Snorkeling: STT/STJ on your own or excursion?

[BoozinCroozin]

We were just moved over to St Thomas from St Kitts. I am more happy about this stop. It has been about 40 years since I have been to STT and STJ. We arrive the next day after we have an all-day snorkel and island tour in St Maarten. We are probably looking for something that is relaxing and exciting at the same time. I am open to all ideas on what to do. Below are a few things we are looking into with pro's/con's of each.

• Find a St Thomas beach that has rental chairs/umbrellas with good snorkeling, food, and drinks. I have heard Sapphire, Coki, and Lindquist are good for this. The pros here are that it is not too far of a ride to get to any of them. The downside is with 4 ships in ports they could get busy. Fortunately we are the first ship in port at 8AM and the BIG ships don't get there until noon.
• Find the water taxi over to Water Island, chill out at Dinghy's and Honeymoon Beach. I am not sure how good the snorkeling is there, but we supposedly can get loungers and umbrella there.
• Head to St John's and hit a nice beach there (TBD). The only minor con to this is the $20 RT for Red Hook, ~$16 RT ferry, ~$20 RT taxi in STJ and the time sink to get there and back. The time spent will be relaxing though. We would want a place with good snorkeling from shore and maybe have some rentals like SUPs, etc. Cinnamon Bay, Trunk (maybe), or another that we locate. Needs to have food and drink available as well.
• Snorkeling excursion, preferably near Havensite because of added cost of taxis. Would prefer something with snorkeling in St John's vs Buck Island. Some of the videos I have seen of Buck Island is with 1000 people there. That would not be pleasant. I saw Surfari gets good reviews and not outrageous for a half day trip. Something like that may allow for other sightseeing in St Thomas as well, maybe the cable cars up the mountain.

 

Anyone with opinions or suggestions are appreciated.

[crewsweeper]

Buck Island could be a bit of a zoo given the number of ships in port and many cruisers using ship excursions under the pandemic environment.  You could look into Secret Harbor.  A bit closer than Sapphire.  But I'd do Sapphire over Coki.  Lindquist is a great option though, just further up the east side..  Nothing else really closer for snorkeling.  Easy walk to town and the beach there..  Maybe look into the America's Cup racing for something different.  Ferry schedules could squeeze your time on St John.  Depends on how long your ship is in port. But that and the expense are the main drawbacks.

[BoozinCroozin]

17 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Buck Island could be a bit of a zoo given the number of ships in port and many cruisers using ship excursions under the pandemic environment.  You could look into Secret Harbor.  A bit closer than Sapphire.  But I'd do Sapphire over Coki.  Lindquist is a great option though, just further up the east side..  Nothing else really closer for snorkeling.  Easy walk to town and the beach there..  Maybe look into the America's Cup racing for something different.  Ferry schedules could squeeze your time on St John.  Depends on how long your ship is in port. But that and the expense are the main drawbacks.

Running the time on me head to St John's, perfection would only be 1-hour each way, but reality is 1.5-2 hours each way. I don't really want to burn 40-50% of my time getting there and back. 

 

I think we are going to just do a beach day at Sapphire, Secret Harbor, Lundquist, or Coki. I am leaning toward Secret Harbor after taking to a guy at AA Divers. 

[crewsweeper]

I don't think you'll go wrong at Secret Harbor.  Should be less crowded than the others.  Hosts are very congenial.

[blue_water]

As you mentioned in another thread you want to zag while others zig, and of course with the amenities you want you will be at a crowded beach, no question. No way to avoid your fellow day visitors. And based on your desire for good snorkeling on STT the East End beaches are where you would look. More details on your snorkeling options I’ve posted elsewhere -

STT

• Lindqvist is arguably the nicest beach, but no amenities other than restrooms and I cannot comment on the snorkeling there.
• Coki has good snorkeling with all the amenities you want but is a very small bay. We love Coki with no ships in port, but on your port day it will be very crowded. But if you don’t mind a busier vibe on the beach and in the water it is a gorgeous beach with good snorkeling.
• Secret Harbor is home to the Secret Harbour Resort and other condos and is also a small bay which is well protected and quite calm. There is decent snorkeling here, and the resort has a good restaurant. You rent lounges and umbrellas from AA Divers and they have an area for day visitors separate from resort guests. It does get very crowded on busy ship days. They do run out of umbrellas and space so you’d want to reserve ahead of time, I believe their cancellation policy is flexible, check their site.
• Sapphire offers all the amenities plus a coral area as well as a sea grass area where you may see rays and sea turtles. A sandy swimming area separates the two. You can google reviews on that. Also beautiful water colors and island views for non-snorlelers.

