Thinking about St. John and how to go

[librarylady19]

Thanks so much for the update. We will be there next week and plan to follow your lead., sounds wonderful. Fortunately there's only one other ship in port with us.

Edited December 6, 2011 by librarylady19

[Cruisin' R.N.]

I just wanted to take time to thank Host Anne and Augie for their great input to this thread and the responses to my specific questions on going over to St John for the day.

 

Even though I'd been over there on a day trip while on a OI (on island) vacation, I'd never been off a cruise ship.

 

We were on Carnival Freedom two weeks ago and had a blast.

Our ship arrived in STT at 7am. The ship didn't announce we could get off but we went ahead and went down to deck 0 about 7:30am. We were first off the ship. Walked straight out of the security gates towards the end of the Havensight Mall. There was a Jitney cab going to Redhook with only four persons in it and I asked the driver how long? He said we'd be leaving in a few minutes. Cool! And he did. The four of us got in and we were off without waiting for it to be full.

 

We arrived in Redhook at 3 minutes till 8am. Ran into the ferry port and I hollered at the gate attendant if we could make the ferry. Yep, got our tics and ran onboard. We were the first and only cruisers on the ferry.

 

We arrived in Cruz Bay about 15 minutes later and it was very quite. Very, very few people about. Too early.

Made our way over to Delbert Hill car rental and we were off in about 30 minutes. Stopped to fill the car with gas and headed off on the North Shore Dr to stop at all the bays on the way to Coral Bay and Skinny Legs.

 

Also, arriving that early there were no cabs or tour guides around that we saw. When we arrived at Trunk Bay there were several jitneys and their drivers hanging out there?

 

Had a GREAT day and here are a few videos.

Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately the Mafolie hotel in STT was closed during the day for renovations. But if you ever want to have a relaxing cocktail with an excellent view of Charlotte Amalie, go up to the Mafolie

 

Just wondering if your Jitney ride was the same cost as a taxi?

[mackers74]

Loved both, but here is the main difference.. when the storms/winds come in from the N. then head to Salt Pond!! We started at Trunk Bay and the ocean was way toooo rough for snorkeling/swimming/fun! So, we took the taxi/shuttle ( right there at Trunk Bay entrance ) to Salt Pond and LOVED IT!!!!!

[Host Anne]

Haven't been here in awhile due to work schedule and a transatlantic cruise. But I was working on our Christmas newsletter today and including photos of our May trip to St. John. A week in paradise. Sorry to have been away so long.

 

Agree with Augie. If you want a quiet beach, try Maho/Francis. They are building facilities (don't know what kind....always a surprise) at Maho. Since there were no facilities there, whatever they are adding will be a plus. It's probably my favorite beach.

 

kcparraothead ~ doing the drive around the island depends on how much time you want to stop and enjoy the views. For me, it probably takes longer than the average person. I like to get out, enjoy the view, take some photos and enjoy the view again. I recommend renting a car, driving to the north shore beaches. Stop at Maho, Annaburg ruins (walk up to the top and take in the view of the BVIs), drive up the hill (a little backtracking) to the overlook at Chateau Bordeaux (have a drink here and enjoy the view for a good 20 minutes...I LOVE this view), drive down to Coral Bay and enjoy lunch at any of the places along the way), head back to town. I'd say this will take you about 4 - 5 hours depending how fast/slow you go and how much time to take to just enjoy the views.

 

kayehall ~ thanks so much for your kind comments. Much appreciated. Makes me want to go back now.

 

Annie ~ I can easily stroll Cruz Bay for two hours and eat up that amount of time. Lots of fun shops in Mongoose Junction; plenty of fun bars/restaurants to enjoy. The only challenges is that you don't really get to experience St. John if you stay in Cruz Bay. The best thing about St. John is driving the island and enjoying her beautiful beaches and vistas. You can't really do that from Cruz Bay. One hour taxi tour .... north shore beaches and up to Chateau Bordeaux overlook. I recommend everyone checks out the Chateau Bordeaux overlook....it's kind of surreal. Good luck with whatever you do.

 

ENJOY everyone and thanks to all who have gone and come back with updates!

