Thinking about St. John and how to go

[galliegirlie]

I'm attempting to create a do it yourself version of a RCI tour titled St. John Eco Hike and Beach, but I need some help filling in the pieces from what the tour description leaves out. The description says the trail starts at the Visitor Center and leads to Honeymoon Beach, then to Caneel Bay's colorful Botanical Gardens and to the ruins of a sugar plantation. Is this the Lind Point Trail? How would you describe this hiking trail, easy/moderate/strenuous? Are there many scenic outlooks on the way? Is Honeymoon Beach also known as Salomon Bay (looking on a map this is the only beach I see labeled between Cruz Bay and Caneel)? Would we be able to access the beach directly from the trail to cool off and lounge around? Are the Botanical Gardens nice to tour? What is the name of the plantation ruins and is there an entrance fee? Are there taxis readily available in this area to take us back to Cruz Bay? The tour description says the duration is 4 hrs which includes the ferry rides and time on the beach, so I'm guessing this hike would be plenty doable on your own with plenty of time to explore and not feel rushed. We will be on the Serenade of the Seas in port from 8am-6pm. Lot's of questions I know, but I'm trying to determine if this would be a worthwhile excursion option. Any input would be appreciated :)

[CruiseVA]

[i've posted this under the Celebrity Section as well, but, figured a cross posting here may get more responses]

I've read every message in this section - great tips, and, DIY sounds easy to do. That said...

 

We're on the Celebrity Equinox leaving Jan 7th and are looking at going to St John while in St Thomas. Been to St Thomas many times, but never to St John.

I noticed a variety of ship Excursions to St John - pretty reasonably priced. Has anyone booked any of these? Specifically, we're looking at the Shopping or Walking Tours (they cost $40)? Do they simply shuttle you to one of the ferries, or, do they take you directly from the ships pier via a boat to St John? What's the timing of these? How much time do you actually get to spend on St John?

 

There will be 6 of us going, we'd like to hit one of the beaches and then spend some time in Cruz Bay shopping area. I don't care about shopping, I really want to visit St John Brewers Tap Room to sample some of their tasty beverages.

[Host Anne]

Hi Gang ~ sorry I've been absent lately. Too much biz travel the past month.

 

Let's see what I've missed....

 

Tabitha ~ if you dock at 8:00, you can make the 9:00 AM ferry and be on St. John by 9:30. If you take the 1:00 PM ferry back you'll have plenty of time to get back to the ship. That's not a lot of time on St. John but I'd still do it...but that's me. Coki is where they had some serious problems earlier this year when a young girl lost her life in some gang-related gunfire. I've read that they've really beefed up security there but if you are seriously thinking about Coki, I'd do some more research on Cruise Critic and ask recent cruisers about visiting there. Enjoy whatever you decide.

 

Derrick ~ the February port schedule for St. Thomas isn't posted yet. On one cruise this month Grand Princess is at Havensight and the other time she is at Crown Bay. I'll check back and see if I can get if figured out for you.

 

Gallie ~ I haven't explored the area you are referring to. I will get my St. John map out tonight and take a look.

 

Cruise VA ~ I've never done a ship's excursion to St. John and for what you are interested in doing, I think you're better off going on your own. You can go at your own pace and probably do it for less (I can't really tell because I don't know what they are including for their tour). Here's the quick rundown of doing it on your own:

 

Taxi from ship to Red Hook Ferry

 

Take ferry (leaves on the hour) to Cruz Bay (15 minute ferry ride)

 

Upon arrival, hire any open air taxi for a trip to the beach (you can arrange for them to pick you back up at a certain time) and then back to Cruz Bay.

 

Have the taxi drop you at Mongoose Junction for shopping.

 

From here, you can walk just about everywhere else you want to go in Cruz Bay, including back to the ferry for your return to Red Hook and the ship.

 

ENJOY!

[kathcoll]

Anne,

I've seen on this board that the ferry is $7 each way per person.

