Thinking about St. John and how to go

[Smileeface]

Gorgeous pictures augie! What kind of underwater camera did you use?

[Hurry&Wait]

Do you know what time you'll be at port on St. Thomas yet? H&W is correct - without a rental car it would be tough to hit Salt Pond Bay on a cruise stop - it's probably the beach with the second longest driving distance from Cruz Bay. There are a number of north shore beach options that will much easier to work in.

 

As far as lunch, depending on what you like to eat, if you want to grab a bite and run or would prefer to sit down, if lunch will be an important part of your day or just an afterthought on a day primarily all about the beach, you have a ton of options in and around Cruz Bay.

 

If you know what you'll be looking for as far as your lunch experience, I can probably help you narrow down your options.

 

Augie - great pics and your son seems like he had fun.

 

Did you rent a car in St Thomas or St. John? Which company did you use and what kind of luck did you have? Was the car barge difficult?

 

Kenny.

[Host Anne]

Steve ~ you've made my night!!!! Working on the final details for our trip to St. John and your photos sent me over the top! The underwater shots are fantastic. What kind of camera are you using for the underwater shots? Looks like you, Leslie & Jason had a fantastic time. I had to laugh at the photo of you at Shipwreck. As soon as I saw the bench I knew exactly where you were sitting. Just can't wait to get back. Thanks for taking the time to post and share your photos. When's your next visit?

 

By the way, the boat you went on....how many people can it take? We'll have 8 and as I recall, it might be tough to find a private boat for eight.

 

THANKS AGAIN for the photos.....can't wait!

[augie]

Gorgeous pictures augie! What kind of underwater camera did you use?

 

We used an Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 for everything after the first day, when our Canon D10 died on us!

 

Did you rent a car in St Thomas or St. John? Which company did you use and what kind of luck did you have? Was the car barge difficult?

 

Kenny, for the past three years we've rented from Dependable on St. Thomas and taken the car barge over. Never had a problem doing so.

 

When's your next visit?

 

Leslie and I will be back in early October this year!

 

By the way, the boat you went on....how many people can it take?

Palm Tree Charters can only take six, which, as you've probably found out, is the case for the majority of charter companies. I've seen some recommendations given to others for larger groups. Let me check with a friend of mine that lives on island and schedules for some of the operators, and I'll get back to you with some options.

[Froufie]

Do you know what time you'll be at port on St. Thomas yet? H&W is correct - without a rental car it would be tough to hit Salt Pond Bay on a cruise stop - it's probably the beach with the second longest driving distance from Cruz Bay. There are a number of north shore beach options that will much easier to work in.

 

As far as lunch, depending on what you like to eat, if you want to grab a bite and run or would prefer to sit down, if lunch will be an important part of your day or just an afterthought on a day primarily all about the beach, you have a ton of options in and around Cruz Bay.

 

If you know what you'll be looking for as far as your lunch experience, I can probably help you narrow down your options.

 

We will be docked in St Thomas from 9 am to 6 pm which I believe is enuf time to visit St. John.

 

Don't want to rent a car tho! Have been to Trunk Bay and Cinammon Bay but would like to see some other beaches - and would consider a 'sit down' lunch if it was worth it (e.g. for the view, on a taxi tour?)...otherwise I guess we would eat wherever we find ourselves? Probably taking red hook ferry over and charlotte amalie back - depending on timing and schedules!

 

Any further info on beaches/lunches greatly appreciated.

[augie]

Any further info on beaches/lunches greatly appreciated.

 

There are at least a couple other beaches I'd consider if I were you and would rather go to a new one, rather than returning to Trunk or Cinnamon. You could go to Hawksnest Beach, which is the first public beach you come to as you take North Shore Road (the same road that Trunk and Cinnamon are on) from Cruz Bay. There are bathrooms there, but no other facilities, such as concessions, chair rentals, etc. If the surf isn't up, and you're a fair to good snorkeler, you could even snorkel around the point at the far right side of the beach to Gibney Beach. Since there are no concessions at Hawksnest, you'd probably want to leave early enough to be able to eat lunch back in Cruz Bay (or you could eat lunch there first, then head to the beach). High Tide, Waterfront Bistro, and The Beach Bar are all waterfront options for lunch right near the ferry dock. A less touristy option is Uncle Joe's BBQ, right next to the information booth on the corner across the street from the post office. If you're hot, Mongoose Junction has a very air conditioned deli, a brew pub (The Tap Room), and a couple of nice lunch places in the shade - Ocean Grille and Sun Dog Cafe.

 

A different way to go is to take a taxi to the Caneel Bay Resort, and make the short walk from their parking lot to Honeymoon Beach. If you stay here, you'll likely see some of your fellow cruisers that are on snorkeling expeditions being dropped on the reefs offshore. Honeymoon is beautiful, but doesn't have any facilities right there, although Caneel Bay is just that same walk down the path. You could walk back to the resort and have lunch there before taking a cab back to town. FYI - some people like to hike the Lind Point Trail from near the Asolare Restaurant at the edge of Cruz Bay to and/or back from Honeymoon Beach. I've bever done that, but I don't think it's a challenging hike, but it could be a hot and thirsty one!

