My review of Sapphire Beach & Paradise Point

[blue_water]

It sounds like Sapphire Beach and Paradise Point are places we want to see. We will be arriving on Princess. So, we'll need to grab a taxi to Paradise Point, and then grab another taxi to Sapphire Beach. Does that sound right? Will it be difficult to get a taxi at Crown Bay or Paradise Point? Approximately how much will it be from Crown Bay to Paradise Point, and then from Paradise Point to the beach?

 

 

NO - Go to Paradise Point AFTER Sapphire Beach, PP will not be open earlier AM.

It is confusing on where each of you are docked because if the multiple posts on this thread, great pics but the thread is getting confusing...

 

So just grab a taxi at the dock that is headed to Sapphire, then taxi back. Pricing is similar from either dock. Don't worry about that as it is regulated just as at home. You have just hours to enjoy the island, taxi rates shouldn't be a big worry.

 

I would get dropped back at the ship if you are at Havensight, take a shower, then head to PP.

 

You can taxi or take the tram to PP, if docked at Havensight I suggest the tram which is within walking distance from the ship. Or you can taxi up and tram down, your choice. From Crown do the same but you'll taxi there and back from the tram. Your excursions desk sells discounted tram tickets too which can br refunded.

 

If you don't want to go to the beach early head down town and see the historical area where Main St starts for a little bit then taxi to Sapphire.

 

The picture below really doesn't do Sapphire justice with that view, it is much nicer when you are there, just in case you're concerned.

Edited January 9, 2012 by blue_water
Typo

[Dream of a Lifetime]

Great review and pictures. We are three friends on our first cruise. I did as you, I have reviewed everything I can for the ports we will be visiting. I read another review and saw pictures from another visitor and had made my decision to visit Sapphire beach but yours seals it. We are new to snorkling but want to see the beautiful fish in your pictures. How much time did you alot yourself for this beach. We would like to do Pleasure Point also along with looking around at the shops for gifts to bring back home. Any suggestion on time spent at each? We will be in St. Thomas on Februay 14 from 10am-8pm.

Thanks

[Dream of a Lifetime]

Sorry...Paradise Point not Pleasure Point:D

[blue_water]

The time you spend at the beach just depends on you, you can grab a taxi back to the ship or PP whenever you're ready. Just leave a few hours for PP and travel, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy Sapphire!

[mitsugirly]

Great review and pictures. We are three friends on our first cruise. I did as you, I have reviewed everything I can for the ports we will be visiting. I read another review and saw pictures from another visitor and had made my decision to visit Sapphire beach but yours seals it. We are new to snorkling but want to see the beautiful fish in your pictures. How much time did you alot yourself for this beach. We would like to do Pleasure Point also along with looking around at the shops for gifts to bring back home. Any suggestion on time spent at each? We will be in St. Thomas on Februay 14 from 10am-8pm.

Thanks

 

Our ship was there from 8am to 4pm. I know that when we found out that Paradise did not open at 8am we headed straight to Paradise. I'm guessing we had to have been there by 9am (not because it takes that long to get there but because we walked over to Paradise and was there for a little while then walked back, caught a cab and so on).

 

We only spent about 1 hour up at Paradise. I really only went up there to get pictures of all the ships in port and the wonderful views (and also to try out the bushwacker that everyone said was so yummy). The service was lousy (as stated in my review) and my camera battery died after only 3 pictures (due to snorkeling all day).

 

We went back down and walked across the street and got back on the ship I think some time around 3 or so.

 

So, we probably spent around 5-6 hours at Paradise (and it definitely wasn't enough for us!!) We hated to leave. We had originally wanted to go to Sapphire and then maybe hit up Maggens, but couldn't bring ourselves to leave Sapphire and the awesome snorkeling...so we stayed. :D

 

WHEN I ever go back to St Thomas...I will definitely go back to Sapphire or I might get brave and try out Coki (since the snorkeling is suppose to be awesome there)...but they are usually overly crowded from what I hear.

[blue_water]

Our ship was there from 8am to 4pm. I know that when we found out that Paradise did not open at 8am we headed straight to Paradise. I'm guessing we had to have been there by 9am (not because it takes that long to get there but because we walked over to Paradise and was there for a little while then walked back, caught a cab and so on).

