HAL & Crown Bay (St Thomas)

[Krazy Kruizers]

I was just over looking at the schedule for February and March for ships in St Thomas (www.*****) and I see that it is a rare occassion for a HAL ship to dock at Havensight. Nearly all the time the ships are at Crown Bay.

[lka1012]

I think I almost would rather the "DAM" ships anchor and tender folks in than to dock at Crown Bay. At least after ght first rush to get off the ship is over, you can come and go rather easily and the tenders drop you off downtown.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm with you - I would much rather tender directly into town than be at Crown Bay.

[bookworm0911]

I was just over looking at the schedule for February and March for ships in St Thomas (www.*****) and I see that it is a rare occassion for a HAL ship to dock at Havensight. Nearly all the time the ships are at Crown Bay.

I may be missing something, KK, but by my count CB and Havensight are split almost exactly evenly for HAL ships. In March there is even one more docking at HS than at CB for HAL. :confused:

[doone]

We were in St. Thomas on a Saturday and docked at Havensight.

[skylar64]

Looked on the ferry schedule for St. Thomas and saw that Noordam goes to both to dock. Does anyone know where the noordam will dock for the April 5th cruise out of ny.:cool:

[NC Medic]

We were in St Thomas on Wednesday of last week on the Zuiderdam and docked at Crown Bay. I had checked cruisecal before we left and there were 6 ships in St. Thomas on that day. Cruisecal said we would be docking at Havensight. We didn't even get off the ship but had a wonderful day onboard.

 

Lori

[COLandlocked]

As a newbie and first timer on St. Thomas, I looked up the dock and we will be at CB (assuming that is Crown Bay). What does this mean to us? Is it harder to get ferry's to St. John? I guess it means we can't just walk off the ship and wonder around? is there anything to do at this dock?

 

I also found out there will be 5 ships in that day. Does that mean everything (the good beachs) will be really crowded.

 

Thanks!

[gizmo]

As a newbie and first timer on St. Thomas, I looked up the dock and we will be at CB (assuming that is Crown Bay). What does this mean to us? Is it harder to get ferry's to St. John? I guess it means we can't just walk off the ship and wonder around? is there anything to do at this dock?

 

I also found out there will be 5 ships in that day. Does that mean everything (the good beachs) will be really crowded.

 

Thanks!

 

Don't be scared off with the negative comments on Crown Bay also called the Sub Base. Some do not like to dock there, others like me do.

 

The cab fare to get to Red Hook for the ferry to St. John's will cost you more.

 

Those going in to Charlotte Amalie will pay less since CB is closer.

 

They are in the process of adding shops to Crown Bay. If the shops are not open at the time of your cruise, there is nothing to do in the area.

 

Havensight has lots of shops, a plus for those who do not want to go into town.

 

One PLUS for Crown Bay is that the cab drops you off at the ship when you are returning. This is great for anyone that has the slightest problem walking. The cabs DO NOT drop you off at the ship at Havensight. They use a central area around the shops. If your ship is docked at the end the walk is terrible for some people.

 

With 5 ships in port, Charlotte Amalie will be mobbed. I would assume the beaches will be crowded.

 

Tendering.:eek:

 

I will give my usual speech. I HATE IT. The last time we tendered it was a nightmare and some people did not get on shore until close to noon. They had been waiting since 8:00 AM. with their tender numbers. It ruined many plans people had for the day.

If you tender from the outer harbor it is worse because of the distance.

 

If you have no plans and do not want to get off the ship early, tendering would be ok, otherwise forget it.

 

You cannot always rely on what is published on docking in St. Thomas. It is subject to change.

[peaches from georgia]

 

Tendering.:eek:

 

I will give my usual speech. I HATE IT.

 

If you have no plans and do not want to get off the ship early, tendering would be ok, otherwise forget it.

 

I also hate tendering because it can be very difficult to climb off the ship and onto the tender (and vice-versa) in choppy waters, much less bobbing around like a cork going to and from once in the tender. I would prefer docking anywhere rather than tender. One reason so many ships miss HMC and other ports is because of the difficulty in tendering. :(

[COLandlocked]

Thank you. We have are going to take the attitude that we are on VACATION, we have no place that we have to be at. We will get to the beach when we do and if it is crowded, then we will find something else to do. We have waited to long for it so why let these details bother us. What will be will be.

[michmike]

We've docked both places and while we prefer Havensight, CB is really no big deal. Once the shops are completed there it will be even better. The cab ride into town is only $3 and takes all of 6 or 7 minutes, not much different than coming form Havensight. Neither are an easy walk fvrom downtown. As for going to St John, it might add 15 min to the trip. Not that big a deal.