 

Do a little research and see if either of those options will work for you and your group.

Edited April 20, 2011 by augie

[Host Anne]

Froufie ~ As always, Augie's suggestions are great. I'll offer one more, totally different option.

 

Taxi to Maho (one of my favorite beaches). It is one beach beyond Cinnamon. No facilities (the only downside) but always less crowded than Trunk & Cinnamon. Then head up the hill for the view from Chateau Bordeaux (breathtaking) and then down to Coral Bay for lunch at Shipwreck Landing. It will give you a completely different feel for the island than Cruz Bay.

 

Whatever you decide, have a fantastic time.

[Froufie]

Thanks to both of you for the EXCELLENT suggestions - will have to discuss with my 'cruise buddy' and see what we might want to do.

 

Any ideas on cost of taxis/time to Caneel Bay Resort? Same for Chateaux Bordeaux and Coral Bay? (have heard of Chateaux Bordeaux and sounds interesting? expensive? reservations required?)

 

Thanks! :D

[augie]

Any ideas on cost of taxis/time to Caneel Bay Resort? Same for Chateaux Bordeaux and Coral Bay? (have heard of Chateaux Bordeaux and sounds interesting? expensive? reservations required?)

 

Caneel Bay is a very short (5 minutes maybe?) taxi ride from the ferry dock in Cruz Bay. Not sure of the cost, but it should be cheaper than the ride to Trunk, which is $6, I believe (again - not sure someone who's taken a taxi to get there should be able to confirm).

 

I think Anne was suggesting visiting Chateau Bordeaux for the view only, not for lunch. I'm pretty sure that they're not even open for lunch, at least right now. You'd probably need to find a taxi driver when you're finished hanging out at your beach of choice that would be willing to take you on a custom "island tour" to complete that particular itinerary. I'm not even sure if any of the taxis waiting to return folks to Cruz Bay would be willing to. You might have to negotiate the whole, beach, view, lunch, tour up front when you first get off of the ferry. I've never done that, but there are a lot of people that post/have posted on this forum that have, so it's certainly possible (and fairly easy) to do so.

[Froufie]

Thanks again - I think I am leaning towards Caneel and Honeymoon - but want to have some facilities/washrooms, etc. Do you know if Caneel Bay offers day passes? Otherwise I presume we can eat lunch at their restaurant? Are the 2 beaches side by side? or distance? Would we be allowed to use washroom facilities at Caneel Bay if they do no offer passes? Thanks!

[augie]

Thanks again - I think I am leaning towards Caneel and Honeymoon - but want to have some facilities/washrooms, etc. Do you know if Caneel Bay offers day passes? Otherwise I presume we can eat lunch at their restaurant? Are the 2 beaches side by side? or distance? Would we be allowed to use washroom facilities at Caneel Bay if they do no offer passes? Thanks!

 

I don't know if Caneel offers day passes, but I'm inclined to think that they do not. When you enter the resort you will be in front of their main beach, and Honeymoon is about a 5 to 10 minute walk to the left (as you're facing the water). I think they will let you swim at either of those beaches but some of the others (I think they have seven in all) they try to keep for the exclusive use of their registered guests. The use of the chairs, umbrellas, etc. (which are on the main beach, none of those on Honeymoon) are again, for the use of their registered guests only. I would imagine that if you buy drinks at their bar and eat at their restaurant that you could use the washrooms there.

 

You can always call them at (340)776-6111 to get more direct/informed answers.

[Froufie]

Thanks so much - excellent info! Will definitely contact them for further info!

[Host Anne]

Froufie ~ It will definitely be less expensive to hand on the north shore (Honeymoon) because it's a short cab ride as Augie mentioned. But after vacationing several times on the island, we now have an affinity for the east end (Bordeaux Mtn & Coral Bay). It's just a different experience from the beaches. I love the views and the quiet lunch out there.

 

Chateuax Bordeaux has actually reopened for lunch. A small outdoor deck with a grille & blender was the lunch service. That has now reopened. In fact, the inside of the restaurant was open the day we were there, too but I don't recall if they were actually serving lunch inside. But the grille was definitely back in operation and of all the wonderful overlooks on the island, this is at the top of my list. But Augie is right....you'd need to negotiate with a taxi driver and I'd estimate they'd charge about $25 - $30 per person to go up to Chateau Bordeaux, down to Shipwreck (I'd still rather have lunch here) and then back to a north shore beach (or doing the trip in revserse....beach first then up to Chateau Bordeaux and down to Shipwreck and back to Cruz Bay). We've done this several times with groups.

