Been to secret harbour lately?

[Shih-tzu]

Wondering if anyone has been to Secret Harbour in the last couple of months. I have been reading different things but all the questions and answers seem to be from 2010 and a lot can change.

 

Is the snorkeling good for beginners or those that can't swim far?

 

Is there lounge chair/umbrella rentals (or lounge chair/shade?)

 

Is there a place you can rent a noodle or life jacket (we have our own mask and snorkel)?

 

What is the cost of loungers and/or floats? And what is the approximate cost for taxi now?

 

Thanks for any help.......

 

We were looking at Coki, but get the impression that water conditions here could be a little more calm.

[Shih-tzu]

**bump**

[blue_water]

**bump**

 

Patience shij-tzu, you just posted 9 hrs earlier :)

 

You'll find a ton of current information in other threads just below yours, and using the search function will yield a wealth of information listed by date starting with the most recent. Use "Secret Harbor" when searching, Secret Harbour is the condo property but the beach is known as Secret Harbor.

Here are my search results -

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=81085497

 

Snorkeling is good for beginners, AA DIvers rents equipment as well as lounges and umbrellas and can direct you to the best spots to snorkel. You can email them for pricing and you can also reserve lounges, umbrellas and other items ahead of your arrival.

www.aadivers.com

 

Taxi is $10 - 12pp each way depending on your dock, and taxis stop in for returns. You can also ask your driver if he/she will be returning for you and at what time.

[Shih-tzu]

Thanks blue water..... I was using the "wrong" search function and I was getting a lot of old stuff about Secret Harbour and Sapphire beach - chairs/no chairs/chairs. Easy to get taxi/not easy to get taxi..... no room on beach/lots of room on beach/eroded beach......... and once I start reading so many things that contradict and trying to keep all the beach names straight.....well, let's just say I'm getting old and the brain sometimes just gets more easily confused.

 

So I've narrowed it down to Secret Harbour (calm waters) or Sapphire (scenery, etc) .....

 

Will glue hubby to dining room chair tonight until he looks at the pictures and helps decide.:p

 

Again, appreciate the help.

[blue_water]

LOL! Yes it can be daunting with all of the information on these sites for sure! SH and Sapphire are on either side of the town of Red Hook and should be the same taxi fare. The entrance to Sapphire is off the main road, while you have to drive a short distance from the main road to get to SH. But taxis will stop in at both beaches to pick up folks heading back to the ship, you mayw ant to ask your driver to stop back at SH to be safe. Both are home to condo properties. Sapphire is a bit longer bay and has abundant natural shade along the shore but doesn't have a "real" restaurant and can be choppy on some days. SH is generally quite calm and has a nice restaurant but not much shade.

 

We prefer renting a condo at Sapphire over SH, but SH is also a very nice beach, and for calmw ater I'd look at a day at SH. You can see a webcam on the www.aadivers.com site and pictures from the Secret Harbour Resort site...

http://www.secretharbourvi.com/hotel/photo-gallery/

Sapphire has a webcam along with a drone video at www.sapphireinthesun.com

Good luck with the glue!

[Shih-tzu]

It was the web-cam picture from Sapphire that had me go "Ohhhhh -Ahhhh". I'm sure either beach is fine - just want a chair or lounger :-) Any beach is better than shovelling snow :)

 

Thanks again :-)

[blue_water]

Yes, most folks who do Sapphire don't do other STT beaches after. :D

If you don't need a restaurant or a hotel experience Sapphire really is a good choice. The restrooms are fine, and we love the mahi mahi sandwich from the Banana Cabana beach grill, $14 but big enough to share and ooh so worth it.

But really you will be very happy at either beach...

[Jezo]

Everyone says SH has good snorkeling right off the beach, does Sapphire have any?

[blue_water]

There is a reef as well as a seagrass area off Sapphire where you may spot sea turtles or rays...

[Jezo]

How is the food and drinks at SH compared to Sapphire?

[LuCruise]

So I've narrowed it down to Secret Harbour (calm waters) or Sapphire (scenery, etc) .....

 

Will glue hubby to dining room chair tonight until he looks at the pictures and helps decide.:p

 

Again, appreciate the help.

 

Just had to post that I can totally relate and this gave me a chuckle. :D

 

We sound the same...I do all the research. DH says he'll give me 3 mintues a night of "cruise talk" and to get him to actually look at pictures, etc is a big deal.

 

Good luckw tih whatever you decide

[Shih-tzu]

Well, at least I'm not alone :p

[blue_water]

How is the food and drinks at SH compared to Sapphire?

 

Love the mahi mahi at the Banana Cabana at Sapphire, but SH has a nice restaurant on the beach so no comparison.

[Jezo]

Is there just the one big restaurant at SH or are there other options? Affordable drinks or just $10+ things?

[Ms411]

There is only one restaurant at Secret Harbor - Sunset Grille, but the reviews on TripAdvisor include reviews for the one at the Marriott and the one at Secret Harbor last time I checked so it's very confusing. At Sapphire, there's a food tent with a limited menu. The only beaches with multiple restaurants are Emerald, and Morningstar. Coki has multiple food booths.

 

The beaches on St Thomas are small.