Has any one gone to Coral World in St. Thomas

[Lola Lotion]

We are considering going to Coral World in St. Thomas. I have a 12 year old son who wants to go. Is it fun or just way to commercial

[I'mHooked]

We went last year. It is on the small side but it was nice. THere was a set up where people could feel starfish and some other sea creatures. There are shows at certain times. For example sea lions came out and did some tricks. They are from 3 to maybe 5 feet from you. There were times you can feed the stingrays. There was a pelican out that a worker was feeding and letting kids feed. THere were lizards walking around. Birds you can feed with a sweet nectar. I think there was a butterfly house. There was a underground aquarium. There was a small place to grab a hot dog or drink. Of course there is a shop which actually had some decent items although we did not buy anything. I don't remember the price. I think we did it in combination with an underwater/atlantis type thing which was not worth it in my opinion. We didn't see squat till they started feeding the fish and maybe it is a been there done that thing.

[firefly333]

We apparantly were next door at Koki Beach. If you have time, its a free local beach, $10 if you want to rent snokeling, compared to the touristy beach which isnt free. Koki is known for having more fish and clearer water than Megan's.

Go to Koki after coral world. (its walking distance).

[preschool teacher]

we just went there a couple of weeks ago..yes it's samll but it is nice anf there is quite abit to see.....we did the sea lion swim..it was great fun......you really interact with them and touch and hole them and the trainers were great.. i would go again.....cathy and we did go to coki beach too..

[Drew B]

I loved it too (I did the sea lion swim as well, and it was surprisingly affordable compared to dolphin excursions in other ports). I was with younger kids (3 and 6) who had a great time. If your 12-year-old is into aquatic life, he should like it. If he's not, he might find it corny.

[nybumpkin]

We went a few years ago with our three sons, then 15, 10 and 6 and they had a great time. They loved the stingray exhibit and the shark exhibit (the diver brought around a young shark that you could touch), and the iguanas really got my kids' attention. The observatory gives you some great underwater views without getting wet. As firefly said, Coki Beach is right nextdoor so you can do both if you have the time. I have a few photos posted at http://good-times.webshots.com/album/552284663QoMIjG (the Coral World photos are on page 4).

[ambee27]

Originally Posted by Drew B

I loved it too (I did the sea lion swim as well, and it was surprisingly affordable compared to dolphin excursions in other ports). I was with younger kids (3 and 6) who had a great time. If your 12-year-old is into aquatic life, he should like it. If he's not, he might find it corny.

Question- did you book through the cruise ship or on your own. We are thinking of doing the sea lion swim at coral world,but it isn't listed on the excursion list. We were also thinking about going to Magen's beach afterwards. Any advice?
Thanks!
Ambee

[DollyJ]

We are also thinking of doing the sea lion swim (it's not on the ship excursion). I was undecided about just going to Coki Beach or trying to get to Magen's also/instead - any suggestions as to the relative merits of the two, and also the time factor? We're in port 7 a.m - 6 p.m., but there is shopping to be done too! (as well as Paradise Point skyride, and maybe some basic 'drive around & see the island' sightseeing)

[deeolasingh]

Coral world is nice small but nice my son and daughter got to pet a nurse shark while there... and as for coki beach, good beach for snorkeling. we stayed in St thomas for a week last year and went to several beaches and found that coki had the most fish...

[PollyNJ]

Coral World is a great place to visit with the kids..I think that most people expect something like Sea World, but it is not such a place. It is small and very compact and fun to explore and find things for the kids. You can just take a cab there and not to worry as there are lots of cabs to take back. Coki Beach is right next door. Some like Coki, some hate it. If you are looking for a "snorkel" beach there is no finer in the caribbean in my opinion. The water is calm, shallow ,wonderful soft sandy bottom, and a abundance of fish..and i mean ABUNDANCE. The kids will love it. Bring a box of cereal from the ship and the kids can feed the fish. We always bring dog biscuits. I buy the large ones and you can hold them and the fish will come up and nibble at them..Sometimes 5 or 6 at a time. If you are good swimmers, explore the reef area to the left..or swim to the right towards coral world...last time we were there we saw a sting-ray and several turtles. Now I must admit the bathrooms are a coin toss sometimes clean sometimes yucky. The food is ok but it is not cheap.

Megan's Bay is really my least favorite beach in St Thomas. The snorkeling is not good at all. The restrooms are better maintained and have always been clean when we have gone. The food and drinks are horribly expensive. There is also a entrance fee.

[halifaxrocks]

try the fresh mango slushi i think for an xtra $1 you get a shot of rum too but its awsome either way. ive never had mango like that. we did the snuba excursion there which was pretty neat, i booked it direct and saved a few bucks too and after the park went to coki beach which is where you do your snuba. we bought the photo package too it was worth it.

[Drew B]

Originally Posted by ambee27

Question- did you book through the cruise ship or on your own. We are thinking of doing the sea lion swim at coral world,but it isn't listed on the excursion list. We were also thinking about going to Magen's beach afterwards. Any advice?
Thanks!
Ambee

I booked it on my own. You don't have to book Coral World in advance - you can just show up. For the sea lion swim, you make a reservation in advance, but you don't have to pay till you get there. IMO, it's totally worth it!

[Nannerz]

Coral World was great with my kids ages 10 & 13. The Stingray exhibit is interactive as well as a couple of others. No need to book through the cruise ship, unless you like paying extra high commissions. Book through Coral World's website, they offer discounts for things booked on their website. There are a couple of cool excursions right there that you might like as well. Underwater Sea Trek or swim with sharks, etc, etc. Great thing is it's right next door, a few footsteps away, to Coki Beach. There you can snorkel, have a drink or even do a shore scuba dive. They have a bubble maker class for ages 10 and up. So many options, you can do alot in one day!
Here's a video of our trip in December, not a cruise, but we stayed at the Wyndham. Majority was taken at Coral World and Coki Beach. Including some shots of us feeding the stingray! Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/3129504

[tipsy]

we did Coral World on our own,plenty of taxis port side and at Coral World and like others said Coki Beach is right next door. Coral World used to have undersea walking, donned a helmut and walked the sea floor, not sure if still there, that was fun too. It's a nice day and will have plenty of time to go to beach and do shopping if want.