blue_water

1) By “they” are you referring to a shared tour? Then yes, the cruise line and the independent shared tours do typically include MT, the scenic overlook on Skyline Dr, and Drake’s Seat before dropping you in town or spending an hour or two at a beach like Magens Bay. If you don’t mind being in a group shared tours are an inexpensive way to see those highlights. Obviously a private tour is even better. 2) If you are looking for shopping then yes, CA is your target for sure. Again, many shared tours will drop you in CA after. Otherwise yes, you would taxi in if interested in seeing some of the history and shopping. If docked at Havensight you can just shop there, but you will not get the feel of old Charlotte Amalie. And of course Paradise Point tram is right across from Havensight… If you want to share your ship and date that would show where you will dock…

What are the odds it would be another recommended outfit! 😄

This applies to any day trippers, including folks coming into the BVI on a cruise ship and spending less than 24 hours. 👏👏👏👏👏 Masks are also a personal choice (optional).

We’ve found Coki to be one of the top 3 beaches on the island for years. We stay at Sapphire, but we always look forward to going to both Coki and Lindqvist (now Smith Bay Park) when no ships are in. Coki is just a gorgeous, intimate beach ideal for a romantic outing…Of course it is one of the busiest and most crowded on big ship days because it is small… Maybe that is what you are thinking of? Just too crowded? Or perhaps the neighborhood you drive through to get there? Coki has been beautiful at least since 2001 when we first visited… There are vendors there vying to service you with lounges and food & drinks…

I didn’t mention CanaDian but that is a favorite of friends here…USA is also popular. The fares should be similar.. Yes we would use the Ultramar ferry at Puerto Juarez. It is the furthest port but the most active and reliable. You can compare the timetables between PJ, Playa Tortugas, and Playa Caracol here. One of the others may work for you too since you are staying on the island and don’t need that active a schedule… https://www.ultramarferry.com/en/routes-and-departures I don’t have any other suggestions, I think you covered everything we know…We have a favorite bar across Playa Norte, Jax. Enjoy!

St Thomas is one of the more “touristy” ports, I guess we can say, and shopping, beaches and snorkeling are the primary activities. Having said that, there are some interesting historical sites just outside Charlotte Amalie as well as right in town. We’ve only explored on our own, but there are probably independent tours offered on the VINow website. it looks like you are docked in Crown Bay from either 7 - 4 o 12 - 8, and if you wanted to take the extra 1.5 - 2 hours of round trip ferry and taxi travel time you could also take a tour of the north shore and historical sites on St John. The safari taxi drivers offer a tour before dropping you at a beach for ~$25/pp. But I would check out any walking tours of STT offered on the VINow site, or from other suggestions here, and then just relax at the Emerald Resort in Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach). That is a nice enough beach with a beach bar and lounge rentals and is Walkable from the ship or a short taxi ride… There are a few popular shared tours by safari taxi, but I would not recommend them to you. You may also get some great feedback from residents and land visitors on the TripAdvisor St Thomas forum!

Hi Kim! Obviously this forum is very quiet since it’s no longer a cruise port…But you are probably looking at the TripAdvisor IM forum too…I googled IM on Facebook and see several groups there that are pretty active. We always recommend Canada Transfers to friends, and Reliable Cancun transfers is a favorite of friends. There are a few ferry options, the furthest from CUN is Puerto Juarez but I would recommend that because of the regular service. Ultramar is our choice… Enjoy your trip!

We’ve only visited Isla Mujeres and have taken visiting friends and family to Isla Mujeres to tour the island over the years, they always have fun touring the small island. We’ve rented carts from a few different outfits, Joaquin is also our favorite… Have you chosen a hotel yet? Some hotels will have carts or will coordinate with a rental outfit for you. Friends just spent a week and their hotel ensured a cart was available for the days they wanted… The island has gotten crazy busy the past 10 - 15 years, and even busier the last 7 years with the sargassum onslaught since the west coast beaches are less affected. So from May - August more folks are going to Cozumel and IM for that reason…At least according to posts on the various TripAdvisor forums… We’ve always headed to Punta Sur to see the spectacular cliff views, some of m favorite shots are from there. We were there when the palapa was first built, and we would eat at the small cafe there many years ago. But it has just gotten so built-up and busy there now we bypass that altogether. We did take friends to Punta Sur on an April trip because they wanted to see the views and we’ve never, ever seen it so congested there. Luckily I was able to park the cart well before the entry and we didn’t get stuck in the mess… Our favorite part of the tour is always the quieter east shore. Beautiful views, homes, and quiet! We had considered building there rather than on the mainland, it is that beautiful! We will stop at the cemetery if there are no services, then at Villa La Bella for a Margarita and their “Beer so cold it’ll make your teeth hurt”…But just a good spot to hit if you are driving by. Our favorite lunch spot is Oscar’s, their stuffed mahi is great, and I like the Sicilian pizza..Right on the marina about 800 meters past Chedraui… I agree with you that Xcaret and other sights south of PDC are just too far to really enjoy…If you were staying in Cancun I would highly recommend splitting your time between the HZ and Merida and Valladolid…two extremely very different experiences…

The fare should not be any different because the fares are regulated…They are published as two rates, a “1 person” rate, and a “2+ person” rate. The 2+ person rate is lower (per/person) of course… Most couples and families just hop a shared safari taxi at the port and are paying the lower 2+-person fare. The only time there would be a fare difference between a port taxi and a hailed taxi is if you are a single person. You could be charged the higher “1 person” fare hailing a taxi. But boarding a shared taxi you should be charged the lower “2 person” fare…

Sure! Tortola is a beautiful island with gorgeous bays and wonderful people! Many visitors never really experience that!

