After a lot of reading, it seems Lindquist Beach is superior. Am I wrong?

Sorry for another St. Thomas beach thread. I'm sure you guys are sick of them, but I want to be sure that I fully am understanding everything.

I was considering four beaches for my November 26 visit to St. Thomas:

- Lindquist

- Magens Bay

- Coki

- Sapphire

On this day, only our cruise ship (NCL Gem) will be in port.

Here is the takeaway I got regarding each of these beaches:

Magens Bay is super-crowded and the snorkeling is lousy. So that's pretty much out.

Coki has really nice water, but is full of aggressive locals trying to sell stuff, as well as a big marijuana-smoking scene. (Several reviews state the beach reeks of pot!) Definitely don't want that, especially with my kids around. So that's out.

Sapphire had some rave reviews, but I watched some videos of it, and the water looks neither clear nor calm. Reminds me too much of the choppy, murky beaches I can visit by driving 10 miles from my home in Los Angeles. So that's out.

That leaves me with Lindquist. Water looks clear and calm. I hear there is decent snorkeling. Few people there. No obnoxious locals hassling you. No drugs. New, clean restroom has been installed. Costs $5 per adult and free for kids, but that's not a big deal. No food available.

Am I getting this right?

It looks like Lindquist is the hands down winner, unless I haven't come to the correct conclusions about each beach.

FYI, we are a family of 4. I may be the only one snorkeling, as everyone else doesn't have too much interest in it. Kids love playing in the water, so calm and clear water would be great. Definitely don't want a crowded beach or anything touristy. Need restroom facilities. Would be nice to have food available for purchase, but not a must.

Comments?

Sorry for another St. Thomas beach thread. I'm sure you guys are sick of them, but I want to be sure that I fully am understanding everything.

 

I was considering four beaches for my November 26 visit to St. Thomas:

 

- Lindquist

- Magens Bay

- Coki

- Sapphire

 

On this day, only our cruise ship (NCL Gem) will be in port.

 

Here is the takeaway I got regarding each of these beaches:

 

Magens Bay is super-crowded and the snorkeling is lousy. So that's pretty much out.

 

Coki has really nice water, but is full of aggressive locals trying to sell stuff, as well as a big marijuana-smoking scene. (Several reviews state the beach reeks of pot!) Definitely don't want that, especially with my kids around. So that's out.

 

Sapphire had some rave reviews, but I watched some videos of it, and the water looks neither clear nor calm. Reminds me too much of the choppy, murky beaches I can visit by driving 10 miles from my home in Los Angeles. So that's out.

 

That leaves me with Lindquist. Water looks clear and calm. I hear there is decent snorkeling. Few people there. No obnoxious locals hassling you. No drugs. New, clean restroom has been installed. Costs $5 per adult and free for kids, but that's not a big deal. No food available.

 

Am I getting this right?

 

It looks like Lindquist is the hands down winner, unless I haven't come to the correct conclusions about each beach.

 

FYI, we are a family of 4. I may be the only one snorkeling, as everyone else doesn't have too much interest in it. Kids love playing in the water, so calm and clear water would be great. Definitely don't want a crowded beach or anything touristy. Need restroom facilities. Would be nice to have food available for purchase, but not a must.

 

Comments?

For snorkeling Magens is not a good choice. Not sure what you were looking at for Sapphire but it is a beautiful bay for snorkeling. Most bays can be choppy on a day with swells and wind so it can be rougher in those conditions. I think your take-away for Coki is also a bit harsh, yes it can be quite crowded because it's a small bay, and yes there are vendors but most folks don't find them aggressive. If the chance of smelling reefer is a problem and you want more assurance the water will be calm I'd suggest Secret Harbor which also offers snorkeling. Smith Bay is arguably the nicest beach but does not have the amenities you want.

I don't need many amenities.

I have my own snorkeling equipment.

Renting a chair/umbrella would be nice, but not a must. (That's available at Lindquist, right?)

Buying food would be nice, but I can sneak some off the ship if necessary.

Restroom is a must, but I know it has that.

I will consider Secret Harbor. But how nice is the beach compared to Lindquist?

Also, is Lindquist choppy often, or is it only occasionally that way? Looked good in the pics I saw.

