Thinking about St. John and how to go

[InsideCruiser]

I believe I read on the thread that there was a bus from Havecourt to Red hook for a few dollars pp rather than take a taxi.

 

As long as the bus runs regularly might be a nice idea for one way.

 

Has anyone does this?

 

Assuming you mean Havensight, the "B" on this map shows where the bus leaves from (I think). Hopefully someone will clarify if I'm wrong.

[Host Anne]

I've never done the bus but I've seen many locals riding the bus. Usually when you disembark your ship, taxis (and most are the open air jitney type referred to above) are right at the ship.

[RUDIMAY1]

Host ann, I love the picture of Cinammon Bay with the bird flying. Talk about paradise. i will being sailing with Rumbaba charters in Nov. and will have to put a request to sail to that area.

 

Thanks great pictures.

[lbryant]

We'll be in St Thomas on the dreaded Tuesday with 5 ships total... what's the best strategy to avoid large crowds but experience the beauty of St John...Given the # of people in port that day, do we need to allow extra time getting back to the ferry or from Red Hood to the ship? Accoring to VI ship schedule, all the ships will be at Charlotte Amalie..

our ship (Princess Emerald) will dock at 7am and leave 5pm. If we leave the ship by 7:15a, could we make an 8a ferry at Red Hook?

Other ship schedules as follows:

Carnival Glory: 8a - 6p

Oasis: 9a-6p

Carniv Dream 10a-8p

Norweigan Sun 12n - 8p

 

We don't intend to rent a car, but would love to be able to see 2 of St John's best snorkeling beaches if there is time. We love to snorkel, play in the water , take pictures and maybe lay out for a short time (after an hour, my husband gets antsy to move)... I'd also love to find a casual lunch spot that has local beer. Can it be done?

Thanks!

[InsideCruiser]

I'd also love to find a casual lunch spot that has local beer. Can it be done?

Thanks!

 

Here are some restaurants to give you a start. Here are the menus for The Beach Bar and Banana Deck which I've seen recommended on other threads.

[Got2Cruise]

We found the snorkeling at Hawknest to be very good also. You simply have to walk down by the rocks. The only downside is that the taxis don't hang out there as they do at Cinnamon Bay. Another option would be to go to Honeymoon Beach via Caneel Bay resort. You can always catch a cab at Caneel Bay. There are plenty of places to catch drink and a bite near the ferry. I would play that by ear when I got back to Cruz Bay.

[InsideCruiser]

We found the snorkeling at Hawknest to be very good also. You simply have to walk down by the rocks. The only downside is that the taxis don't hang out there as they do at Cinnamon Bay. Another option would be to go to Honeymoon Beach via Caneel Bay resort. You can always catch a cab at Caneel Bay. There are plenty of places to catch drink and a bite near the ferry. I would play that by ear when I got back to Cruz Bay.

 

You could also hike the Lind Point Trail from the ferry port to get to Salomon and Honeymoon beaches if you want to avoid a taxi.

[Host Anne]

LBryant ~ yes, I think you can do both since you are the first to arrive (lucky you). If you catch the 8:00 AM ferry, you can be on Trunk Bay by 9:00. Spend two hours there and then head to Cinnamon for another hour or so. The reason I think you should do Trunk and Cinnamon is that both of these locations have plenty of taxis to transport you at any time. Getting from Trunk to Cinnamon should be easy because there are always taxis available. And getting from Cinnamon back to Cruz Bay is easy, too (always taxis at Cinnamon, too). If you want to try one of the less frequented places (I do love Hawksnest, too) make arrangements with a taxi driver to come back and pick you up. They always do if you pre-arrange a pick up time.

 

If you head back to Cruz Bay by 12:30, you can grab a great lunch at one of the restaurants that are just next to the ferry dock (there are three or four and all are decent). I'd want to be on the 2:00 PM ferry back to give you plenty of time.

 

Because you are the first to arrive, you should be able to do what you'd like without any problem. Both Trunk and Cinnamon do have decent snack shops (burgers, chicken sandwiches, etc) and I would probably prefer to sit on the beach and enjoy the view for an extra half hour and have something there than venture back to town....but either is a nice way to end the day on St. John.

 

ENJOY!!!

[lbryant]

Thanks for the input. I appreciate the insight on the best options for beach/snorkel locations. Quick question though... if the ferry is every hour on the hour from Red Hook to Cruz Bay, is the return ferry on the half hour (so 8am Red Hook to Cruz Bay; 8:30a Cruz Bay back to Red Hook)?

 

If we have 5 hours on the island (give or take), is Waterlemon Cay an option for snorkeling? Is that one of the better snorkeling locations (and if not, how would you rank them)?

