to Devil's Bay and go back up the trail to Devil's Bay.

However, going back up Devil's Bay from the bottom is much more challenging than going back down. If you have severe mobility issues, you should just stick to the path on the right.

The Devil's Bay path has uneven surfaces, but anyone without mobility issues shouldn't have real issues. Your MIL with knee problems should not have gone the Devil's Bay path.

Path on the right is mostly flat, with steps that have been created. I took both paths, in both directions. I didn't bother going through the caves/baths as it was crowded. But I did explore it from both sides.

Still going through photos.

I came back from the Baths this past weekend and we did the self excursion and to me it was a great decision! Keep in mind I'm 41, my wife is 33 and our little one is just over 3. We're both in good shape but I really don't see anyone having issues even if you're out of shape as long as you're not too out of shape. We left the ship at 7:15. The walk to the ferry is about 10-15min. We took the 7:45 Speedy's and got to VG at 8:30. Cab ride to the Baths drop off area was no more than 5-10 min. The hike down was about 10 minutes to the top of the Baths where you start going through the rocks. The 10 min hike is really not that hard at all and I carried my 3 year old 80% of the way down. She doesn't like to walk on dirt... Going through the caves/rocks had more obstacles as you need to climb some steep stairs and go over some boulders but not that many, and still pretty easy. My 3 year old had a blast in the caves! I'm highly opposed to going through the Baths from Devil's Bay as everyone you encounter in the caves will hate you unless you're going on a slow day. The walk in the caves is only about 10-15min if you don't stop much. But we took our time and explored the less traveled areas as well and we were in it for a good 30min. We came out to Devil's Bay around 9:30 and the beach was gorgeous! The water was really fun to wade in but be careful, waves could knock you down and probably has strong riptides. My wife who never wades in saltwater did this time as she had so much fun. We left Devil's Bay at 11:40ish and went up the trail from Devil's bay. This trail has no steps unlike the trail coming down. It's slightly longer because of it. Again, I carried my 3 year old going back up. We got to the top just before 12 and rested a bit at the restaurant. Got on the cab around 12:30 and made it to the 12:45 ferry no problem. Ferry coming back dropped us off next to the ship, not sure why, but that was a treat!

Overall, it was a trip well worth going. The beach is gorgeous, the caves are a must see. And I'd recommend doing a self excursion to maximize time and money. We saved over $110 compare to ship excursion!

I came back from the Baths this past weekend and we did the self excursion and to me it was a great decision! Keep in mind I'm 41, my wife is 33 and our little one is just over 3. We're both in good shape but I really don't see anyone having issues even if you're out of shape as long as you're not too out of shape. We left the ship at 7:15. The walk to the ferry is about 10-15min. We took the 7:45 Speedy's and got to VG at 8:30. Cab ride to the Baths drop off area was no more than 5-10 min. The hike down was about 10 minutes to the top of the Baths where you start going through the rocks. The 10 min hike is really not that hard at all and I carried my 3 year old 80% of the way down. She doesn't like to walk on dirt... Going through the caves/rocks had more obstacles as you need to climb some steep stairs and go over some boulders but not that many, and still pretty easy. My 3 year old had a blast in the caves! I'm highly opposed to going through the Baths from Devil's Bay as everyone you encounter in the caves will hate you unless you're going on a slow day. The walk in the caves is only about 10-15min if you don't stop much. But we took our time and explored the less traveled areas as well and we were in it for a good 30min. We came out to Devil's Bay around 9:30 and the beach was gorgeous! The water was really fun to wade in but be careful, waves could knock you down and probably has strong riptides. My wife who never wades in saltwater did this time as she had so much fun. We left Devil's Bay at 11:40ish and went up the trail from Devil's bay. This trail has no steps unlike the trail coming down. It's slightly longer because of it. Again, I carried my 3 year old going back up. We got to the top just before 12 and rested a bit at the restaurant. Got on the cab around 12:30 and made it to the 12:45 ferry no problem. Ferry coming back dropped us off next to the ship, not sure why, but that was a treat!

 

Overall, it was a trip well worth going. The beach is gorgeous, the caves are a must see. And I'd recommend doing a self excursion to maximize time and money. We saved over $110 compare to ship excursion!

Awesome, thank you! We will be doing same thing in April with our 9 and 13 year olds. Were there a lot of taxis waiting to take you to and and from the Baths? Were these the free taxis that come with the ferry fare?

E46M3,

Glad to see you did the Baths yourself. I actually signed up and replied to this thread to provide information for your trip, so I hope you found my information useful.

I normally don't do this, but since you seem to be an avid car enthusiast I made the effort to do so :p

Awesome, thank you! We will be doing same thing in April with our 9 and 13 year olds. Were there a lot of taxis waiting to take you to and and from the Baths? Were these the free taxis that come with the ferry fare?

Your kids will love it! When we arrived at VG, there was only one 'taxi' but it's an open safari type that carries probably 20-25 people. We got off the ferry late so it was full, but the lady quickly got us another car to take us. Coming back, there are taxis' one after another. Have fun!

E46M3,

 

Glad to see you did the Baths yourself. I actually signed up and replied to this thread to provide information for your trip, so I hope you found my information useful.

 

I normally don't do this, but since you seem to be an avid car enthusiast I made the effort to do so :p

Yes, you helped out a lot, much appreciate it! Unfortunately, I no longer drive this car after a mortgage and a family. Hopefully one day I can afford to enjoy this hobby again. For now, watching motorsports on TV will do! :)

Yes thanks for your report E. It is indeed a very easy and safe self-excursion and well worth the effort. Anyone without mobility issues will enjoy all of the experience.

>> The hike down was about 10 minutes to the top of the Baths where you start going through the rocks <<

One note so folks aren't confused, you probably meant the hike down from the Top of the Baths to the beach...is about 10 min. The Top of the Baths is where you are dropped by the taxi, there is a restaurant there (the Top of the Baths) and a wading pool. Just to clarify!

But thanks for posting the details for folks who have any concerns about going on their own! :)