Is it THAT Much Better?

Just wondering . . . Is St. John that much better than St. Thomas? Making my first visit to St. Thomas in September and everyone seems to just use it as a jumping off point to go to St. John. I thought I'd stay on St. Thomas. Should I re-think this? :confused:

We LOVE St Thomas and think it is beautiful. There is a great eco park there with wildlife and also awesome snuba and other water activities. It is called Coral World. We have gone a few times already and are heading back again next Month.

Really depends on what you're looking for. St John's is lush and gorgeous--I recommend the jeep tours. Also has good snorkeling and nice beaches.

St Thomas has lots of places to shop and eat.

did the champagne catamaran at St. John about 10 years ago, one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen

DW and I kind of toying with the idea of retiring to St Thomas so we'll be spending the day checking things out.

St John trunk Bay is my heaven. We also tried Sapphire Beach at St Thomas and I wasn't impressed. I will always go to trunk bay!

Out of 7 cruises we have been on, 5 have stopped in St Thomas. It is one of my favorite islands. If you have never been, you can have a great time without leaving the Island. Beaches, shopping, excursions all to be had.

However the last time (4 weeks ago) we decided to venture over to St John for the first time and I have to say we fell in love with the place. So beautiful. I cant wait until the next St Thomas stop, as we will definitely be going back over to St John.

I was nervous going on our own but we had no issues. We wanted an island tour and we were able to go on one of those open air buses that usually pack in 20 people - but there were only 3 of us. It was perfect.

Both islands are great so you win either way.

Yes..it's THAT much better!!! I've never seen such clear, body-temp water...you couldn't see it, couldn't feel anything but the buoyancy! It was just too cool!

Most people that tout St John only see the commercial side of St Thomas on their way to St. John. St John is a beautiful island but it has nothing on some of the beautiful parts of St Thomas

Most cruise passengers only have time to see a limited amount of either island and you really need more time

I prefer St Thomas but do recommend visiting St John. If you do try to avoid Trunk in favor of some of the other beaches like Cinnamon

I have loved both islands. You can't go wrong with either one. But, I felt that St John was more beautiful. I love Trunk Bay there, such a perfect beach with amazing snorkeling! And the 2 times I've gone, it didn't get overly crowded, even though plenty of people were there. We went on our own both times, and it was quite easy, with no worries. We had a ton more time there than people using the ship's excursions.

St Thomas has some great spots as well. Magens Bay was nice, but extremely crowded. Sapphire Beach was beautiful. For scenery, it's been my favorite beach on St Thomas, and it didn't get nearly as crowded. Last time there, my friends & I went to Coki Beach, which is right next door to Coral World (which is also a great place to visit). Coki Beach did have a bit of a crowded feel, but we really didn't mind it. It was a nice beach, with some spectacular snorkeling right off the beach. I loved it there!

DW and I kind of toying with the idea of retiring to St Thomas so we'll be spending the day checking things out.

sparks1093 – I saw your post and have to comment as we are New England transplants. DH and I spent 10 years searching for our retirement island before ending up in a cottage in the VI. Day to day island living is NOTHING like vacationing experiences. Shopping for groceries, household goods, tools, clothing, basically everything you need is an adventure. Tasks like banking, registering vehicles, even mailing packages back to the states all have their own unique rewards and frustrations. If you are seriously considering a move to an island you and your DW might find it interesting to read the following blog _ women who live on rocks dot com (all lower case – no spaces between words). Good luck and enjoy your day on St. Thomas. :)

CruzerDeb that is a good question and you will get recommendations from both sides. Perhaps more for STJ because as Bill and others have said many people never "discover" the real beauty of STT but head straight for STJ. But the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it really depends on what you like.

If you want to visit STJ it is beautiful with stunning beaches, just as on STT. A taxi to the Red Hook ferry terminal, ferry to Cruz Bay, an island tour followed by some beach time is a very nice day on STJ for about $66pp. If you're interested in snorkeling you'll want to bypass Trunk and Cinnamon Bays and head for Maho or Waterlemon. There are some nice shops in Cruz Bay as well.