Are you coming during Thanksgiving week? That's a very busy time for family travels to VI hotels and condos so the beaches will be more crowded with locals and land visitors.

The locals at Coki generally greet you when you arrive at the beach and offer you a menu, chair and snorkeling eauipment. Very seldom are there vendors strolling the beach selling trinkets. If you want to shop or partake in other services at Coki, you generally have to approach them.

If you don't like the conditions at one beach you can always move to another beach.

I don't need many amenities.

 

I have my own snorkeling equipment.

 

Renting a chair/umbrella would be nice, but not a must. (That's available at Lindquist, right?)

 

Buying food would be nice, but I can sneak some off the ship if necessary.

 

Restroom is a must, but I know it has that.

Since Lindqvist is arguably the nicest beach or one of the top three on the island, and you don't need food and drink or lounge rental options I'd go with that. We haven't snorkeled there but others have reported they enjoyed it. Sapphire is a very short taxi away if you want to try one before the other. Sapphire is equally gorgeous to us with a few more amenities and natural shade, and SH is in a more protected bay but not quite as spectacular as the other two IMHO.

For food and drink you can also stop at Gourmet Gallery at the dock for great deli sandwiches and drinks.

http://gourmetgallery.net/index.php

Just an FYI, it is illegal to bring food off the ship unless it is packaged food. We bring granola bars or protein bars from home when we cruise as these are pre-packaged, sealed and not in violation of local laws.

Just an FYI, it is illegal to bring food off the ship unless it is packaged food. We bring granola bars or protein bars from home when we cruise as these are pre-packaged, sealed and not in violation of local laws.

Thanks for the info, but I was aware of that.

This is also never enforced (at least not that I've seen), so I'm not worried about it. There's no way for anyone to know unless they see us getting off the ship with it.

Maybe we will just stop at Gourmet Gallery as suggested by blue_water, and get sandwiches there.

I will be there during Thanksgiving week, but our ship will be the only one in port, so that will help somewhat with the crowds.

Is there a way to rent lounge chairs at Lindquist, or not?

I am still considering Sapphire but I like what I see of Lindquist in pictures much better.

You get lounges with the ship excursion but you're traveling with a group and you'll have to look at the time there, probably not as long as you want.

There are picnic tables you can use if you get there early.

You get lounges with the ship excursion but you're traveling with a group and you'll have to look at the time there, probably not as long as you want.

There are picnic tables you can use if you get there early.

Sorry, guess I wasn't clear.

I don't ever do ship excursions.

I will be taking a taxi there with my family. No group. No excursion.

Can I rent chairs there, or is there no such way to do it?

No, you cannot rent chairs at Smith Bay/Lindquist. The only way to get a chair is through an excursion. There are picnic tables available.

Sorry, guess I wasn't clear.

 

I don't ever do ship excursions.

 

I will be taking a taxi there with my family. No group. No excursion.

 

Can I rent chairs there, or is there no such way to do it?

Let me rephrase? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

The only way to get lounges is if you take the ship excursion - you noted that you don't want the ship excursion so yes, the answer is a picnic table if available.

Sapphire has lounge rentals ;)

I know a lot of your questions have already been answered, but I'm attaching a link to a recent review where they spent their day in St. Thomas at Lindquist. It's Mitsugirly's review of their Carnival Fascination cruise this past August (2016) and I don't think she'd mind me copying and pasting the link to her review for her. The review is very detailed and includes LOTS of beautiful pictures, including a lot of snorkeling pictures.

Hoping this opens on Page 23 of her review, that's where their day in St. Thomas begins:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2396178&highlight=fascination&page=23

I have been to 3 of these places (never had any desire to go to Maggens yet because there's no snorkeling there and I love to snorkel).

We did not find Sapphire to be wavy. There's excellent snorkeling there. It's very pretty there. Did you check out their webcam? http://www.sapphireinthesun.com/

Coki Beach...everyone talks about the "smells" there, but honestly, I didn't notice anything the day we were there and we walked up and down the beach. The snorkeling there is AMAZING! Seriously amazing. I couldn't get over all the things we were able to see there and the coral is absolutely beautiful. It's the only place that I have ever seen purple coral before. The beach can get crowded but we were some of the first to arrive there and got to pick our spot and didn't really have any issues. We did not really encounter anyone being aggressive with selling anything. I highly recommend this place!!!

