Thinking about St. John and how to go

[blue_water]

I wouldn't look for anyone to join you from the roll call as more people would just slow you down (like taking the ship-sponsored tour) and you don't benefit from having more people in any way.

 

Friends recommend Maho for turtles, an occasional ray and lots of fish. We'll be trying Maho and Francis ourselves in about a week.

 

Enjoy your cruise!:)

[Host Anne]

Kangaroo ~ since you are at Crown Bay, I definitely suggest you try to find others to grab a taxi with to Red Hook. If you walk out of the port to the taxis on your own, you could face a long wait for them to fill a taxi like we did last month. You don't have to stay together once you get to the ferry, you can all go your own way. But you stand a much better chance of getting a taxi quickly (which is important when you are trying to catch a ferry) if you get a group on your roll call to join in for the taxi ride. Just pick a lounge to meet onboard about 15 minutes prior to your scheduled docking time and be ready to go as soon as they begin disembarkation. Have a great time!

[blue_water]

Anne, kangaroo is embracing the option of getting a "head start" over those taking the ship-sponsored tour or even those filling the dock taxis. Relying on a group of other passengers to meet together just to fill a taxi at the dock would defeat the purpose. We'ew constantly having to wave off taxis looking for a fare when walking STT and if they can't flag a taxi as a smaller group outside the dock then they should be able to get one of the first taxis out of the dock.

It doesn't make sense to tie yourself to a larger group for this excursion IMHO.

Edited January 2, 2013 by blue_water

[Host Anne]

Hi Blue ~ have you ever tried to get a taxi at Crown Bay or just outside the gates of Crown Bay. It was impossible last month when we were there. The taxi association taxis would NOT go until they filled a taxi (we actually got of one after waiting 20 - 25 minutes to get one and then another 10 minutes in a taxi waiting for them to fill....which they never did and we started walking). Once outside the Crown Bay gates, we literally walked all the way to the Charlotte Amalie ferry before we saw another taxi.

 

No one wants to get a faster start to the day to get to St. John than me. I'm waiting and ready to go the minute they let us off. When I chat with others on my roll call about meeting to share a taxi, I'm clear about a meeting time and location and clear that we leave at a designated time. I've been doing it for years and 99% of the time people who said they'd be there actually show up.

 

Just don't want Kangaroo to experience the frustrations we did last month. It was only the second time we docked at Crown Bay and we didn't attempt to go to St. John the first time we docked there. Still glad we went but the taxi situation at Crown Bay was anything but pleasant.

 

Going back next week but docking at Havensight and I have 14 people with me so no problems at all. We'll be on St. John by 9:15 AM !!!! WOO HOO!!!!

[Host Anne]

By the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all and may 2013 include a visit to the beautiful island of St. John!

[Host Anne]

Blue ~ why isn't your avatar the photo in your profile? I have that photo as my screensaver. Slightly different angle but very similar!!! :)

[blue_water]

Hi Anne, we don't cruise much anymore and when we do and we come to STT it's at WICO. Having said that, we do have friends who still enjoy cruising to STT and the eastern Carib islands and who have docked at Crown. Their experience is just the opposite and the recommendation I gave is based on their repeated success. They sometimes partake in filling a taxi at the dock if there's one close to leaving, but they tell me that more often they will hail a taxi looking for a fare outside the dock. Never a need for them to get a larger group together that can slow you down later but I don't have that first-hand experience as you do.

So no, I can't speak to that myself and I understand you are trying to help the new folks and I hope that they do have a wonderful day.

Being on a cruise makes you (us) part of the problem, of course, and any way that one can minimize that problem is a good thing. If gathering a group to fill a taxi at the dock works best to maximize the experience then that is the way to go.

 

Thanks! :)

Edited January 3, 2013 by blue_water
clarification

[pzerba]

Host Anne -

 

I have a group of 10, that may grow to 14. I've done the taxi to Red Hook before from Havensight, but this time we are coming into Crown Bay on the Allure.

 

My question is how many people do the taxi's hold, and more importantly, if we have to split, is there any way to get to them to leave together to avoid the possibility of one half of the group missing the ferry.

 

Any other insights you'd have a for larger group would be welcome as well - thanks for a great thread!

