blue_water

Great!

👍 Yes I had assumed that but wanted to ask… It was very convenient having the Budget office right at Sapphire years ago…Condo owners and renters could rent for a day or two as needed…

Curious why you think renting a car is tough now? Are you in port long enough to enjoy multiple beaches? Or are you thinking of just stopping for a short visit to compare them?

Yes we’ve stayed at the Sapphire Beach Resort & Marina which is oceanfront and an amazing spot to stay. Sapphire is also our favorite beach on the island. Lindqvist may be the most gorgeous, but Sapphire has the island views and water colors, and there is room to find a nice spot on the beach…

There is a lot more feedback for Tortola on the Tortola forum of course. Hope you have a longer port time to enjoy the beauty of the island, some lines like NCL don’t give you enough time to see that…😔

Disney should dock at WICO (Havensight) which is east of Charlotte Amalie and closer to the nicer east end beaches like Sapphire, Lindqvist (Smith Bay), Coki and Secret Harbor. The tram to Paradise Point is across the street from the dock. Magens Bay is the most-touted STT beach, like Trunk Bay on STJ. It is beautiful, but in our opinion Sapphire is nicer and offers pretty water colors and island views. But you have choices! Maybe stop at PP after the beach for the view and a cocktail before walking back to your ship! For Tortola the number of ships, and more importantly your time in port will dictate whether the Baths are a great idea, or a terrible one…

>> Not much helpful info there and posts are very old. << The posts on the STT and Tortola boards are current, is that what you are looking at? 🤷🏼. And the number of ships in port, especially on STT, and your time in port helps to give you good choices…so if you can provide your ship and date that would help!

Actually I knew you were referring to the drive in to the resort. 😄 I just didn’t want the OP to get stuck in a taxi going elsewhere and then walking down to the marina from Smith Bay Rd when taxis going to Sapphire drop them closer…I’m sure they will be fine…

You’ll want to look for a shared safari taxi going to Sapphire Beach so you don’t have to walk down to the marina. Not a terrible walk downhill, but no sense getting dropped off on the road since a taxi or 3 will drop off near the beach …

If you are going to the East End, Coastal Water Sports is the premier jet ski operation on STT and is located in slip N29 at the Sapphire Marina. You definitely want to make reservations, either on their Facebook page, or by calling 1 340 643 8257. $85/1/2 hr, $170/hr. 1 additional rider allowed, photo ID and credit card required.

Who is the charter with?

Planning a few cruises and researching the different cruise lines “Private Island” options (for the Bahamas only), and thought it would be great to have a quick comparison in one thread if folks would like to provide their feedback, please? And please correct any mistakes or add missing ports/ideas as well! TIA! Favorite for soft sand beach and beautiful water? Favorite for snorkeling? Favorite for getting away from the main area on excursions, golf carts, ATV’s, and day sails? Favorite for a couples quiet spot away from the main crowd, vs Favorite for families with the best activities for toddlers and kids? Favorite for comfort and amenities? BIMINI - MSC, Virgin Voyages dock port CASTAWAY CAY (Gorda Cay) - Disney dock port COCO CAY (Little Stirrup Cay) - RCCL dock port GREAT STIRRUP CAY - NCL, Regent Seven Seas tender port HALF MOON CAY - CCL, HAL tender port PRINCESS CAYS (Eleuthera) - Princess, CCL tender port * LIGHTHOUSE POINT (Eleuthera) - Disney

Yes that is what I’ve read…Free use of the beach of course, otherwise $25 for a lounge chair, $75 for a chair and use of facilities for 4 hours, and other options listed on their site - https://www.caneelbaybeachclub.com/ So yes the half-day pass at $75 with no food or drinks is much more expensive than the popular all-inclusive beach clubs like Nachi Cocom at $59/pp. But HB is gorgeous, and definitely a nice day being on the island…And the staff speaks better English! ☺️

Nothing on STT like you find on Coz, but there are some very nice beaches on STT. Busy day as usual with 5 ships in port, but not a problem. Most day visitors looking for the amenities you request just hop a shared safari taxi and head to Sapphire or Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach). However there are 2 ships docked in Crown Bay which is close to Lindbergh. But you can find a ton of feedback on the STT beaches in this forum… I see you are in port from 10 - 10 and makes going to STJ per MS411’s suggestion a great option. Not sure how quiet it will be, but if the reviews don’t look great you can come back for other ideas 😄

