Thinking about St. John and how to go

[mlbcruiser]

Phoenix Dream, yes, it's DEFINITELY worth going to St. John even if you are not beach people. The scenery and views are phenomenal even just from the main road! Lots of beautiful photo opportunities. Take a walk in both directions from the ferry. All the way down to the resort accommodations called "The Gallows" (you will see the little bldgs. off to the right as the ferry arrives in Cruz Bay), then back through the town, along the wharf, past the bars, etc., and all the way down back past the ferry to an usual looking little shopping enclave called Mongoose (or something like that?). Go back into it a ways. Even if you don't want to shop, there are a couple of nice places and shops to browse in back down near the wharf, w/views of the sea and ferry coming over from STT, etc. There are some outdoor "hut" type eateries in town (I think the fish and chips place is still there?) and a barbecue place that the locals run (food is safe), plus several other restaurants. The Annaberg ruins are fun to visit, took as you pass all the main beaches on the way there and there are really nice views from there (and mongoose!). If you take a little tour you will likely also learn things about the idea for the Nat'l. Park, about Caneel Bay, etc.


Whataboutport, if you reserve an excursion through the ship, the ship will not leave w/out you. That is why some people do ship's excursions only. If you go back just a page or 2 and read earlier posts on this very thread, you will see these RCCL excursions have been discussed very recently.

Bruce, it's not uncommon to find 7 ships in port at STT on the same day. Yes, it's going to be crowded. Most esp. downtown in Charlotte Amalie around the shops. Still, you should find taxis at the ready. As for the ferry coming home from SJ, due to your ship getting in late, you may just want to go ahead and go over there w/a ship's excursion. Check out the ferry schedule and see how late and how often the ferries run from Cruz Bay to Red Hook. Most ships will be gone before your's so as long as you can catch a ferry, you should be o.k. Taxis know what ships leave when and when the ferry comes back.

Janet, "far" can be subjective. Crown Bay is farther from Red Hook than Havensite by several minutes, depending on the traffic. Someone else on here will have a better answer for you but thought I'd just mention that.

[Anyislandwilldo]

[quote name='phoenix_dream']So here's my situation - DH and I are not big beach people, and have been to St. Thomas many times so are considering going over to St. John just to see something different. A few questions:

- Do you think it is worth the time and expense to go there if you don't end up at a beach?
- Is there anything to do other than a little shopping and lunch, for non-beach people? Perhaps it is still worth it to taxi to a beach with a beach bar just to enjoy the scenery even if we don't swim/snorkel?
- If we take a ship excursion (as we were thinking of doing as we have never been there, and don't need to try to maximize beach time), do we get stuck with the longer ferry ride and in turn, most likely a choppier crossing (I tend to get green in those siutations:()?

When I read over the posts people talk on the one hand about how "easy" it is to go over there on your own, but the rush to get a taxi, make sure you catch xyz ferry, make sure you allow 3 hours to get back to the ship etc., etc., doesn't really sound all that relaxing to tell the truth. Maybe it sounds worse than it is, and for beach people there seems to be no question it is worth going. But for non-beach people - what is your opinion?[/quote]

Rushing around on island time is a long different than rushing around in the Midwest. I too, thought we would be rushing around a lot but it's not as bad as it sounds. We did St. John's on our own back in 2011 based on the advise from this board and everything fell into place perfectly!

[blue_water]

MLB, it's worth the trip in our opinion, an island tour is a great way to see some of the island, and there are also great trails if you want that experience. The shopping and dining in Cruz Bay is a very nice change from Charlotte Amalie, Mongoose Junction has some very nice stores (as well as the Tap Room), and you can also find some very nice jewelry (Hook bracelets) at St John Bracelets.
Definitely a nice day even without the beach, and do go on your own via the Red Hook ferry - extremely easy and no rushing at all. Anyone rushing is just too uptight and needs a chill pill!
Have fun! Edited January 17, 2013 by blue_water

[mlbcruiser]

blue_water, I think you meant to direct your last post to Phoenix Dream. I had responded to Phoenix Dream myself as to miss St. John just because you aren't a beach person would be a shame! (A photo I took from the overlook above Trunk Bay has adorned our frig for the past 20 yrs!) If I could recommend just one caribbean island for someone to see, it would be St. John! BTW, I love those hook bracelets, too! And the jewelry shop(s?) that have the opals made into rings, charms of whale tails on necklaces, etc. (Unfortunately, I never have the $ to afford one since I spend it on travel!)