 

We only spent about 1 hour up at Paradise. I really only went up there to get pictures of all the ships in port and the wonderful views (and also to try out the bushwacker that everyone said was so yummy). The service was lousy (as stated in my review) and my camera battery died after only 3 pictures (due to snorkeling all day).

 

We went back down and walked across the street and got back on the ship I think some time around 3 or so.

 

So, we probably spent around 5-6 hours at Paradise (and it definitely wasn't enough for us!!) We hated to leave. We had originally wanted to go to Sapphire and then maybe hit up Maggens, but couldn't bring ourselves to leave Sapphire and the awesome snorkeling...so we stayed. :D

 

WHEN I ever go back to St Thomas...I will definitely go back to Sapphire or I might get brave and try out Coki (since the snorkeling is suppose to be awesome there)...but they are usually overly crowded from what I hear.

 

Mitsugirly I'm a little disappointed in your report on Paradise Point as the staff there is excellent. It does get busy on cruise ship days and you have to take that into account of course. And I'm sure there are times when service can be less than ideal. But folks who live on STT (and us when staying on STT) really enjoy going there for lunch and for sunset. Just don't want the OP or anyone else to get a bad impression and miss out on experiencing PP. Please give 'er another shot next visit!

 

Coki is not as bad as that, it is just a much smaller bay and has several vendors selling food/drink and renting gear. Extremely gorgeous bay (nicer than Sapphire in my opinion) and great snorkeling. The only issue can be people feeding the fish which is not good.

 

I know you meant you spent 5 -6 hrs at Sapphire, and we agree it is very nice there. We really enjoyed staring off the balcony everyday at Tortola and STJ, and the pool is beautiful. Also close to the marina for day sails - just a great spot!

Edited January 16, 2012 by blue_water

[Froufie]

Can someone please refresh my memory on the 'snorkelling areas' at Sapphire? Heading out on the LIberty this saturday and touring STT with a final stop at Sapphire.

 

If facing the water I think I recall good snorkelling to my right? Where is the 'soft sandy entry'? Or are there rocks everywhere (bringing water shoes so I guess I can put them on if required?) How far out to see fish, etc? (bringing my underwater camera and will try and get some good pics/video).

 

Any 'details' on best snorkelling/fish viewing would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks! :)

[mitsugirly]

Mitsugirly I'm a little disappointed in your report on Paradise Point as the staff there is excellent. It does get busy on cruise ship days and you have to take that into account of course. And I'm sure there are times when service can be less than ideal. But folks who live on STT (and us when staying on STT) really enjoy going there for lunch and for sunset. Just don't want the OP or anyone else to get a bad impression and miss out on experiencing PP. Please give 'er another shot next visit!

 

Coki is not as bad as that, it is just a much smaller bay and has several vendors selling food/drink and renting gear. Extremely gorgeous bay (nicer than Sapphire in my opinion) and great snorkeling. The only issue can be people feeding the fish which is not good.

 

I know you meant you spent 5 -6 hrs at Sapphire, and we agree it is very nice there. We really enjoyed staring off the balcony everyday at Tortola and STJ, and the pool is beautiful. Also close to the marina for day sails - just a great spot!

 

Yea, the day that we were there there was 4 cruise ships (with 3 of them being the biggest at that time), however, PP was not that crowded. There was plenty of chairs/tables and we didn't have to wait long at all for a tram to go up or down. It was just the waitress that took forever and then would disappear. Another waitress would come along and ask if we'd been helped and we told her how long we had waited for the other to even come back with the menus. It was kinda weird. I would definitely go back. Wouldn't discourage anyone from not going. It was just one of those days.

 

I have however, read a lot of negativity on the boards and on Tripadvisor lately about PP. I remember someone mentioning that they are under new management and they did away with the bird shows and the service was crappy and a bunch of other stuff (I was thinking this was since we were there in 2010). But, I'm the type of person that if I want to do something or see something, I will do it no matter what and form an opinion for myself. The view alone is worth going up there for. Even if you don't have anything to eat or drink. I would still do it again. :)

 

I would love to try Coki out next time we are there. We had planned on going there that year and then right before our cruise was the shooting by Coki of the cruise passenger...which brought out a lot of negativity about the dealings going on at Coki (the bothersome vendors, the drug dealers, no security, the trash all over the beach and really needing cleaned up). So that is why we switched to Sapphire (and not disappointed that we did). I did read all the clean up efforts that went on after this incident and hope to get there again soon to check it out. :D

 

Yea, sorry, I meant 5-6 hours at Sapphire. :o

[mitsugirly]

Can someone please refresh my memory on the 'snorkelling areas' at Sapphire? Heading out on the LIberty this saturday and touring STT with a final stop at Sapphire.

