Anyone else creeped-out by Coki beach? Better alternatives? e.g. Megans Bay / Trunk?

Based on recommendations from CCers, my wife and I chose Coki beach for snorkeling. I felt creeped out from the time I got off the bus to the time I left. We were greeted by a seemingly high "manager" dude, and we felt like we were lambs to the slaughter, being pestered about renting beach chairs, drinks we didn't want, etc. Evidently, you have to pay for beach chair rentals, but that's not at all obvious. We got accosted for cash only after we sat down on a beach chair. Don't have a problem paying to rent a chair, but the guy should have said something about it during his long greeting speech.

There were some other weird things--it started raining, and it seemed no one (vendors) wanted to let you get out of the rain unless you immediately bought something. All our gear, including towels of course, got drenched.

Then, one vendor began fighting with, and swearing at, another vendor for stealing one of "his" customers. Although the snorkeling was decent, my time at Coki Beach was *the* most stressful time I've ever had at any beach. Beaches + stress just don't go together.

Even got hassled about wanting to leave by the "Monsieur"; which I did shortly after I'd been soaked by the rain. Can't tell you how happy I was to hop on one of those open-air shuttles back to Port. Rip-off city. Didn't feel safe at all and couldn't relax.

Some questions:

* Has anyone else had this experience at Coki Beach?

* Is this a typical beach experience on St. Thomas and other caribbean islands? Aside from Cocoa Cay, I'd never been on a beach in the caribbean.

* What type of experience would I have had at Megans Bay on St. Thomas or Trunk Bay on St. Johns? Do those places have less of a "den of thieves" feel?

* Are there other beaches on other Caribbean islands that have the same feel as Coki Beach? Would like to know so I can "give them a miss" in advance.

I'd read on cruise critic that Coki beach was a "mellow, locally run place." Note to self--find the beaches that *aren't* locally run on St. Thomas and elsewhere.

My favorite snorkeling experience ever has been in Kona, Hawaii. Fabulous snorkeling--best I've ever seen. No dudes accosting me upon arrival and departure or pestering me for buying drinks, etc.

I'd chosen Coki Beach as a cheaper alternative to ship excursion beach visits. Booked my own transport from the Port. In retrospect, I probably should have paid for one of those snorkeling tours where they take you out in a boat to some remote, private place, hopefully free of scary locals who view snorkelers as a flock to be fleeced. Or am I kidding myself and this is the case everywhere in the caribbean? I didn't mind the drink guys at all on Cocoa Cay--since I knew it was an RCI owned private island. Pretty relaxing time there. But Coki Beach had this weird "outlaw", desperate feel that I can't quite describe.

I cross-posted to the Royal Caribbean forums, asking specifically about alternate snorkeling / beach excursions they offer:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=20142780#post20142780

I've been to Megans Bay Beach and it was nice and quiet. I think some women were roaming around offering hair braiding, but since I wear mine very short now, I was never approached:D. I believe there's a concession stand there as I saw people with drinks, but we never tried to find it so I can't say this with any kind of authority. Our visit there was at the end of a RCCL excursion to the aquarium.

Neither Magen's Bay or Trunk Bay would have the same feel at all. There is an admission fee to both which must keep the vendors down. I don't remember seeing a vendor at either beach the days I was there. However, there is no snorkeling at Megan's.

There are lots of discussions on this forum about how to do Trunk Bay on your own including the public bus to Red Hook. I also was at Sapphire Beach this past year and enjoyed it. However, in recent weeks there have not been good reports about it. There were almost no vendors on this beach and no creepy people. Another possibility for snorkeling is Secret Harbor - nice beach at a condominium complex with rest rooms and a bar/grill.

We went to a beach on St. Thomas that was part of a hotel/bar and never saw a vendor. We were told we could not use the chairs unless paying for them but never saw a person taking any money. Can't remember the name of the beach-something like Sunrise or sunset?

