Thinking about St. John and how to go

[Host Anne]

Just arrived on St. John. Any specific questions, let me know. Ferry ride is still $6 from Red Hook. It was a quick 15 minute ride today. Seven ships in port. St. Thomas was a mess with traffic. Happy to be here for a week!

[blue_water]

Glad you are there Anne, please fill us in on your time (as you can). After cruising to STT, spending a week there and on St John is very nice! I know that is your favorite place and am very happy that you are there!

[whataboutport]

Out of all the ports we did from the Allure, St Thomas (then going directly to St John) was our fave by leaps and bounds! We took the RCCL ferry tour from the ship's dock. It was about 40-50 mins. We had Capt Jack, and for the first part he was kind of annoying. They way he talked he gave too much emphasis on certain words or repeated things he just said moments ago. However, after they dropped off the other pax at Cruz Bay and we continued on to to the St John coastal cruise, he toned it down a lot and it was very enjoyable.

 

I did think that the coastal cruise would go all the way around St John but this was not the case. We went as far as Trunk Bay and then turned back. They noted how "busy" it was that day. OMG not busy at all. Being from Orange county, CA, "busy" is being at Huntington Beach on 4th of July. This was quiet all the way! Loved it!

 

Just be aware that if you are renting snorkel equip, they close at 3:30 island time, and most likely ship time is different. (This was at Trunk) Also the tide comes in later in the afternoon. Hang your stuff up in the trees if you don't want it getting washed away. The beach is not very wide in the first place, and once the tide comes in, if you don't have your stuff hanging, you could be SOL. All in all, loved the place. Would love to go back again. The other ports we had, um not so much.

[dagtoking1]

Is it customary to tip in addition to the taxi fare for Red Hook or to the beach on St John?

[blue_water]

That's an automatic "NO!" from some folks but yes, just as at home or anywhere else that you get good service you should tip. $1 is acceptable for a simple ride, but I would definitely tip $5 or more for a tour depending on the length and how well the driver did.

[Host Anne]

Dag ~ We always base a tip on service rendered. If someone is super friendly and provides great info and makes us smile, we always add some thing extra whether it is the taxi to Red Hook or from the ferry to Trunk Bay. I wouldn't say we tip extra to a regular taxi driver just transporting us from point A to point B (cruise ship to Red Hook ferry). But if we take an island tour with a taxi and they provide a GREAT experience, we definitely do. Island tours on St. John are a great deal. We always add extra for a pleasant day.

[Host Anne]

Here is a link to my recent trip report for St. John: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147409-i432-k6331769-Trip_Report_March_13_21_2013-St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

 

Here is a link to my St. John photos: http://stjohnmarch2013.shutterfly.com/

 

ENJOY!!!

[annamariec]

hi I am docking at crown not havensight. how do we get to trunk bay? we are in stt from 7-4

[annamariec]

adding to my post above-or should we stay in stt?

[blue_water]

adding to my post above-or should we stay in stt?

 

That question has been posed in hundreds of threads here, it really depends on what you are looking for. The nicest beaches on STT are on the East End. Many people never see them because they go to St John which has some beautiful beaches as well.

 

To answer your first question you would taxi to Red Hook on the East End and ferry to Cruz Bay then taxi to a beach on STJ. To reduce your travel time by about 2 hours you could go to Sapphire Beach which is right by Red Hook. But you have enough time in port to do STJ if you want that.

 

Sapphire and Trunk both offer snorkeling. For off the beach snorkeling we would choose Sapphire, and for the best snorkeling we would take one of the many day sails that moor in the cays off STJ.

 

Another option is taking the excursion that leaves from near the ship and tours the STJ coast then drops you at Cruz.

Just depends on what you are looking for.

 

Try reviewing the hundreds of posts on these related threads to get some other viewpoints. Just remember going to Cruz requires more travel time that you could be spending at the beach or at Paradise Point after the beach.

Edited April 3, 2013 by blue_water

[Hogladyrider]

Here is a link to my recent trip report for St. John: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147409-i432-k6331769-Trip_Report_March_13_21_2013-St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

 

Here is a link to my St. John photos: http://stjohnmarch2013.shutterfly.com/

 

ENJOY!!!

 

Great review Anne......and FABULOUS photos!

 

I chuckled out loud when I saw the photos of the man, who I assume is your "hubby" on Trunk Bay looking out at the water. I have similar photos with my guy doing the same thing and it is my screen saver, just so peaceful and serene!

 

The villa looks perfect for 2-people like us, thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review.

 

You have some amazing photos! We have decorated the walls in our home with photos we have taken from places we have traveled to....better than artwork in my opinion and the memories are always visible. I love Shutterly and the products they offer.

Susan

[Yumyum14]

Hi All!

 

We will be docking in St Thomas at noon & departing at 7pm. It looks like it takes a while to get to St John...will we have enough time to get there & enjoy the beach without having to rush? My husband will be turning 40 :eek: the same day so any advise on things to do will be much appreciated! We will be on Freedom of the Seas & arriving on 10 April.

