Spending a Day on St. John

[cardes]

You can rent snorkel gear at Cinnamon.

 

 

Thank you

 

 

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[m and m's]

Sounds like Trunk will be best for us, first thing in the morning with an island tour after. My friend was there today and called it Heaven in her text. Thanks everyone for the info. Mary

[Glamourgal]

I'll be honest, as much as I want to go I'm getting cold feet. I'm so afraid that with how busy it is going to be on the day we are there, 2/3, I'm afraid even leaving on the 3 PM ferry we won't make it back on time. The ship is there until 6 with onboard time being 5:30 but we are tendering...Not sure what we are going to do. We will go to Megan's Bay if we don't make it to St. John.

[blue_water]

M&M, I think Trunk is a bit over-rated anymore for snorkeling but nice beach. Have not snorkeled Cinnamon but it looks to be less protected. Friends who are avid snorkelers like Maho and Francis but they're strong swimmers and are also staying on STJ with more time.

 

For someone not wanting to spend the extra 2 hrs in travel time snorkeling on the East End of St Thomas is pretty good too. Consider Coki if you want a more lively vibe, and Sapphire or Secret Harbor for a less busy option. As nice or nicer than Magens but with good snorkeling, and you have a couple more hours on the beach vs STJ if concerned about the return.

Edited January 20, 2015 by blue_water

[Host Anne]

Glamourgal ~ if you leave St. John on the 3:00 PM ferry, the latest you'd get back to your tender area would be 4:15 even in heavy traffic. There is always lots of taxis waiting in Red Hook at the ferry terminal. Even when we've been in port with 7 or 8 ships, it was never a problem getting from Red Hook to the ship in 45 minutes.

 

What ship are you on that you are tendering? If you are in line for your tender they aren't going to leave without you and I can't imagine a tender line that is going to be over an hour long.

 

I certainly understand folks being nervous about getting back to the ship (and that's actually a good thing) but I still think you'd be OK. I'd be on my way to St. John but then I've done it quite a few times.

 

ENJOY whatever you decide to do! :)

[Glamourgal]

Thanks so much Anne, I appreciate this...what time do you think I will need to leave Trunk Bay to get to the 3 PM Ferry to go back?

[blue_water]

You will have a better idea of how much time you would have for your trip to STJ after tendering in since that's the main queue point.

If we were taking the last possible ferry back we'd be at the Cruz Bay ferry dock at least 30 min early which would mean getting ready to grab a taxi at the beach no later than 2:30.

Edited January 27, 2015 by blue_water

[Host Anne]

I'd head to the parking lot at Trunk by 2:20. Taxi's normally don't just "go" when you get in them. They try to wait until the are pretty full so you may have a little wait. It's only about a ten minute ride back to Cruz Bay but the 3:00 PM ferry is usually busy and I like to be in line for the ferry before it gets super crowded. That's just me! :)

[BlueSky_ShinySea]

Hi! I recently returned from a cruise on which we went to St. Thomas and we went to Secret Harbor. We liked the quietness - it seemed like there were only a few cruisers there!

 

I wrote about our experience, how we got there, what we did, and have some pictures in the review at the link below.

 

Hope everyone has a great time in St. Thomas! :-)

[ladybug1s]

I may rent a car in St Thomas, would it be easy for my family of 6 to take our rental car onto the ferry and check out the island ourself?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There has been an old (and very long) thread on getting to St. John. It's has lots of good information but after four years, much has changed. I've updated my "spending a day on St. John" and am posting it below so folks don't have to dig through bunches of pages. Feel free to ask questions. I love St. John ... it's a special place. If you've never been, consider it.

 

Getting to St. John on your own is pretty easy.

 

When you disembark the ship, there will be plenty of open air taxis filling with passengers heading to St. John. You'll take the taxi from here to Red Hook where you'll catch the ferry to Cruz Bay. Ferry rates are currently $7 each way. The ferry runs every hour on the hour from Red Hook to Cruz Bay and then back from Cruz Bay to Red Hook.

 

There will be plenty of taxis waiting for you when you get to Cruz Bay. They'll take you to one of the many beaches -- Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon and Maho have restroom facilities while Trunk and Cinnamon have snack bars, chair rentals and snorkel gear rentals. Trunk Bay has a $4 per person entry fee. There is an underwater snorkel trail here that is well marked.

