Magens Bay- on our own

Last Time I cruised to St Thomas was on Carnival about 12 yrs ago and we took a cab to the beach as it was much cheaper than the cruise line. We are now going with DCL and will have 2 children in tow, the excursion through DCL is $178 ($47 x3, $37 for the child under $10). Looks like it would cost roughly $50 to book a taxi plus entrance fees. Could anyone chime in with similar experiences with going to Meghans Bay on their own. Thanks

Last Time I cruised to St Thomas was on Carnival about 12 yrs ago and we took a cab to the beach as it was much cheaper than the cruise line. We are now going with DCL and will have 2 children in tow, the excursion through DCL is $178 ($47 x3, $37 for the child under $10). Looks like it would cost roughly $50 to book a taxi plus entrance fees. Could anyone chime in with similar experiences with going to Meghans Bay on their own. Thanks

Now that I've done it a few times, I would recommend going anywhere on the island on your own. Do you know that the taxi fare is going to be for each way, per person? I would recommend to anyone and everyone to rent a Jeep and go to as many spots as you want.

We've done that on our own & are thinking about doing it next month, that is if we don't ferry to St. John instead. You shouldn't have any problems doing Magen's on your own by taxi. If you do opt to rent a car, we've done that too, remember they drive on the left side. This scared the crap out of me. :eek: We will just take a taxi this time if we decide on Magen's. Have a great time!!!

No reason to rent a car, book an excursion, or book a special cab. We went "on our own" in 2010. If you walk down that main drag after getting off the ship, there will be a bunch of big "open air" cabs that hold about 20 people. I'm sorry that I can't remember how much it was per person, but it wasn't a lot... I'm sure someone on here will be able to chime in as far as cost. We spent the day at the beach, and when we were ready to go, there was a bunch of these cabs waiting, and as they filled up, they went back to the port.

The taxi fare from Havensight to Magens is $8 pp each way. There isn't a reduced fare for children.

No reason to rent a car, book an excursion, or book a special cab. We went "on our own" in 2010. If you walk down that main drag after getting off the ship, there will be a bunch of big "open air" cabs that hold about 20 people. I'm sorry that I can't remember how much it was per person, but it wasn't a lot... I'm sure someone on here will be able to chime in as far as cost. We spent the day at the beach, and when we were ready to go, there was a bunch of these cabs waiting, and as they filled up, they went back to the port.

The only problem with the "open air" cabs is that's the public transportation on the island. We did that once to save on the fare, but won't do it again. It stopped at several places along the way & took us much longer to get where we were going. If I remember correctly it took us to a Home Depot & a KMart before dropping us at our resort. It is much cheaper, but it takes longer.

The "open air" safaris play many roles. The ones that amyj23 found downtown were licensed taxis. They do island tours, take you "back to the ship", etc. Cruisegal96 ran into safaris which double as buses and run the bus route and drop people off along the way. The public transportation routes don't go to Magens, but the open air safaris and the closed vans do. ;)

It is true that there is no need to pay cruise ship excursion rates to go to the beach on St Thomas. Lots of taxi vans and safaris ready to oblige!

The "open air" safaris play many roles. The ones that amyj23 found downtown were licensed taxis. They do island tours, take you "back to the ship", etc. Cruisegal96 ran into safaris which double as buses and run the bus route and drop people off along the way. The public transportation routes don't go to Magens, but the open air safaris and the closed vans do. ;)

 

It is true that there is no need to pay cruise ship excursion rates to go to the beach on St Thomas. Lots of taxi vans and safaris ready to oblige!

Well, that didn't happen to us... The one we got on was full, so perhaps that's why it went straight to Magen's Bay. I suppose you could always ask the driver if they're heading straight to the beach.

Taking a cab means that you go to one destination. Renting a car is not only cheaper, but you can stop as many times as you want.

Taking a cab means that you go to one destination. Renting a car is not only cheaper, but you can stop as many times as you want.

Not necessarily! Many folks taxi to Coki, then taxi to Sapphire, and finally taxi back to Havensight and PP. Total taxi fare = $23pp or $46 per couple ($9+$5+$9pp). Renting gives you more flexibility, but is not any cheaper unless you're talking several people traveling together. And you have to deal with the driving aspect (left side, new area, curving roads), hard to enjoy your day on the island your first trip at least.

Having said that we rent while staying on STT following time we spend in the BVI. But on a cruise I wouldn't bother renting unless I was there at least 12 hours or had 3 or 4 couples where it made sense.

Well, that didn't happen to us... The one we got on was full, so perhaps that's why it went straight to Magen's Bay. I suppose you could always ask the driver if they're heading straight to the beach.

Same with us! I don't remember how much it cost, but it had to be economical if we did it.. lol Most of the drivers (probably not all) will pause at scenic spots. I have GREAT video from riding in the open-air cabs..

Have your camera ready because they only slow down. ;)

Last Time I cruised to St Thomas was on Carnival about 12 yrs ago and we took a cab to the beach as it was much cheaper than the cruise line. We are now going with DCL and will have 2 children in tow, the excursion through DCL is $178 ($47 x3, $37 for the child under $10). Looks like it would cost roughly $50 to book a taxi plus entrance fees. Could anyone chime in with similar experiences with going to Meghans Bay on their own. Thanks

I have found that the further away from the ship you go to obtain a transportation the better the rates. We teamed up with a couple we met on the ship, secured a taxi and the driver gave us a complete tour of the island then ended at Meghans Bay. We agreed on a time and he picked us back up. All in all it ran about 10.00 per person. Make sure your taxi (in our situation a van) doesn't require being filled before it takes off. Otherwise, you'll end up sitting until it is full. You can also generally find folks needing a ride back to the ship and add a few more passengers that reduce your individual rate. It worked out well for the driver, he provided an excellent tour therefore we all tipped well. It was a win, win for everyone!