 

I'm trying to figure out what the entire trip will cost for two people -

Can you tell me how much to expect for the taxi from pier to ferry?

 

I'm thinking of grabbing a taxi for a couple hours tour of the island. I don't like ship tours. Are there any recommendations for a tour?

thanks

[Host Anne]

Kath ~ here's the pricing:

 

Taxi Cruise terminal to Red Hook Bay..........$10

Ferry to St John.......................................$6

Taxi to Trunk Bay......................................$6

Taxi Tour of St. John..................................$20 - $25 per person available from any taxi driver when you get off the ferry in Cruz Bay. It usually depends how many people you have or if they can fill their taxi with others to share the tour. I have used Mario several times for groups in the past. All are independent, knowadgeable and friendly and will do a good job. All taxis are safari-type vehicles so they hold from 8 on the smaller side to 20+ for the larger taxis.

 

There are no set tours on St. John. It's a small island and taxis give you the mostly complete overview.

 

Pricing is from Havensight. Add a few extra dollars if you are starting at Crown Bay.

 

ENJOY!

[Senga]

We always take the ferry to St. John from Charlotte Amalie. Just wondering why people choose Red Hook?

[Host Anne]

Senga ~ many people do not like the rough ride from Charlotte Amalie. It doesn't bother me but several times when we've done it the rough seas bothered people we were with. It's half the time on the ferry from Red Hook and always a much smoother ride. I think those are the primary reasons.

[parrotplay]

Kath ~ here's the pricing:

 

There are no set tours on St. John. It's a small island and taxis give you the mostly complete overview.

 

 

Host Anne, I am also planning to go to St John, this will be my first time. About how long are the taxi tours? I want to make sure my husband and i have some beach time to snorkle, and a little time left to do some shopping. Thought we would do the taxi tour first and then ask the driver to let us off at Caneel Bay and walk over to Honeymoon to spend a couple of hours there. Is it easy to get a taxi back into town from there? I would love to do the trail, but we will be limited on our time.

 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)

[tigger77732]

I have now read this entire thread and have one additional question. I understand that the ferry ride for children is $1 rather than $6. Are the taxis also less money for the children as well? Do they get charged as well? I have a 4,7 and 15 yr old and am hoping at least the little ones are reduced or even better, FREE!

 

Any help would be great!

[augie]

Host Anne, I am also planning to go to St John, this will be my first time. About how long are the taxi tours? I want to make sure my husband and i have some beach time to snorkle, and a little time left to do some shopping. Thought we would do the taxi tour first and then ask the driver to let us off at Caneel Bay and walk over to Honeymoon to spend a couple of hours there. Is it easy to get a taxi back into town from there? I would love to do the trail, but we will be limited on our time.

 

Getting a taxi back from Caneel would not be a problem. The taxi tours are completely custom, so just let the driver know how much time you'd like to spend looking at the island and when you'd like to be dropped off at Caneel and you should be good to go!

[Host Anne]

Parrotplay ~ Augie is right...you can spend as much or as little time touring the island as you'd like. Doing a tour first is a great idea. If it were me, I would tour the northern side of the island stopping at the Trunk Bay overlook, the Annaberg ruins and then taking a ride up the mountain for a stop at the Chateau Bordeaux overlook. The view from here is mesmerizing. It's one of my favorite views anywhere. This would all take about an hour (be sure to walk up the hill to the top of the Annaberg ruins....pretty views from here as well).

 

You could then head back down the mountain to spend an hour or so at one of the north shore beaches (Cinnamon, Trunk and Hawksnest are all great choices).

 

It's just a short ride back to Cruz Bay from here if you want to shop in Cruz Bay. Or you can catch the 2:00 PM ferry back to St. Thomas to shop before you ship leaves depending upon your departure time. I'm basing that on cruises that leave at 6:00 PM.

 

Tigger ~ unfortunately, I don't know of any discounts for children, although I haven't done the trip to St. John from a ship with children in a long, long time. I am going to be going to St. John next month so I will check on the taxi fare for kids and double check the ferry pricing and will provide an update here.

