Creeped out by Coki Beach on St. Thomas. Better beach excursions from RCI?

St. Thomas is part of the United States Virgin Islands. They are a US territory. The locals are US citizens.

 

Coki is a very good beach to snorkel from but the beach itself is not so clean and the ambience is subpar. Unless snorkeling is ones number one priority it is not worth going to. I enjoyed snorkeling there but I would not go back. Once was enough. We had our little experience there too. We decided to leave early and would not wait for the taxi that the beach "honchos" wanted us to use. They threatened the taxi driver who offered to take us back. He took us anyway but it appeared they were close to getting physical with him.

This happened to me as well. Since I wasn't having a good time, I wanted to leave early. The gentleman, and I use that word loosely, who took it upon himself to "take care of us" tracked me and my wife leaving and tried to detain us. Hence my "Welcome to Hell" / "This is a prison" type comments and experience.

I told him I was leaving early and that's that. I walked briskly past him and went directly to a taxi driver who happened to be waiting. Seemed menacing to me. I'm not at all surprised that the beach workers were close to getting violent. All smiles if you're buying things from them. If you want to leave prematurely, well, I guess they don't get any more cash?

Those who love Coki beach are welcome to it. When no vendors will let you get out of the pouring rain, unless you're buying their liquor, well, that's just not any form of customer service or hospitality I'm aware of. It's a lack of customer service. You're right about the complete lack of ambiance at Coki; that counts for something. Another "data point" for people to consider. I'm on a cruise and I want ambiance. And thanks for pointing out that St. John's isn't a resort.

I'm guessing the people who like Coki beach are the ones buying mixed drinks and buckets of beer. Am I right? Any non-drinkers who were pleased with the ambiance and treatment from staff? How about anyone who didn't as much as even rent a beach chair? Did you have a warm fuzzy feeling at Coki?

It was an incredible relief to get on that taxi and get away from that place as fast as the taxi could take us. I've learned my lesson.

I'm guessing the people who like Coki beach are the ones buying mixed drinks and buckets of beer. Am I right? Any non-drinkers who were pleased with the ambiance and treatment from staff? How about anyone who didn't as much as even rent a beach chair? Did you have a warm fuzzy feeling at Coki?

Out of my times on Coki, I've had one mixed drink and that was it. I rarely ever drink during the day on excursions unless it's REALLY hot or they seem to have a really good drink priced cheap. And I never drink at all when my daughter is around.

As far as the red-eyed people, no matter where I was, I would stay away from them! But we've had people at Coki set us up with umbrellas and beach chairs each time with no problem at all. Then we were waiting on for lunch and sodas without a problem as well.

As far as my belongings, two years ago I bought a beach bag with straps that unhook, with big metal hooks that are hard to work. Whenever I get to an island, I unhook one strap, tie it around the umbrella stand, and rehook. That way it would take MUCH effort to steal our goods. Not saying it can't be done, of course, but it should would take someone a long time hanging around our chairs and risking being noticed in order to take our items. One shouldn't leave things unattended at ANY island. That's begging for trouble.

I would echo the recommendations for Trunk Bay, St. John. We've done Magen's Bay and loved it, but Trunk Bay puts it to shame. Much less crowded and the trip to get there is really not as long as everyone makes it out to be. From now on, we will always go straight to Trunk Bay ANYTIME our ship docks in St. Thomas.

If you decide to do Trunk Bay, here are a few tips to maximize your experience:

Get off the ship as soon as you possibly can and grab a taxi to Red Hook. Ferries from Red Hook leave every hour, on the hour, so if your ship docks at 8:30am, you have a chance of catching the 9:00am ferry from Red Hook, but it's cutting it close.

Take water and snacks with you. There's a dive shop at Trunk Bay, but no restaurant. And yes, there are lockers to leave things in.

Grab some extra towels to take with you. There are no chairs on this beach, unless you bring them yourself. We just sat on towels (the sand is super soft), but wished we'd had extra towels for drying off/showering, etc.

