blue_water

Yes…Where are you looking? Date and port times?

Aristocat, Kuralu, and Patouche offer itineraries that include an hour or two in White Bay, or you can hire them for a private trip if you have enough people (or just enough $$$). There are also private motorboat options that obviously get you there and back much faster. But your early and relatively short port time in the BVI doesn’t give you much of a nice day in White Bay… From STT you can take a water taxi like Dolphin Shuttle. Check their site for pricing for private or shared transfers…. https://www.dolphinshuttle.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiA76-dBhByEiwAA0_s9UoDxJ0eY22KVMeVsrDLXQwbVgW-OicLkG7ucxqfI0uGwdD39EKVbxoCiGkQAvD_BwE

There are 2 ferries that run on Sundays…

The Riviera Maya was still dealing with sargassum when we were last there in early December so Coz and IM were popular day excursions. The beach clubs on Coz do get very busy of course, even our old favorite Playa Palancar. That’s why I asked for more info. But if a typical 8-hour day or shorter and a beach isn’t important the Bar Hop Tour is popular…

Sure. The only problem is many of your fellow passengers will be doing the same thing, either on the cruise line excursion or on their own. So the trick will be to arrive at the Baths when the crowds are not there, and the late arrival definitely makes that more difficult…

That really is a shame…Is it your first cruise stop there? What are your port times?

Gregg posted their report here and rented a car. I would avoid a cruise line excursion to the Baths, just because everyone in the group (usually multiple groups) is there at once and it is a mess as Jean said…Just not a good experience, and it can be so much better. if you go on your own you can either rent a car (in advance) with Speedy’s or Mahogany. Or just hook-up with a taxi driver who can coordinate an “itinerary” for you. He/she would just suggest going to beautiful Savannah Bay for a relaxing beach time, then perhaps Spring Bay or Spanishtown until the Baths cleared out, then drop you at the Top of the Baths. taxi fares are inexpensive in the Valley area of VG, and that’s a great way to enjoy your day minus the crowds.

Yes the taxi/ferry/taxi and reverse is the “normal” option. The other option is a hall-day shared independent that gives you a couple hours in White Bay, along with a stop at Diamond Cay and another spot. A few are very good including Aristocat, Kuralu, and Patouche. Patouche and others also offer a private charter and you choose the destination(s), the price would be $600 - $1,000 depending on the number of people and itinerary. Many find fellow shipmates on their roll call to share expenses…

Bolongo Bay Resort, visitors can use the restaurant and pool area…

Actually with that title this thread belongs on the TA Coz forum or elsewhere rather than here…

We can’t dispute the facts, but we can disagree on other things. Cozumel is experiencing more cartel-related activity than ever, several long-time residents there we know are very disappointed, to say the least that the climate is resembling the problem areas along the RM. There is no safe place to be when cartel groups fight over a business, or punish a business owner and you are a patron or passer-by… in what way do you respectfully disagree?

I would imagine Sorobon sees a lot of day visitors because it is so close?

Aah ok - so it was a beach bar located on Carlisle Beach. That’s a great choice if looking for a beach near the port after an excursion, or if you like that vibe. We prefer the less crowded beaches, but like tangleroc I do need lounges, and a restroom. So like the Three Bears, looking for that beach that is “just right”! We’ve not been in years, and the beach closest to town that we enjoyed then was Brighton and that was not busy then. But that was then… The ships departed at midnight, and we also enjoyed dinner at a beach restaurant well up the coast with the tiny ship’s lights twinkling in the distance. I will look for that place in our notes from then. But any suggestions for that gorgeous beach with some amenities away from the port are appreciated.

A beach is permanently closed? [EDIT] aah, it was a beach club… So is that now a great beach destination because it’s less busy?

