stuscott

Sand and Seas since we are a US island credit cards are readily accepted.  But for taxis which only take cash I would bring at least $200 just to have on hand.  

USVI is also extremely safe for tourists.  There is virtually no pickpocketing, scammers or people harassing you.  We treat our tourists with respect.

Both are great beaches.  Sapphire has snorkeling where Magens does not.  Sapphire bar looks amazing and cool lively place to hang out.  If you have small kids Magens might be better because it's all sand and very calm.  

I live here in St Thomas.  Magen's looks as amazing as always.  The only thing you might notice is there are fewer trees for shade and many new palms with wooden supports until they take root.  Other than that the restaurant and bar are better than before and the beach is fantastic.  

Try contacting El Gato https://gatovi.com I think that would serve your needs.  Great boat at a reasonable price and they hold up to 12

I live here in St Thomas.  The beaches and reefs are in great shape, hurricanes don't really effect the reefs that much and they actually help the beaches by bringing in more sand.  The island is gorgeous, you will see some damaged buildings along the drive but that is nothing that would impact your vacation in any way.  

Secret Harbour is good for snorkeling because it is rocky but it is a very small and gets super crowded just like Magens does near the bar.  Lindbergh is a little quieter and closer too and much bigger.  They also have jet pak trips, kayaks, jet skis and other stuff just down the beach.

Contact a tour guide who can do custom tours for you and explain what you want to see and he can give you pricing.  All of this is do-able in one day no problem,  Most of those stops are the normal tour guide stops.  I love Papa Bear www.movemygroup.com or Sunny Liston.  

Tram is 15 minutes but wait times can be bad depending on line, afternoon it's quieter but the taxi guy can also drive up the road and take you there quicker and save you the tram fee.  Honestly it's just a nice view and you will have just as nice a view from the downtown overlook on the way to Magens Bay. 

Honestly I think a new cruise to re-do wedding photos is more than fair.  Just to refund someone is not ok, the pictures are the most important aspect of the wedding day and to not have photos is a massive mistake.  Mistakes happen, in 15 years in this business we once had a photographer lose someone's entire wedding photos.  Since I had recommended the photographer, who quickly left island because this got around and killed his reputation, I paid for their flights, car rental and vacation rental and hired another photographer to do vow renewal shots.  Mistakes happen but it is how you correct them that makes the difference between a good company and a bad company.  Asking for a do-over is not out of line in my eyes.  

6rugrats is right.  The foreign Caribbean ports are impossible to get married off a cruise ship because there are waiting periods of typically 2-3 days depending on the island.  The easiest port to get married is St Thomas or any US owned island.  The courthouse process in the USVI takes 15 minutes to pickup the license you mail in and since it is US you don't have to worry about Apostilles or any international paperwork since it's like getting married in another state.  

Going with a local planner will save you money, especially when it comes to photos since they charge you based on the number of photos.  Typical pricing in St Thomas from a local minister $200 minister includes transportation for 2 in SUV - courthouse - beach and back to ship, $275/hr for professional photos with ALL the hi-res pics uploaded, $50 for small bouquet, chairs $10 ea, bamboo arch with fabric $200, steel pan player $250, champagne $30/bottle with flutes.  Just mentioning this to point out the heavy markup the cruise lines give you.  

I recommend http://www.seeski.com nice power cat boats so they ride smooth in the water and they have very friendly captains