TMS MT

Thanks for reporting back. I think we're going to give it a try, even though I'm nervous about knowing which one is the $2 bus (just ask when one that has benches stops I guess) and knowing when to get off. I wouldn't know when to push the buzzer! It sounds like a fun day sunning and snorkeling!

I don't know the answer to this, but somebody just posted on another thread that the shuttle into town is $4 per person. I think that shuttle and the $1 or $2 bus is different though. I hope somebody who has taken the $1 (or $2) bus will reply and say if that bus goes into town and where to get on at. I am hoping to take the $2 bus to Sapphire when we go and people have said it goes in a loop but I don't remember anybody saying if it went through town. Then there is another bus system there - the vitran busses. It all seems confusing to me! Good luck getting answers!

Diane52, when do you go? Hope you report back how well, or not so well, it went trying to use the $2 bus.

Thanks Monicajay. Very helpful! Diane, I've only been to Coki so can't compare. Coki was awesome snorkeling. We want sapphire this time just to try a different place and the reviews and photos I've seen lead me to believe it will be good. We don't go until January.

Did you have to wait long for the bus, either leaving port area or leaving Sapphire? Is the ride about 30-40 minutes each way? We went to Coki last time but didn't use the jitney.

I haven't done it yet, but what I have written down from reading forums is to go out of main gate and cross the street, turn left, walk to a pullout area across from kmart, and cross over to the kmart side. I read that you can catch the jitney anywhere after Pueblo but on opposite side of street. There is reference to a Grant gas station across from Pueblo you can stand in front of. Maybe the kmart and pueblo are near each other? This is for Havensight. I read you can't tell the difference between the $2 jitney and regular taxis so have to ask. Hope somebody who has done it will confirm if these instructions I found make sense!

If you're on a tight budget you can get to Sapphire on the $2.00 bus but you must walk down (then back up again) a steep hill. The route is circular so you get back on the bus at the exact same place you got off.

 

On our last trip, there were no chair rentals so we lay on towels in the shade of the grape trees. Total cost for the excursion for the two of us was $8.00.

 

Previous poster is correct, there is no hotel, only condos.

This is what we are thinking of doing. I think I have a good feel for where to go to get on the bus to get to Sapphire, but what should we watch for to know when to get off? A long time ago I found a site that showed the bus route but now I can't find it. Anybody have that link? It would be helpful to know what we should be seeing along the way to give us an idea how close we are getting to where we should get off. Thanks.

There was only one this year I would go see. Lady Antebellum. Next year for sure Rascal Flatts !!:D

Both of these are groups I would definitely go see. We like to cruise in January though and no concerts were scheduled for January when we booked. Maybe we can hope for one when the 2015 schedule gets released. Doubtful though since we will be on Valor and it looked like the concerts were on cruises that stopped in Cozumel (and one other place?).

I've read on here that Sapphire has bathrooms, etc open again. I think Blue_Water is one who has confirmed this. And some cruise lines have added back a beach day at Sapphire as a ship excursion so all must be well. That is where we are planning to go during our January cruise.

You can download money from your account onto a slot machine, cash out, take ticket to cashier and get cash. It sounds easier to just get cash as described above, but this is how it can be done in casino. We downloaded money in the casino from our account several times with no problem.

I am so thankful for this board! I would have never thought to check local laws to find out about clothing restrictions. My husband is an outdoorsman through and through and several of his shorts are camo. He just bought swim trunks for our January cruise - yep, they are camo! Guess we better do some more shopping!

Blue Water, your description of Sapphire makes me wish our cruise was now rather than in January!

Several posts down is a post by BlueWater, The Beautiful Beaches of Saint Thomas. He says Morningstar is the closest to Havensight but doesn't say if it is walkable. I google mapped it and thought it was something we may have considered since we have all day, but am pretty sure we are going to go to either Sapphire or Coki, maybe by bus one way.

He says Emerald is closest to Crown Bay. Will be interesting to hear if people do walk to these closest beaches.

There have been a few posts that say things are open again at Sapphire. A couple posts down somebody said their cruise line has added a Sapphire Beach shore excursion. Hope it's true because we did Coki last time and want to do Sapphire this time - we thoroughly enjoyed Coki but just want to see a different beach.

I use the sea bands and chew ginger gum and eat candied ginger I buy at our natural food store. Meclazine makes me drowsy which in turn makes me cranky since I fight the drowsiness. Our first cruise the lady checking us in told me to eat green apples. I never tried it because I didn't really have any issues. Have never tried the motionease. Would be worth trying though. I like that it is natural ingredients.

