OASIS: Port Times - What time to book a private tour?

[redwards0416]

Oasis docks St. Thomas at 10am according to the ship's itinerary. I need to book a tour that isn't affiliated with RC and don't know what time I should book it for. According to RC, we won't be able to leave the ship until 2-3 hours after it docks. ALL of the tour companies I've reviewed don't start tours past 11am. Has anyone recently been on Oasis or any other ship I guess to give me an idea when we can disembark? I can't believe it takes that long. If it does, tours aren't available. Thanks in advance for your comments to help me out!:)

[Merion_Mom]

Oasis docks St. Thomas at 10am according to the ship's itinerary. I need to book a tour that isn't affiliated with RC and don't know what time I should book it for. According to RC, we won't be able to leave the ship until 2-3 hours after it docks. ALL of the tour companies I've reviewed don't start tours past 11am. Has anyone recently been on Oasis or any other ship I guess to give me an idea when we can disembark? I can't believe it takes that long. If it does, tours aren't available. Thanks in advance for your comments to help me out!:)

 

You can usually disembark within 30 minutes after the ship docks.

[cb at sea]

RC doesn't know what they're talking about! If it says you'll be there at 10am, they will generally be opening the door around 10:30...maybe earlier.

[redwards0416]

Thank you! I knew what they said couldn't be correct.

[Desert Cruizers]

Be sure and check your time to be back on board which is 30 minutes before departure at the latest. Depending on how far you go to your beach, allow an hour or even two. If the ship departs at 5 PM, plan to be back on board no later then 4:30 preferably by 4 PM.

[mspink98]

What's your itinerary before St. Thomas? If you will have visited a "distant foreign port" before St. Thomas, I believe you may need to clear immigration, since you would be back in the US (territory) in St. Thomas. When I've done this in the past, it's been a loooong process, but it's been quite a while since I've taken a cruise that was routed that way. Any more recent cruisers with more recent experience?

 

If this is still the case, it could easily mean a 2-3 hour lag from the time you dock to the time you can get off.

[Merion_Mom]

What's your itinerary before St. Thomas? If you will have visited a "distant foreign port" before St. Thomas, I believe you may need to clear immigration, since you would be back in the US (territory) in St. Thomas. When I've done this in the past, it's been a loooong process, but it's been quite a while since I've taken a cruise that was routed that way. Any more recent cruisers with more recent experience?

 

If this is still the case, it could easily mean a 2-3 hour lag from the time you dock to the time you can get off.

 

I have never had to go through "procedures" at St.Thomas. "Distant" foreign ports in the Caribbean are the ABC islands, and Oasis certainly doesn't go there.