Coki and Sapphire in one day?

Hello!

We'll be lucky enough to be the only ship in port during our cruise.

Is it possible to go to Coki and Sapphire in the same day?

Is it smart to try both in the same day?

How much do you think it would cost for us to travel to both beaches?

Which beach should we hit first?

Sorry for the million questions. It's our first time on a long cruise, and I want to maximize our adventures while we're on vacation.

Thanks!

You didn't include your port times and it's hard to give useful advice on hitting both beaches. But for 8 hrs or more in port you could certainly visit both, taxi should be around $5pp and we would hit Coki first if you arrive early, and Sapphire first if you arrive later in the day. Nice way to compare the two, and we would opt for lunch at Sapphire.

Thanks, blue_water!

We'll be in port from 8AM-5PM. We'll do exactly as you suggest and hit Coki first, and following up with lunch at Sapphire.

Would you suggest renting chairs/umbrellas at both? I'm traveling with a group of 8.

Thanks!

Tovan

Not sure what lounges and umbrellas cost at Coki, lounges are $9 each at Sapphire and there are no umbrellas for rent because there is some natural shade available. That's the other cost when changing beaches, renting chairs again...You can decide whether you want to rent lounges or not at Coki when you get there.

Depending on how many ships are in port with you and how busy the condos are at Sapphire much of the shaded area could be taken by the time you get there, but you should be able to find a comfortable spot for everyone.

Enjoy your day!

One other idea, Smith Bay Park (Lindqvist Beach) is arguably the nicest beach on the island and is even closer to Sapphire. If you don't mind laying on your towels in the sand (no lounge rentals and there is a small entry fee) you could go there instead of Coki then taxi to Sapphire.

Just a thought in case you read more about Lindqvist and consider that as an option...

Thanks, blue_water!

I read Mitsugirlys' recent trip to Lindqvist and it did look really fun. I think we're going to stick to the two more popular options and then try Lindqvist when we come back next. I didn't realize there was going to be so many different options on every island. I think we could cruise this route 3-4 times and still have plenty of new adventures to try another time.

Yes good plan. If hitting Tortola there are excellent snorkeling day sails that go to the Indians, Norman Island, and Cooper Island like Aristocat Charters and Kuralu, or Patouche to the Baths on Virgin Gorda. You can also ferry to Virgin Gorda on your own and explore the Baths.

Research a bit on that forum...

Thanks to all for all of your great tips. We've just returned from our Caribbean adventure.

The weather was a bit uncooperative during our cruise. There were forecasts of 80% rain for our day in St. Thomas, and a lot of concern on the ship that all excursions would be cancelled. I woke up for an early workout and run on the top deck and saw the inclement weather everyone was worried about. I thought it best to alter our plans for the day to see what the official weather forecast would be before going out for the day. After breakfast on the ship, we found that the day would be okay, so we set out with just Coki on the itinerary since we were about 2 hours delayed with worrying about the weather.

Taxi ended up being $16 per person roundtrip...more than I had anticipated, but I was prepared. I should have really exited the port terminal. Going to the outskirts was not enough. Wisdom gained for next time.

It was about 10:30AM when we arrived at Coki, and the beach was still pretty empty, so we got to pick any location we wanted on the sand. We got 3 chairs by the shoreline, 2 umbrellas, and 3 chairs along the shade a few yard back for the in-laws.

It turned out to be a nice day. Clouds and some sprinkles would roll in intermittently, but it was sunny and breezy. Perhaps too breezy because we all forgot to reapply sunscreen often enough. Almost everyone was sunburned from our 4+ hour adventure. The snorkeling was fantastic. My husband, our kids, and my Dad was enthralled with all the sea life they were able to see. The waterproof Kobert sleeves I had purchased for our phones made it easy to take photos without needing to lug along an additional camera.

The beach and the water was beautiful. It was a truly amazing day and first stop of our Caribbean adventure. We can't wait to come back to try Sapphire and Lindqvist next time. Thanks to blue_water for all of your helpful tips!

Thanks to all for all of your great tips. We've just returned from our Caribbean adventure.

