Specific St. Thomas questions

[mueller74us]

I know these questions seem like they should be in the port of call section but after having it posted there for a short while I began to wonder if " Port of Call" people were primarily accessing those threads to get answers and not give advice. So, pardon me for a bit while I post this here in hopes of a response:

 

Hello!

 

I am trying to piece together our day in St.Thomas. Dh and I will probably shop in the a.m., have lunch on the island, return to the ship to drop off purchases/change and then off to the beach. Here are my questions:

 

1. We want to go into Charlotte Amalie and to Vendors Plaza. Do both require a cab ride? Is Vendors Plaza in Charlotte Amalie?

 

2. Once in Charlotte Amalie are there several resturant options? I am interested in something with island fare as well as more "americanized" dishes for my less adventourous DH...any suggestions?

 

3. We will be going to Sapphire Beach. Will I have access to the hotels facilities...specifically the bar and the dive shop?

 

4. The cab situation....are there cabs waiting around at the cruise ship docks? are there cabs available in town to return people to the docks? are there cabs sitting around near the beach for return trips? My fear, as you can tell, is that I will be able to take a cab somewhere but not be able to find a ride back to the ship?!?

 

THANKS, AHEAD OF TIME, FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

 

Jennifer

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can answer the question about cabs. There are a handful of cabs like you are used to at home. But 99% of the cabs are open air safari buses that can take quite a few people to town and to the beaches, etc. There are always a ton of these open air safari buses at the cruise terminals and in town.

[firefly333]

The question about if you need a cab depends on which ship you are on. Princess for instance docks at the new pier, other ships are at the old pier which is closer to the tram ride and the open air market in their downtown area.

 

We wanted to go to a local beach because the water is clearer, not the one cabs like to take you to which costs to get into and is larger. We had to ask 5 cabs to get one to take you there, they would rather charge you $10 pp to ferry you back and forth from town to the ship, 3 miles than take you out to a far flung beach.

 

Downtown you can get a local meal which is great, fried plantains and peas (which are not peas to me but beans) and rice and chicken etc. very good.

 

I think Sapphire's Beach is the one that you will not have any trouble getting to, its the one everyone goes to, thats why we had gotten a tip to go to the other one with better snorkling that was friendlier and free. $10 to snorkel including the dog bisquits to feed to the fish, loved it.

 

I was there late January and already forget some of the names there.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Had to go do some checking - and I see that you are on Carnival. Right now all Carnival ships are docking at Havensight which is easier to get to a beach. There many stores here.

 

Down town we have eaten at Herve's (had to go to a scrapbook) which is on Government Hill. It is on the second floor and has large windows overlooking the harbor. The food is good and the prices are great.

 

We tried Glady's Cafe down town. It is located in the Royal Dane Mall. Food was good. But we much prefered the view.

[Nebr.cruiser]

There are plenty of taxis and the open-air shuttles into the downtown. We always walk (from the Princess dock, I think it is; near the funicular ride up the hill), but be warned that it is quite a hike--30 min. at least, can be hot, and traffic is heavy as you get toward town. We do it because we need the exercise after cruising a few days!

 

There are plenty of restaurants downtown, and many have both Americanized and local dishes.

 

I can't answer the question about the beach and taxis; I've only been to a beach that was included on a tour; Magen's Bay, I think. The tour drove us there and then picked us up at a certain time. I don't know which beaches are easily accessed from the dock via taxi.

[firefly333]

There are plenty of taxis and the open-air shuttles into the downtown. We always walk (from the Princess dock, I think it is; near the funicular ride up the hill), but be warned that it is quite a hike--30 min. at least, can be hot, and traffic is heavy

 

Its 3 miles from where Princess docks we were told, just far enough that its a hot long walk, too far for me. We did "Views of St. Thomas" thru the ship's excursion which included the tram and views and the drive up to Mountaintop, the highest point then did stuff on our own.

 

Carnival does dock closer, thank goodness, poor Princess getting stuck so far away.

 

Same thing happened to us on RCI a few weeks ago, when we docked at Cozumel it was really far from town, either 3 or 5 miles, I forget how far. When we docked with Carnival it was right by town.

 

Carnival so far has better docking spaces imo.

[buddyjo143]

We were at Sapphire Beach in December. We got there late afternoon on a ship sponsored excursion. You can rent from the shop that is there. We did buy sodas and water at the gift shop. We don't drink alcohol but I think the bar was available for the non hotel guests.

 

The terrain at this beach is loaded with coral/rocky formations. There is an area to snorkel.

[wiz54]

:) When we were in St. Thomas the Hook,Line and Sinker was WONDERFUL! Traditional and local foods.DH had steak, I had the Mahi Mahi and plantains -- YUM! Liz

[okbowler]

The only suggestion I would make is to beach in the AM. Finish your afternoon and day in town which is closer to ship. Don't have to haul purchases as far. Bill

[ATL-Cpl]

Another vote for Gladys'!! We have had lunch there twice and it was wonderful. Sandwichs are good, but the entrees and soups very good. Gladys has an amazing voice and she will sing as she works. Her sister is the head waitress, her husband works the bar, so if you go a little later they have more time to treat you like family. She also makes all her own hot sauces, and we never leave without some peppers in vinegar.

 

Gilbert