St Thomas/St Johns Review 1/22/2011

[GypsyOBRN]

This was my third trip to St Thomas, and because I had been to Trunk Bay before and my husband had not, I couldn't think of not bringing him there. Trunk Bay in St Johns is one of my favorite places on earth. The soft white sanded beach with the natural palm trees are just so perfect.

 

We got off the ship at 8am and met a few friends from the RCCL message boards that wanted to head over with us. We walked to the taxi depot, which was through the plaza mall to your left, there was plenty of signs leading the way told them we wanted to go to Red Hook ferry. We were directed into a closed van taxi and was made to wait until it was full before we could leave. That took a few minutes then we were off into traffic to make it to Red Hook Ferry. We paid $12.00/pp to get to and from the ferry.

 

At the Red Hook Ferry Depot, we were there and through the line for tickets just prior to 9am. We bought round tip tickets so that we would not have to wait in line to come back, or risk for some reason it being sold out trying to come back to St Thomas later that day. The cost was $6.00/pp/each way or $24.00 for us round trip as a couple.

 

We were greeted by open aired Safari type taxis at Cruz Bay. We told them we wanted to go to Trunk Bay. They waiting again until the taxi was full and then headed to Trunk Bay. They made no stops for pictures, I guess you have to ask or go on another site seeing taxi for those. In other years, we never asked and they would pull off and stop stop for pictures along the way. We paid $6.00/pp to get to Trunk Bay from Cruz Bay (Ferry Terminal). This is a beautiful drive with peaks of beaches along the way.

 

We were dropped off at Trunk Bay, waited in a small line to buy our tickets to get in. These were $4.00/pp and then we were off to a beautiful day on the beach. We got to the beach about 9:40am. There are showers, bathrooms, a beach bar with some food, and a place to purchase snorkeling equipment. We didn't eat or drink anything while we were here so I can't comment on quality or price. I always bring water in water bottles from the ship. I order granola for room service for breakfast, usually 2-3 boxes, and bring it with me in a Ziploc to the beach.

 

We snorkeled for the first hour. The water was clear and the fish were beautiful. We found that there was more to see closer to the rocks than in the underwater trail that they have marked out. Our second time in the water for the day, we had brought some bread from the ship, thinking we would feed the fish. I had never done that before and now know to advice not to! We were swarmed by what I believe were Yellow Tails. My husband was bit by one, which made him bleed. He now has 4 pinpoint holes in a crescent shape on his thumb from our bad decision to feed the pretty tropical fish !

 

When we got out of the water the second time around 11:30am, it was beginning to get crowded on the beach with all the ship excursions. So we packed up our things and headed by taxi to Cinnamon Bay, which is about a mile up the street. This was another $4.00/pp but well worth it since I would not feel safe walking the windy roads with all those crazy taxi drivers on them.

 

Cinnamon Bay is also a breathtaking beach. It is bigger than Trunk Bay and there is still plenty of shade on the beach to be had. There is no entry fee. It is connected to a campground so there are bathrooms, showers, food and also kayaks for rent. It is less calm then Trunk Bay so we did not snorkel here although we saw a few people in the water doing so.

 

We headed back to Cruz Bay about 1:30pm to catch the 2pm ferry back to Red Hook. From Cinnamon Bay it was $7.00/pp. We had about 15 minutes to check out the small shops in the area then get on the ferry.

 

We were back to our cruise ship by 2:40pm and did some shopping as we made our way through the plaza back.

 

It was a beautiful day in St Johns and one we will remember! You can check out some of our pictures if you click on My Webshot Pictures in my signature.

[01Sweetpea]

This was my third trip to St Thomas, and because I had been to Trunk Bay before and my husband had not, I couldn't think of not bringing him there. Trunk Bay in St Johns is one of my favorite places on earth. The soft white sanded beach with the natural palm trees are just so perfect.

 

We got off the ship at 8am and met a few friends from the RCCL message boards that wanted to head over with us. We walked to the taxi depot, which was through the plaza mall to your left, there was plenty of signs leading the way told them we wanted to go to Red Hook ferry. We were directed into a closed van taxi and was made to wait until it was full before we could leave. That took a few minutes then we were off into traffic to make it to Red Hook Ferry. We paid $12.00/pp to get to and from the ferry.