[Host Anne]

FYI ~ love Salt Pond, too, but it's a long way from Trunk to Salt Pond so be aware of your time if you decide to go from one to the other. And it's a long way back to Cruz Bay! Salt Pond is a completely different experience from the north shore beaches. More rocky than sand. Still beautiful. Just different.

[kcparrothead]

Thank you, Anne, for your great info! So, if I can't talk my husband into renting a car, is the $25.pp taxi tour that I read about only one hour long? I guess you just drive around the island without any stops?

[annie99]

Thank you Anne for the good advice about the 1 hour taxi tour of the island. That would also give us time to have a drink in Cruz Bay - excellent idea!

[Host Anne]

Hi everyone ~ Taxi tours are typically longer than an hour. When I've done them with a group, it was usually 2 - 3 hours, depending on what we wanted to see. You could barely circumvent the north shore beaches and get up to Chateau Bordeaux and back to Cruz Bay in an hour if all you did was drive. The taxi tours stop at the popular overlooks and beaches. Some will stop at Annaberg (I suggest asking to stop here and walk up the short trail to the top of plantation for a fantastic view of the BVIs). Now that I think about it, we've never had a taxi tour that lasted just an hour.

 

Be sure to ask your taxi driver before you leave. They have a pretty typical tour. Ask what you'll see and how long it will take. Regardless of the length, you'll still have time to explore Cruz Bay and have a drink if you don't spend any time at a specific beach.

 

ENJOY!

[kcparrothead]

Thank you, Anne - So, if these tours are 2-3 hours long, I'm assuming they would cost more than the $25.pp tours I've read about on these boards? That seems really inexpensive to me!

[kcparrothead]

OK - I did some Google searching and found this on vinow dot com, so maybe they really ARE inexpensive??!?!

 

Sightseeing Tours: 2 hours - One passenger $50; two or more passengers $25 per person. 3 hours - One passenger $70; two or more passengers $35 per person.

 

Edited December 19, 2011 by kcparrothead

[Host Anne]

Yep ~ they are really inexpensive. Keep in mind that you usually are not in a taxi alone but with other passengers. All taxis on St. John (the greater majority) are the safari type vehicles that carry from 10 - 25 people. So they offer island tours for $25 per person. Sometimes you'll have a half empty taxi, sometimes it will be full. Just depends on how busy it is the day you are there but pretty much, $25 per person is what we typically have been charged (we always leave a little extra tip because the tours are usually great).

[kcparrothead]

Yep ~ they are really inexpensive. Keep in mind that you usually are not in a taxi alone but with other passengers. All taxis on St. John (the greater majority) are the safari type vehicles that carry from 10 - 25 people. So they offer island tours for $25 per person. Sometimes you'll have a half empty taxi, sometimes it will be full. Just depends on how busy it is the day you are there but pretty much, $25 per person is what we typically have been charged (we always leave a little extra tip because the tours are usually great).

 

We rode over to Trunk Bay in one of those safari type vehicles & have no problem going with others - really looking forward to seeing the rest of the island! Thanks so much for your help - I've tried to get all this info for quite awhile!!! :)

[Host Anne]

Glad to be of help, Dianne and Kevin ~ hope you have great weather when you are there and have a fantastic day.

[cottagemama]

Hello Host Anne

I been reading a bit of this thread but was wondering. We are on the Navigator docking at 8 am til 5pm. there are 2 other ships in port that day with one of them docking at 8 am as well. Here is what I would like to do. Taxi to Red Hook . Taxi island tour from Cruz Bay and a few hours on Cinnamon Bay and an hour shopping back at Cruz Bay before ferry back to Red Hook. My questions are 1) is this a doeable? 2) with another ship docking the same time as us, will there be sufficient taxies? and where are they located? 3) with the taxi tour drop us off a Cinnamon Bay? 3) How long is the tax ride from Cinnamon Bay to Cruz Bay? 4) Is there lots of taxi's available at Red Hook for the return trip? Thanks in advance for any information you can give

Cottagemama

[Host Anne]

Hi Cottagemama ~ yes, your planned trip is very doable. One thing you never have to worry about is enough safari taxis. There are plenty. When you disembark your ship, you will see them immediately. They basically load up until they are full and then head to the ferry dock. First thing in the morning, there is little or no wait for the taxis to fill.

