Thinking about St. John and how to go

[Host Anne]

Hi dnewscruiser ~ I agree with Augie (and not just because I like him). If you are an experienced snorkeler, I think Cinnamon is better....and it's free (free is always good). You can rent just the snorkel vest at Cinnamon and yes there is a snack bar there as well. In fact, Cinnamon has as many if not more facilities as Trunk. Your food options are typical beach bar and grill food - burgers, chicken sandwich, etc. It's not bad, actually. Augie is right, there are lots of great delis in Cruz Bay to stop and pick up a sandwich for the beach. But you don't have a lot of time. If you want to do that, ask your taxi driver for a good recommendation for a quick stop on the way to the beach. Otherwise, just grab a bite at Trunk or Cinnamon.

 

Cinnamon and Trunk have very similar facilties - showers, restrooms, grill for sandwiches & drinks, rental equipment.

 

One other factor to consider is how many ships are in port with you. The more ships, the more you want to go to Cinnamon as Trunk gets very crowded. If you are the only ship (or one of just two or three) I might consider Trunk. It is beautiful .... but so is Cinnamon. I've never minded paying the admission fee to Trunk (we actually buy the season pass for $12 for the family) because I totally believe in supporting the US National Park System that provides so much beauty on the island. In fact, if it were me, I'd go to Cinnamon to snorkel and then Trunk for a walk on the beach :)

 

Have a fantastic day! ENJOY!

[dnewscruiser]

Thanks Augie and Anne! Both of your opinions help---I'll be able to take your info back to our group so we can make a more informed decision. No matter which beach we decide, I know we'll have a great time!

[Host Anne]

dnews ~ I have no doubt that you will enjoy St. John no matter what you choose. We were even there on a rainy port day once and still loved it! ENJOY!

[UMTerp]

Does docking in St. Thomas on a Sunday change anything as far as taxis, ferries and beaches in St. John?

 

Thanks!

[augie]

Does docking in St. Thomas on a Sunday change anything as far as taxis, ferries and beaches in St. John?

 

Thanks!

 

Not a bit - have fun!

[Hogladyrider]

Just returned home yesterday and we did St. John on our own, thanks to all the wonderful input from those on this board and especially Host Anne and Augie.

 

It was simply amazing, the best day ever on any cruise so far after 13 cruises.

 

It was so easy, we docked at 7 am got off the ship by 8 am cab to Red Hook, got the 9 am ferry over, cab to Trunk Bay, we were like the first on the beach! We had planned to return on the 3 pm ferry but as the day wore on we opted for the 2 pm ferry, we were hungry and hot! It was a piece of cake and next trip we definitely want to do a tour of the island, it is like paradise!

 

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information you all provided and will continue to provide.

Susan

 

PS - anyone considering doing St John on your own GO FOR IT!

[Host Anne]

Hogladyrider ~ thanks so much for returning to this thread to share your experience. I think that is helpful to others considering the samething. Glad to hear you felt the same way Augie and I do about St. John. It is a special place! Welcome home!

[Hogladyrider]

Anne we enjoyed our day on St John so much we are researching spending a week or so on the island. We brought home all the "literature" we could find.

 

So as not to "break the CC rules" could you e-mail me privately your recommendations?

 

We are two adults, late 50's non-smokers who would be interested in a non-hotel facility for a week on St. John.

 

Susan

 

susanand@gmail.com

[mytime53]

Just returned home yesterday and we did St. John on our own, thanks to all the wonderful input from those on this board and especially Host Anne and Augie.

 

It was simply amazing, the best day ever on any cruise so far after 13 cruises.

 

It was so easy, we docked at 7 am got off the ship by 8 am cab to Red Hook, got the 9 am ferry over, cab to Trunk Bay, we were like the first on the beach! We had planned to return on the 3 pm ferry but as the day wore on we opted for the 2 pm ferry, we were hungry and hot! It was a piece of cake and next trip we definitely want to do a tour of the island, it is like paradise!

 

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information you all provided and will continue to provide.

Susan

 

PS - anyone considering doing St John on your own GO FOR IT!

 

Do you remember the cost of the 2 (I guess actually 4) cab rides? Thanks for posting this.

[Hogladyrider]

Do you remember the cost of the 2 (I guess actually 4) cab rides? Thanks for posting this.

 

Taxi from the cruise terminal to Red Hook ferry was $10 pp each way.