 

At the Red Hook Ferry Depot, we were there and through the line for tickets just prior to 9am. We bought round tip tickets so that we would not have to wait in line to come back, or risk for some reason it being sold out trying to come back to St Thomas later that day. The cost was $6.00/pp/each way or $24.00 for us round trip as a couple.

 

We were greeted by open aired Safari type taxis at Cruz Bay. We told them we wanted to go to Trunk Bay. They waiting again until the taxi was full and then headed to Trunk Bay. They made no stops for pictures, I guess you have to ask or go on another site seeing taxi for those. In other years, we never asked and they would pull off and stop stop for pictures along the way. We paid $6.00/pp to get to Trunk Bay from Cruz Bay (Ferry Terminal). This is a beautiful drive with peaks of beaches along the way.

 

We were dropped off at Trunk Bay, waited in a small line to buy our tickets to get in. These were $4.00/pp and then we were off to a beautiful day on the beach. We got to the beach about 9:40am. There are showers, bathrooms, a beach bar with some food, and a place to purchase snorkeling equipment. We didn't eat or drink anything while we were here so I can't comment on quality or price. I always bring water in water bottles from the ship. I order granola for room service for breakfast, usually 2-3 boxes, and bring it with me in a Ziploc to the beach.

 

 

Thank you for posting this. Looks like it was $52 PER PERSON to get to Trunk Bay, get into the park and get back to the pier!

 

I've been thinking about heading over to Saint John with my family in July, but since there are 5 of us, travel alone would be $260!!!:eek:

 

I think we'll be staying on St. Thomas. :(

[GypsyOBRN]

The last time I went to St Johns was about 4 years ago, we took the bus in St Thomas and not a taxi to Red Hook. I don't remember the amount but it was much cheaper!! It was easy to do, just didn't want to wait for the buses at the bus stop this time.

 

Considering it was even more expensive to go through the ship excursion with much less time, I still think the price to St Johns, on your own, is worth it.

[Alligirl1]

Hi GypsyOBRN,

Thanks so much for the review, it was great. I went to look at the pictures but could find any for your recent trip to Trunk Bay....am I missing something?

Thanks

[01Sweetpea]

Your pictures from St. John are BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

IF I want to consider heading to St. John, I guessing I need to allocate 2.5 - 3 hours for travel time?

 

We're in port from 9-5, so I'd be looking at catching the 10am ferry to St. John and probably the 2pm ferry back?

[Alligirl1]

Oops!!! I didn't scroll far enough down the page....my bad :D

 

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing.

[GypsyOBRN]

Your pictures from St. John are BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

IF I want to consider heading to St. John, I guessing I need to allocate 2.5 - 3 hours for travel time?

 

We're in port from 9-5, so I'd be looking at catching the 10am ferry to St. John and probably the 2pm ferry back?

 

I would take the 10am ferry and plan to return on 2pm... you probably would be ok with the 3pm but I would be a little nervous if something went wrong... like a breakdown of a taxi, ferry, or traffic.

[mikeyd]

I would take the 10am ferry and plan to return on 2pm... you probably would be ok with the 3pm but I would be a little nervous if something went wrong... like a breakdown of a taxi, ferry, or traffic.

 

My concern exactly! There are a lot of variables and risk involved it seems to travel to St. Johns on your own......planes, trains and automobiles lol!

 

If we decide to go we will opt to do it through the ship to avoid being left behind.

[LovinCruisin24]

Thanks so much for your review!

 

We went to St.Thomas last year and we weren't really impressed. We didn't plan anything and joined a last minute tour of the island. When we asked the tour guide how much itll cost he whispered $30/person. We asked the people in front of us how much they paid b/c they booked it as an excursion and they said they paid $62/person!! :eek: That made up our minds from then on to try and do excursions/sightseeing on our own!

 

Ever since reading about St.John and Trunk Bay i have been itching to go.

