St Thomas

[FrizzbeeCruiser]

Hello, 

Yesterday we booked a cruise leaving this Sunday and one of the stops is to St.Thomas. I'm hearing there are 5 ships in port that day. Does anyone have a suggestion on what to do? I feel like it's going to be a mob scene everywhere. Should we even bother with trying to go to any of the beaches or maybe just hang out on the ship instead?

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

[OCruisers]

Having 5 ships in St. Thomas is normal.  

Don't let it keep you from doing what you wish.  

Enjoy!  

[Ms411]

What would you like to do? Have you been to St Thomas before? Nowadays there are multiple ships at many ports so that's going to keep you on the ship?

 

There are non ship excursions that limit capacity and if you want a beach experience with few amenities you can avoid the crowds.

 

Lots of options.

 

[FrizzbeeCruiser]

35 minutes ago, Ms411 said:

What would you like to do? Have you been to St Thomas before? Nowadays there are multiple ships at many ports so that's going to keep you on the ship?

 

There are non ship excursions that limit capacity and if you want a beach experience with few amenities you can avoid the crowds.

 

Lots of options.

 

Hello and Thank you. Um, I'm unsure what I want to do as it's only my second cruise. This would be my first time to St Thomas and the Caribbean. So I am open for lots of suggestions.

It sounds like you more seasoned cruisers don't think the level of the visitors should be a problem. That's great and its exactly why I actively ask questions, because I have no idea what to expect. 

Any suggestions you may have about things to see is greatly appreciated.

 

TIA

[FrizzbeeCruiser]

3 hours ago, OCruisers said:

Having 5 ships in St. Thomas is normal.  

Don't let it keep you from doing what you wish.  

Enjoy!  

Thanks for the heads up. Seemed like a lot but I'm new..I appreciate a more experienced perspective. 

 

[Ms411]

I must admit that it's hard for me to relate to people who have chosen to visit destinations that they know nothing about. I choose my destinations because I heard something about an area and was curious. I had an idea of something I wanted to do, see, try.

 

For me, it was never "a cruise" but an opportunity to visit different places at an affordable rate.

 

I know what I'm interested in and everybody has different interests. Most destinations offer a variety of experiences regardless of where it is.

 

Many people like to see how their profession is represented elsewhere and look for info on that. Many people want to try foods they can't get at home.

 

I love trying new foods and seeing how other people live so that's why I travel. Other people like nature and travel to experience the environmental diversity of our planet.

 

But, with all that, I want to do a tour on St Thomas with http://www.stthomasadventuretours.com. They were sold out on my date so may try again next cruise. I want to see turtles in the wild in a small group.

 

[FrizzbeeCruiser]

26 minutes ago, Ms411 said:

I must admit that it's hard for me to relate to people who have chosen to visit destinations that they know nothing about. I choose my destinations because I heard something about an area and was curious. I had an idea of something I wanted to do, see, try.

 

For me, it was never "a cruise" but an opportunity to visit different places at an affordable rate.

 

I know what I'm interested in and everybody has different interests. Most destinations offer a variety of experiences regardless of where it is.

 

Many people like to see how their profession is represented elsewhere and look for info on that. Many people want to try foods they can't get at home.

 

I love trying new foods and seeing how other people live so that's why I travel. Other people like nature and travel to experience the environmental diversity of our planet.

 

But, with all that, I want to do a tour on St Thomas with http://www.stthomasadventuretours.com. They were sold out on my date so may try again next cruise. I want to see turtles in the wild in a small group.

 

It's funny you mention St Thomas Scuba and Snorkel. I had a fabulous tour booked with them since June on the cruise I spent the last 9 months meticulously planning. Since I had a tour planned I didn't do further research, I was looking forward to experiencing the Port after our tour.

Like you, this wasn't "just a cruise" for us. 

Then on Tuesday morning, late in the night my boyfriend's brother died unexpectedly. Our previous cruise was scheduled to sail today, the day of the funeral

So I spent all of Wednesday dismantling 9 months of a 10 day cruise with another cruise line, scouring the internet trying to find something similar that would leave a few days later, so we can attend the funeral. I literally booked this at 5 or 6pm. While driving 10 hours to the home state I've been trying to do research with my cell phone. 

I considered us lucky that I was even able to find availability on this amazing new itinerary. The fact that it's even has the same ports was amazing. However as you stated STT Snorkel (who btw were gracious enough to extend full refund) had any availability for different days. 

So pardon my questions about this stop, this is not a careless last minute cruise, its a second choice so we can grieve with our family. 

 

[Ms411]

Sorry to hear about your loss and I better understand your situation so I can make more specific recommendations. I am always looking for different options when I travel.

 

You might want to check with http://www.swashbuclingtours.com. Another company offering unique experiences, though many of their tours are above my skill level!

 

Another tour I've done on St Thomas is the Historic Hassel Island hike and snorkel tour with VI Ecotours. You can check their website for details.

 

Getting to Hassel isn't always easy for visitors so going through Ecotours is the most reliable way to get there. Plus, having a guide brings the history alive.

 

So many times the postings in Caribbean forums ask mostly about the beaches. So many more things to explore!

 

[blue_water]

Frankly  MS411 I think your response was quite inappropriate and nededlessly critical, really no excuse for that type of “feedback” to someone asking for guidance. I thought Frizzbee was very restrained in her response to you...I’m sorry if I sound haersh, but I also think a bit more of an apology from you would have gone a long way!

 

You leave tomorrow Frizzbee? Have you finalized your plans for STT? St Thomas is famous for her gorgeous beaches, and if this port was to be a beach day I’d highly ecommend just hoping a taxi to gorgeous Sapphire Beach. There is a chance of spotting sea turtles or rays in the seagrass area there, or along the coral. There are also some daysail charters that are available for snorkeling off the cays of STJ.