Actually the majority of cartel-related business is in the tourist zones and not on back streets or in local neighborhoods. So tourists are at risk when caught-up in these events. You can be very aware of your surroundings and frequent only “safe” areas and be caught up in these violent activities. This and another recent murder on the island was an assassination rather than a hit on a business. But the day-day activities of fighting other cartels and punishing business owners take place mostly in the tourist zones where the $$ is made. We spend several months each year at our home outside Playa and have followed several assassinations (one real estate agent killed in front of his daughter down the street from our community), tourists injured in cartel-related shootings on 5th Ave, bullets sprayed from Uzi’s on the beach at a nearby “safe” resort…Not to mention the tourists killed in Tulum the last couple years. Cartel-related violence has been much more evident on Coz the past year or so unfortunately… Welcome to the club! We’ve enjoyed this area for 20+ years. But between the resurgence of cartel-related violenve along the Riviera Maya, and the unsustainable growth of traffic and new resorts, we just sold and will be traveling to safer areas of the Caribbean.

That is a great option too!

You are taxiing correct? About 25 minutes. Yes it is much flatter terrain than going across the island to CGB or Brewers Bay. someone else can give you details on the beach, but it became an excursion destination for cruise lines so you should find those amenities along with fellow cruisers.

We’ve seen folks left to wait for the next ferry from Water Island, it is small. Some were in line first but weren’t as aggressive as others…So that could be a concern. For snorkeling the recommended beaches are Coki, Sapphire, and Secret Harbor. Coki is beautiful but just too busy for us. The water at Secret Harbor is typically dead calm and you can snorkel there, good restaurant as well. But also crowded, reserve lounges/umbrellas from AA Divers in advance. Sapphire has all the amenities as well, and offers a coral area and a seagrass area. Sapphire is our choice for the beach, water, and island views, others can give you more feedback on the snorkeling there vs the other two…

Not to take away from Gregg’s feedback, just want to share that Mahogany has a history of great service. They were located right in Spanishtown near the ferry/marina. 1.284.495.5469

I would consider Brewers but not sure about chair rentals there… Not sure how long you are in port, but another option would be Secret Harbor. It can get a bit crowded around the Secret Harbour Resort, and the area where you rent lounges and umbrellas from AA Dicers (Aqua Action). But you can reserve them ahead of time to be certain they will be available. And the water is typically dead calm, and there is a great restaurant. Just a thought… I hadn’t read that Sapphire was now being used as a cruise line excursion option - is that really true? I find that hard to imagine with the condo properties there but the cruise lines are moving into the more “sacred” beaches like Lindqvist on STT, and Long Bay, Beef Island on Tortola…😔 Did you choose Cane Garden Beach because of the number of beach restaurants there? Brewers is gorgeous as well, with far fewer fellow cruisers around you…😄

Taxis go by quite often so no challenge really. If walking to the road presents a challenge, you can ask your driver to return or call as mentioned. Taxis not “lining up to carry folks back to th e cruise ports” is actually a good reason for going to Lindqvist!

Not sure what the ship excursion price is, but taxi fare should be the same as Sapphire… To us, at least, Lindqvist is the one of the two STT beaches that still has that “old Caribbean feel”. But it is seeing more visitors today for sure… Sapphire is our favorite, we’ve never been there on a cruise but love staying there!

Great! Yes Savannah is THE beach to hit, and HH is worth a stop just for the views. That was how the Mineshaft Restaurant was at the copper mine years ago… Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for sharing with others here, it’s a great way to get away from your fellow cruisers and feel like you are on vacation for a few hours!

If a full day at a 🏖 doesn’t appeal (and if you choose that option for your shorter time on Tortola) a private island tour is a great way to see the island - https://www.stjohnislandtours.com/

The sea is very nice even in December (barring any heavy swells of course), and I’d suggest heading to Brewers Bay to enjoy that beach. Just has that old Caribbean beach feel with one beach bar… if the beach doesn’t interest you, you will find 3 and 4-hour shared safari taxi tours that are very reasonably-priced at ~$25/pp. Tortola is one of the most beautiful islands in the Carib with stunning views of the bays and islands from above… Going to the Baths on Virgin Gorda is a top excursion choice, but for your short port time I’d stay on Tortola rather than deal with the crowd at the Baths…