skydog802

gatour ~ I think quite a few people do what you are thinking about. Rent a jeep for a few days from the rental desk at the Westin. I highly recommend doing that so you can see all of the island. One couple on our catamaran trip stayed at the Westin for four nights and never got beyond the beach at Caneel bay other than getting on our catamaran. You can't enjoy the beauty of the island if you don't venture beyond the Cruz Bay area.

 

Here's a link to my recent review on trip advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147409-i432-k5384143-St_John_Trip_Report_April_22_29-St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html You'll find some restaurant suggestions here. I highly suggest making a reservation for the bar on the upper level at Zozo's at Gallows Point. Make a reservation for 30 minutes before sunset. GREAT view and equally great food. If you are going before june, tell Carlos we said hello (he's the bartender/server). There are lots of great restaurants in Cruz Bay and if you rent a jeep, you can venture to some of the fun places on the east side of the island like Skinney Legs, Shipwreck Landing, Donkey Diner and Miss Lucy's. So much to do, so little time. Have a great one!

You can check out my photos from our recent St. John visit here:

http://stjohnapril2012.shutterfly.com/

 

ENJOY!

Great review and great photos. Thanks for sharing.

Man you guys have a poor attitude. I have taken alot of cruises and never wished that on anyone.

I don't see a point in yelling out at them. The officials can do that. I don't yell out to passengers when it's time to board my flight at the airport gate. :)

I did some watching by chance in St. Thomas. I was on deck 3 taking photos of the surrounding areas including the dock side when I noticed some late comers. They all made it. The last couple arrived just as the maintenance workers were dismantling the gangway.

That is one of our favorite things to do! They should actually publish it as an event in the Fun Times! Drink in hand, we watch and we yell!:D

I love that idea! Hahaha!

If you'll only be snorkeling the one time, you may want to just rent. It will be a little cheaper (I think) and you won't have to haul the gear with you. Also, if you buy the one at Costco and the mask doesn't fit your face very well, it will leak water and, as a result the snorkeling won't be as fun, or possibly not possible, with that mask.

 

If you decide after renting that snorkeling is something you'd like to do more of in the future, I'd suggest seeking out a local dive shop that canhelp you with fit, and suggest gear that works well for what you want to do with it. You may spend a little more, but in the long run it would, in my opinion, be worth it.

Excellent advice! Thanks again for guiding me. I appreciate it.

Does anyone know how much the rental of snorkeling gear is at Cinnamon Bay or one of the other beaches that rents them? I'm leaving Friday on our cruise and have two days left to decide if I should buy the $40 one I saw at Costco or rent one.

Thanks.

Cinnamon has a camp store where I believe you can buy food and drinks and they also have snorkel (and many other water sports) gear for rent.

 

Maho has neither - it's only been fairly recently that they've added a bathroom there.

I think Cinnamon is going to be a better choice for us. Since, it's our first trip that way and not sure what to expect, having some facilities and services would be beneficial to us. Thanks.

Skydog ~ one update to my post you quoted. Maho Beach on the north shore now has some nice new facilities. They were building them when we were there last May and I'll check them out first hand in a few weeks. I'd definitely put Maho on the top of my "must visit beaches" with the new facilities (i.e. restrooms).

Does Maho and Cinnamon have vendors for food and drinks? Also, what about renting snorkeling gear from these two beaches? Are they available?

Thanks.

I would venture that any shopping done on a tour in St. John would be in Cruz Bay, which in its entirety, is within easy walking distance from the ferry.

There is a small outdoor mall called Mongoose Junction about 1-2 blocks from the ferry pier. I found some nice things. However, it is upscale/pricey shopping. I found some one-of-a kind items akong with the usual things.

 

I can not tell you about the walking tour--I did not take it.

Thank you for your replies.

We just got back from our cruise two weeks ago. We took the cruise excursion "Destination St. John: National Park Cruise" for $40 per person. We usually go on our own in port unless there is a good reason. I feel this excursion is that reason.

 

We left a 9:30 on a ferry right beside the ship. It was a 45 min narrated ride. Then we docked on Cruz Bay. This ferry included 3 other tours that started and ended together, "Destination St. John-- 1-Shopping, 2-Historic Walking Tour and 3-Volunteerism." Once they left we took a 30 min ride around the north side of the island and saw the beaches from the boat. that was very nice. then we had 3.5 hours of free time. We left Cruz Bay on the ferry at 3:30 and got back at 4:30pm. (got two free rum punched on the ride back) We were the last group to get back on the ship that left at 5PM. We figured the cost for doing it on our own to be the same or more than the tour.