Went to St Johns,Trunk Bay, alot of traveling to get there but beautiful beach and no vendors.

Want to try Sapphire as we had heard great things about it but haven't made it there yet.

We went to Coki Beach as part of the tour with Godfrey Tours in 2006. It was horrible. We were supposed to stay for 2 hrs. Everyone was ready to leave within 30 min of arriving.Godfrey would not leave until the 2 hrs was up. He was too busy eating and hanging with his friends. There were abandoned shacks along the beach, people smoking "pot" out in the open, nasty bathrooms and just a scary place in general . Honestly, if you stood on the beach and look out on the water, it was beautiful. Just don't turn around and look behind you.

We've been to Coki Beach a few times............we really enjoyed the water and the snorkeling, but I have to agree, the shacks make the whole beach look crappy. On our first trip there, I thought the taxi was letting us off at a dump...........LOL It was scarry looking. We were not harrassed by anyone selling things but they really need to clean that area up. The bathrooms are disgusting.........I walked in and walked right out again. On our last trip to St. Thomas we went to another beach..........no snorkeling there but it was a beautiful beach and clean. We have also been to Sapphire Beach once and when we were there, the bathrooms were out of order and we had to walk way down the beach to find another one. We never went to Megan's Bay but I've heard mixed reviews about that too.

Thanks for all the replies. Wish I'd encountered a thread like this on Coki Beach before I went there--would never have even tried to go if I knew what I know now. I had done a little research on snorkeling and Coki came recommended by several CCers.

Makes me want to preemptively start a post like this on any beach I'm thinking of going to on future cruises *before* I ever set sail. Thanks again. Cruise Critic is a terrific resource--if you know the right questions to ask. :-)

Here's a photo taken at Megan's Bay Beach...

Thanks for all the replies. Wish I'd encountered a thread like this on Coki Beach before I went there--would never have even tried to go if I knew what I know now. I had done a little research on snorkeling and Coki came recommended by several CCers.

 

Makes me want to preemptively start a post like this on any beach I'm thinking of going to on future cruises *before* I ever set sail. Thanks again. Cruise Critic is a terrific resource--if you know the right questions to ask. :-)

Snorkeling is good there if you can close your eyes to the surrounding areas........LOL Trunk Bay is beautiful and also had great snorkeling, but it takes quite a while to get there. We haven't been there in a number of years but I have friends that were just there in March and they had a good time.

Patty

When I feel like a day at the beach, I gather my things, walk off the ship and hop a taxi to the public beach that I've already researched in advance.

Most beaches are free in the Caribbean...there is no reason to have to pay to use one.......

Of course, you might have to sit on the sand, under a tree instead of a beach chair under an umbrella.....but, there's no hassle.

Really too bad that happened to you all......our experience was quite the opposite. Our day at Coki Beach in Jan09 was one of our best on our cruise. We took a taxi to the beach and upon arrival, a gentleman came right up to us (8 in our party) and asked us if we wanted beach chairs and told us the cost up front. We were fine with that as most beaches you have to pay. As we walked past the lady with the snorkling gear for rent asked us very nicely if were were interested - we were not sure at the time, but since we had kids with us, she gave us some dog biscuits to feed the fish.

As soon as we got our chairs, we went to get our drinks. The beach staff was great and were always around if we needed refills, but did not hassle us in any way. The snorkling is great!! The one thing that stood out right away was that no one wanted to braid our hair. Magan's Bay was nice but didn't compare to Coki Beach and the hair braiders there were borderline stalkers. Maybe it's the chance you take on the day you are in port.

I really like Coki. The atmosphere really brings you the essence of real life in the Caribbean. It is not all shops and glitz that the cruise ships would have you believe. I have never been concerned for my safety, and never felt pressured at Coki. Sure the vendors are trying to make a living but they understand no and will leave you alone. It is a lot better than in Mexico or Jamica or Nassau.