The weather was a bit uncooperative during our cruise. There were forecasts of 80% rain for our day in St. Thomas, and a lot of concern on the ship that all excursions would be cancelled. I woke up for an early workout and run on the top deck and saw the inclement weather everyone was worried about. I thought it best to alter our plans for the day to see what the official weather forecast would be before going out for the day. After breakfast on the ship, we found that the day would be okay, so we set out with just Coki on the itinerary since we were about 2 hours delayed with worrying about the weather.

Taxi ended up being $16 per person roundtrip...more than I had anticipated, but I was prepared. I should have really exited the port terminal. Going to the outskirts was not enough. Wisdom gained for next time.

It was about 10:30AM when we arrived at Coki, and the beach was still pretty empty, so we got to pick any location we wanted on the sand. We got 3 chairs by the shoreline, 2 umbrellas, and 3 chairs along the shade a few yard back for the in-laws.

It turned out to be a nice day. Clouds and some sprinkles would roll in intermittently, but it was sunny and breezy. Perhaps too breezy because we all forgot to reapply sunscreen often enough. Almost everyone was sunburned from our 4+ hour adventure. The snorkeling was fantastic. My husband, our kids, and my Dad was enthralled with all the sea life they were able to see. The waterproof Kobert sleeves I had purchased for our phones made it easy to take photos without needing to lug along an additional camera.

The beach and the water was beautiful. It was a truly amazing day and first stop of our Caribbean adventure. We can't wait to come back to try Sapphire and Lindqvist next time. Thanks to blue_water for all of your helpful tips!

I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind.

1. How long was the cab ride to Coki Beach.

2. Do you mean the cabs were less expensive outside of the terminal?

3. Did you notice how close Coki Beach is to Coral world (supposed to be right next door).

4. What area at Coki Beach did you go snorkeling?

Thank you!

I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind.

1. How long was the cab ride to Coki Beach.

2. Do you mean the cabs were less expensive outside of the terminal?

3. Did you notice how close Coki Beach is to Coral world (supposed to be right next door).

4. What area at Coki Beach did you go snorkeling?

 

Thank you!

Hi, maryjaden!

In the order that you asked...

1. The ride was 20-30 minutes...which I found surprising. The roads weren't well developed on St. Thomas. I didn't expect the ride to be that long. The return trip seemed way shorter, but I'll be honest, I wasn't really timing either. We were the only ship in port, so we didn't have to worry too much about timing. However the driver did come back at the designated time to pick us up for the return trip.

2. I've read Mitsugirly's Carnival Fascination review where if you leave the port terminal area entirely, the cab fares become way less. She paid $4-5 per person for the same taxi ride. I likely didn't follow her instructions enough to get that kind of a deal.

3. Coki and Coral World are within steps of each other. From where we were parked, you could easily mosey over to Coral World if you wish.

4. My family snorkeled close to the rocks to the right of the beach close to Coral World. There was a lot of sea life in that area. Bring Milkbone dog biscuits to help attract more fish. I'm not a great swimmer, so I didn't get much snorkeling in, but they had a great time and loved interacting with all the fish. Keep your eyes peeled, the purple coral is rare and a sight to be seen.

Hope this helps!

Attran99,

Great information! Exactly what I was looking for. We have a large group and the kids are doing the turtle encounter at Coral World in the afternoon, so I thought we could spend to e in Coki Beach until then. They've never snorkeled and wanted to try it, so I thought this might be a good spot.

Thank you!

Attran99,

Great information! Exactly what I was looking for. We have a large group and the kids are doing the turtle encounter at Coral World in the afternoon, so I thought we could spend to e in Coki Beach until then. They've never snorkeled and wanted to try it, so I thought this might be a good spot.

Thank you!

My pleasure. Hope you guys have a great time. For snorkeling, might I suggest the full face mask for the kids. We bough them from Amazon and traveled with them rather than renting equipment from vendors who may not inspect their rentals as much. If you're not aware, these masks make it easier to breathe and snorkel. Our entire family loved them.

How does Sapphire and Coki compare to Trunk Bay and some other beaches on St. John?

How does Sapphire and Coki compare to Trunk Bay and some other beaches on St. John?