[phoenix_dream]

Thanks for those who responded to my question about visiting even if not a beach person. Does anyone have input on the rest of the question as regards the route the ship's excursions take as compared to going on your own? We will be on Celebrity if that matters. thanks again

[cruisin4thedeepblue]

[quote name='mlbcruiser'][B]RE: Having enough time for St. John[/B]: wbclucy, 2 hrs. and 15 min. is really NOT enough time for a half way decent look at St. John, esp. if you have a friend you want to spend any time with, or who wants to show you around (and believe me, I can really squeeze a lot into a short amount of time when I need to!). You will no doubt want to get a look at the lay of the land, the beaches, AND have a bit of time to walk around the Cruz Bay area. We've been to St. John numerous times and even once spent a wk. there.

[B]"On your own time" excursion[/B]: Some RCCL ships offer a trip over to St. John (3 -?- different group tours ferry over together). However, one tour stays on the boat in St. John. That group is taken on a ride along the NW shore, seeing various well known beaches, going all the way to Annaberg ruins. On this excursion you wind up having 3-3 1/2 hrs. "on your own" after the coastal tour, which is a fair amount of time. Not ideal, but at least enough to spend some time at a beach and then visit Cruz Bay. You would have to check the excursions offered in St. Thomas for your sailing to know if it's offered.

[B]RE: the ferry from Charlotte Amalie[/B], someone mentioned it being rough sometimes. I guess that happens, but we've been lucky since we've taken the C.A. ferry 3 - 4 times in a span of many yrs. (always in March) and never had rough seas. It took us about 45 min. one way to get to Cruz Bay that way. The views along the way are really fabulous! I recall going past Frenchman's Reef, seeing some cool hillside homes, "Hurricane Hole" and a few well known resorts. Our first time was many yrs. ago & that time there was a narrative by the capt. or a crew member delivered via loudspeaker that pointed out a few scenic highlights along the way. In subsequent yrs., there was no commentary. IMO, it's worth going that way at least once for the scenery. You can always take the C.A. ferry to St. John yet come back to STT via the ferry that goes to Red Hook, then take a cab back the rest of the way. Keep in mind the ferry from/to C.A. doesn't run as frequently as the one between Red Hook and Cruz Bay.

Hope this helps someone![/quote]

Hi, we have been to St Johns on our own before and sometimes coming back from Red Hook the traffic can get crazy depending on day and the time of day. So this time I was looking at the RCCL own your own tour. Plus my wife wants to sleep in and this tour leaves at 11am.Question. The private ferry they use. Does it have any open areas? I would hate to ferry 45 mins inside a ferry. Thanks

[mlbcruiser]

cruisin4thedeepblue, sorry, but I haven't taken a ship's excursion to St. John in many yrs. so I wouldn't know. Perhaps someone else does.

[blue_water]

Yes they typically have the top deck open but it depends on the ferry used as they have 2 types. It is also a 45 min ferry from the cruise dock and we wouldn't do that again. I would suggest the Red Hook ferry option, just leave when you want to.
Be aware that whichever option you use it's the same travel time to Cruz Bay and the taxi to Red Hook and shorter ferry to Cruz is much preferred.

[blue_water]

Thx MLB...
Phoenix not sure what you are asking. The ship excursion is probably a ferry from the cruise dock to Cruz Bay then a taxi to Trunk. You will taxi to Red Hooknand ferry to Cruz from there, a much more preferred option.

[Host Anne]

Hello everyone ~ I wanted to add a note about the difference in distance between Havensight and Crown Bay. It's more than a few minutes between the two, especially if there is any traffic between them. I'd say it could easily be at least 15 minutes longer getting from or to Crown Bay. That being said, if you are taking a taxi from Crown Bay to Red Hook, the taxi drivers often "go over the top of St. Thomas avoiding downtown Charlotte Amalie traffic.