What are your port times?

 

 

Edited December 7, 2018 by blue_water

[blue_water]

And what are your other ports? Is Tortola one of them?

[FrizzbeeCruiser]

48 minutes ago, blue_water said:

Frankly  MS411 I think your response was quite inappropriate and nededlessly critical, really no excuse for that type of “feedback” to someone asking for guidance. I thought Frizzbee was very restrained in her response to you...I’m sorry if I sound haersh, but I also think a bit more of an apology from you would have gone a long way!

 

You leave tomorrow Frizzbee? Have you finalized your plans for STT? St Thomas is famous for her gorgeous beaches, and if this port was to be a beach day I’d highly ecommend just hoping a taxi to gorgeous Sapphire Beach. There is a chance of spotting sea turtles or rays in the seagrass area there, or along the coral. There are also some daysail charters that are available for snorkeling off the cays of STJ.

What are your port times?

 

 

Thank you so much. 

[FrizzbeeCruiser]

1 hour ago, blue_water said:

Frankly  MS411 I think your response was quite inappropriate and nededlessly critical, really no excuse for that type of “feedback” to someone asking for guidance. I thought Frizzbee was very restrained in her response to you...I’m sorry if I sound haersh, but I also think a bit more of an apology from you would have gone a long way!

 

You leave tomorrow Frizzbee? Have you finalized your plans for STT? St Thomas is famous for her gorgeous beaches, and if this port was to be a beach day I’d highly ecommend just hoping a taxi to gorgeous Sapphire Beach. There is a chance of spotting sea turtles or rays in the seagrass area there, or along the coral. There are also some daysail charters that are available for snorkeling off the cays of STJ.

What are your port times?

 

 

This sounds like a great idea. So it seems like it's a pretty easy port to get around. 

Yes we were booked to do the snorkel and island tour originally. I'm wait listed so hopefully something might open up for our day. 

 

The other islands are St. Maarten which I was able to secure the same bike tour through.. We're really looking forward to that.

Also Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, and Dominica. 

[cathi007]

On 12/7/2018 at 2:25 PM, FrizzbeeCruiser said:

This sounds like a great idea. So it seems like it's a pretty easy port to get around. 

Yes we were booked to do the snorkel and island tour originally. I'm wait listed so hopefully something might open up for our day. 

 

The other islands are St. Maarten which I was able to secure the same bike tour through.. We're really looking forward to that.

Also Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, and Dominica. 

No matter which beach you decide to visit you will be happy, as the beaches in St. Thomas are awesome :).  I hope to visit Sapphire Beach when I am there in Jan, as we always go to Megans Bay and I hear nothing but great things about Sapphire. Have a great time and I am truly sorry for your loss. As for the rude comment from that other poster, sorry, there are some on here that just like to be rude. I am not sure why, enjoy your day and whatever you do please post a review. I am soooooo looking forward to my turn 🙂

[blue_water]

MS411 is very knowledgable of STT and provides great feedback here, and although I was also a bit irked by the tone of her response I don't believe she meant to be hurtful even though it seemed that way.

But yes Sapphire is beautiful, and you can rent lounges for $9 each and have them placed away from the main group of people close to the water...Just grab a taxi going that way, fare is $10 - $11pp each way. If docked at Havensight maybe you can stop at Paradise Point before walking back to your ship from the tram.

We've taken that cruise and it is a busy one. I would also make it either a beach day or daysail on Barbados.

[FrizzbeeCruiser]

7 minutes ago, blue_water said:

MS411 is very knowledgable of STT and provides great feedback here, and although I was also a bit irked by the tone of her response I don't believe she meant to be hurtful even though it seemed that way.

But yes Sapphire is beautiful, and you can rent lounges for $9 each and have them placed away from the main group of people close to the water...Just grab a taxi going that way, fare is $10 - $11pp each way. If docked at Havensight maybe you can stop at Paradise Point before walking back to your ship from the tram.

We've taken that cruise and it is a busy one. I would also make it either a beach day or daysail on Barbados.

Thank you for your perspective and advice! We did plan for Barbados to be a beach day as well as St. Kitts. 

Edited December 8, 2018 by FrizzbeeCruiser

[Ms411]

Yes, the OP was gracious in her response and I appreciate that. 

 

Sapphire is a gorgeous beach and has snorkel rental. It's a great place to spend the day but if it's your first time you should probably do a tour so you can see more of the island.

 

There are many island tours that include beach time though the tour might take you to a beach other than Sapphire.

 

We did a Segway tour in St Marten, hiking in Grenada, and the cave in Barbados. I prefer the beaches on islands other than St Kitts. Sand isn't as white and the sand was very hot.

 

Have a back up plan in case it rains. Some people stay on the beach, but some scurry back to the ship. The showers don't usually last very long, though.

[2PinaColadas]

Frizzbee-- I tend to agree with Ms411 about St. Kitts.  The beaches there are just okay. 

 

As far as St. Thomas goes, I choose Sapphire every time we are just in port for the day.   The views are amazing and the water is so pretty.  And if you get bored with the beach, Red Hook is just 1/2 mile away-- several fun places to grab a drink or a bite to eat. 

[blue_water]

If a bit more adventurous, or willing to grab a lunch and drinks at the port and be happy with towels on the beach and restrooms, Lindqvist Beach (now Smith Bay Park) is arguably the most gorgeous beach on the island. It exudes the old Caribbean charm similar to Brewers Bay on Tortola. But cruise lines offer excursions there now (“Secret Sands”) so it can be busier now.

Otherwise Sapphire would be our choice..

 

Enjoy your day whatever you choose!