Linquist...absolutely stunning beach. Very beautiful and not very many people here. Yes, there's snorkeling there too, but nothing like Coki. You can snorkel up and down the shoreline and see plenty of things and there's also sea grass in areas, so plenty of things to be found there (there was even a stingray there the day we were there). You can go out a ways by the buoy lines and there's good snorkeling out there too. It's a very laid back and peaceful place. No vendors walking up and down the beach to bother you, sea grape trees line the beach for shade and they have picnic tables there to sit at. There's iguanas in the trees. It's a "basic" kind of place with no food or drinks, no chair rentals, but super nice bathrooms and showers. Stop at the Gourmet Gallery and get some subs and drinks to take with you and have a picnic. That's what we did. It was the PERFECT day. Just ask your driver to return to get you and what time you want to return...IF they don't ask you first, because most will. ;)

I have reviews in my signature line with all 3 of these places. There's tons of pictures from our day there for each one. :)

I have personally been to Lindquist multiple times and I have also been to Magens, but for some reason my favorite has always been Lindquist. I love that it's calm and the water and view is just amazing! I have a 4 year old and he loves it too. I like to go with a fun floaty cause it's just perfect to relax. I haven't tried snorkeling there though. They do have excellent bathrooms and showers (I wouldn't normally use one at a beach, but this one seems exceptionally new and well-maintained).

However, I know someone who raves about snorkeling at Coki and claims that it is by far the best, but that person doesn't have any kids and is not sensitive to smell so any factors such as smell and pushy vendors would not have been an issue for them.

I found this guide that tells you a lot more about the beaches in St Thomas. It also mentions other options for snorkeling. Hope it helps! Have fun on your trip!

So bottom line, for what you are interested in Sapphire, Secret Harbor, and Lindqvist seem to be the best options. Coki is definitely going to be the most crowded and touristy, and that is a definite "No" according to your wish list.

Lindqvist is stunning, and although it's starting to get busier now it is still a very nice day there. You'll just have to lay on your towels on the sand if a table isn't available. And if you want a nice lunch for everyone, you'll need to take the time to stop at Gourmey Gallery at the dock before boarding a taxi, or if you take a "private" taxi you could also stop at Moe's Market in Red Hook. Both have excellent baguette sandwiches and drinks.

Sapphire has all the amenities you'd want with room to spread out. Although it can be crowded around the swimming beach area on heavy ship days, there is room to spread out and find a comfortable spot for your lounges, probably in the shade. Good snorkeling (and not crowded) among the coral and the separate sea grass area, and nice water colors and island views. Also a marina there if you want to check out some beautiful boats.

Secret Harbor is a nice, small calm bay and is more protected than the others. So although the other beaches aren't typically rough, if very calm water is a high priority SH is a good choice. SH has always been our #3 beach, not as nice as Sapphire and Coki IMHO, but a favorite of others. Sapphire just exudes more character for us, and so we always recommend Sapphire for that reason. It can be quite busy at Secret Harbor being a small area, and I believe your family is restricted to a specific section intended for day visitors. But there is a good restaurant there and it's still a nice beach for the day.

I'm sure you realize, especially after reading all the responses, that everyone has different opinions of the beaches and the snorkeling at these beaches, and the weather conditions that particular day can also greatly influence your experience. I've seen rave reviews about the snorkeling at Coki, while others considered it a terrible waste of a day because of the number of people in the water, etc. I haven't seen that disparity in reporting for Sapphire and SH but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. And because Sapphire and SH are home to condo properties and Lindqvist is protected, these just have a different vibe than Coki.

So still not a lot of help narrowing it down, but I'm sure you will all enjoy your day whatever beach you choose! :)

I have been to 3 of these places (never had any desire to go to Maggens yet because there's no snorkeling there and I love to snorkel).