There are always taxis at Trunk Bay waiting to take you back to Cruz Bay. You don't have to worry about not having a ride back. They know the ferry schedule and will make sure that you don't miss it. However, they will usually make you wait until they have a full "load" of people.

Same for Red Hook -- we had NO trouble getting a taxi back to the ship. Just leave yourself a good long window (meaning 1-2 hours before the ship sails) to account for any traffic issues.

Out of my times on Coki, I've had one mixed drink and that was it. I rarely ever drink during the day on excursions unless it's REALLY hot or they seem to have a really good drink priced cheap. And I never drink at all when my daughter is around.

 

As far as the red-eyed people, no matter where I was, I would stay away from them! But we've had people at Coki set us up with umbrellas and beach chairs each time with no problem at all. Then we were waiting on for lunch and sodas without a problem as well.

Thanks for the umbrella tip Christie.

So you do purchase things from the vendors--soda, lunch, chair rentals. Not just alcohol. Wondering what the experiences of those who didn't purchase anything have been. Not sure that makes a big difference, but still curious.

I would echo the recommendations for Trunk Bay, St. John. We've done Magen's Bay and loved it, but Trunk Bay puts it to shame. Much less crowded and the trip to get there is really not as long as everyone makes it out to be. From now on, we will always go straight to Trunk Bay ANYTIME our ship docks in St. Thomas.

 

If you decide to do Trunk Bay, here are a few tips to maximize your experience:

 

Get off the ship as soon as you possibly can and grab a taxi to Red Hook. Ferries from Red Hook leave every hour, on the hour, so if your ship docks at 8:30am, you have a chance of catching the 9:00am ferry from Red Hook, but it's cutting it close.

 

Take water and snacks with you. There's a dive shop at Trunk Bay, but no restaurant. And yes, there are lockers to leave things in.

 

Grab some extra towels to take with you. There are no chairs on this beach, unless you bring them yourself. We just sat on towels (the sand is super soft), but wished we'd had extra towels for drying off/showering, etc.

 

There are always taxis at Trunk Bay waiting to take you back to Cruz Bay. You don't have to worry about not having a ride back. They know the ferry schedule and will make sure that you don't miss it. However, they will usually make you wait until they have a full "load" of people.

 

Same for Red Hook -- we had NO trouble getting a taxi back to the ship. Just leave yourself a good long window (meaning 1-2 hours before the ship sails) to account for any traffic issues.

Thanks Rob, great advice. Wonder why anyone would choose Coki and Magen's over Trunk Bay--with the exception of those who think it's a hassle to get there. I'm looking forward to doing some of the hiking trails on St. Johns the next time I'm in St. Thomas. Sounds pretty safe on St. Johns. Don't think I'd want to be wandering alone anywhere on St. Thomas.

Thanks Rob, great advice. Wonder why anyone would choose Coki and Magen's over Trunk Bay--with the exception of those who think it's a hassle to get there. I'm looking forward to doing some of the hiking trails on St. Johns the next time I'm in St. Thomas. Sounds pretty safe on St. Johns. Don't think I'd want to be wandering alone anywhere on St. Thomas.

I don't think a lot of people realize how relatively easy it is to get to St John. I have been to Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay. There is a campground at Cinnamon that has a little "store" if you need something while there. The taxi will drop you off at the top of the hill and you will have to walk down past the store to the beach. It looks like a great place to camp! Here is a link to a map and as you can see Trunk and Cinnamon are next to eachother so you could probably hike from one to the other. http://www.virginislandsmap.com/stjohn/index.html

Thanks for the umbrella tip Christie.

 

So you do purchase things from the vendors--soda, lunch, chair rentals. Not just alcohol. Wondering what the experiences of those who didn't purchase anything have been. Not sure that makes a big difference, but still curious.