[blue_water]

You will be docking at Havensight (WICO) which is preferred. Yes, you will have at least 4 hours to enjoy STJ. Total transportation cost for the 2 of you will be around $ 84. The quickest option is to be in line on the ship to be one of the first off (always fun!) and grab a taxi at the dock that is heading to Red Hook. A coordinator will direct you to a taxi, just tell him you want to go directly to the Red Hook ferry terminal. The taxi ride is 20 - 30 minutes, and the ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay is about 15 minutes + any wait time. The ferry leaves every hour on the hour so you should easily make the 1PM ferry.

 

You'll then see a group of taxis stationed near the ferry dock taking people to beaches and on island tours. You can go directly to Trunk or Cinnamon Bay for the beach, or take a short island tour then get dropped at either the beach or back in Cruz Bay. Unless you want to spend most of your time at the beach I would recommend a short tour first, the views of the bays are gorgeous and there are some ruins to see as well.

 

A short taxi back to Cruz bay and you could grab a bite at the Beach Bar or Banana Deck and have birthday cocktails, then it's a short walk back to the ferry. I would probably take the 5PM return ferry to allow plenty of time to get back to port. That will leave you a little time to shop at Havensight if you wish to. There are taxis stationed right outside the Red Hook terminakl parking lot next to Fish Tales restaurant.

 

If you'd prefer you could also have a late lunch right in Red Hook with drinks, there are several excellent bars and restaurants within walking distance of the ferry terminal. Fish Tales has fresh fish, Island Time the best pizza, and Molly Malone's great Irish sandwiches. If Duffy's Love Shack is open across the street from Fish Tales (in the middle of the parking lot) that's the ultimate spot to get a drink in one of their souvenir glasses, many memories are made there late at night! :p

 

Alternatively if you don't have lunch before leaving the ship you could grab a lunch in Cruz Bay and then head for the beach as well.

 

Have a great cruise, and happy 40th to hubby! :D

Edited April 3, 2013 by blue_water

[blue_water]

Here is a link to my recent trip report for St. John: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g147409-i432-k6331769-Trip_Report_March_13_21_2013-St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

 

Here is a link to my St. John photos: http://stjohnmarch2013.shutterfly.com/

 

ENJOY!!!

 

Great shots Anne, really captures the beauty of St John!

Thanks for sharing!

[Yumyum14]

Thank you so much for the reply!! We are nervous about missing the ship if we go on our own but oh so excited to adventure and be risky!! How does on catch back up to the ship if it should happen to leave them though? I read that people get left all the time...is it possible to catch back up with the ship? I think we will hit St. Martaan the next day...how would we get there to get back on? Ya know...just in case...we like to have a plan B!! :(

[phoenix_dream]

I suspect you would have a very hard time getting to St. Maarten, if it were even possible. There are inter-island flights, but perhaps not in the timeframe you need. I suspect you would end up needing to fly home from St. Thomas:(.

 

We tried going to St. John on our own for the first time last month. It was as easy as advertised, and much less hassle than I worried about. I really enjoyed it, although it started to rain on us so we ended up cutting our trip short. My only issue is that it is quite a bit of money to spend for a day at the beach when there are nice ones on St. Thomas. (granted not as nice, but you get alot more time to spend there for alot less $$ - a personal choice).

[blue_water]

Thank you so much for the reply!! We are nervous about missing the ship if we go on our own but oh so excited to adventure and be risky!! How does on catch back up to the ship if it should happen to leave them though? I read that people get left all the time...is it possible to catch back up with the ship? I think we will hit St. Martaan the next day...how would we get there to get back on? Ya know...just in case...we like to have a plan B!! :(

 

There are flights between STT and SXM so no worries on plan B! And flying into SXM is a real thrill because of the short runway.

But you shouldn't have a problem unless you just decide to ignore the time because you're enjoying limin' on Trunk or Cinnamon so much! :D

[blue_water]

I suspect you would have a very hard time getting to St. Maarten, if it were even possible. There are inter-island flights, but perhaps not in the timeframe you need. I suspect you would end up needing to fly home from St. Thomas:(.

 

We tried going to St. John on our own for the first time last month. It was as easy as advertised, and much less hassle than I worried about. I really enjoyed it, although it started to rain on us so we ended up cutting our trip short. My only issue is that it is quite a bit of money to spend for a day at the beach when there are nice ones on St. Thomas. (granted not as nice, but you get alot more time to spend there for alot less $$ - a personal choice).

 

We stay at the Sapphire Resort when on STT and that's a gorgeous beach and bay. STJ also has some gorgeous beaches (some nicer) and we do make day trips there. But we enjoy having more to do on the East End of STT and so we stay there. Others look for more quiet and prefer STJ. That's more of a factor for us although STJ is very nice.

[phoenix_dream]

There are flights between STT and SXM so no worries on plan B! And flying into SXM is a real thrill because of the short runway.