 

If facing the water I think I recall good snorkelling to my right? Where is the 'soft sandy entry'? Or are there rocks everywhere (bringing water shoes so I guess I can put them on if required?) How far out to see fish, etc? (bringing my underwater camera and will try and get some good pics/video).

 

Any 'details' on best snorkelling/fish viewing would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

The snorkeling areas are everywhere. The area that we went to was at the resort, facing the water, to the right. The reef is huge. There are areas scattered around and I've read (since returning) that there is good snorkeling (with sea turtles and rays to be found) to the left (because there is some seagrass over there as well). We just got caught up in the reef we discovered to the right that we never really adventured the other way. I would definitely try going to the left as well when I get back to St Thomas. (I hate missing anything :p). So try both ways.

 

Yes, there are plenty of soft entries there. I will attach a picture and you can tell there are all of the sandy areas and you can tell where the rocks/coral is. There's something for everyone. :)

 

 

 

Plenty of sandy areas for entry and swimming:

 

 

[blue_water]

Thanks for the follow-up! Yes we've seen several negative "reports" on TA from "fellow travelers" and it's funny, some of them never even went there and were trashing the place. One person was extremely nasty and I gather he was expecting a resort or something...And another was complaining about rust on the tram...The majority of these people had never visited the islands before and apparently don't realize there is moisture in the air and it's an island...just gotta watch the sources I guess...

Yes PP is still a very popular spot for locals and tourists alike. You're right in that they open later so you want to end your day there. I often read of folks going there first thing in the AM and they're closed of course so I try to let others know it's better after you've done the beach or touring, just a great spot to end your day. But we also like Coconuts downtown for their Backstreet Bushwacker and what I think is the best cheseburger on the island!:rolleyes:

 

Coki has had some bad press here and of course the shooting the one time discouraged many from going there. But it is a very clean and gorgeous beach, I've got some great shots of the bay from between the snorkel hut and the beach. You will find some great margaritas there too at the last stand on the beach, name escapes me. The nice thing is if you want beach time you can do Coki early before it gets swamped then head for Sapphire which is nearby. Then if time allows you can stop at the Big Bambooz in Red Hook or better yet Iggie's in Bolongo on the return drive to the ship. Iggie's has a great rum punch!

Edited January 16, 2012 by blue_water
typo

[mitsugirly]

Thanks for the follow-up! Yes we've seen several negative "reports" on TA from "fellow travelers" and it's funny, some of them never even went there and were trashing the place. One person was extremely nasty and I gather he was expecting a resort or something...And another was complaining about rust on the tram...The majority of these people had never visited the islands before and apparently don't realize there is moisture in the air and it's an island...just gotta watch the sources I guess...

Yes PP is still a very popular spot for locals and tourists alike. You're right in that they open later so you want to end your day there. I often read of folks going there first thing in the AM and they're closed of course so I try to let others know it's better after you've done the beach or touring, just a great spot to end your day. But we also like Coconuts downtown for their Backstreet Bushwacker and what I think is the best cheseburger on the island!:rolleyes:

 

Coki has had some bad press here and of course the shooting the one time discouraged many from going there. But it is a very clean and gorgeous beach, I've got some great shots of the bay from between the snorkel hut and the beach. You will find some great margaritas there too at the last stand on the beach, name escapes me. The nice thing is if you want beach time you can do Coki early before it gets swamped then head for Sapphire which is nearby. Then if time allows you can stop at the Big Bambooz in Red Hook or better yet Iggie's in Bolongo on the return drive to the ship. Iggie's has a great rum punch!

 

Then again, some people are just too picky and want to find the smallest things to complain about. I'm sorry, but I'm on vacation and I'm not about to let anything spoil me. I will tell exactly the details of what happens on each trip, but would never let it get me down or destroy a vacation like I've seen some people do. I mean come on, it's vacation. :)

 

I remember keeping up with all the renovations they were doing and the money invested into cleaning up Coki to make it a nice, safe place to visit again for tourist. I would love to see some pictures of what it looks like now (if you care to share).