 

Thanks

lbryant

[Host Anne]

lbryant ~ no....the return ferries are also every hour on the hour. The two ferries pass each other on the crossing.

 

Watermelon Cay is definitely one of the better snokeling options. However, you either need to rent a car to get there or make arrangements with a taxi as this is typically not an area taxis frequent or wait for passengers. Leistner is quite a bit beyond Trunk and Cinnamon. If you really want to head out there (and it gets great snorkeling reviews), I might consider Trunk from 9:00 - 10:30; Watermelon from 11:00 (allowing 30 minutes to get into a taxi and from Trunk to Leistner) 12:30; back at Cruz Bay by 1:30 for a quite bite to eat right next to the ferry dock (you're going to be tight on time).

 

I don't think you'll have any overcrowding on the 2:00 PM ferry back to Red Hook. I'd suggest purchasing your return ferry ticket at Red Hook when you arrive there in the AM. There is no price break for doing this but it saves you time standing in line at Cruz Bay in the afternoon. Just don't lose the return ticket! :)

[KansasScrapper]

Host Anne - We are on Carnival Glory in Jan (the cruise ships schedule isn't out yet for that date). We are in port from 10am - 6pm. Is this enough time to get over to St John and back??? We want to do the beach and maybe a little shopping (if there is an close by). Thanks!

Edited August 22, 2010 by KansasScrapper

[sstich79]

Host Anne - We are on Carnival Glory in Jan (the cruise ships schedule isn't out yet for that date). We are in port from 10am - 6pm. Is this enough time to get over to St John and back??? We want to do the beach and maybe a little shopping (if there is an close by). Thanks!

Wendy, I don't know how accurate this site is: http://cruisett.com/ports.php?PortID=620&date=29 ... but it says that there will be SIX other ships in port with us! ACK!

 

Host Anne, I saw you'd mentioned Waterlemon, which I'm interested in because of the snorkeling praise, but I've seen a lot of people warning that it's maybe not the best idea due to time constraints. Is it worth the extra time/commute, or is there any comparable snorkeling closer to where we'll dock at St. John? I'm hesitant about Trunk because if there really are six other ships in port with us, Trunk will probably get crowded.

[augie]

Host Anne, I saw you'd mentioned Waterlemon, which I'm interested in because of the snorkeling praise, but I've seen a lot of people warning that it's maybe not the best idea due to time constraints. Is it worth the extra time/commute, or is there any comparable snorkeling closer to where we'll dock at St. John? I'm hesitant about Trunk because if there really are six other ships in port with us, Trunk will probably get crowded.

 

I think Waterlemon is worth the extra time/hassle to get to, but you will need to be aware of your schedule restraints. If I had to choose a more time friendly alternative, I'd go directly to Cinnamon and snorkel out to and around the cay there. In my opinion, you need to bee pretty comfortable in the water to snorkel at either one of those sites - they both entail a swim that takes you a air distance from land over water that is well overhead deep.

[mothwoman]

What a great thread, this is exactly the information I was looking for. However, it is so long I want to just clarify what I'm planning on doing and make sure I got it all right. There was so much info I just want to be sure.

 

I'm coming in on Freedom next month at 11:00 a.m. we quickly get off the ship and catch a cab to Red Hook to board the Ferry, take ferry (approx 20 minutes) to St. John then catch another cab to Trunk Bay. We can rent snorkel gear there...right? Then do the same in reverse to get back to the ship. If we want to be back in plenty of time make sure to catch the 4:00 p.m. ferry as our ship leaves at 7:00 p.m.

 

Please tell me if this is right, I really appreciate how informative this thread has been.

Thanks in advance!

[sstich79]

I think Waterlemon is worth the extra time/hassle to get to, but you will need to be aware of your schedule restraints. If I had to choose a more time friendly alternative, I'd go directly to Cinnamon and snorkel out to and around the cay there. In my opinion, you need to bee pretty comfortable in the water to snorkel at either one of those sites - they both entail a swim that takes you a air distance from land over water that is well overhead deep.

Thanks for the info, augie! One more question, then... is the swim to the cay closer at one or the other, or are they pretty similar distances? I'm a solid swimmer, but I'd rather take my mom to whichever swim is relatively easier.

[Host Anne]

sstich ~ Cinnamon is about a 10 - 15 minute closer taxi ride from the ferry dock than Watermelon. Augie is right, in either case you have to be comfortable swimming out the cay for snorkeling. I think Cinnamon may be a little closer in but I'll let Augie weigh in on that one....he's been there more recently than me! The snokel trail at Trunk is much easier to access but I think the snorkeling at Watermelon is overall better because there are far fewer people. Overall, it will likely cost you and extra 30 - 40 minutes roundtrip to do Watermelon. And again, make sure you have made arrangements ahead of time for a taxi to return and pick you up. This is not a high tourist area.