[Host Anne]

Blue ~ I think the one thing that has to be factored in at Crown Bay is if Oasis or Allure are in port with other ships. It's a huge impact. Just too many people. I am a planner by nature. I want to know all the things that can possibly impact my plans. Hopefully, the best of things happen but sometimes they don't.

 

pzerba ~ if you have a group of 10 - 14 you should be able to walk out and get a taxi all to yourself without a problem. Vans can hold ten and the safaris can hold 14 or more. You'll be in great shape. You are an "easy" group for them because they can send you altogether. One person (you?) should approach the person assigning the taxis and tell them you have X amount of people ready to go to the Red Hook ferry. You shouldn't have to wait at all and there isn't any reason they should need to split your group. Tell them you all want to go together.

 

When you come back in the afternoon, there will be plenty of taxis waiting for you at Red Hook. You won't have a problem there, either.

 

Have a great time!

[blue_water]

The larger passenger vans typically hold up to 14, safari taxis up to 25. They are directed to leave the dock areas once filled otherwise there would be a mess at the dock and at the destinations.

Note that some of the people you're waiting for or waiting with are being dropped at Coki and Sapphire beaches on Rt 38 on the way to the Red Hook ferry terminal. Unless of course you hire a private taxi (as a large group) or flag a taxi (as a couple or family) which would take Rt 30/32 and take you directly to the ferry terminal).

[blue_water]

Blue ~ I think the one thing that has to be factored in at Crown Bay is if Oasis or Allure are in port with other ships. It's a huge impact. Just too many people. I am a planner by nature. I want to know all the things that can possibly impact my plans. Hopefully, the best of things happen but sometimes they don't.

 

I tend to over-plan myself and consult the cruise ship calendar of course (actually even before we book) because our time in port is so valuable. But I am a realist and always expect unforeseen delays anyway. We are on island time, and you just can't change that (we're staying on STT next week and I don't want to change that! :p). We just have different solutions for dealing with the crowds and that's good because it means we won't be in each others way! I just try to pass on experience that has worked for us and others over the years to save a few folks some of the pain we experienced.

Have a great visit next time there! :)

Edited January 3, 2013 by blue_water

[vuildog]

Not sure if this has been discussed or not, but make sure you take cash for the ferry. Last February they did not accept credit cards. We had just enough cash for the ferry ride & entry to the beach. Good thing everyone else took a credit card. Our fault for not checking. Just assumed they would take a credit card.

 

Enjoy St. John's! Well worth the effort to get there. Some of the nicest shopping of any island we have visited as well. Not as many "junk" shops as other islands. Can't wait to go back again this February!

[pzerba]

pzerba ~ if you have a group of 10 - 14 you should be able to walk out and get a taxi all to yourself without a problem. Vans can hold ten and the safaris can hold 14 or more. You'll be in great shape. You are an "easy" group for them because they can send you altogether. One person (you?) should approach the person assigning the taxis and tell them you have X amount of people ready to go to the Red Hook ferry. You shouldn't have to wait at all and there isn't any reason they should need to split your group. Tell them you all want to go together.

 

When you come back in the afternoon, there will be plenty of taxis waiting for you at Red Hook. You won't have a problem there, either.

 

Have a great time!

 

Thanks Anne!

[blue_water]

Blue ~ pzerba ~ if you have a group of 10 - 14 you should be able to walk out and get a taxi all to yourself without a problem. Vans can hold ten and the safaris can hold 14 or more. You'll be in great shape. You are an "easy" group for them because they can send you altogether. One person (you?) should approach the person assigning the taxis and tell them you have X amount of people ready to go to the Red Hook ferry. You shouldn't have to wait at all and there isn't any reason they should need to split your group. Tell them you all want to go together.

 

Actually you may want to be quick and grab an empty van if you're organizing a group of 10 - 14. The larger vans will need 12 - 14 to fill up and one of those would work for you (if you can grab one before others get to it). The safari taxis hold 24 - 25 ppl and you'll need to wait for others to fill 'er up if you choose one of those as the driver wants a full load.

[KangarooCare]

Hi Anne, Blue_water and others,

 

The one thing I have learned from this thread is that you all have an insatiable desire and eagerness to spend time on St. John (which motivates me even more)! And you want to share this opportunity and experience with others, (thank you)!