[kentuckychris]

We will be there in 2 weeks. I am really looking forward to going to Sapphire. Would you recommend water shoes or fins? We have both. Some beaches are so shallow that the shoes work better, but if it is a big area, the fins do the trick.

[mitsugirly]

We took our water shoes with us because we did not know what to expect. However, we didn't use them after we got there because there was plenty of sandy areas to swim in.

 

Once we started snorkeling (we had our own mask and snorkel) we decided we wanted to go out farther and we decided to just rent the entire gear from the snorkel hut with the fins and all. :)

[blue_water]

As mitsugirly says it is quite a large area to snorkel with the reef and the sea grass so fins would definitely be the choice. The rocky area to the south (to the right of Pretty Kelp Point and the freshwater pool)is a popular spot to enter the water for the expert swimmers as you can follow that right around but that is not for amateurs. We watched a couple people from our balcony there but they were very expert swimmers. I would stick to the other areas as there is alot to see there.

Edited January 17, 2012 by blue_water

[cat26]

Anyone been to Saphire Beach in the last few months?

We plan on visiting Saphire Beach on our cruise in the next few weeks. On the Carnival board (in another post) someone claimed that there is no restaurant and the one that is located on the beach is not always open. While there we would like to get a few drinks and maybe lunch. :D

Does one have any info on this?

TIA

[Yvonne]

Just finished reading this entire thread, what a wealth of information and great reading and wonderful photos!!! Thanks to everyone who shared their opinion about Sapphire Beach.

 

I was torn between Magen's, Sapphire and Coki but I think we'll be planning on Sapphire. :)

 

We do not snorkel, but the sandy beach areas and water look so inviting, and I hope we see lots of iguanas too!

 

The not-so-clean restrooms don't bother me, I will bring my own TP and hand sanitizer. Heck, I've been in department store bathrooms that weren't the cleanest either! :)

 

Can't wait, we'll be in St. Thomas the 31st of this month, from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. so plan to spend several hours at Sapphire then go to Paradise Point (we dock at Havensight) and finish up with a bit of shopping at the mall! Should be a good, good day! :)

[blue_water]

The dining restaurant and beach bar are closed but there is a Banana Cabana serving burgers and fish sandwiches and cold beers. There is a restaurant just up behind the marina too. And there are runners on the beach if you want a bucket of beer or a pizza. We spent a week there in April and loved it!

[mitsugirly]

Just finished reading this entire thread, what a wealth of information and great reading and wonderful photos!!! Thanks to everyone who shared their opinion about Sapphire Beach.

 

I was torn between Magen's, Sapphire and Coki but I think we'll be planning on Sapphire. :)

 

We do not snorkel, but the sandy beach areas and water look so inviting, and I hope we see lots of iguanas too!

 

The not-so-clean restrooms don't bother me, I will bring my own TP and hand sanitizer. Heck, I've been in department store bathrooms that weren't the cleanest either! :)

 

Can't wait, we'll be in St. Thomas the 31st of this month, from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. so plan to spend several hours at Sapphire then go to Paradise Point (we dock at Havensight) and finish up with a bit of shopping at the mall! Should be a good, good day! :)

 

Don't forget to come back and let us know what you thought (and updated pictures would be awesome too) :D

[Birdnutty]

I know it's fun to be swamped by fish when you feed them, and I've been guilty of it in the past myself, before I learned how BAD it is for the fish! People food, especially junk food like fruit loops have no nutritional value even for people, but fish can die from that stuff. Their systems are designed for much different fare. Eating the food that people give them fills them up on junk food, then they don't eat enough of what they're supposed to be eating, so even if they don't die from the food itself, they can die from malnutrition.

 

It also throws off the natural balance of the place by attracting more aggressive fish to the area to the detriment of the shyer ones. The eco-systems down there are already stressed from SO many factors. This just adds one more, and we could be killing off the very thing we went down to see.

 

Sorry to be such a downer, but it is so important to do what we can to protect what's left.....

[blue_water]

I know it's fun to be swamped by fish when you feed them, and I've been guilty of it in the past myself, before I learned how BAD it is for the fish! People food, especially junk food like fruit loops have no nutritional value even for people, but fish can die from that stuff. Their systems are designed for much different fare. Eating the food that people give them fills them up on junk food, then they don't eat enough of what they're supposed to be eating, so even if they don't die from the food itself, they can die from malnutrition.