Is there any hope the dive center and restrooms will be reopening at Sapphire in the future or are they forever gone? We go in January and last time we went to Coki. Loved it there and would go again, but wanted to see a different beach that offers good snorkeling. Sapphire sounded good, except having the public buildings closed. Besides not having a bathroom, I'm afraid it would feel like we shouldn't be there if it is just the condo owners.

I also have concerns about motion sickness. I wanted to do the island tour but was worried about the road trip portion of it. But Spencer Ambrose changed his Land, Sea, and Beach Adventure effective June 1 and it is now boat both ways. Less travel time now, more beach time, and no windy road. Of course that means you don't see all the scenery along the road though... Still sounds like a great option for us and I am planning to book it.

We were able to download money onto a slot machine in the casino and the charge went to our account, and our onboard credit covered it. There was no fee to do that. Not sure if that works on all ships or with all types of on-board credit but it may be an option.

We will be renting from Budget and doing a one way from Ft. Lauderdale to Tampa on I-75 in Feb 2013. Can anyone tell me if this is a toll road. If it is do they have manned toll booths? We will be traveling on a Friday mid-day. Thanks for any help - we don't have many toll roads here in Indiana:).

We will be in a similar situation but not doing one-way. We are renting from Budget's 17th St (I think that's the correct Street number) location and driving to Sanibel Island. We plan to take the main freeway there and then take the longer route up by a lake to return to Fort Lauderdale a couple days later. I can't remember the other freeway's number. I will probably just talk to the Budget car rental employee to see if we should activate the SunPass through them or just pay toll as we go. But it sounds like those who pay toll as they go end up getting charged by Budget anyways (unit accidently left on or something) and then don't have a receipt to prove they paid. I'll want to do whatever is easiest and less stressful!

The $2.00 coupons are in the free visitor coupon books that are all over the place!! Easy to find in Key West!

Thanks! I will wait and purchase when we get there rather than buying online then. That will give us flexibility in case something comes up that we'd rather do. Right now we plan to take the tour around, and then get off by the pier that is closest to Smather's Beach and check it out since we've since it on the Travel Channel. We'll eat key-lime pie on a stick somewhere, maybe eat at the food truck I read about on here, check out the fish you can see walking on the docks, and just walk and gawk. Down to not even 5 weeks to wait - so excited!

We are planning on doing this...I think. I have a $2.00 off coupon for City view.....is it cheaper to buy online at $19/person or use the $2.00 coupon? Guess Im just trying to figure out what the price is when we arrive vs the online price?

Where did you find the $2.00 coupon? I was planning to buy in advance since it is a little bit cheaper, but if I had a coupon I'd rather just buy when we get there.

It is so fabulous! Hope you do it and enjoy. It's quite the opportunity!

We are booked! We were able to get on the 8 AM fast ferry, coming back at 1:00. That will give us time to check things out at Skagway too afterwards since our ship sails at 6 PM. I'm really excited for this tour and glad you posted about it. I would have not known to go looking for it. Thank you much!

The Rainbow Adventure Tours to Porcupine Gold Mine sounds fun! My husband loves watching that show. I've e-mailed them for more info.

Attached is the activities schedule being handed out at Newport Beachside Resort. On their website (select Experience, Activities Schedule, View Calendar of Events) they also have a link to activities, but it doesn't show this type of stuff. In fact, for March it only shows two activities - Family Movie Night and Sunny Serenade. I hope when you click on the attachment it will bring it up full-size on your screen. If not, we'll figure something else out!

Somebody asked about the pier. When we were there January 23-26, nobody could go out on it. I had read some reviews from quite a while back that said it was closed for repairs so thought it would be open, but it was not. There was no work going on either. There was a restaurant/bar (maybe it was just a bar...) at the shore end. We peeked in but didn't go in, and could see at the very back the door that would lead onto the pier and it was padlocked shut.

I will scan and post the activity sheet tonight when i get home or tomorrow. I started a new thread for the pictures - it may be buried back a few pages. It would only let me post five pictures though, so I didn't post all of the ones I took. I did one of the city view and four inside pics of the 2-bedroom suite. I don't think I said on my earlier review - the pool is nicely heated. They have the bigger pool for swimming and then a real shallow pool for little kids. They also have a hot tub. We didn't sit in the hot tub, but did sit in the big pool for a while. I don't know what temp it was heated to, but it was quite warm (which I like!).