Sorry but I've never done a ship tour to St. John so I can't comment on how they work. One benefit is that ships will wait for late arriving ship-sponsored excursions. But that's never been a problem for me. I'd never cut timing so close that I'd be late getting back to the ship. And if there was one place I'd be OK missing the ship, this would be it! ;)

[blue_water]

The time isn't that great but figure another $3 - 4 from Crown. And the driver can take Rt 35 but that will just avoid Havensight. There is no way to miss town without going way out of the way but 35 can be better sometimes. Last trip back to the airport it was faster, yesterday it was bumper to bumper... Edited January 19, 2013 by blue_water

[janetz]

[quote name='Host Anne']Hello everyone ~ I wanted to add a note about the difference in distance between Havensight and Crown Bay. It's more than a few minutes between the two, especially if there is any traffic between them. I'd say it could easily be at least 15 minutes longer getting from or to Crown Bay. That being said, if you are taking a taxi from Crown Bay to Red Hook, the taxi drivers often "go over the top of St. Thomas avoiding downtown Charlotte Amalie traffic.

Sorry but I've never done a ship tour to St. John so I can't comment on how they work. One benefit is that ships will wait for late arriving ship-sponsored excursions. But that's never been a problem for me. I'd never cut timing so close that I'd be late getting back to the ship. And if there was one place I'd be OK missing the ship, this would be it! ;)[/quote]

Thanks for this information. I dont mind a longer ferry trip. We are going to opt for the RC trip over. We will get 3.5 hours at the beach..Plenty of time. :) Edited January 20, 2013 by janetz

[whataboutport]

[quote name='janetz']Thanks for this information. I dont mind a longer ferry trip. We are going to opt for the RC trip over. We will get 3.5 hours at the beach..Plenty of time. :)[/quote]
I think that's what we're gonna do as well. Are you doing the coastal cruise or the walking/shopping ones?

[mlbcruiser]

FYI - The following was posted on this same board by Catcruiser on Dec. 27. I agree the ride from Charlotte Amalie (or Crown Bay as the case may be) is enjoyable. At least it was to us even though we weren't on this excursion & we went out of C.A. a number of yrs. ago:

We went on the [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] [B][COLOR=#de203e]Coastal[/COLOR][/B] Cruise a couple of weeks ago. This is a great way to go to [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B]. Highly recommended. Captain Jack (not THE Captain Jack Sparrow from the movies!), is a great narrator, and does a narration of the history of the islands and some of the houses along the way. He does narration on the first half of the trip, but not the second half. It starts a short walk from the ship on a boat the size of the typical people ferries. The trip to [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] takes about 40 minutes. We dropped of the shopping and the town walking [B][COLOR=#de203e]tour[/COLOR][/B] folks (and for the people who didn't want to do either one, there are cabs waiting to take you to wherever you want to go) before proceeding to the [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] part of the trip. The extra cruise around the western part of [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] takes another 40-50 minutes. We ended up with about 3 1/2 hours of free time on [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] Edited January 20, 2013 by mlbcruiser

[whataboutport]

[quote name='mlbcruiser']FYI - The following was posted on this same board by Catcruiser on Dec. 27. I agree the ride from Charlotte Amalie (or Crown Bay as the case may be) is enjoyable. At least it was to us even though we weren't on this excursion & we went out of C.A. a number of yrs. ago:

We went on the [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] [B][COLOR=#de203e]Coastal[/COLOR][/B] Cruise a couple of weeks ago. This is a great way to go to [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B]. Highly recommended. Captain Jack (not THE Captain Jack Sparrow from the movies!), is a great narrator, and does a narration of the history of the islands and some of the houses along the way. He does narration on the first half of the trip, but not the second half. It starts a short walk from the ship on a boat the size of the typical people ferries. The trip to [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] takes about 40 minutes. We dropped of the shopping and the town walking [B][COLOR=#de203e]tour[/COLOR][/B] folks (and for the people who didn't want to do either one, there are cabs waiting to take you to wherever you want to go) before proceeding to the [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] part of the trip. The extra cruise around the western part of [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B] takes another 40-50 minutes. We ended up with about 3 1/2 hours of free time on [B][COLOR=#de203e]St[/COLOR][/B]. [B][COLOR=#de203e]John[/COLOR][/B][/quote]
Perfect info! Thanks so much! :)

[janetz]

[quote name='whataboutport']I think that's what we're gonna do as well. Are you doing the coastal cruise or the walking/shopping ones?[/quote]


It is the longer trip 6.5 hours. They bring you to a shopping area where I plan to try not to shop, to just grab a taxi to trunk Bay.:)

[URL]http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=cruiseDetails&packageCode=AL07E070&date=&selectedCurrencyCode=&ProductCode=STG4&DestinationCode[/URL]=

[Host Anne]

Janetz ~ have a great time!!!

