Itinerary for Family of Four

[mlsully]

We will be visiting St. Thomas next summer for first time - two adults and two children ages 13 and 9. We will be there from 11am-7pm. I thought about Coral World but then have read some not so good reviews??? Anyone have any thoughts? So if we were going there, we would do Coki Beach and then some shopping and return to the port. If we don't do Coral World, I thought about Sapphire Beach (does anyone know if their resort offers one day passes?) and then shopping. Any suggestions?

[Betsy's Mom]

The resort hotel at Sapphire is closed and has been for about 8 years. Beach access is free in the VI with the exception of Magens which is a VI park and charges admission. Food, drink and bathroom facilities (bring t.p.:)) are available at Sapphire.

B.

[O2B@Cagain]

Betsy's Mom: I believe you meant that the hotel at Water Bay, the former Renaissance and briefly Palace all-inclusive, has been out of business. The condo/hotel at Sapphire is still there. By next summer, there should be new restaurant(s) and bar(s) at Sapphire. Currently the Banana Cabana, a grill, and a neighboring restaurant are providing sustenance at Sapphire.

 

To the OP: I am not sure where the bad reviews are about Coral World, but it is a great, but small interactive aquarium. It does not have the glitz of the Georgia Aquarium, but it is much more approachable. For children, it allows them to see sealife in a contained setting, then go snorkeling next door and look at it in the wild. :)

[mlsully]

I saw some reviews on Trip Advisor-Coral World was smaller than the aquariums they had been to for the money, the workers were not that friendly and there was sparse food available the day they went.

 

We are trying to decide between Coral World and Coki Beach to spend the day or Sapphire Beach.

[O2B@Cagain]

Well, Trip Advisor seems to draw the grouchy. Yes, Coral World is small, but St Thomas isn't a metropolis either. They do focus on local sea life, so it isn't as broad as aquariums in the big world.;) Not sure which workers were unfriendly, there is a general problem with customer service throughout the Caribbean. Coral World does hire UVI (University of the Virgin Islands) Marine Science students for interpretation, animal care, etc. and they are usually knowledgable and kind. The snack shack does have somewhat limited options, but you can go next door to Coki and be entertained and fed by the vendors there.

 

Full disclosure: I don't work for Coral World, but feel that it is a treasure. A lot of attractions in the VI and elsewhere in the Caribbean are not as flashy as stateside people would like. I think that is why the reviews at times are poor. When you are used to 24 hour entertainment and Disney World, home grown operations seem pale. :)

[ourfamilylovescruising]

How much would a taxi be for 6 adults and 3 kids from the pier to coral world

[Betsy's Mom]

I believe it would be $8 or $10 per person each way. Children pay same rate. No tip necessary as drivers own their own cabs.

B.

[ourfamilylovescruising]

I believe it would be $8 or $10 per person each way. Children pay same rate. No tip necessary as drivers own their own cabs.

B.

Thank you

[MamaParrotHead]

I have to tell you, Coki is definately a "locals" beach. For us, it wasn't an issue. But I've seen people on here freaking out because of the locals who they thought were "lurking in the trees", just the people who work at the various vending booths hanging out in the shade. There was a police man on his 4 wheeler there the whole time we were there. But it's in no way a "resort" kind of beach. We didn't hit Coral World, though some people who didn't want the "adventure" of using the porta-potties on the beach at Coki paid the $1 per person charge to use Coral World's facilities.

 

I'd honestly recommend Sunny Liston's tour for the family. Our kids had a BLAST, and it includes shopping time, beach time and a short tour with some great photo ops.

[HappyHappy1]

We were island hopping in the VI this summer. We stayed at Sapphire Village (one of the condo resorts at Sapphire Beach). I have two sons (14 & 16). There is plenty to do at Sapphire for kids. There were two small food stands on the beach at Sapphire. There are also several water toys to rent (cheapest we saw out of 4 beaches). The snorkeling was very good at the beach. While we didn't see turtles, we saw squid, many fish, coral, sea urchins, etc. The sand is course...lots of broken coral both on the beach and in the water. Very small waves most of the time we were there. There is a pool on Sapphire beach. It is part of the Sapphire Beach resort. But noone was guarding it and there were many people with Carnival towels enjoying the pool. There is a nice restaurant at Sapphire Village (just around the marina, about a 3-4 minute walk. The burgers are fantastic. Most people were in their swim suits and cover ups. I loved the California Burger! Yum! Taxi is about $13 per person each way.

 

We went to Coki beach...we didn't stay long. Several undesireable people hanging out. The smell of pot was overwhelming. (Not what I wanted for my kids). The beach was dirty, trash everywhere. While there may be lots of fish to see...I wouldn't go back there. Dirty and disgusting. Taxis cost is about $12 per person each way.

 

Emerald beach was a nice clean locals beach that had soft sand a some snorkeling on the left side. It is very clean in front of the Best Western and the other hotel. There is also a fantastic Beach bar and restaurant. The Rum Punch is very strong. Wow! 9 parts rum...1 part punch! They also rent water toys such as Kayaks and peddle boats. The sand is very soft here and the water is flat. Not many people on the beach. The first time we were there last year, there were 5 ships in port and there couldn't have been more than 20-25 people total on the beach. My boys had plenty of space to play with their soccer ball. This is our favorite beach on St. Thomas. Taxi to emerald is $6 per person one way from Havensight.

 

Hope this helps.