Need help on st Thomas excursions with 9 & 5 yr olds

[beachgirl33]

We are sailing on RCCL freedom of the seas this November 2011 and need advice on excursions. We are trying to decide between the Caribbean sail to Christmas and Honeymoon Coves or St John shopping & leisure time. Has anyone done either of these and have advice? Is the sail appropriate for a 5 yr old? Both kids are good swimmers but have not snorkeled. Or would a beach day in st John be better? We've never been to st Thomas or st John so need help!!

[eh2zed]

You may also want to post this on the Ports of Call-Caribbean board

[beachgirl33]

You may also want to post this on the Ports of Call-Caribbean board

thanks...i'll try it there too. i thought maybe someone with young children had done one of these excursions. i'm having trouble finding out info about age ranges!

[petepie]

I have stayed on St. John 3 times with small kids, the last time they were 4 & 6. They love St. John. Most of the time, the water is warm, calm, and clear. In the winter, the north shore beaches (Trunk, Cinnamon, Hawksnest) can have swells and waves that may be too big for kids under 7, so depending on the time of year you go, you may want to check the forecast before committing to a trip to Trunk Bay. However, most of the time, the water is like glass and very clear. The ferry ride over is even a treat for kids, you can sit out on top of the boat.

 

My 6 year old is a good swimmer and she loved the snorkeling. We brought her own mask and snorkel, and rented a snorkel belt (a foam belt that wrapped around her waist) from a scuba/dive shop on St. John. We rented from the Westin since we were staying on the island, but right at the ferry dock into Cruz Bay is Low Key watersports, they rent them too. We also brought spring floats (by waterways) bought at Bass Pro for the kids - they fold up easily and are easy to inflate because you're only inflating the outer ring. Hawksnest, Cinnamon, and Trunk bays have bathrooms. I think Maho may now have them too. Cinnamon and Trunk also have showers and seem to have more taxi traffic so you would have a better chance of getting a taxi back to Cruz Bay more easily if you go on your own.

 

Look for the chickens on the beach, and the wild donkeys on the roads!

[beachgirl33]

I have stayed on St. John 3 times with small kids, the last time they were 4 & 6. They love St. John. Most of the time, the water is warm, calm, and clear. In the winter, the north shore beaches (Trunk, Cinnamon, Hawksnest) can have swells and waves that may be too big for kids under 7, so depending on the time of year you go, you may want to check the forecast before committing to a trip to Trunk Bay. However, most of the time, the water is like glass and very clear. The ferry ride over is even a treat for kids, you can sit out on top of the boat.

 

My 6 year old is a good swimmer and she loved the snorkeling. We brought her own mask and snorkel, and rented a snorkel belt (a foam belt that wrapped around her waist) from a scuba/dive shop on St. John. We rented from the Westin since we were staying on the island, but right at the ferry dock into Cruz Bay is Low Key watersports, they rent them too. We also brought spring floats (by waterways) bought at Bass Pro for the kids - they fold up easily and are easy to inflate because you're only inflating the outer ring. Hawksnest, Cinnamon, and Trunk bays have bathrooms. I think Maho may now have them too. Cinnamon and Trunk also have showers and seem to have more taxi traffic so you would have a better chance of getting a taxi back to Cruz Bay more easily if you go on your own.

 

Look for the chickens on the beach, and the wild donkeys on the roads!

Thanks Petepie for the info. I've heard that the beaches in St John are so much nicer than in St. Thomas - would you recommend Trunk Bay or Cinnamon Bay? I've read good things on both - and the kids could swim and snorkel. Good idea about the snorkel belt!

 

I'm leaning towards spending the day in St. John instead of the "Bones" excursion - just not sure if it is appropriate for my 5 year old, although he would love being on a pirate ship! Have you ever done the Bones sailing excursion to turtle cove? I'd be interested to hear you thoughts on St. John vs. this sailing excursion.