We were never harrassed by vendors at Coki, but I think they need to clean it up a bit.............especially the bathrooms. We never felt unsafe either, but the bathrooms are absolutely disgusting..........there were bottles and everything else in the toilets....YUK! I walked in and walked right out.

sorry, I did want to add, that I wish previous posters would have alerted you that you have to pay for chairs and umbrellas (you do pretty much everywhere), as you were ok with, but the surprise is unwelcome. And once you start with a vendor, like a bar... you're running a tab and stay with them. Thats why they introduce themselves and say they'll take care of you... they DO!!!!! What the locals hate, is competition taking their hard earned $$ away, they want you to stick with the same person, like a waitress. You were expected to say "She or he is taking care of me"... that's why they do that long introduction.

So not to make excuses, but that is how the local custom works, you unfortunately were placed in the middle of it with out knowing the rules of the game... "when in rome....."

The hair braiding lady gets a tough irritating at times and learned on our second visit that a firm "No, I have no intention of braiding my hair, but I hope you have a good financial day"... had her finally leaving me alone. I guess my polite no thank you didn't do it the first two times, then I made it clear she was wasting her time. I"ve used that speach several times in many areas and it seems to work.

Again, while I'm sure you won't go back. Consider what I've said with the proverbial grain of salt... it's truely a local beach with it's own customs and norms.

Based on recommendations from CCers, my wife and I chose Coki beach for snorkeling. I felt creeped out from the time I got off the bus to the time I left. We were greeted by a seemingly high "manager" dude, and we felt like we were lambs to the slaughter, being pestered about renting beach chairs, drinks we didn't want, etc. Evidently, you have to pay for beach chair rentals, but that's not at all obvious. We got accosted for cash only after we sat down on a beach chair. Don't have a problem paying to rent a chair, but the guy should have said something about it during his long greeting speech.

 

There were some other weird things--it started raining, and it seemed no one (vendors) wanted to let you get out of the rain unless you immediately bought something. All our gear, including towels of course, got drenched.

 

Then, one vendor began fighting with, and swearing at, another vendor for stealing one of "his" customers. Although the snorkeling was decent, my time at Coki Beach was *the* most stressful time I've ever had at any beach. Beaches + stress just don't go together.

 

Even got hassled about wanting to leave by the "Monsieur"; which I did shortly after I'd been soaked by the rain. Can't tell you how happy I was to hop on one of those open-air shuttles back to Port. Rip-off city. Didn't feel safe at all and couldn't relax.

 

Some questions:

 

* Has anyone else had this experience at Coki Beach?

* Is this a typical beach experience on St. Thomas and other caribbean islands? Aside from Cocoa Cay, I'd never been on a beach in the caribbean.

* What type of experience would I have had at Megans Bay on St. Thomas or Trunk Bay on St. Johns? Do those places have less of a "den of thieves" feel?

* Are there other beaches on other Caribbean islands that have the same feel as Coki Beach? Would like to know so I can "give them a miss" in advance.

 

I'd read on cruise critic that Coki beach was a "mellow, locally run place." Note to self--find the beaches that *aren't* locally run on St. Thomas and elsewhere.

 

My favorite snorkeling experience ever has been in Kona, Hawaii. Fabulous snorkeling--best I've ever seen. No dudes accosting me upon arrival and departure or pestering me for buying drinks, etc.

 

I'd chosen Coki Beach as a cheaper alternative to ship excursion beach visits. Booked my own transport from the Port. In retrospect, I probably should have paid for one of those snorkeling tours where they take you out in a boat to some remote, private place, hopefully free of scary locals who view snorkelers as a flock to be fleeced. Or am I kidding myself and this is the case everywhere in the caribbean? I didn't mind the drink guys at all on Cocoa Cay--since I knew it was an RCI owned private island. Pretty relaxing time there. But Coki Beach had this weird "outlaw", desperate feel that I can't quite describe.

