St. Thomas / St. John suggestions, please

[latrn220]

We will be in St. Thomas March 8. from 8am-9pm. My mother wants to shop possibly for a diamond, but also wants to visit trunk bay and parasail (from cruz bay?). We also was thinking about taking the Charlotte Amalie ferry to St. John and the Red Hook ferry back to St. Thomas, just to get the scenery over. Will we have enough time to do all this, and what way would be the best in order to get the shopping in before the shops close.

 

I had also thought about doing the Godfrey tour just to get a tour and shopping in, then instead of going to a beach, skipping the end of the tour, take packages back to ship, then heading over to trunk bay. The other option would be to parasail at Coral world / Coki beach instead of at Cruz bay.

 

If we do have time, I am sure that we could not eat dinner on the ship, so where would be the best to eat? Back in St. Thomas or is there somewhere on St. John?

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

[lotro]

Your idea about using Godfrey Tours sounds like a good one; select his first pick-up time to optimize your shopping. I believe it's 9:00 a.m. We aren't big on shopping, but were glad we had the extra time. There is so much to look at and the prices are much better than at the stores alongside the port. You will find that Godfrey is very accommodating to special requests. We're using him again when we go on the Voyager in March.

[Host Anne]

It's nice to have some extra time here. Since you don't leave until 9:00 PM at night, I'd suggest shopping first. You can probably get all your shopping done in the morning and head to St. John in the afternoon (we've never done any organized tours here....always explored on our own).

 

I'd probably advise against doing the St. Thomas to Cruz Bay ferry ride. It's in the open seas and tends to be rough. It's a much longer, far bumpier ride than from Red Hook to Cruz Bay. I'd take a cab to Red Hook and catch the ferry from here and back.

 

There will be plenty of taxi drivers at the dock in Cruz Bay to take you to Trunk Bay. You can spend a couple hours here (by the time you arrive, the regular crowds will be leaving) and ask the taxi driver to pick you back up at a specific time to take you back to Cruz Bay. There are plenty of good restuarants near the ferry in Cruz Bay if you wanted to catch a bite to eat here before heading back to Red Hook. Check out www.stjohnguidebook.com for restaurant ideas. Here's a link to the ferry schedule as well http://www.varlack-ventures.com/vvfiles/4_ferry-schedules.htm. You'll be able to get a taxi from Red Hook back to the ship (I'd probably be on the 7:00 PM ferry at the latest if your ship departs at 9:00 PM -- I may even take the 6:00 PM ferry just to allow some "comfort" time.

 

Hope this helps. This is one of our very favorite islands (St. John). ENJOY

 

Host Anne

Cruise Critic Celebrity Message Board Host

aygoyer@one.net

[latrn220]

Thanks for your suggestions and links! A few more questions: Would snorkeling at trunk bay still be good in the early evening hours? Also, isn't the Charlotte Amalie ferry more scenic, to where we could see even more of the islands? Also with Godfrey tours, does he pass by the docks to take people to the beaches after the island tour, to where he might go ahead and drop us off then?

[Host Anne]

It gets dark fairly early as I recall in the winter so I think you'd want to be at Trunk Bay no later than 2:30 - 3:00 if you want to get some good snorkeling in. They may even close the Trunk Bay (it's under the National Park Service and they charge an admissions fee) at dark but I couldn't find anything on the Park Service website that addresses times. Here's a link http://www.nps.gov/viis/pphtml/planyourvisit.html

 

In my opinion, the ferry ride from Charlotte Amalie is typically so bumpy that looking at scenery isn't usually what people are thinking about. They just want to get there. I think the ride from Red Hook to Cruz Bay is probably prettier -- you can see islands everywhere you look. On the ride from Charlotte Amalie, there is only water to your south. Others may feel differently but we long ago have opted to go from Red Hook.

 

Sorry but we've never tried Godfrey so I can't provide any info. Whatever you decide, have a wonderful time!

[lookin4calm]

What I would do if I had only that many hours in St. Thomas / St. John, and I wanted to shop as well as go to Trunk Bay:

 

Get to the shops early, and get my shopping done. After that, take a cab over to Red Hook to catch the ferry to St. John. While waiting for the ferry, walk across the street (I think it is a Texaco), and get something cold to drink (I prefer Caribe when I in the islands). Have correct change for the ticket booth (I think it is $3PP). Sit on the top of the ferry if it is available and enjoy the ride to St. John.

 

Rent a car from Denzil Cline, study my map, and head over to Coral Bay via Centerline Road. Remember, take it slow, and drive on the lef, mon. Stop as much as I like to take pictures along the way, as the views from the top of the island are breathtaking. End up at my lunch destination, Skinny Legs. Eat the best cheeseburger or mahi-mahi burger with the locals, have another Caribe beer, and relax for a bit, wondering how long I could last in paradise if I just cashed everything in and stayed here.

 

Now I'd backtrack a bit until I got to the Northshore road, stopping at Francis Bay (frequented by locals, and a very quiet beach), then I'd move on to Maho Bay (parking right at the beach), and finally, on to Trunk Bay. Here I'd have another Caribe beer, enjoy the beach, and when I was done, I'd clean up at their facilities for shopping in town followed by dinner.

 

I'd make my way back to town along the Northshore road, and turn my car back in to Denzil. I'd shop until the shops closed (about 5 or 6 I think), then I'd find a bar or quiet place to watch people walk by. About 6:00 or 6:30, I'd have dinner at the Lime Inn, then I'd catch the ferry probably to Charlotte Amalie, but perhaps Red Hook, and make my way back to the ship.

 

Perhaps you can tell I like St. John. :)