We prefer STT, specifically the East End (Sapphire) and north end (Hull Bay). Sapphire is a gorgeous beach with nice island views and water colors and abundant natural shade. You can also return for a longer visit and rent a condo at Sapphire and be right on the water. One of the few places you can actually stay on the beach and choose the condo you like.

We chose to build a vacation/retirement home in another area of the Carib, and we enjoy STT more when visiting the VI. But both islands are worth a visit. The STT beaches are $34 / 2 - 2.5 hrs closer if you are in port a short time...

Thanks for the great info!

St. John is MUCH nicer...3/4 of it is national park. However getting there and back from St. Thomas only leaves you a short time to enjoy it. If you've never been to St. John before, give it a try.

STJ is a nice day trip when staying on STT too. Staying at one of the East End condo properties or a villa puts you in close proximity to Red Hook for many evening entertainment and dining options, as well as the ferry, not only to STJ but to the gorgeous islands of the BVI.

For a cruise stop we'd stay on STT to as we don't see a reason to travel to STJ when time is limited...:)

Since timing has been brought up, I would say that you can still have plenty of time on St John going over there on your own as a cruise stop in St Thomas. Just be ready to go as soon as the ship docks. For example, using a short 8-hour time in port (9am-5pm):

9am: Ship docks. Get off, grab a cab to Red Hook.

10am: Get on the 10am ferry to St John. Then, take a cab to whatever beach you want: Trunk Bay (spectacular), Cinnamon Bay, etc.

10:45am-1:30pm: Enjoy the beach for almost 3 hours.

1:30-2:00: Take a cab back to catch the 2:00 ferry back to Red Hook.

2:30-2:45: Get off the ferry, take a cab back to the ship, with 2 hours to spare.

The ship's excursions over to St John will give you anywhere from 30 minutes to maybe as much as 1 hour at the beach. With this example, on your own, you get almost 3 hours. If you have a 10-hour time in port, then you can have nearly 5 hours at the beach. It's not enough time to explore the entire island, but it's plenty of time to truly enjoy one of the beaches, maybe even 2 if you have a 10-hour time in port.

Since timing has been brought up, I would say that you can still have plenty of time on St John going over there on your own as a cruise stop in St Thomas. Just be ready to go as soon as the ship docks. For example, using a short 8-hour time in port (9am-5pm):

 

9am: Ship docks. Get off, grab a cab to Red Hook.

10am: Get on the 10am ferry to St John. Then, take a cab to whatever beach you want: Trunk Bay (spectacular), Cinnamon Bay, etc.

10:45am-1:30pm: Enjoy the beach for almost 3 hours.

1:30-2:00: Take a cab back to catch the 2:00 ferry back to Red Hook.

2:30-2:45: Get off the ferry, take a cab back to the ship, with 2 hours to spare.

 

The ship's excursions over to St John will give you anywhere from 30 minutes to maybe as much as 1 hour at the beach. With this example, on your own, you get almost 3 hours. If you have a 10-hour time in port, then you can have nearly 5 hours at the beach. It's not enough time to explore the entire island, but it's plenty of time to truly enjoy one of the beaches, maybe even 2 if you have a 10-hour time in port.

If you definitely want to get the 2PM return ferry you'll probably want to head to the waiting taxis at 1 to be safe. Many folks will have the same plan that you have. Others will want to maximize their time on the beach or shop Cruz Bay and take the 3PM, and barring any delays they will be fine. But would also recommend the 2 PM in K2's example to be safe.