[tigger77732]

Thanks so much!

[Mr. Click]

Host Anne,

RCI has a trip to St. John, 6.5 hours with a nice sounding walking tour of historic and scenic sights and then 3 hours of free time for $40 pp. They say it is only a 45 minute water taxi from Havensight that way so we are going to give it a try this year. Our last two visits to St. Thomas was more about jewelery shopping and a little sightseeing so this time we are going sightseeing first....and then maybe jewelery shopping if DW has her way. Seriously. I am not fan of ship tours but this one just makes it sound easier enough to make it worth doing.

[parrotplay]

Host Anne,

RCI has a trip to St. John, 6.5 hours with a nice sounding walking tour of historic and scenic sights and then 3 hours of free time for $40 pp. They say it is only a 45 minute water taxi from Havensight that way so we are going to give it a try this year. Our last two visits to St. Thomas was more about jewelery shopping and a little sightseeing so this time we are going sightseeing first....and then maybe jewelery shopping if DW has her way. Seriously. I am not fan of ship tours but this one just makes it sound easier enough to make it worth doing.

 

Thank you everyone for answering my question and thank you Anne for giving me ideas where to go for my tour around the Island.

 

Mr. Click: I wrote to RCI about the St John shopping and Walking tour. She said the tour leaves the dock area at 10:00 and returns to the ship at 4:30. Both tours give 3 hrs of leasure time and are $40.

 

I was wondering if anyone took this tour through RCL and when they arrived at St. John, left the tour group and did their own thing. I am trying to decide if i would have more time going to Red Hook early in the day, but then i would have to take the 2 or 3:00 ferry back and then the taxi's back to the pier. I will be on the Explorer and we leave St Thomas at 5:00. Trying to figure out which way to go that will give me the most time on St. John.

 

Arlene

 

Copy of email from RCL:

 

Dear Guest

 

Please be advised that excursion STG4 departure time is 10:00 AM ending at the port area at 4:30 PM, Guests will have approximately 3 hours of leisure time to explore the island, until ferry departure, time will be provided by the tour guide. Your tour guide will also provide you with a St. John information package.

 

The dock ferry is within walking distance from the port area.

[Mr. Click]

Arlene,

They also have a shorter tour, just the water taxi over and back that is about 4 hours for $34 that leaves about 1pm, based on a sail time of 6pm. We decided the walking tour sounded nice for the extra 6 bucks and did not want to risk trying to time our return if things were busy. If you are on a ships tour, they will not leave without you. The whole idea of not having to walk out, get a cab, ride thru town, get on a ferry, etc made the ship's tour more appealing to us.

[Host Anne]

If you try the excursion, be sure to come back and let us know how it goes!

[Mr. Click]

We have it booked already. March 6 so I will come back and let you all know how it stacks up. I just can't imagine anything being bad in St. Thomas/St. John...ever

[Peace2U]

With something specific and time-consuming like that, I prefer the security of an excursion. We took one through Princess and had the best time!

[southpaw]

I'm attempting to create a do it yourself version of a RCI tour titled St. John Eco Hike and Beach, but I need some help filling in the pieces from what the tour description leaves out. The description says the trail starts at the Visitor Center and leads to Honeymoon Beach, then to Caneel Bay's colorful Botanical Gardens and to the ruins of a sugar plantation. Is this the Lind Point Trail? How would you describe this hiking trail, easy/moderate/strenuous? Are there many scenic outlooks on the way? Is Honeymoon Beach also known as Salomon Bay (looking on a map this is the only beach I see labeled between Cruz Bay and Caneel)? Would we be able to access the beach directly from the trail to cool off and lounge around? Are the Botanical Gardens nice to tour? What is the name of the plantation ruins and is there an entrance fee? Are there taxis readily available in this area to take us back to Cruz Bay? The tour description says the duration is 4 hrs which includes the ferry rides and time on the beach, so I'm guessing this hike would be plenty doable on your own with plenty of time to explore and not feel rushed. We will be on the Serenade of the Seas in port from 8am-6pm. Lot's of questions I know, but I'm trying to determine if this would be a worthwhile excursion option. Any input would be appreciated :)

 

Was thinking about taking the same excursion through NCL but after reading this thread I have in mind to try to tour St. John on my own. Did you take this excursion or another option?