STJ

• Trunk Bay is where everyone from the ships go for snorkeling. There is a snorkel trail and the amenities you want, but the snorkeling is not rated that good.
• For exceptional snorkeling Maho Bay and Waterlemon Cay are favored, but you’d need a driver to return for you, and there are no amenities.
   

Good luck!

Edited October 4, 2021 by blue_water

[BoozinCroozin]

Thanks. We are pretty sure we are going to Sapphire or Secret Harbor. Both have what we need. Our shop ports first with the others coming in and noon. We can leave after lunch time, explore the port in the afternoon, then back on the ship by 4pm. 

[blue_water]

Yes both are good options for what you are looking for. We’ve looked at condos at the SH resort and stayed at the SBRM on Sapphire and we’d definitely choose Sapphire, but that is our experience, and you should definitely experience the different beaches as they are all beautiful! Enjoy your trip!

[BoozinCroozin]

Thanks. I like both from what I have seen online. Both have equal positives. The only downside to Secret Harbor is a very small area available for rental chairs from AA Divers. I don't think we could go wrong with either. The reason I am leaning towards Secret Harbor is potential for less crowds, snorkeling is not too far away on either side of the beach, the grass flats in the middle attract turtles (Sapphire too). What I saw on Sapphire is that it is pretty far to go from each side of the beach. 

[blue_water]

5 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Thanks. I like both from what I have seen online. Both have equal positives. The only downside to Secret Harbor is a very small area available for rental chairs from AA Divers. I don't think we could go wrong with either. The reason I am leaning towards Secret Harbor is potential for less crowds, snorkeling is not too far away on either side of the beach, the grass flats in the middle attract turtles (Sapphire too). What I saw on Sapphire is that it is pretty far to go from each side of the beach. 

Yes SH is more compact so a bit more congested, whereas at Sapphire you can find a spot away from the busier area, either in front of the SBRM or Crystal Cove…That is the big difference for us…The snorkeling areas at Sapphire are separated only by a small sandy section…either beach will work for you…

The one plus that SH offers is the excellent Sunset Grille restaurant. That is open only for dinner, but The Patio is available for breakfast and lunch. Sapphire has a restaurant at Sapphire Village, and a beach bar by the old restaurant…
 

For anyone following this conversation who wants to snorkel and actually zag (get away from their fellow passengers), Cowpet Bay (Elysian Beach) is a lesser-known beach close to SH that friends enjoy snorkeling at. There are many boats moored here (yacht club), and no public amenities really.  Caribbean Fish Market is still closed I believe, but Sangria’s Beachside Bistro is available for lunch and drinks.

[BoozinCroozin]

@blue_waterI appreciate all the feedback and information. I am sure others will as well. I know I don't want to go to Magen's. I also know with the amount of time we have, STJ will be a time sink to go to. I thought about Water Island's Honeymoon Beach, but found a lot of excursion drop off there for lunch. Another issue there is the water taxi back. If you don't get on the one you came for, you have to wait an hour. This has me wanting to stay on STT. Lots of great advice. I still have ~50 days until we are there to decide. That gives me plenty of time to research.

[LadyDivot]

All - thanks for the great info and thanks to the OP for getting this discussion started. We're scheduled to be in St. Thomas and St. Kitts in early Dec. Not sure where we wanted to go, but SH seems like a good quiet place to stick our toes in the water and a$$ in the sand. (Zack Brown fans out there?). Love a beach snorkel and ahi tuna nachos sound too decadent to miss.

 

Boozin - would love to know what you finally decide.

 

Thanks...Pam

 

[BoozinCroozin]

6 hours ago, LadyDivot said:

Boozin - would love to know what you finally decide.

 

Thanks...Pam

 

We may not finally decide until we are there. The winds could make one set of beaches better than the other. I can let you know when we do get back. It is pretty much set at Sapphire Beach or Secret Harbor.

 

As for your St Kitts stop, expect that to get moved to Amber Cove soon. That's what happened with our cruise. Grand Turk and St Kitts got moved to Amber Cove and St Thomas.

[LadyDivot]

3 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

We may not finally decide until we are there. The winds could make one set of beaches better than the other. I can let you know when we do get back. It is pretty much set at Sapphire Beach or Secret Harbor.

 

As for your St Kitts stop, expect that to get moved to Amber Cove soon. That's what happened with our cruise. Grand Turk and St Kitts got moved to Amber Cove and St Thomas.

Yep, for the moment the only change so far is that we're leaving FLL 30 minutes later than scheduled, but St. Kitts is iffy at best. Unfortunate too, since we've got a beach bar right out of a Jimmy Buffett song that we go to. Since St Kitts is ship excursion only, our bar is not an option this time. Noted about the winds - okay, will keep both Sapphire and SH on the list. This is a good list!

 

Be safe, All!