Ferry ride was $6 pp each way, we purchased return at same time as original trip, on advice received on this board, good decision!

Taxi from St. John ferry, Cruz Bay, to Trunk Bay was $6 pp each way.

Entrance fee into National Park at Trunk Bay was $4 pp

 

We had our own snorkel gear with us but it is available for rent.

 

Figure on $100 pp for the day, CASH only! All learned on this board! You gotta love CC.

Susan

[mytime53]

Taxi from the cruise terminal to Red Hook ferry was $10 pp each way.

Ferry ride was $6 pp each way, we purchased return at same time as original trip, on advice received on this board, good decision!

Taxi from St. John ferry, Cruz Bay, to Trunk Bay was $6 pp each way.

Entrance fee into National Park at Trunk Bay was $4 pp

 

We had our own snorkel gear with us but it is available for rent.

 

Figure on $100 pp for the day, CASH only! All learned on this board! You gotta love CC.

Susan

 

Thanks so much...it's always nice to know how much cash to take off with you!

[ceebreeze]

Thanks to all for the wonderful information re: St. John's and the great pics. (so much to do~so little time)

 

We were on the Carnival Glory 2 yrs ago this Oct when Hurricane Omar decided to crash the party. This storm blew all of our plans to visit St. John's for the day, which we had planned to do on our own. :mad: We are going to give it another shot when we sail in on the Carnival Dream Oct. 12th. Hopefully the weather will be much better and we won't be looking at a water spout as soon as we depart the ship!!

 

Since we don't dock until 10 am, is there any chance that a rental car or Jeep would be available in St. Johns say around noon? Are alcoholic beverages allowed on the beaches and if so, is there a package store nearby where you could purchase beer to take along? We have read of the warnings about not leaving anything in your locked rental car trunk in St. Maarten because of break-ins. Does the same hold true for St. John? What do you do with your stuff-backpack for us-when you're off snorkling?

 

Any info on this is appreciated and thanks again to all for a most informative thread!

[Host Anne]

Ceebreeze ~ If you have any interest in renting a car on St. John, I highly encourage you to make a reservation. Finding an available car at noon if there is a lot of ships in port could be very difficult. You can take alcohol to the beach (you can even buy beer at the beachs that have snack stands) and yes there are places in Cruz Bay that you can stop and pick up refreshments/food for the beach.

 

I have never personally had a problem with burglaries on the island but then, I would never leave valuables in a car on an island, either. We take water wallets with us that we keep cash, cruise cards, drivers license, credit card in. They go around our necks when we are in the water. Things like books, suntan lotion & beach towels we just leave on the beach. Anything more valuable than that, we leave on the ship. I also carry my Sony Cybershot in a waterproof casing and it goes in the water with me, too. There are lockers available at Cinnamon (maybe trunk, too). We just don't take much valuables with us.

 

Have a great time!

[augie]

ceebreeze - if you plan to take beer to the beach, just remember to buy it in cans, not bottles. We all like those pictures that look like a Corona commercial, but the rule is "no glass".

 

I've never had a problem with break-ins on St. John either, but it's always best to not take chances - especially considering you'll have your boarding pass to get back on the ship with you.

[ceebreeze]

Host Anne and Augie~

 

Thanks for the reply! I went out and bought 2 water wallet things that hang around your neck so we can use these when we're in the water. Haven't checked out the car rental situation yet but will look into it this weekend. If we're stuck with a taxi then that will be OK too.

 

Have a great weekend!! :)

[pavteam]

We are sailing on the Celebrity Soltice Oct 17. Our plans are to rent a jeep in St Thomas, catch the ferry over and then go to Leinster Bay first and then...

 

How long will it take us to get to Leinster Bay once we are off the ferry?

 

Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome!

[Host Anne]

pavteam ~ I'd say 20 - 25 minutes depending upon how comfortable you are driving. Remember, they drive on the other side of the road. Roads are hilly and wind back and forth. It's relatively slow going. I'd estimate around 25 minutes once you are actually on the road in Cruz Bay. Augie, what do you think?

[Hogladyrider]

We were in St Thomas Sept 14th....one thing to be aware of, there is major road construction being conducted on the road from the cruise terminal to Red Hook ferry, so allow extra time for delays.

 

We had no problem on our way to Red Hook in the morning because we were on the road before the crews started working, however on our return taxi ride it was stop and go traffic many times. We took the 2 pm ferry back from St John to Red Hook and traffic and construction was HEAVY.