But you shouldn't have a problem unless you just decide to ignore the time because you're enjoying limin' on Trunk or Cinnamon so much! :D

I am not an expert, but just because there are flights does not mean there are flights the day you need them, and that they have available seats. I know many flights between the islands (and in fact, from the US mainland to/from the islands) only operate on certain days of the week, not everyday. I agree there should be no problem getting back on the cruise, but caution them to better check out a Plan B if they are concerned, looking at the specific dates in question.

[blue_water]

Pheonix, Liat alone offers 3 flights daily, at least one of which is a 45 min non-stop. They're not cheap ($330/couple) but a nice flight though! We've flown Liat between EIS (Tortola) and SXM. There are other airlines as well.

 

But I hope that "plan B" is a bit of a joke :p

[BETH_M]

We will be on the Carnival Freedom on 4/24 in port from 7 - 4. We have previoulsy done an island tour and went to Coki beach afterwards. This time we want to venture to St. John. Our plan is to make the 8 am ferry and go to Trunk Bay. Do you think it would be possible for us to catch the 7:30 am ferry? We are one of those couples that will be waiting in line 15 mins before they let us off so we are 1st off the ship and don't waste a minute while in port.

 

Our on board time will be 3:30 with the ship leaving at 4, should we take the 2 pm ferry or 3 pm ferry back to be safe, but have as much time on St. John? We are not into snorkling so we just want an awesome beach and sceanery. How much time should we leave Trunk before the ferry departs? Do they ever fill up? If we do the 2 pm ferry we should have about 4 hours of beach time - is this good? Also is there anything else to see on the island like a view stop that we could get the taxi driver to take us to that is close to Trunk Bay or Cruz Bay? If for some reason Trunk is busy then Cinnamon is our backup.

 

If for some reason the ship is delayed, etc. we will go to Sapphire on STT. Thanks for your help. This will be the 1st time we will be doing a ferry and we are also planning to do it in Tortola to visit the baths. I might have a nervous breakdown on the cruise trying to make sure we make the times, but have enough time to explore.

[satex]

We will be on the Carnival Freedom on 4/24 in port from 7 - 4. We have previoulsy done an island tour and went to Coki beach afterwards. This time we want to venture to St. John. Our plan is to make the 8 am ferry and go to Trunk Bay. Do you think it would be possible for us to catch the 7:30 am ferry? We are one of those couples that will be waiting in line 15 mins before they let us off so we are 1st off the ship and don't waste a minute while in port.

 

Our on board time will be 3:30 with the ship leaving at 4, should we take the 2 pm ferry or 3 pm ferry back to be safe, but have as much time on St. John? We are not into snorkling so we just want an awesome beach and sceanery. How much time should we leave Trunk before the ferry departs? Do they ever fill up? If we do the 2 pm ferry we should have about 4 hours of beach time - is this good? Also is there anything else to see on the island like a view stop that we could get the taxi driver to take us to that is close to Trunk Bay or Cruz Bay? If for some reason Trunk is busy then Cinnamon is our backup.

 

If for some reason the ship is delayed, etc. we will go to Sapphire on STT. Thanks for your help. This will be the 1st time we will be doing a ferry and we are also planning to do it in Tortola to visit the baths. I might have a nervous breakdown on the cruise trying to make sure we make the times, but have enough time to explore.

 

You won't make the 7:30 ferry. The taxi doesn't want to leave the port until they are pretty full. We were on the Freedom in Feb and because the time difference (as the island is one hour ahead) we just barely made the 9am ferry. Once we got to St John's there were taxi's are right there and they will take you to Trunk. We left at 1:15 to get the 2pm ferry. They say that sometimes the 3pm ferry is always packed and so was the 2pm ferry. This way wyou will still have a little bit of time to shop at port.

[blue_water]

Play it by ear, but satex is correct...

If you are actually in line 45 min early and at the beginning of the line on deck 1 you could possibly make the 7:30 ferry. Very doubtful because you have to buy your ferry passes when you arrive, but not impossible as it could be running a little late. You will need to bypass the dock taxis and hail a taxi from the street. The preferred taxis are in the dock area and others are either not in that preferred category or are not licensed taxis. You can tell the difference by their stickers and plates.

But after all that you could have just gotten in a taxi the coordinator pointed you to and relax and enjoy the ride to the 8AM ferry, sounds much easier!

 

You will want the 2PM return, the 3PM is much too risky due to traffic conditions around Havensight in the afternoon.

 

We've done the beaches of STJ and we prefer Sapphire for her beauty and being easier to get to on a short cruise day. We actually spend time in the BVI and VI. and I left you some feedback on your VG ferry as well, for that one you'll have to contact Smith's that morning.

 

Have a grerat cruise!

[gimpysfamily2]

Are there interesting sites on St. John besides beaches? Are tours available after getting off the ferry?

Leaving this weekend and can't wait!!

[Host Anne]

Gimpy - tours are available via open air safari taxis when you get off the ferry. A couple hour tour is about $25 per person. There is wonderful history on St. John. Great scenery beyond the beaches, nice shopping and lots of places to grab a great bite to eat or grab a drink. Have a fantastic trip.