RC St. John excursions vs Going on your own

[ackwin]

Hi Everyone!

So we will be cruising in April on the Allure and want to go to St. John. We have been before and fell in love with it. We are noticing that the RC excursions are only 4 hours total. Has anyone done this? We have been told the ferry over and back is at least 45 mins each way so that would leave us 2.5 hours on the island..

 

I have also read that we can jump in a cab and get to Red Hook and take the boat over on our own- but how long does it take from the ship to that dock round trip? How much "extra" travel time should we allow ourselves if we do it on our own and are we really gaining any extra time on St. John?

 

Any and all advice is helpful!:):):):)

[TheInnocentAge]

When we were there last year (pre-hurricanes) as well as in years past, the RC "St. John on your own" excursion was six hours. The ferry ride from the ship took anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the weather / seas. We've never done the ferry from Red Hook. The six hours allowed time for beaches, snorkeling and a few bar stops.

 

As you mentioned, some of the excursions now have been reduced to 4 hours, so we're contemplating other options. So I'm replying here to bump your post back up and hopefully get some opinions from recent visitors.

[jean87510]

When we were there last year (pre-hurricanes) as well as in years past, the RC "St. John on your own" excursion was six hours. The ferry ride from the ship took anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the weather / seas. We've never done the ferry from Red Hook. The six hours allowed time for beaches, snorkeling and a few bar stops.

 

As you mentioned, some of the excursions now have been reduced to 4 hours, so we're contemplating other options. So I'm replying here to bump your post back up and hopefully get some opinions from recent visitors.

 

I am getting ready to do the Celebrity summit on your own tour that used to be 6 hours and now is 4 which I am not happy about. I researched and decided that from crown bay, this was the better option. I will come back and post what we did and how our day went in a couple of weeks. I have a whole game plan but will share after I do it -;p

[TheInnocentAge]

I am getting ready to do the Celebrity summit on your own tour that used to be 6 hours and now is 4 which I am not happy about. I researched and decided that from crown bay, this was the better option. I will come back and post what we did and how our day went in a couple of weeks. I have a whole game plan but will share after I do it -;p

 

Thanks, that will be helpful. Our ship is in port from 10am to 6pm, so we may end up just researching the current ferry departure and arrival times to see what best fits our schedule, as opposed to booking it through the ship this time.

 

Enjoy your time in the islands!

Edited April 6, 2018 by TheInnocentAge

[Justprettynpink]

Just did the DIY to St. John April 4th. It was a piece of cake. You are not alone. The only suggestion I would make is to buy your return tickets right when you arrive...the ticket agent went on a break. The tickets are good for 10 days and not for a set time. There is a shop right by the ferry on St. John that rents snorkle equipment for $10

 

 

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[Justprettynpink]

Ferry from Red Hook is faster than right from the port. Our taxi stopped at a couple of beaches first before stopping at Red Hook. On the way back to the port...no stops

 

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[rs45thompson]

Ferry from Red Hook is faster than right from the port. Our taxi stopped at a couple of beaches first before stopping at Red Hook. On the way back to the port...no stops

 

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How much was it and how long did it take for you to get from the boat to st john?

[Justprettynpink]

How much was it and how long did it take for you to get from the boat to st john?

$10 per person for taxi and 8.15 for the ferry. it took 1.5 hours since we just missed the ferry and had to wait for the next one.

 

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[Kristin7701]

We were there last week on the Allure. The people who did the RCI excursion were at the beach for significantly less time than we were. I'd definitely go on your own.