Escape to Jost Van Dyke Excursion

Trying to decide whether to book the ships excursion 'Escape to Jost Van Dyke' whilst in Tortola. Has anyone done this through the ship & is it recommended? Just wondering if 3 hours is ample time on JVD for snorkelling, some relaxation time on the beach and a couple of Painkillers in the Soggy Dollar without it being rushed? Or would we be better off booking a longer (full day) boat trip which may be more relaxing? Any guidance appreciated. Only 2 weeks to go now!

Trying to decide whether to book the ships excursion 'Escape to Jost Van Dyke' whilst in Tortola. Has anyone done this through the ship & is it recommended? Just wondering if 3 hours is ample time on JVD for snorkelling, some relaxation time on the beach and a couple of Painkillers in the Soggy Dollar without it being rushed? Or would we be better off booking a longer (full day) boat trip which may be more relaxing? Any guidance appreciated. Only 2 weeks to go now!

Went on it last year and intend to go again 3 weeks on Friday! Didn't see anyone snorkelling the whole time there but it was an excellent trip. A little longer would have been better. Looked at doing it independently via the ferry but the times didn't match up and a private charter was too pricey - Let us know if you find a good one.

There is a ferry from Tortola to JVD but it runs from West End not Road Town.

Thank you Devon Doll - good to hear that you rate this tour. I may well book this. I have enquired with an independent company (Patouche) about their full day tour but they are leaving at 7.30am the day we arrive with passengers from another cruise ship that is in Port. I have also looked at the ferries but as they leave from the West End of Tortola, it seems a bit of a hassle as we would have to allow time to get a taxi each way. (and I'm paranoid about getting back to the ship in plenty of time!)

Thank you too Bee-ess. Sorry, just saw your post about the ferries!

We did the excursion last year. Not normally one to grumble but we were not impressed. Basically you get ferry boat to the island and then a rickety bus takes you to a beach, thats about it. You get a very basic lunch, burger or hotdog, which I considered inedible. The best part of the day was the ferry boat itself. The crew were very entertaining. I have to say it was our least favourite excursion. I personally would not recommend it

A further point which I have just made on another board. If there are other ships in, most probably offering a similar tour to their passengers then it will make JVD a very different experience and we are re-thinking our proposed visit shortly as there are two others in on that day.

We did the excursion last year. Not normally one to grumble but we were not impressed. Basically you get ferry boat to the island and then a rickety bus takes you to a beach, thats about it. You get a very basic lunch, burger or hotdog, which I considered inedible. The best part of the day was the ferry boat itself. The crew were very entertaining. I have to say it was our least favourite excursion. I personally would not recommend it

Perhaps P&O have changed this trip - we went in 2014 on this trip and there was no ferry or bus involved then. We caught a boat from outside the ship and went straight to the beach, some people swam from deeper water and others transferred onto a smaller boat onto the beach. I agree that the lunch was pretty poor but the rest was great. It was a very pretty journey.

I enjoyed our short trip here...it was short as soon as we arrived mum cut her leg open quite badly and we had to get back

It was a boat ride around 40 mins to jost van dyke, we got given a ticket for a drink and bbq lunch. Sunbeds are included. We literally plonked out bags down and then had to go once I stopped my mum from bleeding out...shame really as it looked beautiful

We did the excursion last year. Not normally one to grumble but we were not impressed. Basically you get ferry boat to the island and then a rickety bus takes you to a beach, thats about it. You get a very basic lunch, burger or hotdog, which I considered inedible. The best part of the day was the ferry boat itself. The crew were very entertaining. I have to say it was our least favourite excursion. I personally would not recommend it

I didn't realise the 'boat' was a ferry - thought they may use a catamaran. Do you re-call whether the Soggy Dollar Bar was close to the drop off point as that's partly why I want to go to JVD? (apart from the fact that it looks really pretty) Last time in Tortola I went to Cane Garden Beach so wanted to try somewhere different this time.

I didn't realise the 'boat' was a ferry - thought they may use a catamaran. Do you re-call whether the Soggy Dollar Bar was close to the drop off point as that's partly why I want to go to JVD? (apart from the fact that it looks really pretty) Last time in Tortola I went to Cane Garden Beach so wanted to try somewhere different this time.