I have been to Coki before and never had this experience. In fact, I have spent many cruise days and land vacation days on STT and Coki has been on eof my favorite days. Megans bay is not at all like you described but there is not snorkeling there. Trunk Bay is not either and you can snorkel there. There are places throughout the Caribbean that have the feel you have described.

We were on the Freedom 6/14/09 cruise and went to Coki. We were a little scared when we were dropped off, because you have to walk through a construction area to get to the beach. We couldn't see the beach because of a fence, so were a little worried where they were taking us! Once we got on the beach, though, we felt fine. There were a few vendors arguing, but we just laughed it off. It was kind of funny hearing the one lady right next to the fence saying that one of the guys that lead us through was "an illegal from Africa" and then him replying that she was a "crazy lady"!

We had a wonderful day at Coki. The snorkeling was beautiful, and we had great service from Likkedy Spliff's. The guy ran a tab for us and we paid for our food and drinks before we left. He didn't bother us- and just came around every once in a while to check to see if we were ready for another drink.

The Freedom was the only ship in port, and it was funny to see a picture from another Freedom cruiser showing a "crowded beach". (It was taken from the Aquarium) It didn't feel crowded to us at all! We noticed a lot of scuba divers entering the water next to the aquarium, but we snorkeled on the other end of the beach and were practically alone!

We had told the cabbie to come back at 2pm, and he was there waiting just as he had promised!

We will definitely go back to Coki next trip!!

We have been to Coki Beach three times and just love it! It rates right up at #2 for Carribean Beaches! We love to snorkel and love to have pina colada's and love that they have some shade for us pale faces! We bring bagels from the dining room to feed the fish. We did buy our own snorkel equiptment after renting the first time... Im not so sure any of the rental places clean them too well. You did not even need snorkel gear, you can just look at the crystal clear water and see the colorful little fish! I have not been to ANY beach on a cruise where you did not have to rent beachchairs. I look at it like $7 for the cab, $10 for the chair and whatever to drink makes for a cheap day! I have NEVER felt scared there.

We haven't been to Coki but have been to Meagan's Bay and Sapphire Beach. I love going to Meagan's but there is no snorkeling. When we went to Sapphire, we didn't plan to snorkel so I don't know if there is good snorkeling there or not.

Meagan's has a large area to buy drinks and food and to us, it is worth the $4 admission fee. There are also shade trees to sit under. I would go there in a heartbeat.

We have been to Coki Beach three times and just love it! It rates right up at #2 for Carribean Beaches! We love to snorkel and love to have pina colada's and love that they have some shade for us pale faces! We bring bagels from the dining room to feed the fish. We did buy our own snorkel equiptment after renting the first time... Im not so sure any of the rental places clean them too well. You did not even need snorkel gear, you can just look at the crystal clear water and see the colorful little fish! I have not been to ANY beach on a cruise where you did not have to rent beachchairs. I look at it like $7 for the cab, $10 for the chair and whatever to drink makes for a cheap day! I have NEVER felt scared there.

Trunk Bay is absoutely beautiful - do not miss going to St. John it is worth the trip. Here is a picture from May 2008. It was not crowded at all but then there where only two ships docked in St. Thomas that day.

I have been there many times also, and I one of my favorite beaches in the Caribbean!! I hope the O.P. never goes to Montego Bay Jamaica.(LOL) BTW The beach & chairs are free at Grand Turk.

Places like Jamaica and Haiti are far beyond my comfort zone.

Trunk Bay is absoutely beautiful - do not miss going to St. John it is worth the trip. Here is a picture from May 2008. It was not crowded at all but then there where only two ships docked in St. Thomas that day.

Looks gorgeous. Do you have any photos looking toward the shore? Curious to see what that looks like compared with Coki.

Just wondering as I have never been to Trunk Bay - are there bathrooms and places to eat and drink along the beach?

There is a restroom that also had showers and I only saw one place that sold some food and drinks.