 

There will also be plenty of taxis at Trunk and Cinnamon to take you back to Cruz Bay. If you head to one of the other beaches be sure to arrange a pick up time with the taxi driver who drops you off. They always come back if you pre-arrange a pick up time.

 

If you’ve never been to St. John, you might want to consider taking an island tour. They run about $25 per person and you can ask to be dropped off at one of the north shore beaches after the tour for an hour or so. We've done this frequently when we have guests with us who haven't been to St. John before. The history, views and people of St. John are wonderful. It’s definitely worth learning more about this very special place that is 2/3rds U.S. National Park.

 

Cruz Bay is filled with lots of great beach bars, restaurants and shops. It's a great little town. Two main shopping areas are within close walking distance to the ferry dock. Wharfside Village is to our right as you walk out of the ferry dock area. Beach bars line the area with a variety of nice shops behind them. About a five minute walk to your left when you disembark the ferry is Mongoose Junction. This is an upscale shopping area also with a wide variety of restaurants and shops.

 

For those going on their own, if you’ve never done this before, I’d recommend catching the ferry back to St. Thomas three hours before your ship sails. So if you ship leaves at 6:00, take the 3:00 PM ferry. If you have done this trip several times, you are most likely safe taking a ferry 2 hours prior to your ships’ departure. It all depends on your comfort level. Traffic from the Red Hook ferry back to the ship can be heavy. If your ship is docked at Crown Bay, always allow three hours for the return. Most of the time, a two hour window is fine getting back to the ship if you are docked at Havensight.

 

APPROXIMATE PER PERSON COSTS TO GO ON YOUR OWN

Roundtrip taxi from ship (Havensight) to Red Hook: $20

Roundtrip ferry cost: $14

Roundtrip taxi cost to Beaches: $14

TOTAL APPROXIMATE COST: $48

 

Fares could vary slightly depending upon your taxi. If you are docked at Crown Bay, add approximately $4 roundtrip for the taxi to Red Hook.

 

Note: Check out excursions with your cruise line as well. Some are essentially offering ferry service to St. John. Doesn’t give you as much time on the island typically, but it is a nice alternative if you don’t want to go on your own and the prices have been reasonable.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions! ENJOY!!!

[beautifulbill]

Ladybug

 

In your case I don't think renting a car to go to St. John is a good idea. The car ferries can get full and you would then have to wait for the next ferry and that takes time. In addition if you read the posts on the St. John travel board many people get to the beach before 9 AM because there is so little parking available at the popular beaches. Parking in Cruze Bay is also very hard to find.

 

My recomendation would be to stay on St. Thomas and enjoy your day without worries and if you like what you see come back for a longer stay and either visit or stay on St. John.

[ladybug1s]

Were the mosquitoes bad during the day? I hear there can be some bad illnesses from them .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just visited Cinnamon Beach a few weeks ago for the first time. Did it ourselves via taxis and Red Hook Ferry. It was so incredibly simple thanks to Anne and other posters on this thread! Cinnamon was breathtaking and out of my 16 cruises is my favorite beach of all time! The sand was very soft and fine. The water was the prettiest shade of blue and very clear. We snorkeled all the way out to the island straight ahead and saw a ton of fish. Not much to see as far as colorful coral but the fish were plentiful! As far as amenities/concessions here is what we found: This is a campground with a small camp store. You can buy ice, beer, pop, water, bug spray, snacks, etc. However, upon inspection we noticed that many of the food items in the store were expired. Just about every bag of chips we looked at had expired in a March 2013. Individual cans of beer were $4 each. The restrooms were clean and were located about 1/2 way between where the cabs drop you off and the beach (but not on the beach). There is another small store on the beach where they rent chairs. No ice here but they did sell cans of beer ($4 each). They do not have loungers at this beach but instead rent small folding beach chairs (the ones that sit low to the ground). Chairs were $10 each with a $25 refundable deposit (either cash or credit card). I wish they had the loungers it would've made my stay there that much more enjoyable! There were a lot of Mosquitos. We ended up having to buy repellant from the camp store. Oh and we did visit the new bar right across from the ferry called Cruz Bay Landing. It has a very nice outdoor area and the staff were very friendly. Mixed drinks were $7 and beer was $5.