Ive been looking at RCCL's excursions vs doing it on our own and it def seems a lot easier to do it on our own.

 

The info you gave with prices helped me to start to budget!! Your pictures are beautiful as well, CANNOT WAIT to see it for ourselves! :D

[kchobbs]

Thanks for the info about the costs to get to Trunk bay. My wife and I and our two small kids want to go here on our upcoming cruise. Looking at the costs though with the four of us, it would work out to $228 for the four of us if we did the same thing you did. This seems a bit high, not sure if they would give discounted prices for kids ages 3 and 5.

 

The other option for us to do would be to take a catamaran tour to st john from st thomas. Cost for a full day would be $350 for the four of us for a 7 hour full day tour or about $210 for a half day tour. Meals and drinks included.

 

Thought on what would be better for a family of four?

[Got2Cruise]

What would your kids be doing on the catamaran? Usually the catamaran stops for snorkeling in deep water, but I don't think a 3 year old and 5 year old would be up to that. Little kids like to play in the sand and run around. There is none of that on a catamaran tour.

 

Thanks for the info about the costs to get to Trunk bay. My wife and I and our two small kids want to go here on our upcoming cruise. Looking at the costs though with the four of us, it would work out to $228 for the four of us if we did the same thing you did. This seems a bit high, not sure if they would give discounted prices for kids ages 3 and 5.

 

The other option for us to do would be to take a catamaran tour to st john from st thomas. Cost for a full day would be $350 for the four of us for a 7 hour full day tour or about $210 for a half day tour. Meals and drinks included.

 

Thought on what would be better for a family of four?

[nabby]

Thanks for the info about the costs to get to Trunk bay. My wife and I and our two small kids want to go here on our upcoming cruise. Looking at the costs though with the four of us, it would work out to $228 for the four of us if we did the same thing you did. This seems a bit high, not sure if they would give discounted prices for kids ages 3 and 5.

 

The other option for us to do would be to take a catamaran tour to st john from st thomas. Cost for a full day would be $350 for the four of us for a 7 hour full day tour or about $210 for a half day tour. Meals and drinks included.

 

Thought on what would be better for a family of four?

 

The ferry rate for your children is $1.00 each way. I don't know if the taxi drivers would discount for the children but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Also to save money I would skip Trunk Bay (ask your driver to stop so you can get a picture of it) and go right to Cinnamon Bay. There is no entrance fee there and there are regular toilets and showers, as well as beach rentals if you wish. I show your family costs as:

Taxi to Red Hook ($10pp according to posted rates) $40

Ferry to St. John ($6pp adult, $1pp child) $14

Taxi to Cinnamon Bay ($7pp posted rate) $28

Free entrance to Cinnamon Bay

Taxi back to Cruz Bay $28

Ferry back to Red Hook $14

Taxi back to Charlotte Amalie $40

 

Total is $164 for the family, less if you can negotiate cheaper taxi fares for the children. Of course food and drinks would be extra, as well as any beach rentals (chairs, snorkel equipment, etc.)

 

This is my plan for the day when I go this month. I've done it before with no problems.

[kchobbs]

What would your kids be doing on the catamaran? Usually the catamaran stops for snorkeling in deep water, but I don't think a 3 year old and 5 year old would be up to that. Little kids like to play in the sand and run around. There is none of that on a catamaran tour.

 

We have kids on a catamaran before and it was not a problem. A couple of the ones that i was looking at show a small slide off the catamaran, the kids love water, and would wear life jackets. The tour on the catamaran also shows it pulling up to a beach on St Johns and anchoring for an hour or so to have beach time.

[kchobbs]

The ferry rate for your children is $1.00 each way. I don't know if the taxi drivers would discount for the children but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Also to save money I would skip Trunk Bay (ask your driver to stop so you can get a picture of it) and go right to Cinnamon Bay. There is no entrance fee there and there are regular toilets and showers, as well as beach rentals if you wish. I show your family costs as:

Taxi to Red Hook ($10pp according to posted rates) $40

Ferry to St. John ($6pp adult, $1pp child) $14

Taxi to Cinnamon Bay ($7pp posted rate) $28

Free entrance to Cinnamon Bay

Taxi back to Cruz Bay $28

Ferry back to Red Hook $14

Taxi back to Charlotte Amalie $40

 

Total is $164 for the family, less if you can negotiate cheaper taxi fares for the children. Of course food and drinks would be extra, as well as any beach rentals (chairs, snorkel equipment, etc.)