[cb at sea]

Just because it's a "snorkel" excursion doesn't mean you HAVE to snorkel! Enjoy the beach. St. John has FABULOUS beaches!

 

You do NOT need an excursion to shop and have "leisure" time.

[petepie]

I haven't gone on any excursions on our trips to St. John, except day trips to the British Virgin Islands, so I can't help you on whether the pirate expedition is a good one. I also haven't stayed on any of the St. Thomas beaches - each time we've gone to the USVI, it's been fly in to St. Thomas then straight for the ferry and St. John. St. John does have beautiful beaches. Uncrowded, and since they're in the national park, there are no resorts or large scale development on the beach. There are also no beach vendors (except the National Park Service run snack bars (with drinks) at Trunk and Cinnamon) - so no wandering hair braiding etc. I really like it.

 

As for whether to go with Trunk or Cinnamon, I would go with Trunk. It is very picturesque, has the snorkel trail, the showers, bathrooms, and snack bar. It also is busier than the others so your ability to get a taxi back to Cruz Bay is better. When I say it's busier - density is about 1 person every 50 -100 feet as opposed to 1 person every 200 feet on the other beaches.

 

Cinnamon has watersports rentals (kayaks etc. - no waverunners), so if that's more your interest, you may want to reconsider Cinnamon.

 

Cruz Bay is fun too - but very small, if you make it to Cruz Bay, take a taxi out to Trunk Bay for at least a little while before heading back into Cruz Bay to look around. The ride along the north shore to Trunk is spectacular. Good deli at Mongoose junction - pick up a sandwich and sodas on your way to the beach and you're good to go!

 

If you want a resort feel, you may want to consider Caneel Bay. I'm not sure if this is still the policy (call to confirm), but you used to be able to go there for lunch and then use their beach (although day trippers didn't have access to all the Caneel beaches). Personally, I think a sandwich from Mongoose Deli eaten on Trunk Bay is perfect!

[petepie]

I should have added that St. John has a very safe feel - I feel very comfortable taking the taxis, going to the beaches on our own etc., so I think you'll be fine without being on an excursion. FYI, if you feel more comfortable with lifeguards on the beach, Trunk Bay has them.

[lcantw3658]

We are sailing on RCCL freedom of the seas this November 2011 and need advice on excursions. We are trying to decide between the Caribbean sail to Christmas and Honeymoon Coves or St John shopping & leisure time. Has anyone done either of these and have advice? Is the sail appropriate for a 5 yr old? Both kids are good swimmers but have not snorkeled. Or would a beach day in st John be better? We've never been to st Thomas or st John so need help!!

 

 

what date are you sailing? We are going on FOS 11/6/11 and have a 5yr old boy and 9 ys old girl

[beachgirl33]

thanks petpie...great info on st john. i think the kids will love snorkeling and trunk bay! i appreciate your help - it's nice to get info from someone who has been there with little kids!

 

 

hi lcantw3658, we unfortunately aren't sailing on FOS until 11/20/11....that would have been great if we were on the same cruise! any thoughts on what you're doing in St Thomas??

[Sunshine101]

We just got off the Freedom on Sunday with our 2 girls (4 and 7 years old). We found some great recommendations on here to try out Coral World and then head to Coki beach right after, which is what we did. The girls loved it and it worked out perfectly. I ordered the family pass coupons directly through the Coral World website ($60), and then when we got to St Thomas, we just hailed a cab (had to make sure to find out where we could put our booster seats in for the girls), and she drove us to Coral World (about 15 min from the port). Coral World was great, not too big, and had lots for the kids to see. Aftewards, we walked a few steps beside to Coki Beach where the kids got to snorkel. We brought our snorkels and a bag of dog biscuits for the fish, they loved it. Some fabulous snorkeling at Coki! We arranged for our cab driver to pick us up at 3pm which worked out perfectly, and she kindly allowed us to keep our booster seats in her car while we enjoyed our outing, which was nice.

 

Hope that helps!