Yes the shared taxis are plentiful at the dock and whisk up to 20+ passengers at a time to the more popular beaches of CGB and Brewer’s Bay. The fare is typically ~$8 - $9/pp each way, and taxis are there for your return. The ride is part of the adventure, with amazing views from the mountaintop. As DWhit mentioned you can also take a “private” taxi. And if you want an island tour then beach time there are 3 - 4 hour shared tours for ~$25/pp…some include an hour at CGB… You can get info on the options from the nice ladies at the info booth or the taxi coordinators… CGB which is a larger bay is the most popular beach, with several beach restaurants and rental options. It does get quite crowded, when we’ pave stayed at Myett’s we would watch 8 - 12 of these taxis roll in to pick folks up…Brewers on the other hand has just one bar and is a less crowded vibe…

Yes, there is usually a driver at GH when the ferry arrives, fare is ~$6 each way…. you can arrange for him/her to pick you up in WB, or have a bartender call…

I would also pose this questions to locals and land visitors on the TripAdvisor STT forum who are currently visiting beaches like Coki… https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g147404-i172-St_Thomas_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

Sure! This map can be helpful, just select it to enlarge - https://virginislandsthisweek.com/st-thomas/st-thomas-land-activities/st-thomas-island-road-map/

You will dock at Crown Bay which is to the west of Charlotte Amalie. The East End beaches have the best snorkeling and water sports and are obviously located on the east end of the island. So if you want the closest beach that would be Lindbergh Bay (aka “Emerald Beach” for the Emerald Resort where you can rent lounges and find food and drinks). Our choice for a nice beach with snorkeling, jet ski, paddle board and other rentals, food and drink and possibly music is Sapphire Beach. Taxi is ~$11/pp each way. There is a rental center for lounges, snorkel gear, etc and beach bar, and jet ski rentals are available at the marina…

Yes they are one of the outfits on the VINow site that are recommended. We got a quote from them a few years ago to go to Jost but didn’t get a chance to go out…

Yes the ship excursion creates a queue at the Baths, it can be worse when another group is coming from the other direction…

Meant to include the transportation cost - Cost from Crown Bay is ~$51/pp (Taxi from Crown ->> Red Hook = $11, Red Hook ferry to Cruz Bay = $8.50, taxi to Trunk = $6). Taxi from Havensight/WICO is $10/pp…The island tour is ~$25/pp and includes the fare to Trunk or back to Cruz…

😮 wow - that is pricey for a private tour!

Most day visitors experience the historic sites and beautiful beaches of STT first, and head to STJ on subsequent visits. But many day visitors do make a bee-line to STJ and never actually see STT because the STJ just quieter calls to them… The island of STJ offers a nicer shopping experience in Cruz Bay than in Charlotte Amalie, as well as gorgeous beaches, and historic tours. A great itinerary is just hopping one of the safari taxis hauling folks to Trunk or Cinnamon Bay. The driver will invite you to stay on for an hour tour of the historic north shore, then drop you at a beacjph, or back in Cruz Bay. St John Bracelet Co custom-made a Hook bracelet for my wife while we toured the island. You can also hire a private tour guide and see more of the island… Charlotte Amalie boasts the most shops and duty-free shops of course, and there is an interesting history there, just a very busy place. So you have two choices! ☺️

Yes Captain Malcolm is who charted many of the excursions before as well…

I would choose one of the East End beaches like Secret Harbor or our first choice, Sapphire. Honeymoon on Water Island is just too crowded anymore in our opinion, and with 12 hours in port you have so many options that are better. You could also go to a nice beach on St John like Cinnamon Bay or Honeymoon. Nice time in port! If leaving later I’d also recommend dinner at a restaurant overlooking the harbor, Mafolie perhaps… There is a thread with a brief description of the STT Beaches I had shared a few years back if you want to search for that, most if the info is still useful…

Yes the water taxi out of the East End (Dolphin, for example), or a private charter like Calypso out of STJ or cruzbaywatersports.com. But be sure to read up on the current entry requirements…and cost…

An easy meet & greet would be at Pusser’s Road Town Pub, a 10 minute walk from the cruise pier… https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tortola+Cruise+Ship+Pier,+De+Castro+Street,+Road+Town,+British+Virgin+Islands/pusser's+road+town+pub/@18.4218152,-64.6203533,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x8c0576acfe77f291:0x115ffa1119c98d05!2m2!1d-64.6138107!2d18.4227841!1m5!1m1!1s0x8c057182de331997:0x546317d4939344af!2m2!1d-64.6181249!2d18.4198687 https://pussers.com/ Or you could meet at a beach if you’d like? There are a few to choose from…

Yes as Daniel noted, a shared island tour is a great and affordable way to spend 3 or 4 hours seeing the natural beauty of the island with amazing photo ops from the mountain top. It is a good choice for folks with very short port times! And yes there are several other excellent excursion options, whether your ship is at Tortola, Virgin Gorda, or Jost. A day on VG or JVD, on your own or through the ship, a catamaran or power boat adventure, or just a nice day on gorgeous beach away from your fellow cruise mates…The islands of the BVI are one of the few remaining destinations that still offer that secluded beach for the savvy traveler 😉