[phoenix_dream]

[quote name='blue_water']Thx MLB...
Phoenix not sure what you are asking. The ship excursion is probably a ferry from the cruise dock to Cruz Bay then a taxi to Trunk. You will taxi to Red Hooknand ferry to Cruz from there, a much more preferred option.[/quote]
My question is related to the distance of the ferry ride to St. John if you take a ship's excursion. From what I have read here, the ride from Red Hook is much shorter and smoother (seas wise) than the ride from Crown Bay. As I get seasick fairly easily, I would vastly prefer a shorter and likely smoother ride. It seems like the ship's excursions leave from Crown Bay, which would be the longer (and potentially choppier) ride. I am trying to confirm that I am correct in my assumptions to help me decide which option to go with. thanks

[satex]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][SIZE=4]I'm sure this question ha[SIZE=4]s been asked and answered on this board before, but how much is the tax[SIZE=4]i's from Havensight to[SIZE=4] the Red Hook ferry and from Cru[SIZE=4]z terminal on St John to Truck Bay lately? We will be in St T[SIZE=4]homas later next month.[/SIZE] Thanks for the info[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[noshoobie]

[quote name='blue_water']Laceydog, I think it's worth it because you can get there earlier and have more time to enjoy St John than the ship-sponsored ferry excursion that squaw mentioned. It's always better to go on your own when it's this easy and in this case it is that easy.
For those who feel more comfortable taking the ship-sponsored deal that's fine. Most who have done that now go on their own and are much happier. You will meet many other people who got on the earlier ferry on their own to have more time on STJ. The ferry ride from CA to Cruz Bay can also be rough and choppy, whereas the Red Hook ferry is just 20 minutes in a protected channel.
Either way is fine, just choose what fits your comfort level.;)[/quote]

I absolutely agree with you, bluewater. Upon a lot of investigation, we decided to do St John on our own in October 2012 and were very glad we did. First, the ride over was an adventure on it's own - just getting to see some of St Thomas and riding in their version of a taxi (a back of a converted pick up truck!) Also, we got there well before the ship's excursion did - I would say about 30-45 minutes earlier. We were lucky in that we were the only ship in port that day so Trunk was not crowded at all. For me, St John was the highlight of the entire cruise!

[Host Anne]

Phoenix ~ you are correct in your assumption. The ferry ride from Red Hook to Cruz Bay is normally approximately 15 - 20 minutes (although ours was a very fast ten minutes last week because of the weather). The ferry ride from Charlotte Amalie or Crown Bay is normally 40 - 45 minutes. If you are sensitive to seasickness, I highly recommend taking a taxi to Red Hook and taking the shorter ferry ride from here.

Satex ~ the taxi cost from Havensight to Red Hook is $10 per person. The taxi cost from Cruz Bay to Trunk is $7 per person. These were the fees charged last week when we were there.

[janetz]

[quote name='Host Anne']Janetz ~ have a great time!!![/quote]

Thanks Anne...:D

[myparks]

1-How long does it take to get from Crown bay to Red hook by taxi?
2-Cruz bay shopping?
3-Trunk bay-beach is there a entry fee? How much if so?
Thanks in advance
The more I look the more I become confused lol!!!:)

[Host Anne]

[quote name='myparks']1-How long does it take to get from Crown bay to Red hook by taxi?
2-Cruz bay shopping?
3-Trunk bay-beach is there a entry fee? How much if so?
Thanks in advance
The more I look the more I become confused lol!!!:)[/quote]

Crown Bay to Red Hook - 35 - 40 minutes

Cruz Bay Shopping - a couple of great spots: Mongoose Junction which is a five minute walk from the ferry dock and Wharfside Village which is adjacent to the ferry dock.

Trunk Bay Entry Fee - $4 per person

It's not nearly as confusing as it seems. If you are going from Crown Bay, I highly recommend trying to get a group together to head to Red Hook with you so that you can fill a taxi quickly. The delays in trying to fill taxis at Crown Bay can cost you an hour or more if you miss the Red Hook ferry which leaves every hour on the hour.

ENJOY

[myparks]

Thank you Host Anne! How often does the ferry run in Crown Bay?