Princess St. John Island Tour

[AJCruiser31]

Hi Everyone!

 

We are taking the Emerald Princess Eastern Caribbean cruise in March and have signed up for the St. John Island tour when we stop at St. Thomas. The tour stops are at Whistling Cay, Trunk Bay, Hawksnest Bay, Caneel Bay, Bordeaux Mountain and Cruz Bay. This will be our first time to St. John. Has anyone taken this tour before? Does anyone have any tips or recommendations for our first time to St. John?

 

Many thanks in advance for any input you may have! :)

[phabric]

I am also signed up for the Princess's St John's Island tour. I am on the Emerald March 28, when are you going. From the St Thomas expert on this thread, says that Princess' tour has their own ferry docked near the ship compared to other passengers that have to travel to get to one of the island's ferries.

 

I am looking forward to hear from others about this tour.

[KroozFoolz]

We did the St. John Island tour with Carnival.

Here is the description:

ST. JOHN NATIONAL PARK ISLAND TOUR

Immerse yourself in the tranquil and unspoiled beauty of St. John.

On this excursion you will:

•Board a ferry at the cruise ship pier.

•Take a 45-minute scenic cruise along the southeastern coastline of St. Thomas en route to St. John.

•Be greeted by your friendly driver and board an open-air island bus. Sit back and enjoy the breathtaking views and diverse landscapes of the island.

•See dazzling white beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, plantation ruins, foliage and down island views of the British Virgin Islands.

•Drive along the Northshore coastal road. Enjoy stunning views and stop at overlooks such as Cinnamon Bay, Trunk Bay, Hawksnest Bay, and Caneel Bay overlooking the Rockefeller Plantation.

•End your tour at the National Park Dock in Cruz Bay where you’ll board the ferry for the ride back to your ship.

 

 

Here is the description of the tour with Princess:

St. John Island Tour

Board a comfortable tour boat for the 45-minute narrated ride to St. John, part of Virgin Islands National Park.

Meet your driver upon arrival and board an open-air safari bus for your tour of the southernmost National Park in the United States. Observe its white-sand beaches, crystalline waters, and dramatic scenery. Your tour takes in Whistling Cay, Trunk Bay, Hawksnest Bay, and Caneel Bay, which overlooks the fabled Rockefeller plantation. Stop at Bordeaux Mountain 1,200 feet above sea level while enjoying breathtaking views of the British Virgin Islands. Return to Cruz Bay for 20 minutes of shopping time prior to the ferry ride back to St. Thomas.

 

Sounds pretty much the same to me.

 

We boarded the ferry to St. John very close to where our ship was docked (at Havensight) and the ferry dropped us back at the end of the tour even closer to where the ship was docked.

We really enjoyed the tour. Take your camera and wear sunscreen.

You can see my pictures here:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563555685ANHcNU

 

 

 

 

[AJCruiser31]

Thank you so much for your responses! We are going on the Emerald in early March. KroozFools, your pictures are great! Many thanks for taking the time to post those. I really appriciate it! Looks like a great time! :)

[phabric]

We did the St. John Island tour with Carnival.

Here is the description:

ST. JOHN NATIONAL PARK ISLAND TOUR

Immerse yourself in the tranquil and unspoiled beauty of St. John.

On this excursion you will:

•Board a ferry at the cruise ship pier.

•Take a 45-minute scenic cruise along the southeastern coastline of St. Thomas en route to St. John.

•Be greeted by your friendly driver and board an open-air island bus. Sit back and enjoy the breathtaking views and diverse landscapes of the island.

•See dazzling white beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, plantation ruins, foliage and down island views of the British Virgin Islands.

•Drive along the Northshore coastal road. Enjoy stunning views and stop at overlooks such as Cinnamon Bay, Trunk Bay, Hawksnest Bay, and Caneel Bay overlooking the Rockefeller Plantation.

•End your tour at the National Park Dock in Cruz Bay where you’ll board the ferry for the ride back to your ship.

 

 

Here is the description of the tour with Princess:

St. John Island Tour

Board a comfortable tour boat for the 45-minute narrated ride to St. John, part of Virgin Islands National Park.

Meet your driver upon arrival and board an open-air safari bus for your tour of the southernmost National Park in the United States. Observe its white-sand beaches, crystalline waters, and dramatic scenery. Your tour takes in Whistling Cay, Trunk Bay, Hawksnest Bay, and Caneel Bay, which overlooks the fabled Rockefeller plantation. Stop at Bordeaux Mountain 1,200 feet above sea level while enjoying breathtaking views of the British Virgin Islands. Return to Cruz Bay for 20 minutes of shopping time prior to the ferry ride back to St. Thomas.

 

Sounds pretty much the same to me.

 

We boarded the ferry to St. John very close to where our ship was docked (at Havensight) and the ferry dropped us back at the end of the tour even closer to where the ship was docked.

We really enjoyed the tour. Take your camera and wear sunscreen.

You can see my pictures here:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563555685ANHcNU

 

 

 

 

 

Did you get out of the jeep to walk around at any point? Your pictures look great. Did you stop to take the pictures or did you take them while driving?

[KroozFoolz]

Did you get out of the jeep to walk around at any point? Your pictures look great. Did you stop to take the pictures or did you take them while driving?

We stopped several times to walk around - at the old sugar mill and the viewpoint at Beaudeax Mountain were the longest stops; we stopped very briefly at a beach for photos. We also stopped frequently so we could get out to take pictures. I also took pictures as we were riding. (I took a lot more pictures than the ones I uploaded to webshots.)

 

 

 

 

our tour vehicle: