Thinking about St. John and how to go

Yes, 8 hrs is enough time in port to be able to enjoy Trunk.

Yes, should be plenty of time. The last time we did that, we just took a cab from the pier over to get the Ferry and then another cab to the beach on our own and spent several glorious hours there. Just watch the time on the return in case of traffic ... it can sometimes take a while. Course, think it also depends on which pier you come in on as far as distance goes. But, you should be fine .... Enjoy! Love St. John!!:)

Thanks, I guess we'll get off the ship asap and hope to get a cab over to red hook for the 12 oclock ferry. Would 4 pm be too late to start heading back from St. Johns?

We'll be there on July 17th on the Dream. I'm not sure where it docks. It looks like we'll be in port from 11-7pm. Would this be enough time to enjoy Trunk Bay? Or would our time be better served visiting a St. Thomas beach?

We sailed Dream eastern in 2009 and we did St John on our own based on the info from this thread. It was a great day. Our port times in 2009 were something like 8-5. We were off the ship as son as we docked, the cab ride to Red Hook was easy, the ferry was wasy, takig a cab to Trunk Bay was easy, paying our admission into the National Park and walking down to the beach was easy, lounging on the beach and swimming was easy. We were getting hungry around 2 pm so we opted to catch the 3 pm ferry back to St. Thomas, another easy task.

Once back in St. Thomas there were plenty of cabs waiting at the ferry to take us back to the ship........now that ride was not so easy.....the traffic was horribly busy and it was a wild ride, but we were back on board in plenty of time.

Allow extra time for the return ride back into town from the ferry is your best bet!

I have photos of St. John just click on the link in my signature and scroll down to the Dream album.

We loved this cruise so much we are doing it again this October and we will be returning to St. John on our own again.

Susan

Tool ~ the nice thing is your late arrival. You are docking at Havensight (the much better docking area in my opinion and much closer to Red Hook to catch the ferry to St. John). Oasis of the Seas is in port with you (at Crown Bay) and that's a lot of people. But they arrive early (9:00 AM) so by the time you are arriving at Trunk Bay, they will be heading back to their ship.

If it were me, I'd be heading to Trunk as soon as you dock! You won't have much of a wait anywhere for taxis at that time of day. If you are off your ship at 11:00, you will easily make the noon ferry, be in Cruz Bay by 12:20 and could be at Trunk Bay by 12:45. The 4:00 PM ferry return will give you plenty of time to get back and have a little time left for shopping at Havensight.

By the way, for future reference you can google St. Thomas Cruise Ship Schedule and find where your ship is docking.

Have a great cruise!

Tool ~ the nice thing is your late arrival. You are docking at Havensight (the much better docking area in my opinion and much closer to Red Hook to catch the ferry to St. John). Oasis of the Seas is in port with you (at Crown Bay) and that's a lot of people. But they arrive early (9:00 AM) so by the time you are arriving at Trunk Bay, they will be heading back to their ship.

 

If it were me, I'd be heading to Trunk as soon as you dock! You won't have much of a wait anywhere for taxis at that time of day. If you are off your ship at 11:00, you will easily make the noon ferry, be in Cruz Bay by 12:20 and could be at Trunk Bay by 12:45. The 4:00 PM ferry return will give you plenty of time to get back and have a little time left for shopping at Havensight.

 

By the way, for future reference you can google St. Thomas Cruise Ship Schedule and find where your ship is docking.

 

Have a great cruise!

WOW, that sounds awesome. We will definately be heading to Trunk Bay.

We will be in St. Maarten the next day (18th). Do you know what ships will be in port that day?

Thanks, Scott

You should dock in Havensight but that can change with the size of this ship. But it doesn't matter where you dock in this case. Do grab the first taxi you can, unfortunately the majority will be heading for Coki, Lindquist, and Sapphire beaches first via route 38 and the Red Hook ferry will be the last stop. So if you walk out past the horde of taxis you may find a driver interested in taking the more direct routes 30 & 32 into Red Hook. With your somewhat limited time in port I would try. You have time to go to Trunk but you don't have time to waste.

Also be aware that the ferry leaves every hour on the hour. So if you don't make the noon ferry you'll be waiting for the next one. So when you arrive at the terminal jump in the ticket line and then in the ferry line. Don't be surprised at the long lines, the ships are huge and Trunk is one of the top 2 excursions offered through the ships. You are going on your own and may be able to beat the crowds.

If your timing just doesn't work out for you and you can't look forward to at least 3 hours on STJ then consider Sapphire which is a great beach just 3 minutes from the RH termial. We spent a week there and although not quite as nice as Trunk you would be very happy there. Also a much less hectic day! Remember to allow for an hour back to port from Red Hook in case of heavy traffic or other delays unless you decide to rent a condo in Sapphire or Cruz Bay - Enjoy your day on the beach!

Tool ~ looks like you will be with Oasis again in St. Maarten.

Since the St. Thomas cruise ship schedule has you at Havensight it is unlikely that it will change. I've been cruising for 20 years with many stops in St. Thomas and our docking area has never changed. With Oasis at Crown Bay and no one else at Havensight the day you are there i can't imagine any reason that your location should change. Crown Bay is about 10 minutes further in a taxi to get to Red Hook. But blue water is right. You should get off Dream as quickly as possible and jump in a taxi. There will be plenty of them waiting for you. you should have no problem if you are off the ship as soon as it is cleared. You do stop at Nassau before St. Thomas so US Customs will have to clear the ship before passengers disembark. I don't know if that causes any delay when you arrive in St. Thomas but I'd be ready a little before 11:00 AM to disembark as soon as the announcement is made that you can get off the ship.

Good luck and have a great day!

Hello! how I wish I would be going back with you!! You definitely have time to go on your own to St John, however you must plan it out ahead of time. I second the comment that states getting there is part of the experience. Our family was there in March as part of a cruise stop in St. Thomas. Be aware of where your ship docks. Our ship (Navigator) docked at the far dock - I believe it was Crown.

It took us 45 minutes to get to Red Hook by taxi and 1 hour and 15 minutes to get back after our excursion. Plan for this! Thankfully we did! Look up the ferry timetables and buy your round trip ticket when you get there so you don't have to wait in the line on the return trip. Be sure to get to the ferry terminal a little early because some folks ran in at the last minute and had to wait an hour til the next one. Once we got to Cruz Bay we took a taxi to Trunk Bay (about 30 minutes ) We paid the admission fee, walked in to one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. We stayed there about 2 1/2 hours and had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves. Trunk Bay is part of the US National Park Service and you can look it up online. We rented snorkel equipment (don't forget the flotation vests!!) and and bought some beverages there- all reasonably priced - including a few t shirts lol. We didn't rent chairs - just spread our towels out on the sand. The snorkeling is not great, but it was fun nontheless, and we saw quite a few pretty fish. The snorkel trail is lifeguarded which is a plus. There are showers there which was nice so we could change into dry clothes after swimming. We all enjoyed the experience. The taxi rides were adventures just by themselves! There is a really great smoothy place in Cruz Bay - at the Hospitality Car Rental place lol. TAKE CASH FOR TAXI! We used credit cards for snorkel equip rental/deposits as well as souveniers. There is an ATM machine in the ferry terminal. Anyway plan it out ahead of time and you will enjoy the day! and make it back to the ship!! Have fun!

Previous poster had it right ... it CAN take a while to get back and the post brought back memories! But, it's worth it if you plan it out ahead of time ... other thing I forgot to mention is that everyone goes to Trunk Bay ... mostly for the snorkling I think, but we went to Cinnamon Bay and it's definitely not as crowded .... both are beautiful tho ... know you will enjoy! Hmm ... we gotta get back there!!! LOL!!;)

I also didn't mention that the snorkeling is very good on Sapphire, perhaps better than Trunk. But Trunk and Cinnamon are nicer beaches.

Just use common sense and decide what your best option is when you arrive at the Red Hook ferry (go on to STJ or just stay at Sapphire).

The docking location does change due to the number, size, and delayed arrival times of the ships due to problems in other ports. Odds are you will dock in Havensight but if not no worries.

If you pass customs at STT be at the departure location well before 11AM so you're not at the end of the line.

Don't waste alot of time looking for a taxi but try to bypass the taxis located by the dock if they're going to Coki, Lindquist, and Sapphire first and look for a driver taking the direct route (30 & 32) to the ferry. That will save you at least 1/2 hr.

Enjoy!

I should have mentioned that Dream and Oasis are the only two ships in St. Thomas on July 17th. That's one of the benefits of cruising in the summer. Far fewer ships to worry about, less traffic, etc.

I second the comment that Cinnamon is equally as nice. Remember there is a $4 per person entry fee into Trunk and no charge for Cinnamon. Also, arrange for your taxi driver on St. John to pick you up at a designated time (if you want to be on the 4:00 PM ferry I'd ask to be picked up by 3:20. And if you purchase a roundtrip ferry ticket before you leave Red Hook on St. Thomas, you won't have to wait in line on St. John when you go back on the 4:00 PM. Save a few moments that you can enjoy the beaches longer.

ENJOY!

Thank you all. We will make sure we're ready to roll as soon as the ship docks in St. Thomas.

We are cruising on Carnival Dream in Oct with a stop in St. Thomas on Oct 9th and RC Oasis will be in port the same day, so not too concerned with crowds on this day.

We plan a day trip to St. John. We did this on our own in 2010 and we went to Trunk Bay. I am looking to maybe "swtich it up a little" and try either Cinnamon or Maho this time, and I am looking for some input on these options (Augie and Wannabeatsea please chime in) also this time we are thinking of lunch on St. John, more recommendations and thoughts please.

We will be in port from 11-7 and we will be one of the first off the ship for sure. It will be our first cruise during the month of October so we are aware the weather could be iffy but it is still better than being at work!

Thanks in advance.

Susan

We are cruising on Carnival Dream in Oct with a stop in St. Thomas on Oct 9th and RC Oasis will be in port the same day, so not too concerned with crowds on this day.

Susan

9 - 10,000 people is just a few...

Cinnamon is nice, and a taxi tour of STJ is a nice touch.

Several good spots to eat in Cruz Bay after and several nice shops. Mongoose Junction to the left of the bay and some good stores around the Beach Bar.

My wife had a Hook bracelet custom made at St John Bracelet while shopping, excellent quality workmanship.

We've done it a couple of times and actually like Cinnamon Bay better than Trunk ... not as crowded usually and especially if you are going early. I agree with the last poster .... Mongoose is nice and lots of nice shops and places to eat in Cruz Bay. We did the Ferry to Red Hook and then the cab .... worked out well ... just keep an eye on the time to get back to ship ... but we did it and would do it again! :D Have fun!:)

Susan ~ since you don't arrive until 11:00 AM, I would suggest having lunch in Cruz Bay when you arrive. Your lunch choices are many. When you disembark the ferry, you can take a right and you'll have several nice choices right on the beach - Waterfront Bistro, The Beach Bar, High Tide. Here's a link to the restaurants right along the beach at the ferry dock (it's known as Wharfside Village) http://www.wharfsidevillage.com/bars_restaurants.php. Lunching here makes it easy to walk back to the port and grab a taxi to the beaches. The restaurants at Mongoose Junction are also plenty and very good but you'd walk there (not far but not as close as Wharfside), eat and then walk back to the dock most likely to grab a taxi to the beach. It would just eat up a little more of your time.

If you don't want to spend much time on lunch, consider grabbing something to go from High Tide http://www.hightidevi.com/ and take it to the beach. I picked High Tide because it is the first restaurant you come to when you step off the ferry dock and their food is decent. Another option would be to grab a taxi and ask them to take you to Sam & Jack's Deli http://stjohndeli.com/ before heading to the beach. You can call in a carry out lunch for the beach as well. You can call them on your way to the Red Hook Ferry.

There is a snack bar (burgers, hot dogs, chips, drinks) at Cinnamon Bay so that's an option for food, too.

As for beaches, Cinnamon and Maho are both GREAT! Maho is my personal favorite beach on the island. There is now a restroom there (new in the last year) but no other facilities. Cinnamon has restrooms, chair and snorkel gear rental, the snack shop. So it has more facilities. You need to decide what's more important. You can ask your taxi driver to come back and pick you up at a designated time at any beach you go to. You can't go wrong with either beach.

The nice thing is by the time you get to the beach, Oasis passengers who have traveled to St. John will be heading back to the port.

If you had a little more time, I'd highly recommend taking a taxi from Cruz Bay to Shipwreck Landing in Coral Bay and then onto a beach but I don't think you have quite enough time to really enjoy Shipwreck and the beach.

Feel free to ask additional questions! Wish I were going with you!

Thanks Anne, all wonderful suggestions. Here is your chuckle for the day....after one of your trips to St. John you sent me a PM with a listing of tips etc and I still have it in my "in box" and it is dated 10/2/10! I reference it however it is now close to two years old so updated info is great.

Since we are arriving in port 11 am not sure what we will do about the lunch thing, I like your suggestion on it depends on what is important to us.....last trip to St. John we arrived on the 1st AM ferry so we were hungry, maybe not so much this time. We will see we have time to make a decision.

My main concern is not the cost of the meal but the quality of the food served. Since we will have cruisemates traveling with us we probably won't decide until the day of!

Even though we have a few months before we travel I am already getting very excited just remembering the beauty and serenity of St. John.

Thanks for your input.

Susan

Susan ~ that's too funny. I save everything, too. I've picked up lots of great ideas over the years and like to have them handy for reference. Looking forward to the trip and doing the planning is half the fun. You'll have a great time and waiting till you arrive to see what you are in the mood for is the perfect idea. St. John is that kind of place! Have fun looking forward to the trip! Let us know if any other questions pop up!

For lunch there's a good BBQ place (name escapes me but you can Google it). We had lunch at one place that many recommended and it was not good, again name escapes me but it was a small place on the left up the hill a short walk.

You'll find helpful reviews in tripadvisor under St John restaurants or just by searching the STJ forum on TA.

If you want to forego Cinnamon, et al you could head directly to Coral Bay for an enjoyable afternoon. Take a look at TA reviews on CB to get an idea if that would be worth looking at.

Have a great day!

I agree with Bluewater. If you are looking for something different Coral Bay is great! Shipwreck Landing is our favorite lunch spot (all taxi drivers know it). A stop atop Bordeaux Mountain at Chateau Bordeaux for the view (my fav on all of St John) is worth a stop. There is an adorable gift shop right across the street on the curve (be careful crossing the street here). You can access the north shore beaches off Centerline Rd. and see a wide variety do the spectacular beaches. There's not enough time to do all this and spend time at a beach during a cruise visit however so you need to decide what's most important.

That's exactly why we now stay on the islands. Great info wannabatsea!

I am with you Blue water. There is nothing like staying on island. It is a very special place. Glad you enjoy it as much as we do!

Spending a vacation on St. John is on my bucket list.

We are in port 11-7 do you think a taxi ride to Coral Bay is doable in this time frame, even if we opt to skip lunch on the island?

More concerned on getting a cab to take us back to the ferry.

Decisions, decisions, at least we have a couple more months for research.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Susan

Yes, no problem, just make arrangememts for taxi to return