The boat we went on was a catamaran, we did however dock on Jost Van Dyke and were then driven over to white bay. The vehicle dropped us behind the Soggy Dollar Bar although the area where our sun beds were was at the other end of the beach. I thought the beach was beautiful and the excursion was great with a very fun crew on the catamaran and plenty of rum punch on the way back

I didn't realise the 'boat' was a ferry - thought they may use a catamaran. Do you re-call whether the Soggy Dollar Bar was close to the drop off point as that's partly why I want to go to JVD? (apart from the fact that it looks really pretty) Last time in Tortola I went to Cane Garden Beach so wanted to try somewhere different this time.

Yes it is a catamaran. The crew, specially the captain were great fun. There was a bar but never noticed its name, it was almost empty. The sun loungers were reserved for our excursion and right in front of the bar and food area. Try to get on one of the first buses and get to the beach straight away. We were on one of the later buses, they are small vans running a shuttle. We were on one of the last and all the better located sun loungers were gone by the time we got there. It was probably that, along with the disgusting burger that left us with a bad impression

So don't take as gospel my negative thoughts

We did this excursion last year and enjoyed it very much, the food was very much what we expected on what is a very undeveloped beach on a very undeveloped island.

Wasn't a catamaran when we went last year, more like a ferry but still enjoyable.

It says nothing about buses etc in the excursion blurb....thought we would just drop off on the beach like we did when we did a private excursion....

Did this excursion a couple of years ago, from what I remember we took a boat not a catamaran, a shallow hulled boat/small flat bottomed ferry across to Jost Van Dyke to White Bay.

We waded from the boat to the beach although they did take the boat in close and drop a gang plank to the beach (but an elderly lady fell as it was very slippery).

The beach is lovely, the bar had sunbeds for you and yes lunch was just a burger or hot dog with a beer or soft drink. Probably had about 3 hours there before going back.

We walked the beach and stopped off at the soggy dollar bar for the obligatory

'painkiller', it can be busier than you expect though (see http://www.soggydollar.com they have a beach web cam).

It says nothing about buses etc in the excursion blurb....thought we would just drop off on the beach like we did when we did a private excursion....

It wasn't mentioned in the excursion blurb but they sent a letter around a couple of days before the excursion telling us about the change to the excursion. It still worked fine and our excursion was actually an hour longer than scheduled so that we could have more time on the beach :)

We have actually cancelled our excursion to JVD now as I was worried how I would cope getting from the small landing craft onto the beach and vice versa due to my poor arthritic knees, I didn't want to risk making a total fool of myself! We will find a local beach instead...we have done the soggy dollar bar before so its not the end of the world!

We have actually cancelled our excursion to JVD now as I was worried how I would cope getting from the small landing craft onto the beach and vice versa due to my poor arthritic knees, I didn't want to risk making a total fool of myself! We will find a local beach instead...we have done the soggy dollar bar before so its not the end of the world!

Hi Amanda, fancy seeing you here!

Jacqui W x

Hi Amanda, fancy seeing you here!

Jacqui W x

You never know where I might appear Jacqui :D

We did this trip last month :( for what we paid I think it was worth it, anything ferry/boat wise I like booking with the boat incase we can't get back, soggy Dollar was cool and busy but watching it disappear as the guide took us to a rubbish bar down the other end of the beach weren't to good but we just walked back once we set our towels down. Beach was lovely, snorkelling wasn't to good even tho I did see a few Rays :). Good points were the Beach, the clear water and the Soggy Dollar, bad points was definitely the bus things, I had to hold on tight at the (open) back going up steep hills, also the small boats mooring close to the beach, there were loads of them!! Bit dangerous if you ask me.

We did this trip last year while on Ventura, glad we did it but would not go back.The bar P&O take you to is about 100 yards away from the Soggy Dollar, the day we went there were a large amount of young Americans on the beach from a flotilla of sailing boats and the Soggy Dollar was heaving took me twenty minutes to get served and I was totall disappointed with a very watery Painkiller.

Much better Painkillers at the Pussers Outpost in Roadtown Tortola, although it can be very busy also if another ship is in.

“We’re praying Jose goes north of us,” said John Klein from the U.S. island of St. Thomas.

He owns White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages on Jost Van Dyke, in the British Virgin Islands.

Klein said he’s desperate for information:

Due to the severe damage and dire conditions on both islands, there are no ferries running between them, no power, no internet, no email and no local cell service.”