 

So here is my delimma:

 

In port (Crown Bay) from 8-5 on HA 03-06-13. If I'm lucky and can get a cab (relatively quickly) I should be able to catch the Red Hook ferry by 9:00 (being optimistic). I'll get St. John to do some snorkeling and sight seeing (relaxing) and head back to STT on the 2:00 ferry (to get back to ship on time).

 

I found the cruise ship happens to offer an excursion called "St. John's on your own" for $44.95, it leaves at 11:00, you take a narrated boat trip to Cruz Bay and you then have 2 and 1/4 hours to explore St. John as you wish, before taking the ferry back.

 

Typically we tend to book or do tours on our own, but I'm wondering if this might be the better way to go?? Of course I know the more time on St. John the better!

 

One other thing to consider is Epic and Allure are also in port that day...

 

Once again, I do appreciate all the advise and recommendations that this thread has offered!

[librarylady19]

I am facing the same dilemma. Reflection is docking at crown Bay and there will just be 2 of us. Friends who were on Equinox recently did the ships excursion to Sr John; said the ride was a bit choppy but they had several hours of independent exploration on St John.

 

 

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[mseldga]

How much does the # of ships in port impact traffic? We'll be docked at Crown Bay in March with it looks like only one other cruise ship there - docked at Havensight - and neither are a mega ship. I'm worried about going to St. John on our own and getting stuck in traffic and missing the ship. Thks!

[Host Anne]

There is no question ~ we all love St. John. The great thing about the Cruise Critic boards is that you get a variety of experiences and information from lots of people so you hopefully know all the potential things you could run into and be prepared for them.

 

I personally would be unlikely to do the cruise ship's St. John on your own except that I believe your tour leaves from the port area at Crown Bay. But 2 1/4 hours isn't nearly enough to see much on St. John. You could get a quick island tour in (about another $25 per person) but not much more. I know it's a tough call and if you just want to get a taste of St. John and see some beautiful spots, the ship tour is a nice option. It just isn't enough for me!

 

One thing about being in port with Allure is that it may arrive after you, kangaroo. When we were on Oasis, we arrived at 9:00 AM and the HAL ship was already in port - a big advantage. The only thing I'd avoid on days Allure/Epic/Oasis are in port is Trunk Bay. It's just not that big. Any other of the north shore beaches are fine.

 

mseldga ~ the number of ships definitely has an impact. If you are the only one at Crown Bay, you may have better luck because the taxis need more fares with fewer people....or there could be fewer taxis (but I doubt that). It's unusual for only two ships to be in St. Thomas in March. You must have caught a good day. The beaches on St. John should be in good shape (fewer people) too.

 

I'll be there this week. Cannot wait!!!!!

[Lotus Girl]

There is no question ~ we all love St. John. The great thing about the Cruise Critic boards is that you get a variety of experiences and information from lots of people so you hopefully know all the potential things you could run into and be prepared for them.

 

I personally would be unlikely to do the cruise ship's St. John on your own except that I believe your tour leaves from the port area at Crown Bay. But 2 1/4 hours isn't nearly enough to see much on St. John. You could get a quick island tour in (about another $25 per person) but not much more. I know it's a tough call and if you just want to get a taste of St. John and see some beautiful spots, the ship tour is a nice option. It just isn't enough for me!

 

One thing about being in port with Allure is that it may arrive after you, kangaroo. When we were on Oasis, we arrived at 9:00 AM and the HAL ship was already in port - a big advantage. The only thing I'd avoid on days Allure/Epic/Oasis are in port is Trunk Bay. It's just not that big. Any other of the north shore beaches are fine.

 

mseldga ~ the number of ships definitely has an impact. If you are the only one at Crown Bay, you may have better luck because the taxis need more fares with fewer people....or there could be fewer taxis (but I doubt that). It's unusual for only two ships to be in St. Thomas in March. You must have caught a good day. The beaches on St. John should be in good shape (fewer people) too.

 

I'll be there this week. Cannot wait!!!!!

 

Hi Anne

 

We're going to be heading to St John when on Equinox in March so have enjoyed reading your post. Any idea how much the taxi is to get to Red Hook to catch the boat to St John and how would I be able to find out where we are docking in St Thomas? We were at Crown Bay last year when there and felt it was miles away and took us an age to get a taxi back to the cruise terminal from the Town!