[catkoe1]

First of all. Can't wait until our cruise on Feb 5 th

Thrilled to go to st. Johns!

Edited January 9, 2011 by catkoe1

[catkoe1]

Anyone else have tips about St. John?

[Got2Cruise]

Anyone else have tips about St. John?

 

Since you asked. . .:D I would forget Trunk Bay and go to Cinnamon Bay. Trunk Bay is where all the ship excursions go. Cinnamon Bay is amazing.

[luv2bcruzng]

We will be arriving in St. Thomas on a Sunday. How does that affect all the ferry schedules? We do want to shop some in St. Thomas either before or after our trip to St. John - are the stores open on Sunday? If we are shopping in Charlotte Amalie does it make sense to take a cab to Red Hook to catch a ferry - or just catch one from that location? How far is Red Hook from Charlotte Amalei? Does anyone know how many cruise ships will be in St. Thomas on Feb. 13th - that will probably influence our decision on which beach to go to. Thanks for your help.

[sunbum1961]

We will be in St. Thomas on the Emerald Princess on Friday, March 11, 2011. Wanted to verify that we'll be docking at Crown Bay and would love to find out how many other ships will be in port that day. Don't know how you do it... but love it! Thanks!

[David V]

I'm attempting to create a do it yourself version of a RCI tour titled St. John Eco Hike and Beach, but I need some help filling in the pieces from what the tour description leaves out. The description says the trail starts at the Visitor Center and leads to Honeymoon Beach, then to Caneel Bay's colorful Botanical Gardens and to the ruins of a sugar plantation. Is this the Lind Point Trail? How would you describe this hiking trail, easy/moderate/strenuous? Are there many scenic outlooks on the way? Is Honeymoon Beach also known as Salomon Bay (looking on a map this is the only beach I see labeled between Cruz Bay and Caneel)? Would we be able to access the beach directly from the trail to cool off and lounge around? Are the Botanical Gardens nice to tour? What is the name of the plantation ruins and is there an entrance fee? Are there taxis readily available in this area to take us back to Cruz Bay? The tour description says the duration is 4 hrs which includes the ferry rides and time on the beach, so I'm guessing this hike would be plenty doable on your own with plenty of time to explore and not feel rushed. We will be on the Serenade of the Seas in port from 8am-6pm. Lot's of questions I know, but I'm trying to determine if this would be a worthwhile excursion option. Any input would be appreciated :)

 

I can only speak to the Lind Point Trail and Honeymoon Beach. Go to the park visitor's center and the rangers will direct you to the trail head. If you haven't any water with you, buy some from the rangers. The trail is not that difficult to find but they will point you in the right direction. They were building a stairway to the road that leads to the trail head and it should be completed by now.

The hiking trail is moderate. It is very rocky though and can be a little tricky going down hill. Sturdy shoes would be a good idea (and one I did not follow.) The Nat'l Park Service map lists it as an hour hike. It's really more like a 1/2 hour. Watch for a signpost on the right with the signage posted away from you. This is the direction sign indicating the path down to Honeymoon Beach. This path exits the park through a chain link fence onto a dirt road which runs parallel to the beach. This is a primitive beach. No restrooms or benches no drinking water. There are some critter proof garbage containers. My wife and another woman followed the road to Caneel Bay to swim in it's protected water. I stayed at Honeymoon Beach so can't tell you much except to watch for iguanas!

 

There are scenic lookouts mentioned in the trail guide. I didn't see any. Maybe I was watching my footing and missed them.

Edited January 10, 2011 by David V