 

Also keep in mind that traffic is heavy in St Thomas pre working hours and from 5 pm on and I mean HEAVY!

 

Our day on St John at Trunk Bay was magical it was like heaven on earth! We can't wait to go back and explore more of the island.

Susan

[augie]

pavteam ~ I'd say 20 - 25 minutes depending upon how comfortable you are driving. Remember, they drive on the other side of the road. Roads are hilly and wind back and forth. It's relatively slow going. I'd estimate around 25 minutes once you are actually on the road in Cruz Bay. Augie, what do you think?

 

25 minutes sounds about right. They were doing some road work on North Shore Rd our last couple of trips down, so you may have to stop while they let traffic from the other direction go, but that's never delayed us for more than a few minutes.

[postalgrrl]

We are in St. Thomas on Oct. 12 (Carnival Freedom). It looks like there is a 8:00am ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay. Is that correct? And if our schedule says we dock at 7:00am, do you think we could make the 8:00am ferry?

I would like to get to Trunk Bay as early as possible. I am hoping to get some good snorkeling in before it gets to crowded.

[smitty3000]

We are in St. Thomas on Oct. 12 (Carnival Freedom). It looks like there is a 8:00am ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay. Is that correct? And if our schedule says we dock at 7:00am, do you think we could make the 8:00am ferry?

I would like to get to Trunk Bay as early as possible. I am hoping to get some good snorkeling in before it gets to crowded.

You read my mind, I have the same question. ;) Also, what would a cab usually cost for 4 people from Havensight to the ferry terminal in Red Hook? Also How much would cab ride be from Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay.

Thanks for the info.:)

[Host Anne]

If you dock at 7:00 AM you should be able to make the 8:00 AM ferry if you can disembark shortly after arrival. It will all depend upon how long it takes them to clear the ship.

 

Taxi from Havensight to Red Hook is $10 per person (flat fee regardless of the number of people going). When we last went, we made arrangements for the same taxi to come back and get us and he discounted the return trip by a $1 per person ($9).

 

Have fun!

[Hogladyrider]

Cab fare from Cruz Bay ferry to Trunk Bay was $6 pp when we were there in Sept and then $4 pp entrance fee to Trunk Bay.

 

We took the 9 am ferry and the "crowds" did not start appearing at Trunk Bay until noon or later.

 

Don't forget your camera!

Susan

[Californian]

Jack ~ it's almost a personal preference. When it's just two or three of us we always rent a car (jeep-type) on the island. As long as you are comfortable driving on the other side of the road (and since you've done it before I'm guessing you are), having a car allows you to go where you want, when you want. We can go a long way in a day on St. John in a car.

 

A taxi is a little different. The are all safari-type taxis so they hold a fair number of people (8 - 20+). If you have a group of people, this is the way to go. It's easy and if you can take over an entire taxi they'll take you anywhere you want to go. If you are just two people joining a taxi that is filling for an island tour, that can be nice as well, but you will likely just get the highlights and not get off the beaten path that you could in a taxi where you've rented the entire vehicle. For example, last year we took a group of 12 to St. John, rented a taxi for the day and ended up in Coral Bay for lunch at Shipwreck Landing. You won't get that on a general island tour.

 

If you do want to rent a car, I recommend making a reservation long before you arrive. It can be tough to get a rental car the day you arrive without a reservation.

 

Whatever you decide, have a GREAT time!

 

How many people would we need from our ship to "take over an entire taxi" on St. John to do an island tour? How much might it cost?

 

If we can take over an entire taxi and we don't want to go swimming and such (not much beach time), what itinerary would you suggest? Our ship will be in port 9-6. Thanks!

[augie]

How many people would we need from our ship to "take over an entire taxi" on St. John to do an island tour? How much might it cost?

 

If we can take over an entire taxi and we don't want to go swimming and such (not much beach time), what itinerary would you suggest? Our ship will be in port 9-6. Thanks!

 

Here are some links to some tour operators on St. John. They could help you with prices, etc. You could probably tour for about four hours, say roughly 10:30-2:30. If you didn't want to spend much beach time you could possibly stop at a ruins site, some scenic overlooks, and somewhere for lunch. Good luck!

 

Some info for Island Tours:

 

http://stjohnislandtours.com/island_tours.html

 

http://www.connectionsstjohn.com/earl_s_taxi_and_tours.html

 

http://www.varlack-ventures.com/vvfiles/3_island-tours.htm