 

Mothwoman ~ you have it right. Yes, Trunk and Cinnamon have snorkel and beach gear available for rental. If you are on the noon ferry, you can be at Trunk by 12:45. I would feel more comfortable with the 4:00 PM ferry myself but I just like to build in some "safety" time for unexpected challenges.

 

Glad the info is helpful! ENJOY your visit!

[augie]

The cays at Waterlemon and Cinnamon are probably pretty close to the same distance from shore. Cinnamon may be a little further, but the start of that swim is over a sandy, shallow beach, while you get over deeper water sooner heading towards Waterlemon.

 

As long as the water isn't rough, neither one is so far out that it's not doable for most people, you just need to be able to not let the fact that you're in deep water some of the time bother you.

[sstich79]

The cays at Waterlemon and Cinnamon are probably pretty close to the same distance from shore. Cinnamon may be a little further, but the start of that swim is over a sandy, shallow beach, while you get over deeper water sooner heading towards Waterlemon.

 

As long as the water isn't rough, neither one is so far out that it's not doable for most people, you just need to be able to not let the fact that you're in deep water some of the time bother you.

Okay, I lied about that last question being my last question. :D How deep are we talking, in general? I don't mind it as long as I can see the bottom, but again, I can't speak for my snorkeling partner. Thanks for being so helpful!

[mothwoman]

sstich ~

 

Mothwoman ~ you have it right. Yes, Trunk and Cinnamon have snorkel and beach gear available for rental. If you are on the noon ferry, you can be at Trunk by 12:45. I would feel more comfortable with the 4:00 PM ferry myself but I just like to build in some "safety" time for unexpected challenges.

 

Glad the info is helpful! ENJOY your visit!

 

Host Anne

Many thanks for your info, you are awesome for the quick reply. Do you happen to know how much a snorkel rental would be?

[augie]

Okay, I lied about that last question being my last question. :D How deep are we talking, in general? I don't mind it as long as I can see the bottom, but again, I can't speak for my snorkeling partner. Thanks for being so helpful!

 

No worries, you can see the bottom at all times in both places. I'm guessing that the maximum depth is probably right around 30 feet, but that's only in a couple of areas - the backside of Cinnamon Cay and the area between Waterlemon Cay and the Leinster Bay trail.

[Host Anne]

Moth ~ you are most welcome...we haven't personally rented snorkel gear in a long time because we have our own. I asked my husband and we're both pretty sure it is less than $10 for a mask and fins. The also have the inflatable life vests. I will check and make a note of it the next time I'm there. Hopefully in the meantime, someone who has been there recently can post. I couldn't even find it on the park service web site :(. Augie, you don't know, do you?

[MelJJJ]

Any recommendations on where to take a 4 & 8 yr old? The older one can snorkel & I'll try to teach my youngest before we go, but a nice beach for him too would be nice as a backup plan. Is there a certain part of St. John that you would suggest?

 

Also how much time should I assume to travel there & back? Our ship docks at St. Thomas from 10 am to 8 pm. Thanks!

[augie]

Moth ~ you are most welcome...we haven't personally rented snorkel gear in a long time because we have our own. I asked my husband and we're both pretty sure it is less than $10 for a mask and fins. The also have the inflatable life vests. I will check and make a note of it the next time I'm there. Hopefully in the meantime, someone who has been there recently can post. I couldn't even find it on the park service web site :(. Augie, you don't know, do you?

 

I found this posted by The Islander on 3/18/2009:

 

Trunk Bay prices: Snorkel/Mask/Fins: $5 plus $25 deposit, all day (hours 9-3). Chairs $7 to rent ($25 deposit) for day (9-3). No umbrellas.

[mothwoman]

I found this posted by The Islander on 3/18/2009:

 

Trunk Bay prices: Snorkel/Mask/Fins: $5 plus $25 deposit, all day (hours 9-3). Chairs $7 to rent ($25 deposit) for day (9-3). No umbrellas.

I love this thread thanks for the info, I have to not think about putting my mouth on a snorkel that millions of others have used to gain the extra suitcase room :).

[InsideCruiser]

I found this posted by The Islander on 3/18/2009:

 

Trunk Bay prices: Snorkel/Mask/Fins: $5 plus $25 deposit, all day (hours 9-3). Chairs $7 to rent ($25 deposit) for day (9-3). No umbrellas.

 

We're going to a beach that does not rent snorkelling equipment. Does any one know if there's a rental place at Havensight, Red Hook, or Cruz Bay?

 

TIA,

Mark

Edited August 24, 2010 by sendtomaz