 

 

[blue_water]

In regards to wind, if you are thinking about rougher water the more protected bays are SH and Magens. Sapphire is generally like glass as well, but can get choppy when there are sea swells. That is more common in the winter months when we are staying there…

[LadyDivot]

Boozin' - what did you decide to do? We leave in two week and St Kitts is still on our itinerary.

 

 

[CruisingHogFan]

I’ve done some research and pretty much decided on St. Thomas Scuba and Snorkel Adventures for the day if we don’t decide to do something on our own. Haven’t seen much in here about any private excursions

[LadyDivot]

I've written AA Divers twice with no response. Tomorrow a phone call - goin' old school.

 

 

[blue_water]

15 hours ago, LadyDivot said:

I've written AA Divers twice with no response. Tomorrow a phone call - goin' old school.

 

 

I always suggest calling when you really want a reply. 😄

[LadyDivot]

59 minutes ago, blue_water said:

I always suggest calling when you really want a reply. 😄

Gotta love island time. On it...

[LadyDivot]

We are booked for 2 chairs and an umbrella for next Wednesday for $40 for the day. We made the reservation through AA Divers. Thanks to all for the info. I'll return with a review.

 

Pam

 

[diane.in.ny]

On 11/21/2021 at 4:13 PM, CruisingHogFan said:

I’ve done some research and pretty much decided on St. Thomas Scuba and Snorkel Adventures for the day if we don’t decide to do something on our own. Haven’t seen much in here about any private excursions

 

Was wondering if you sailed and went with this company. ...

[LadyDivot]

Overall: We'd do Secret Harbor again! I strongly recommend making a reservation through AA Divers before you go and be persistent. Island time! It took two emails, a Facebook message and two phone calls but once connected, it was easy to make the reservation. Only one row of chairs/umbrellas, so everything is front beach view. $40 for the day for two chairs and an umbrella. There are about 6-7 umbrellas and all were full when we arrived. They will set up loungers for late comers, but no umbrellas. Water is a horseshoe shaped cove with low waves. Beach is rocky with little stones right where the water breaks, so wear water shoes or pay attention where there is sand, particularly on the way out. Where the loungers are set up is in front of the dive shop and down the beach a bit from Sunset Harbor Cafe. There was no music that day, and I don't get the feeling there ever is. Fine with us - the sound of the water is what we need. Others came and brought their own music. 

Food: Service is provided from the nearby Sunsett Harbor Cafe. There were two waitresses, but they also serve the hotel, so it was easier and faster to go get your drinks from the bar. I had read on other threads and Trip Advisor that their tuna nachos were the way to go. 100% agree. Holy cow - they were amazing! DH had a salad with tuna and while good, I don't think it was as good as mine. Huge chuncks of perfectly medium rare tuna, slaw, crunchy chips, thai sauce and a wasabi mayo drizzle that was just enough heat. Lovely breeze on the patio and just a great lunch.

Transportation: This is where it got interesting. It matters which port on STT you arrive. We ended up at Crown Bay Harbor which is NOT the one downtown (Havensight). Getting to Secret Harbor took about 35 minutes due to traffic - hilly and we got behind a slow truck. You can get a taxi from Crown Bay to Secret Harbor for $12 person. Taxi prices are fixed by the island and some drivers will complain because SH is on the far side of STT. It's the getting back part that gave us some trouble. We were told that taxis come by "all the time" and all we have to do is jump on. Yea - not really. There were A LOT of us waiting for taxis at SH to go back to Havensight and Crown Bay. Two taxi drivers said Crown Bay was too far to go and turned down our fare! Doh! Since the fare is set, they have to drive further for the same money and don't want to do it. We even offered more as tip - nope. There was a couple who had the restaurant call a taxi and we overheard "crown bay." We asked if we could join and thankfully they agreed - they were on our ship! Anyhoo, we were sweating a bit until we got in the taxi. Plenty of time, but you know that feeling, right?

Snorkeling: You can snorkel from the beach on the right side. There are big boulders and a wall. Pics attached. On the pic with the sand, our chairs et all are behind me. We saw fish around the rocks. I saw a fair number of snorkelers out by the far rocks/wall. We chickened out (no fins) and after snorkeling, headed back to the loungers. AA Divers rents snorkel gear and has a dive boat that came back while were there. 

Recommendations: Definitely go again! (1) Absolutely make a reservation for lounger/umbrella as soon as you know you want to go. Fills up. (2) Snorkel from the beach and don't chicken out. (3) Go to Sunset Harbor Cafe and order the tuna nachos. Do yourself a favor! (4) Its a drive from downtown Charlotte Amalie. Arrange return transportation by calling from cafe or in advance ESPECIALLY if your ship is at Crown Bay. Do it for Havensight, too. Going not an issue - it's the return.