 

Some many options, so little time! It's all good no matter what you do. By the way, I doubt that Caneel does day passes. But there are so many other great beaches with facilities, it doesn't matter.

[Froufie]

Thanks Anne! You're right too little time to see it all - we shall pick and choose carefully! (and I guess we'll just have to come back again some other time? :D:D)

[Smileeface]

Anne, I've read that they sell beer and drinks at Trunk Bay. Do you know if they allow you to bring in beer on your own in a cooler? I always pack a soft sided collapsible cooler, and I thought we could buy some beer/drinks in Cruz Bay before heading into Trunk Bay. I just want to be sure it's allowed, and if they do, do they allow glass bottles? I would probably take cans if unsure, just in case...

[Ms411]

You can bring your own coolers, but no bottles allowed on beaches in National Park which includes Trunk Bay and other beaches on STJ.

[lrn2cruise]

The FOS does not get into ST.T until 11am. We leave at 7pm. How are the afternoon ferries? If we need 3 hours back, we would leave at 4pm

[Smileeface]

You can bring your own coolers, but no bottles allowed on beaches in National Park which includes Trunk Bay and other beaches on STJ.

 

Thanks, do they allow us to bring in our own beer/alcholic drinks in cans?

[Vanessa L]

Just wanted to thank Anne and Augie for the incredible info on St. John. And even though I am an Auburn grad :D want to say, you guys are GREAT! Thanks so much!! Will be in St. Thomas in October on the Victory and am looking so forward to seeing St. John!!

[Snorkel Dawg]

As many others have posted, I too want to thank Anne & Augie for wealth of information shared here on St. Johns. Having been to St. Thomas several times we were considering a tour to St. Johns for something different. Already planning for our 2012 trip and after reading this thread I feel very confident we can do this entirely on our own. I think my daughters will both enjoy the ferry ride over as well. Our Ship is scheduled in port from 9-6 so we'll heed your advice & take the 3PM ferry home.

 

I also loved looking at all the photos. If they didn't "set the hook" into visiting St. Johns...nothing will! :)

 

 

Threads like this one are the reason I love Cruise Critic!

[kujobie]

Lots of good info on this thread. Thanks everyone. On our last cruise there we went to trunk bay and will be doing it again in 4 months. Of all the beaches I have been to, it is one of the most beautiful. We will be in port from 10am-8pm. How late do the ferries run? Should I worry about taking the 5:00 ferry if it's the last one of the day? I'm guessing traffic will be bad at that time of day on the ferry and on St. Thomas when we get back.

[augie]

We will be in port from 10am-8pm. How late do the ferries run? Should I worry about taking the 5:00 ferry if it's the last one of the day? I'm guessing traffic will be bad at that time of day on the ferry and on St. Thomas when we get back.

 

The people ferries run until late at night (possibly midnight?), so that shouldn't be a concern for you.

 

Even with "rush hour" traffic, catching the 5:00 ferry should get you back to your ship in plenty of time for your 8:00 departure.

[Host Anne]

Hi everyone ~ we just returned from 8 wonderful days on St. John to celebrate our 25th anniversary. I shocked everyone by doing a land vacation instead of a cruise (change is good sometimes). It was a truly wonderful week. Went by far too fast and my only regret is that we didn't make it to Trunk Bay (that was a first).

 

But we did hit many of the other beaches and went some places we hadn't been before including a wonderful snorkeling site called Booby Rock just off the south shore of the island. The best snorkeling we've ever done. I would have sworn we jumped into an aquarium.

 

For those who asked about beer on the beaches, we took a soft sided cooler with a couple of cans of soda and beer each afternoon. No problem at all.

 

As Augie mentioned, the ferries run late so no problem with catching a 5 or 6 PM ferry back to St. Thomas. Working to upload photos. I'll post a link when they are live.

 

Happy planning to all!

[augie]

Welcome back Anne! Glad you had a great visit, and a belated Happy Anniversary!

 

I'm interested to hear more about Booby Rock, and look forward to seeing your pictures!

 

125 days until our next visit to STJ...

[Host Anne]

Hi Augie (and friends) ~ just finished creating my on-line photo album. Here's a link: http://stjohnmay2011.shutterfly.com/ Click on PICTURES & VIDEOS and then click on VIEW ALBUM.

 

Booby Rock is just south of Salt Pond. Can't miss it but you have to take a boat to get there. No one else was around. It really was like being dumped into an aquarium. The best snorkeling was on the north side of the rock (facing Salt Pond). I tried to take some photos (you'll see a few in my album) but it was a bit overcast and I swear every time I clicked, the fish all evacuated because you won't see them in my shots. I highly recommend a trip here on your next visit, Steve. Let me know if you want the name of the person who took us out to Booby Rock....he was great!Now you've made me jealous. Wish we were going back in 125 days!

 

By the way, the photo on the top of the main web page when you click on the link is the sunrise from our villa. A spectacular view!

Edited June 2, 2011 by Host Anne