Check with these independent charters (private or shared) for snorkeling, beach time on Jost/Sandy Spit, or the Baths on Virgin Gorda. The first three outfits alternate between the east area for snorkel and the west area for beach time. Often the first guests to book that day choose the itinerary. The last is a private option for those wanting to get the most out of their short time in the BVI. So you want to look at the east excursions for some of the best snorkeling in the Carib, and look at the Jost excursion for beach time. And book early! The most popular snorkel spots include the Indians and the Norman Caves, with lunch/beach time at Island Bight, Cooper Island, Peter island or the Willy T. https://kuralu.com/ https://patouche.com/ https://aristocatdaysails.com/ also look at Capt. Malcolm - https://sunshinepowerboats.com

Ok, I saw GCM on your next cruise so went with that ☺️ You can compare the Tortola info here to what you learn from the Grenada forum. Really depends on what you are looking for in a daysail - snorkeling, visiting other islands, etc… Good luck!

By “St George’s”, are you asking about Georgetown, Grand Cayman (GCM)? Both offer great daysail options, but they are very different, at least from our experiences. Catamaran sails out of Tortola are amazing. You can choose between an east tour that includes snorkel stops at the Indians, Norman Caves, and stops at Island Bight, Cooper Island, Peter island or the Willy T. The west tour focus on on some beach time in White Bay with stops at Sandy Spit and perhaps Diamond Cay. Some excellent operators include Aristocat, Kuralu, and Patouche. Grand Cayman is a tender port and the big excursion there is the stingray sandbar. But that is very touristy, and we enjoyed the jet ski excursion with Fat Fish Adventures much more. Just a more personal experience that works around the busier tourist boats… But let us know if these are the two destinations you are asking about? I see GCB on the Equinox Jan 27 itinerary but not Tortola…🤷🏼

Better yet go there while on a Princess Cays stop before LP gets spoiled like so many other islands…

Just saw that philv already hit STT… yesorno you have 9 hours in port I think I read? Whether you choose STJ or a nice beach like Sapphire, Paradise Point is a great way to end your day, especially if docked at Havensight.

You can find several threads and hundreds of posts on taking the Red Hook ferry to St John. Very popular self-excursion, and probably thousands do that every week. It is a much better option than taking a ship excursion. Typical time is 30 - 40 min taxi, 20 min ferry (departs on the hour + any wait time when you arrive). with your extended time in port I would take a tour of the North Shore. The shared safari taxi drivers will be lined-up in Cruz Bay waiting to whisk folks to the various beaches. When you board the taxi the driver will let you know that you can stay on for the tour when others are dropped at the beach and get dropped at Trunk Bay after. Very reasonable price at $35/pp, which includes your ride to the beach. Then do some shopping with lunch in Cruz Bay. It is also a great opportunity to pick up a nice, quality Hook Bracelet from St John Bracelet Co. I had one custom made for my wife while we toured Cruz Bay. A nice gift for your spouse, or for yourself! For your return, just take a ferry that gives you 2+ hours to get back to your ship. But you will probably head back with plenty of time, and you may be able to stop at Paradise Point for the view and a cocktail before going back to the ship.

We can highly recommend a private island tour on Antigua with Lawrence of Antigua. He will tailor the tour to your liking, and include a beach stop for lunch (you pay for lunch). Very reasonable, and a comfortable ride in a nice van. http://www.lawrenceofantigua.com/ Another time we really enjoyed a coastal tour of Antigua from the water on the Excellence, a two-tier catamaran. Great crew, and we’ve never seen water so blue. The motoring through English Harbor was the highlight…That is offered through the cruise line…

I would contact AC, he can coordinate multiple vans for your tour if he still has availability for your day. Contact him now if interested as he is very popular with both land vacationers and day visitors… If not available the ladies at the information center can help you locate drivers… http://www.info-res.com/actaxibvi/ https://www.bvitourism.com/acs-taxi-service

For your daughter, for a special treat, and since you arrive late among other ships, I would look at a private tour so she could see much of the beauty on her first visit. The first experience is so memorable, and the East End beaches like Sapphire and Lindqvist are so beautiful as you know. Have the driver drop you at one of those beaches if she is also inclined to lay her towel in the sand for a bit? Then take a tour of the island (with a view of Magens from above) and enjoy dinner at one if the restaurants overlooking CA or in Frenchtown. But if you want to just stick with a little beach time I’d suggest Lindbergh Bay just because Magens gets so busy…

Next visit taxi into La Crucecita, it is a nice, quaint town, and the people are very welcoming.

We stayed at Secrets and the property does get busier with day passes because they are so cheap one visiting group actually removed our belongings from our lounges while we were away for a few minutes!