 

Look at the time frame you are in St. Thomas. This was a bargain and I had peace of mind.:)

You mentioned shopping and historic walking tour of St. John. What's the shopping like? How far is it from Cruz Bay? Any info on the historic walk? We are planning to ferry from Red Hook and visit one of the beaches in St. John (avoiding Trunk Bay), but would like to check out some shopping and do some walking. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Skydog ~ one update to my post you quoted. Maho Beach on the north shore now has some nice new facilities. They were building them when we were there last May and I'll check them out first hand in a few weeks. I'd definitely put Maho on the top of my "must visit beaches" with the new facilities (i.e. restrooms).

Hi Anne,

So you suggest Maho as the first choice then Cinnamon? I assume Maho or Cinnamon requires a taxi from Cruz Bay? Thanks.

Skydog ~ one update to my post you quoted. Maho Beach on the north shore now has some nice new facilities. They were building them when we were there last May and I'll check them out first hand in a few weeks. I'd definitely put Maho on the top of my "must visit beaches" with the new facilities (i.e. restrooms).

Thanks for the additional info. I appreciate it.

Hi Steve,

 

If you don't mind hiking a little first, you could walk to Honeymoon Beach, which will be less crowded than the others I just mentioned.

 

Steve (also)

Hiking from where, Steve? Thanks.

I'll begin by saying I LOVE St. John. We have been heading there for years (and taking fellow passengers with us) each time our ship docks in St. Thomas. I even love the adventure and anticipation of getting there (grabbing a taxi, arriving at the Red Hook ferry, watching St. John grow closer as we cross the channel). It does take a little bit to get there but for us, it's worth it.

 

There are several reasons I'd recommend going on your own (or with a small group from your ship): You can go and return on your own schedule; you can go early and beat the crowds (we always get off the ship as early as possible and catch the first available ferry); you'll save money. While a sailboat excursion will give you a sense of the beauty of St. John, I think the experience is better if you take the ferry to the island, explore and enjoy the wonderful views and beaches from on land.

 

To get there, regardless of where you dock, hop in a taxi and head to the Red Hook Ferry dock. The ferry to Cruz Bay St. John leaves every hour on the hour. If you make the 9:00 AM ferry, you'll beat the crowds and have more time on the island. It's only about a 20 minute ferry ride. When you get off the ferry there are bunches of taxis waiting to take you to the beach or on an island tour or both. It's about $6 per person from the dock to Trunk Bay with a couple of wonderful scenic overlooks on the way (my avatar is taken from the Trunk Bay overlook). It is a spectacular island.

 

If you want to rent a car, they run about $70 - $75 for the day and are typically small jeep-type vehicles. The drive on the other side of the road here so be prepared for that. If you just want to relax and enjoy, I'd suggest taking the taxi to the beach.

 

Trunk Bay is by far the most popular beach. It has the marked underwawter snorkeling trail and it is a beautiful beach (you can see it in my avatar). There is a $4 admission fee for Trunk Bay. If snorkeling isn't key, I'd suggest going to Cinnamon Bay, the next major beach down from Trunk. It, too, is very pretty, snorkeling not as good but no admission fee.

 

Trunk Bay and Cinnamon both have a decent beach snack bar (burgers, chix fingers, etc) and a place you can rent beach chairs (not the best shape) and snorkel gear (OK stuff).

 

There are many other gorgeous beaches along the north shore of the island. Hawksnest (has restroom facilities but not food/chair renta) and Maho (no facilities) are two of my favorites. Taxis will take you to any of them. Taxis are readily available at Trunk and Cinnamon all day long.

 

If you prefer a nicer lunch, there are also lots of nice restaurants back in Cruz Bay within walking distance of the ferry dock. www.stjohnguidebook.com gives you plenty of suggestions and they are all pretty good.

 

Heading back, I'd recommend you take a ferry that leaves Cruz Bay no later than 3 hours prior to your ships departuer. If your ship leaves at 6:00, I'd take the 3:00 PM ferry back to Red Hook at the latest. That will get you back on St. Thomas by 3:20 with plenty of time for a cab ride back to your ship. There are always plenty of cabs at Red Hook waiting to take passengers back to ships, too.

 

I should add that we, too, have vacationed on the island. We've been there three times for a week vacation in the past ten years. It continues to be my favorite island. Here's a link to photos from our trip to St. John last summer: http://stjohntrip2009.shutterfly.com/26?size=All&startIndex=0

 

Enjoy whatever you do.

What a great post. Thank you very much.