On my upcoming cruise, our port time in St. Thomas is 11am till 7pm. What would be your recommended schedule to visit St. John for that time frame? Any suggestions will be appreciated! :)

On my upcoming cruise, our port time in St. Thomas is 11am till 7pm. What would be your recommended schedule to visit St. John for that time frame? Any suggestions will be appreciated! :)

You'll dock at Havensight (WICO) so as long as you can get right off the ship you'll make the noon Red Hook ferry with no problem. Ferries run every on the hour from both Red Hook, Tortola, and Cruz bay, STJ.

Taxi between Havensight and the Red Hook ferry terminal is 20 - 25 minutes, and the ferry between RH and Cruz Bay about 15 - 20 minutes.

For the return, you can leave the beach and head for a taxi around 4PM and be early in line for the 5PM return ferry. Some folks will return on the 4PM ferry to be safe and have a little time for shopping in Havensight.

"Since timing has been brought up, I would say that you can still have plenty of time on St John going over there on your own as a cruise stop in St Thomas. Just be ready to go as soon as the ship docks. For example, using a short 8-hour time in port (9am-5pm):

9am: Ship docks. Get off, grab a cab to Red Hook.

10am: Get on the 10am ferry to St John. Then, take a cab to whatever beach you want: Trunk Bay (spectacular), Cinnamon Bay, etc.

10:45am-1:30pm: Enjoy the beach for almost 3 hours.

1:30-2:00: Take a cab back to catch the 2:00 ferry back to Red Hook.

2:30-2:45: Get off the ferry, take a cab back to the ship, with 2 hours to spare."

OR...

9am: Ship docks. Get off, grab a cab to a beach on St Thomas.

9:30am: Enjoy your beach...Eat lunch...Float in the water...Have a cocktail...Enjoy

4pm: Go back to the ship relaxed and refreshed...

"Since timing has been brought up, I would say that you can still have plenty of time on St John going over there on your own as a cruise stop in St Thomas. Just be ready to go as soon as the ship docks. For example, using a short 8-hour time in port (9am-5pm):

 

9am: Ship docks. Get off, grab a cab to Red Hook.

10am: Get on the 10am ferry to St John. Then, take a cab to whatever beach you want: Trunk Bay (spectacular), Cinnamon Bay, etc.

10:45am-1:30pm: Enjoy the beach for almost 3 hours.

1:30-2:00: Take a cab back to catch the 2:00 ferry back to Red Hook.

2:30-2:45: Get off the ferry, take a cab back to the ship, with 2 hours to spare."

 

OR...

9am: Ship docks. Get off, grab a cab to a beach on St Thomas.

9:30am: Enjoy your beach...Eat lunch...Float in the water...Have a cocktail...Enjoy

4pm: Go back to the ship relaxed and refreshed...

That works for me! :D

In no way is St. Thomas a bad place to spend the day ... but,but,but going to St. John really is better. :)

In no way is St. Thomas a bad place to spend the day ... but,but,but going to St. John really is better. :)

The Champagne Catamaran to STJ offered through the ship is a great option for a cruise stop! :)

The Champagne Catamaran to STJ offered through the ship is a great option for a cruise stop! :)

Yes, you are so right! Still is our very favorite thing to do there . :D

LuLu

OR...

9am: Ship docks. Get off, grab a cab to a beach on St Thomas.

9:30am: Enjoy your beach...Eat lunch...Float in the water...Have a cocktail...Enjoy

4pm: Go back to the ship relaxed and refreshed...

I've done that too. Nothing at all wrong with that option. I have enjoyed my 2 times staying on St Thomas with that route. However, there's also nothing wrong with going over to St John. And having done that twice, and my parents have done it 3 times, I can assure people that it is not stressful at all to go over to St John on your own. It's actually quite easy. You do have extra waiting for the ferries & the ferry rides, which cuts into your beach time, but it's not stressful. If you prefer to have the more beach time, stay on St Thomas. If you want a more beautiful island & beach (not taking away from the beauty of St Thomas) & don't mind a little less beach time as a trade-off, go over to St John. It's personal preference. I have been very blessed to be able to do both options twice, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all 4 trips to these islands.