Open Air Buses in Tortolla and St Thomas

[awinte2]

6 of us are stopping in Tortolla and are thinking of taking one of these buses around the island.  I have read the reviews on Trip Advisor and they are rated safe.  Has anyone taken tours on one of these buses or just taken one and got on and off at certain  places.

Thanking you in advance for any information.

[Paul Bogle]

We used them in St. Thomas where they were a plenty. We took one to Megan's Bay and back. I have to be honest but I do not recall seeing any on Tortolla.

[ReaderDame]

We took the open air bus to get out to the beach on 2 different stops in Tortola.  2017 & 2015.  Both times the driver was very efficient and the buses were full.  Fast driving and he stopped to see a couple of pretty over looks.  They charge one price when you go out to the beach, and charge again to get back to the ship.  They also tell you what time and where to pick up the buses after the day on the beach.  Much cheaper than using the excursions through the cruise line.  We left ourselves plenty of time to get back to the ship, so we weren't late.  These buses are safe to use.

[delaware32]

You can get one in Tortola at the end of the new shopping area . They have posted rates . We took one in October to Cane Garden Bay . It was $ 8 pp each way.

[tallnthensome]

1 hour ago, awinte2 said:

6 of us are stopping in Tortolla and are thinking of taking one of these buses around the island.  I have read the reviews on Trip Advisor and they are rated safe.  Has anyone taken tours on one of these buses or just taken one and got on and off at certain  places.

Thanking you in advance for any information.

I would try the port forums as this question isn’t NCL related .....

[cruisinmeme]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

I would try the port forums as this question isn’t NCL related .....

 

 

Is this your advice to everyone that ask a question on NCL cruise critic board site.

[Double Jack]

12 minutes ago, cruisinmeme said:

 

 

Is this your advice to everyone that ask a question on NCL cruise critic board site.

That's funny.....noticed the same thing.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Double Jack

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, awinte2 said:

6 of us are stopping in Tortolla and are thinking of taking one of these buses around the island.  I have read the reviews on Trip Advisor and they are rated safe.  Has anyone taken tours on one of these buses or just taken one and got on and off at certain  places.

Thanking you in advance for any information.

On St Thomas, these are the [shared] taxis you use to get around. If it is busy, they will pack you in 5 to a row. They are also used for shore excursions. 
 

[blue_water]

The safari-type taxis, which are flat-bed pick up trucks with rows of open-sided bench seating, are used on many islands including St Thomas, St John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke. On all of these islands the drivers make runs to the popular beaches several times a day every day and are usually quite safe and reliable. Some also provide shared and private tours. On Tortola and St Thomas you will find several of these taxis lined-up at the dock waiting to whisk cruise passengers to different areas. There are also private sedan and van taxis available.

 

The taxi fares are set, and as shown above, on St Thomas for two or more ppl you share the fare. Doesn’t help when one person is paying for multiple people, of course. But as a single traveler you can hop any of these buses and pay the lower fare because you are sharing the taxi with others. On Tortola there a fares for 1, 2, and 3 or more ppl. On St Thomas you dock at either Havensight (WICO) or Crown Bay. Fares from Crown to the East End beaches (Coki, Sapphire, Secret Harbor) and the Red Hook ferry to St John are $1 more than from Havensight.

 

You can take a taxi to one beach and another taxi to another spot, or you can take a shared island tour. On Tortola, drivers provide 3 - 4 hour island tours -some with beach/lunch stops (you buy your lunch) - for as little as ~$25/pp. You can also hire a private driver like A.C.’s Taxi for the ultimate experience -

http://www.info-res.com/actaxibvi/