 

If you are among the first to disembark, you can easily make the 9:00 AM ferry to Cruz Bay. There will be plenty of taxis to give you an island tour and drop you at Cinnamon for an hour. They will likely "volunteer" to meet you at a set time to pick you up and return you to Cruz Bay but here are always plenty of taxis at Cinnamon to provide a return trip, too. We normally do per-arrange a pick up so you don't have to think about it. It's about a 10 - 15 minute ride back to Cruz Bay.

 

When you get back to Red Hook, there are again, plenty of taxis (you are probably catching on that taxis are no problem). The ONLY difference at Red Hook is that the taxis that brought you here in the morning work for a different taxi association and cannot come into the ferry parking lot to pick you up. So if you per-arrange for your morning taxi to come back and get you, you have to walk across the street to meet your taxi. we've done this as they often offer a small discount for round trip. Although it's probably easier to just jump in a different taxi right inside the ferry parking lot.

 

Hope that wasn't too confusing. Have a fantastic time!

[Snorkel Dawg]

Just reading this thread again as our cruise is about 3 months away & wondering if anyone has seen any turtles snorkeling at Trunk Bay recently? Stingrays? Anyone have underwater pics they would like to share? :)

Reading these posts has me excited as ever!

 

 

Anne & Augie thanks for all this wondeful info you've shared to benefit so many! I absolutly love this thread, all the pics & videos! You guys are awesome! April 1, 2012 cannot get here soon enough!!!

[Host Anne]

Snorkel ~ we have seen both turtles and stingrays on the north shore beaches of St. John on our trip last May but I'm sorry to say that I don't recall exactly what beaches we saw them at. We didn't go to Trunk on that trip so I know we didn't see them there but we definitely saw them in May. We visited Hawksnest, Cinnamon, Maho and Francis. Maybe Augie will have a more definitive answer for you. Have a GREAT time!!!

[Redsfan]

wow at this thread...!!have to subscribe as this has be wanting to do a Dream Itinerary and visit the Eastern Route!!

 

Did I read correctly you need a Passport to take the Ferry to St.John?

[MindTheGap1918]

wow at this thread...!!have to subscribe as this has be wanting to do a Dream Itinerary and visit the Eastern Route!!

 

Did I read correctly you need a Passport to take the Ferry to St.John?

 

No passport needed to visit St. John. It is part of the US Virgin Islands. Passports are only needed if you take the ferry to one of the British Virgin Islands from St. Thomas or St. John.

[Redsfan]

No passport needed to visit St. John. It is part of the US Virgin Islands. Passports are only needed if you take the ferry to one of the British Virgin Islands from St. Thomas or St. John.

 

gotcha, thanks...was wondering...

[augie]

Just reading this thread again as our cruise is about 3 months away & wondering if anyone has seen any turtles snorkeling at Trunk Bay recently? Stingrays? Anyone have underwater pics they would like to share?

 

It's not unusual to see either or both at Trunk, but the turtles are usually away from the cay, feeding on the seagrass. You'll typically see the stingrays on or near the sandy bottom.

 

I'm way behind in getting my online photo album up from our October trip, but I hope to finish it shortly - there are a ton of underwater pictures (and some videos, too!) that will be included.

[Snorkel Dawg]

It's not unusual to see either or both at Trunk, but the turtles are usually away from the cay, feeding on the seagrass. You'll typically see the stingrays on or near the sandy bottom.

 

I'm way behind in getting my online photo album up from our October trip, but I hope to finish it shortly - there are a ton of underwater pictures (and some videos, too!) that will be included.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Augie-Thanks! I would enjoy seeing the underwater pics & vids

 

BTW our cruise is now only 2 months away:)

[Host Anne]

Augie ~ get those photos and videos done. I need my St. John fix! :)

[augie]

Augie ~ get those photos and videos done. I need my St. John fix! :)

 

I can't believe that it took me this long to get them done, but...here they are! Hope you enjoy looking at them.

 

[narnia1]

Hi : I was so excited to see your photos of St. John. We were there in December and alas, the water conditions were so rough that Trunk Bay was closed and no swimming was allowed. We were so dissappointed as we were there to snorkel and only there for one day. Now I am sure I want to go back. Could you tell me how you found the lovely house you stayed at , and how you learned about the beaches that you went to. What was your favorite snorkel site? Thanks.