 

Hope you and Andy had a great Christmas and New Year :)

 

Karen

Edited January 6, 2013 by Lotus Girl

[mlbcruiser]

Anne, I was wondering if you know if the Oasis switches between Charlotte Amalie and Crown Bay? I got the impression from some posts on this thread that it docks at Crown Bay, but I just checked on CruiseReport.com and it says it docks in Charlotte Amalie on our date, Feb. 26, instead of at Crown Bay.

 

We, too, are looking at the cheapest way to get over to St. John as we love it there so much! I would also be interested in knowing the current taxi prices to Red Hook each way from both Charlotte Amalie & Crown Bay (pp or per vehicle?). Any help on that issue would be appreciated. And the cost to get to, say, Hawksnest, from the ferry dock at Cruz Bay?

 

RCCL has 3 or 4 different excursions that go over to St. John costing between $35 and $40 pp. All groups are combined and leave at the same time from Charlotte Amalie. You could essentially sign up for any of them yet use them only as a mode of transport to/from St. John. They offer different lengths of time on your own, depending upon the one you choose. And it's a pretty ride by water from Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay. Problem is, the last time we used the Charlotte Amalie ferry we took our dd's inlaws w/us - independently. That day the ferry was being utililized by the ships to transport people on their excursions. This held up the departure by a lot. I recall having to wait an interminable amount of time before we actually managed to leave for St. John. That is why we will go to the trouble of getting to Red Hook and taking the ferry from there.

 

Lots of good info. on this thead. Thanks!

Edited January 7, 2013 by mlbcruiser

[blue_water]

It's always best to contact your cruise line rep with the port question.
Taxi from Crown to Red Hook is $10 - 12pp each way ($9pp from (WICO), from Cruz Bay to beach $6pp each way.
The self excursion is the best option (IMHO) because of the added flexibility and time on the island. But for those not comfortable with that the ship -sponsored tour is an option.

[Livethelife]

[quote name='mlbcruiser'] I was wondering if you know if the Oasis switches between Charlotte Amalie and Crown Bay? I got the impression from some posts on this thread that it docks at Crown Bay, but I just checked on CruiseReport.com and it says it docks in Charlotte Amalie on our date, Feb. 26, instead of at Crown Bay. [/quote]

Crown Bay is one of the two cruise ship docks in Charlotte Amalie. West India Company (WICO, also know as Havensight) is the other. The Oasis [U]always[/U] docks in Crown Bay due to the depth of the channel. The larger ships do not have enough depth at Havensight.

[mlbcruiser]

Livethelife, thanks for the info. I would also have considered Crown Bay as being one of the Charlotte Amalie docks. However, that site listed Crown Bay separately. When I initially clicked on Crown Bay, it didn't show any ships docking there that day, so I figured maybe there was some construction going on or something. I then tried Charlotte Amalie, and that's when it showed the Oasis. I much prefer Havensight (which is apparentlly WICO) but more and more the ships we have been on have been docking at Crown Bay.

Thanks again!

[KatPem]

Many moons ago (2004) my husband and I were on the Carnival Destiny and took the ferry to St John for the day and fell in love. We are finally going back and taking the kids over Spring break this year. We are a family of 6 and while we are the only ship!! docked that day, we are only docked from 11am to 6pm. We are planning on taking the Red Hook Ferry to St John and we would love to do what my husband and I did....we had them drop us off on Centerline Rd. at the Cinnamon Bay Trail and we hiked down to the Bay and then had a little time on the beach and headed back. The hike is 1.2 miles from what I can tell...it has been so long though that we can't remember our port times to know if this is doable or if we should skip the hike....we have been telling the kids about St John for years so we really hope to have time to do both...but having a family of 6, we can't afford to miss the ship :) ANy thoughts??

[mlbcruiser]

My husband and I went to Cinnamon Bay just once, a few yrs. back just to see it and snorkel, etc. From what I recall, you should be fine. Esp. if you can catch the ferry by around 9 a.m. or so. We just hung out at the beach a bit and snorkeled. We didn't hike at all, though. Just be sure to make it back to St. Thomas at least 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. before you have to be on the ship to avoid stress and be on the safe side.