 

 

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[Ashland]

Our ship RCI will dock in St John Antigua in May 2016...What can we do if not interested in a beach day...:confused:

[blue_water]

You will want to post this in the Antigua forum but take a look at the Excellence cat sail, this is offered as the See Antigua by Sea excursion. What a great day!

[O2B@Cagain]

Our ship RCI will dock in St John Antigua in May 2016...What can we do if not interested in a beach day...:confused:

Ashland: This thread is about St John, US Virgin Islands. There is also the city of St John's, Antigua. Same ocean, different island. :)

[Ashland]

Ashland: This thread is about St John, US Virgin Islands. There is also the city of St John's, Antigua. Same ocean, different island. :)

Crazy me :o...as I said this is a new port for us..thanks for the right direction :)

[Host Anne]

Ladybug ~ I would not advise renting a vehicle on St. Thomas and taking it to St. John. It would take you way too much time that you could be spending on St. John. If you go, grab a taxi to Red Hook, take the 15 minute ferry ride and then grab a taxi for an island tour or to a beach.

 

As for chikungunya from mosquitoes, there have only been 5 reported case in the US Virgin Island this year according to the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/pdfs/2015-Table-2_04-07-15.pdf. If you are concerned, buy some bug wipes with deet (they are available on Amazon) and use them before heading to St. John for the day. You can also buy bug repellent with deet at drug stores. While deet isn't something you want to use regularly, it's your best defense for against these mosquitoes for a day.

 

If you venture to St. John, have a fantastic day.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Host Anne

[tiggerkaj]

This has been a wealth of good information, thank you!!

 

We always try to avoid having to get off the ship right away but if we were going to try to get to the 9:00 ferry I guess that's what we would have to do. Does anyone have any pointers to getting off quickly?? Should we just find out which deck we disembark from and try to get in line as early as possible or do some cruise lines have specified areas for people to wait for early excursions so to speak? We will be on Norwegian Getaway and this will be our first time on NCL.

[Nickymjw1]

Do we need water shoes for cinnamon or Trunk Bay?

[sugarbird]

Do we need water shoes for cinnamon or Trunk Bay?

Water shoes are never necessary for Trunk or Cinnamon beaches.

My wife and I have owned a 2nd home on St. John for 35 years and have never needed water shoes for any beach there.

[Nickymjw1]

I didn't think we did. Our only other cruise ports are St. Maarten and Coco Cay, so I don't think I am going to pack them

[t2georgia]

Hi -- I understand the beaches are very nice in St. John, but is the shopping in St. John worth taking the ferry over or would staying in the St. Thomas area be just as good?

 

Many thanks!

[blue_water]

Hi -- I understand the beaches are very nice in St. John, but is the shopping in St. John worth taking the ferry over or would staying in the St. Thomas area be just as good?

 

Many thanks!

 

If you're looking for tons of stores selling everything from trinkets to duty free liquor to high-end watches Charlotte Amalie is your place. For a more relaxed experience with fewer stores and people Cruz Bay is well worth the visit. Nice quality Hook bracelets at St John Bracelet Co...

[Host Anne]

t2georgia ~ Just got off a plane from St. Thomas after a week on St. John. For a wide variety of shopping, more stores and likely better deals, St. Thomas is where you want to shop.

 

For more boutique-type shops that offer some really nice items including jewelry and clothes, St. John has quite a few very nice places for such a small island. When you disembark the ferry, there is a row of shops to your right called Wharfside Village. If you walk to your left and follow the road along the harbor, you'll come to Mongoose Junction on the right in about five minutes. Some very nice stores in both locations. Cruz Bay also has a nice variety of beach bars and restaurants very close to the ferry.

 

It all depends what you are looking for.

[Host Anne]

tigger ~ ask at Guest Relations the day before you arrive in St. Thomas what deck and what part of the ship (forward/mid/aft) you will be disembarking from. Then I suggest waiting in the closest lounge area to that part of the ship so when they announce you can disembark you are close and ready to go.

 

Cruise line excursions usually have specific places and time to meet. If you are going on your own, this won't apply to you. Cruiselines don't really want guests standing in line on stairs for disembarkation to begin so I recommend waiting in a nearby area so you are ready to go as soon as they announce the ship has been cleared.

 

ENJOY!