We were at Coki last November and did not have any issues. Of course, our time there was a bit different. We had a private Snuba excursion booked that we met at Coral World. She brought us over to Coki, we did our excursion, then spread out our towels on the beach for about an hour. I think DH had 1 beer and my son and I split a frozen non alchoholic drink. Other than that we did not spend a dime. Yes, we had people asking us if we wanted a number of things, but politely declined. Afterwards we went back to Coral World, showered, and spent some time there. At the end, we got a taxi outside Coral World and went back to the ship. All in all a wonderful day.

Personally I have stayed in St. Thomas and been to St. John so didn't feel the need to go there this time. With my son along, we wanted to something more for him (young teen) and knew St. John would be boring in his mind. This worked out perfectly for us!

Thanks for the umbrella tip Christie.

 

So you do purchase things from the vendors--soda, lunch, chair rentals. Not just alcohol. Wondering what the experiences of those who didn't purchase anything have been. Not sure that makes a big difference, but still curious.

We purchased sodas and lunch, because we spend all day there. And chair rentals and one umbrella. We don't get chair for our entire family, because a lot of us spend most of the time in the water.

Wow, we've been to Coki twice, most recently this past April. We love it there! The fish come right around you, turquiose water, and drink service and you can also order food on the beach, including pizza! I've never felt unsafe there, and we've always had a beautiful time. Perhaps you just had a pushy person helping you out, and unfortunately he ruined your time for you. :( That stinks, because both times we've been to Coki, it has been the highlight of our trip! :)

I agree with you. Have been to Coki lots of times, and have never, ever felt unsafe there. Love the snorkeling, DH always get something to eat from one of the waiters walking the beach. Yes, the area behind is poor, but not any worse than driving through poor parts of Barbados, Grenada or any other islands. Never felt unsafe and no one bothers you.

We did hear from one of the vendors there in April that the government is going to rebuild Coki, new shops, etc. Don't know the time table, but the guy in the dive shop said it would probably be done in the next couple of years.

We plan to go back there next year and do some snorkeling again.

Here are my 2 cents on St. Thomas beaches:

1. Magen - best beach all around with gentle or non-existing wave and sandy beach. Entries fees of $4 as of last year.

2. Sapphire - More waves than Magen but more shady and less people. Local iguanas will surround you like bears in wood if food is detected.

3. Coki - If you like sampling locals and snorkeling, this is great. It looks a bit questionable but if you cautious everything should be ok.

4. St John/Trunk bay - Most beautiful but you will loose few hours for trip to and back.

2 more cents:D........Magens Bay for a beautiful day, Trunk Bay for an amazing day with snorkling (but requires planning). We also love Morningstar Beach for good bodysurfing, and you can get chairs and umbrellas at The Morningstar (Marriott)

Probably only a penny's worth: I've been to Coki three times, two to scuba and once to soak up the sun. All three times I've had my wife and two "hot" teenage daughters. We've never felt unsafe. All three times the taxi driver that took us, picked us up at a pre-determined time. Dropped off and picked up at Coral World in the circular drive. No hassle ever.

Peter

But I must say. I've been to Coki beach many times and prefer it over Magens Bay any time. I guess that being African American, the locals really never scared me, I live in the inner city and in certain situations as anywhere I travel, I'm just mindful of my surroundings. I have never had a mother, bring her baby, whose face was windburned from living on the cold streets of Shanghai, to me, begging for money, in St. Thomas. So, I think that areas we feel are poverty strickened, may not be for the locals, it may just be their way of life. But all-in-all, I love Coki Beach.

Posted over in the St. Thomas forum about my experience (bad--felt dangerous) at Coki Beach. Am wondering from RCI folk--are there snorkeling / beach excursions offered specifically by RCI that I would have liked better than Coki?

 

Here's the thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1013166

 

Follow-ups can go here (RCI-excursion specific), or directly to the St. Thomas forum thread.

We did an independent excursion to Sapphire Beach. Absolutely beautiful there and we all felt very safe. DH took his snorkle gear and saw lots of fish. Small shack to rent floats, beach chairs, etc. There was a lady taking food orders and would bring the food to your beach chair. Cab fare was $5 each/each way. The same driver that dropped us off scheduled a time with us to pick us up and take us back to the ship.