 

It also throws off the natural balance of the place by attracting more aggressive fish to the area to the detriment of the shyer ones. The eco-systems down there are already stressed from SO many factors. This just adds one more, and we could be killing off the very thing we went down to see.

 

Sorry to be such a downer, but it is so important to do what we can to protect what's left.....

 

Excellent point. Coki is a favorite spot for these people to feed fish and hopefully some will heed this.

[sunscreen]

Can anyone tell me how long of a cab ride it its to Sapphire Beach from Charlote Amalie cruise port? We were on a tour last year to Megans Bay and our ship left at 4:30 and we were stuck in traffic and still on the tour tram at 4:05:eek: Want to make sure that if we take a cab and our ship gets in at 11am and leaves at 7 pm with 7 other cruise ships in port that day, that we leave enough time.

[Froufie]

Just off the Liberty - had a fabulous time and hating the snow and cold here - wish I was still in warm and sunny caribbean :(

 

We toured with Sunny Liston (actually Elvis was our driver/tour guide) and had a wonderful time shopping and tour - with a final stop at Sapphire beach - it's just GORGEOUS - seriously as we turned into the 'resort' area everyone just gasped - the water and the sand and the island in the background are just picture perfect.

 

We got 2 lounge chairs and a menu from David (Sapphire Beach resort bar and grill) - ordered a couple of the blackened ahi tuna wraps with fries - delicious (make sure to get the spicy sauce on the side!!!)..... We were visited by the local 'duck patrol', had the good fortune to see a giant iguana wander by and climb up a nearby tree and did some snorkelling in the turquoise water - but mostly just sat out, caught the rays and enjoyed the view......

 

And nothing wrong with the washrooms - just 'regular' beach bathrooms - yes they ran out of soap - but I did bring along my 'soap' sheets/leaves and they worked great! (also had some hand sanitizer as well). We didn't wear our bathing suits to the beach and were able to change there with no issues so don't worry about it!

 

Will be posting pics once I get them off my camera!

Edited January 30, 2012 by Froufie

[merinski]

Can anyone tell me how long of a cab ride it its to Sapphire Beach from Charlote Amalie cruise port? We were on a tour last year to Megans Bay and our ship left at 4:30 and we were stuck in traffic and still on the tour tram at 4:05:eek: Want to make sure that if we take a cab and our ship gets in at 11am and leaves at 7 pm with 7 other cruise ships in port that day, that we leave enough time.

 

Sapphire beach is about 20-30min. drive. We were just there , it is beautiful!:)

[blue_water]

Just off the Liberty - had a fabulous time and hating the snow and cold here - wish I was still in warm and sunny caribbean :(

 

We toured with Sunny Liston (actually Elvis was our driver/tour guide) and had a wonderful time shopping and tour - with a final stop at Sapphire beach - it's just GORGEOUS - seriously as we turned into the 'resort' area everyone just gasped - the water and the sand and the island in the background are just picture perfect.

 

We got 2 lounge chairs and a menu from David (Sapphire Beach resort bar and grill) - ordered a couple of the blackened ahi tuna wraps with fries - delicious (make sure to get the spicy sauce on the side!!!)..... We were visited by the local 'duck patrol', had the good fortune to see a giant iguana wander by and climb up a nearby tree and did some snorkelling in the turquoise water - but mostly just sat out, caught the rays and enjoyed the view......

 

And nothing wrong with the washrooms - just 'regular' beach bathrooms - yes they ran out of soap - but I did bring along my 'soap' sheets/leaves and they worked great! (also had some hand sanitizer as well). We didn't wear our bathing suits to the beach and were able to change there with no issues so don't worry about it!

 

Will be posting pics once I get them off my camera!

 

 

Thanks for your report! That will help others decide on Sapphire if they are up in the air because of any earlier negative posts. Sapphire is a great beach destination on STT.

Was it the small Banana Cabana that you got your wraps from? Or is thete something new there?

[Froufie]

Didn't see the banana cabana (there was something next to the chair rental/souvenir desk but looked closed?). I believe we had menus from the resort (Sapphire beach resort bar and grill? or something like that). There were burgers, sandwiches, wraps, fish and chips and salads on the menu!