Sorry, ssbeard1...it was my first time to St. Thomas and the Caribbean. I won't be able to help you with that one, but I'm hoping blue_water will chime in because they way more well-versed with the area than I.

My pleasure. Hope you guys have a great time. For snorkeling, might I suggest the full face mask for the kids. We bough them from Amazon and traveled with them rather than renting equipment from vendors who may not inspect their rentals as much. If you're not aware, these masks make it easier to breathe and snorkel. Our entire family loved them.

Attran99​,

I am glad to hear you suggest these. I was looking at them and prices yesterday and thought I would order 2. We cruise enough that we'll use them again. I thought I might even order 1 for me!

Attran99​,

I am glad to hear you suggest these. I was looking at them and prices yesterday and thought I would order 2. We cruise enough that we'll use them again. I thought I might even order 1 for me!

maryjaden, they were a huge hit with our family. We highly recommend them. The kids loved them. My Dad, who hadn't snorkeled in years stayed in the water for hours because it was to easy to breathe and use...and then was as sunburned as an overcooked lobster because he refused to bring the sunscreen I had put on the packing list for the trip...but that's my issue entirely.

Avid cruisers I know suggested that we get our own masks especially if we're going to use them time and time again. It's comforting to me because I know that I take care of my own equipment. I've heard of some folks renting equipment where the mouthpiece was bitten off and they didn't realize it until it was too late.

maryjaden, they were a huge hit with our family. We highly recommend them. The kids loved them. My Dad, who hadn't snorkeled in years stayed in the water for hours because it was to easy to breathe and use...and then was as sunburned as an overcooked lobster because he refused to bring the sunscreen I had put on the packing list for the trip...but that's my issue entirely.

Avid cruisers I know suggested that we get our own masks especially if we're going to use them time and time again. It's comforting to me because I know that I take care of my own equipment. I've heard of some folks renting equipment where the mouthpiece was bitten off and they didn't realize it until it was too late.

Which brand did you get?

How does Sapphire and Coki compare to Trunk Bay and some other beaches on St. John?

Some folks consider Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay to be nicer beaches and worth the extra time and cost to get there, and some folks prefer Sapphire, Lindqvist, or Coki on the East End of St Thomas. Really a personal preference.

For snorkeling I'd choose Coki or Sapphire. For good snorkeling on St John you'd want to travel to Waterlemon Cay or another out of the way spot and would need a driver committed to returning for you, as well as enough time in port to make it possible.

There is a thread with webcams in Sapphire, Secret Harbor and Cowpet Bay (Elysian Beach) on the East End of STT if you want to see those. You'll find tons of youtube videos on Trunk and Cinnamon as well of course.

St John beaches are less developed because they're in a National Park. Because there are so many of them and with no development they are usually less crowded than some of the St Thomas beaches.

There are also more beaches with good snorkeling on St John though it may not be easy to get cabs to and from most of the beaches.

I also would be curious about which snorkeling equipment you purchased? Did you use water shoes or fins? Thanks much!

Not PP, but just wanted to chime in that my family owns 3 of these masks. We ordered 2 before our first cruise (one the original brand, I think it is Tribord, and one of the cheapest generic brand) and the third one before our second cruise. Paid maybe $45 for the last, cheapest one, and $90 for the brand name one. The other one was maybe $65-70. You can see little differences between the brand name and the knock offs, but all 3 work great! Serious snorkelers might feel differently, but I would say just order the cheapest ones. Do note that the various brands have different prices on Amazon for different colors/sizes.

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Thank you for the mask info!

I ordered the Seaview 180 from Wildhorn Outfitters before my cruise last December - I'm not much of a snorkler but my friend is and she absolutely loved the mask. She used the fins provided by the excursion but would end up kicking them off.

I also would be curious about which snorkeling equipment you purchased? Did you use water shoes or fins? Thanks much!

Which brand did you get?

We purchased the following from Amazon:

SnorkelinGear Snorkel Mask Set for Adults and Children - Full Face Easybreath Snorkeling Gear with 180° Sea View including Universal Waterproof Case and Anti-Fog Spray

The vendor from Amazon was VB Gear. They worked great. You may want to purchase early so that you can try the sizes so they appropriately fit your faces.

Thank you! I really appreciate your information!