But I must say. I've been to Coki beach many times and prefer it over Magens Bay any time.

I agree with you there!!! :)

Mikeerdas,

Wow. Your comments about alcohol are incredibly offensive. First of all, your not so subtle tone deriding people who drink alcohol is unwarranted. It's not illegal, and people are of legal age to drink. Secondly, to imply that you have to be drunk to like Coki is ridiculous. Or maybe to imply that the locals will only be nice to you if you buy "mixed drinks and buckets of beer" from them. I've been to Coki many times and sat on a towel and never bought anything and no one bothers me.

This happened to me as well. Since I wasn't having a good time, I wanted to leave early. The gentleman, and I use that word loosely, who took it upon himself to "take care of us" tracked me and my wife leaving and tried to detain us. Hence my "Welcome to Hell" / "This is a prison" type comments and experience.

 

I told him I was leaving early and that's that. I walked briskly past him and went directly to a taxi driver who happened to be waiting. Seemed menacing to me. I'm not at all surprised that the beach workers were close to getting violent. All smiles if you're buying things from them. If you want to leave prematurely, well, I guess they don't get any more cash?

 

Those who love Coki beach are welcome to it. When no vendors will let you get out of the pouring rain, unless you're buying their liquor, well, that's just not any form of customer service or hospitality I'm aware of. It's a lack of customer service. You're right about the complete lack of ambiance at Coki; that counts for something. Another "data point" for people to consider. I'm on a cruise and I want ambiance. And thanks for pointing out that St. John's isn't a resort.

 

I'm guessing the people who like Coki beach are the ones buying mixed drinks and buckets of beer. Am I right? Any non-drinkers who were pleased with the ambiance and treatment from staff? How about anyone who didn't as much as even rent a beach chair? Did you have a warm fuzzy feeling at Coki?

 

It was an incredible relief to get on that taxi and get away from that place as fast as the taxi could take us. I've learned my lesson.

Mikeerdas,

 

Wow. Your comments about alcohol are incredibly offensive. First of all, your not so subtle tone deriding people who drink alcohol is unwarranted. It's not illegal, and people are of legal age to drink. Secondly, to imply that you have to be drunk to like Coki is ridiculous. Or maybe to imply that the locals will only be nice to you if you buy "mixed drinks and buckets of beer" from them. I've been to Coki many times and sat on a towel and never bought anything and no one bothers me.

This thread is 9 years old. I didn't check to see, but this poster may not even be on these boards anymore.

Mikeerdas,

 

Wow. Your comments about alcohol are incredibly offensive. First of all, your not so subtle tone deriding people who drink alcohol is unwarranted. It's not illegal, and people are of legal age to drink. Secondly, to imply that you have to be drunk to like Coki is ridiculous. Or maybe to imply that the locals will only be nice to you if you buy "mixed drinks and buckets of beer" from them. I've been to Coki many times and sat on a towel and never bought anything and no one bothers me.

I just have to laugh when posters say this. And to boot revive a 9 yr old thread

too funny

I just have to laugh when posters say this. And to boot revive a 9 yr old thread

It was good for a laugh. Can’t believe they were incredibly offended. Or even offended.

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I think someone just woke up from their “coma”

Wow.

I stopped going to Coki beach in 2010 after the Puerto Rican girl off a cruise ship was killed in crossfire. I hear it hasn't gotten much better.

I stopped going to Coki beach in 2010 after the Puerto Rican girl off a cruise ship was killed in crossfire. I hear it hasn't gotten much better.

I haven’t returned because there are many better beaches on St. Thomas.

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I just have to laugh when posters say this. And to boot revive a 9 yr old thread

Boy, they really scour to resurrect an 9 year old thread. I guess they could not find any newer St. Thomas beach revues. A lot has happened in 9 years.;p

If you want a beautiful beach on St, Thomas I suggest Sapphire Beach. .

What is the best/easiest way to get to Sapphire beach?

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