 

We did not find Sapphire to be wavy. There's excellent snorkeling there. It's very pretty there. Did you check out their webcam? http://www.sapphireinthesun.com/

 

Coki Beach...everyone talks about the "smells" there, but honestly, I didn't notice anything the day we were there and we walked up and down the beach. The snorkeling there is AMAZING! Seriously amazing. I couldn't get over all the things we were able to see there and the coral is absolutely beautiful. It's the only place that I have ever seen purple coral before. The beach can get crowded but we were some of the first to arrive there and got to pick our spot and didn't really have any issues. We did not really encounter anyone being aggressive with selling anything. I highly recommend this place!!!

 

Linquist...absolutely stunning beach. Very beautiful and not very many people here. Yes, there's snorkeling there too, but nothing like Coki. You can snorkel up and down the shoreline and see plenty of things and there's also sea grass in areas, so plenty of things to be found there (there was even a stingray there the day we were there). You can go out a ways by the buoy lines and there's good snorkeling out there too. It's a very laid back and peaceful place. No vendors walking up and down the beach to bother you, sea grape trees line the beach for shade and they have picnic tables there to sit at. There's iguanas in the trees. It's a "basic" kind of place with no food or drinks, no chair rentals, but super nice bathrooms and showers. Stop at the Gourmet Gallery and get some subs and drinks to take with you and have a picnic. That's what we did. It was the PERFECT day. Just ask your driver to return to get you and what time you want to return...IF they don't ask you first, because most will. ;)

 

 

I have reviews in my signature line with all 3 of these places. There's tons of pictures from our day there for each one. :)

I saw the webcam and can you use that area in the resort?

I saw the webcam and can you use that area in the resort?

At Sapphire? Yes, you can take advantage of the shade along the shore, although condo owners/guests also use that area. You cannot use the pool, but you can use the dive center cervices, restrooms, and restaurants there.

At Sapphire? Yes, you can take advantage of the shade along the shore, although condo owners/guests also use that area. You cannot use the pool, but you can use the dive center cervices, restrooms, and restaurants there.

Thanks for the info-- here is my dilemma

We were in St Thomas in April, 1st time there. We did a lovely tour with Dean chinnery and then he dropped us off at Megans. Beautiful beach loved it there .We are going back this Dec on another cruise and I wanted to go to another beach. I don't snorkel but it would be nice to stand in the water and see a fish if I got lucky.

SO I am torn between Sapphire, Coki or Emerald. Becaused they all have chairs,restrooms and food. Don't know if they have floats to rent. My plan this time around is to grab a cab and go to the beach in the Am. Grab some lunch either on the beach or somewhere else. And go to Blackbeard's Castle and then back to the ship. The day we were there in April it was closed. Very low keyed day.

I looked at ships in port that day and we have a total of 3 ships. We are in port 8 -5. I think Blackbeard's isn't too far from the port so we have plenty of time to get back to the ship. We dock in havenport

Thanks for the info-- here is my dilemma

 

We were in St Thomas in April, 1st time there. We did a lovely tour with Dean chinnery and then he dropped us off at Megans. Beautiful beach loved it there .We are going back this Dec on another cruise and I wanted to go to another beach. I don't snorkel but it would be nice to stand in the water and see a fish if I got lucky.

SO I am torn between Sapphire, Coki or Emerald. Becaused they all have chairs,restrooms and food. Don't know if they have floats to rent. My plan this time around is to grab a cab and go to the beach in the Am. Grab some lunch either on the beach or somewhere else. And go to Blackbeard's Castle and then back to the ship. The day we were there in April it was closed. Very low keyed day.

I looked at ships in port that day and we have a total of 3 ships. We are in port 8 -5. I think Blackbeard's isn't too far from the port so we have plenty of time to get back to the ship. We dock in havenport

Of the three, I would choose Sapphire every time. Coki is very pretty, but smaller and may be crowded with 3 ships in port. Emerald is nice, but not nearly as pretty as Sapphire, IMO. The water and views at Sapphire are amazing.

Of the three, I would choose Sapphire every time. Coki is very pretty, but smaller and may be crowded with 3 ships in port. Emerald is nice, but not nearly as pretty as Sapphire, IMO. The water and views at Sapphire are amazing.

thank you for your info , I am leaning towards Sapphire

Sapphire

Thank You Mitsugirly