 

This is my plan for the day when I go this month. I've done it before with no problems.

 

 

Thanks for the clarification on the rates, it was getting to the point where a catamaran tour might have been just as cheap for the four of us.

From past experiences yes we have had to negotiate lower rates for our kids and perhaps could do the same. We are going with Princess and they show a shore excursion to St Johns and Trunk bay for 4.5 hours with 1.0 hour of beach time. Doing this through the ship would be $216 for the four of us.

We would like to maximize the amount of time that we could have at a beach, really enjoyed Meagan Beach, but this time thought we might want to see Trunk bay or as you suggest, Cinnamon bay.

[Hurry&Wait]

Your pictures from St. John are BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

IF I want to consider heading to St. John, I guessing I need to allocate 2.5 - 3 hours for travel time?

 

We're in port from 9-5, so I'd be looking at catching the 10am ferry to St. John and probably the 2pm ferry back?

 

Sweetpea,

 

I do not recommend that you go to St Johns on July 5. We were there last year on July 5. They have a carnival that blocks off a lot of Cruz Bay heading to the ferry dock. Simply put, you will be able to get to the beaches, but getting back to the ferry dock is next to impossible.

 

Here is a link I found that discusses the carnival/festival:

 

http://www.islandhideaways.com/newsletter/may04_st_john_festival.html

 

Again, this is only on July 5 and does not impact any other dates that I am aware of.

 

Kenny

[Sheffie]

The ferry rate for your children is $1.00 each way. I don't know if the taxi drivers would discount for the children but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Also to save money I would skip Trunk Bay (ask your driver to stop so you can get a picture of it) and go right to Cinnamon Bay. There is no entrance fee there and there are regular toilets and showers, as well as beach rentals if you wish. I show your family costs as:

Taxi to Red Hook ($10pp according to posted rates) $40

Ferry to St. John ($6pp adult, $1pp child) $14

Taxi to Cinnamon Bay ($7pp posted rate) $28

Free entrance to Cinnamon Bay

Taxi back to Cruz Bay $28

Ferry back to Red Hook $14

Taxi back to Charlotte Amalie $40

 

Total is $164 for the family, less if you can negotiate cheaper taxi fares for the children. Of course food and drinks would be extra, as well as any beach rentals (chairs, snorkel equipment, etc.)

 

This is my plan for the day when I go this month. I've done it before with no problems.

 

When returning to the ship, you could cut the costs down tremendously by taking the local bus from Red Hook to the ship. I believe its cost is still $2 pp. (maybe $3?) Just follow the locals off the ferry up to the road. They will get in the bus heading to your left. Let the driver know where you are going and you will be let off a couple of blocks from the cruise terminal. We have done this both ways a couple of times. It is an easy and safe way to save money.

[QTMichele]

Wanted to add my experience with taxi fares and children - definitely ask if the kids can go for free. A lot of the taxi drivers we spoke with said they could! We were a larger group which may have affected their answer, but it never hurts to ask. :)

[01Sweetpea]

Sweetpea,

 

I do not recommend that you go to St Johns on July 5. We were there last year on July 5. They have a carnival that blocks off a lot of Cruz Bay heading to the ferry dock. Simply put, you will be able to get to the beaches, but getting back to the ferry dock is next to impossible.

 

Here is a link I found that discusses the carnival/festival:

 

http://www.islandhideaways.com/newsletter/may04_st_john_festival.html

 

Again, this is only on July 5 and does not impact any other dates that I am aware of.

 

Kenny

 

Thank you for this information! I think we're going to stay on St. Thomas and head to Sapphire beach!

[O2B@Cagain]

The St John Festival parade is on July 4th this year. It was a fluke last year because the 4th was a Sunday, so they had it on the 5th.