 

I agree completely about wanting to avoid tendering. It is always a pain in the butt. Do feel that at Havensight they should have some benches between the ships and the central drop off point. Esp w/ HAL's demographics and the hot weather, that is a bit of a hike esp if you are at the far end of the dock as we were last month on Volendam. Wife and I both us canes and get around fairly well in spite of them, but others facing greater mobility issues were struggling.

 

Whenever you encounter problems or challenges or what you consider inconveniences while out cruising, keep in mind those who don't have the money or the health or the vacation time to go and consider yourself fortunate. We surely do.

[gizmo]

Michmike,

 

That walk can be VERY hard on some people.

 

What I don't understand is why the cabs will not take you back to the ship. They are all parked at the ship when you are getting off so why can't they drop people off at the ship when they are returning ?

[peaches from georgia]

The longest walk we ever had was in Barbados; HAL should have been providing shuttles for many of their pax. We have seen other cruiselines using golf carts pn occasion, but have never seen our HAL ship shuttling even their most infirmed pax.

 

We have noticed these past few cruises that HAL is getting the docks furthest away from the terminal in many ports. These are ports we have been to before and had much better docking locations on previous cruises. It can't be a coincidence that in almost all ports HAL is getting the worst docking spaces.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Only once when we were in Barbados when we were the furthest ship out did they have shuttle buses for us - and that was a long time ago.

 

Otherwise - everyone has to walk.

 

peaches - you are so right - as the years go by HAL does seem to be getting the worst docking areas.

[gizmo]

Peaches,

 

Are you sure it was Barbados? I thought Aruba was the worst.

[michmike]

we were just in Aruba in Jan and it wasn't bad at all, at least that trip. We docked fairly close to a terminal type bldg that you had to walk thru to get out to the taxi area.. Don't remember it as much of a hike at all. But that's not to say that that is where HAL always docks, as this was our first trip there.

 

I do remember Barbados as being quite a hike. Again, I think a lot of that at any port could be mitigated by the simple courtesy of some benches between the ship and the access point for cabs, etc.

[peaches from georgia]

Gizmo, if I say it you know it's right! :D

 

Aruba was bad, but Barbados was the worst! We were going on a tour and on the way back one of our traveling companions, JE, had to get special permission for the tour taxi to take him back to the ship. They would not give the rest of us permission to go with him either. Just JE and JE.

[gizmo]

Gizmo, if I say it you know it's right! :D

 

Aruba was bad, but Barbados was the worst! We were going on a tour and on the way back one of our traveling companions, JE, had to get special permission for the tour taxi to take him back to the ship. They would not give the rest of us permission to go with him either. Just JE and JE.

 

I remember that now. :eek: I wish I could remember more. All I can remember about Barbados is we had to walk through that terminal and wait outside for the Silver Moon person to pick us up. The more I think about it the more I think it wasn't close by any means. I remember thinking we needed to give ourselves plenty of time for our pickup.

 

Michmitch,

 

You should have seen where we docked in Aruba ! It was a hike just to get to that walkway that took you into town. It is a wonder no one fell and got hurt. The ground has pot holes etc. Sure you can watch where you are walking but it rained and the potholes and large uneven areas that were hard to avoid were filled with water.

 

First time I was there the ship docked at the end of that walkway into town. No problem.

 

Benchs could help but some transportation would be a whole lot better for many people.

[peaches from georgia]

I love HAL ships, that's no secret, but it is getting more than a little annoying to see other cruiselines getting the better docking locations (that we have had before with HAL), seeing other cruiselines use the large tenders that are like sightseeing boats that they rent in certain ports while we bob around, and also seeing other cruiselines shuttling their pax who have a problem walking to the terninal.

 

I'm assuming all those issues are a matter of which cruiselines will pay for the amenities in a port, though it is just an assumption. I do know things have changed in the Caribbean ports.

[Jim Gallup]

This thread is really all about money.

The shopkeepers in these banana republic ports try to milk the cruise passengers as fully as possible.

Big ships carry more passengers, who in turn spend more money.

Small ships carry fewer passengers, who in turn spend less money.

 

If you owned a jewelry shop in St Thomas, which ship would you like parked in your front yard:

A: A mega-ship with 3,000 thirty-somethings who are going crazy shopping on their first ever stop in a "foreign country".

B: A small ship filled with 1,500 sixty-somethings who have been to St Thomas 37 times and may consider purchasing a few refrigerator magnets for their grand children.

 

Ships pay the same amount in port fees whether they park at Havensight or at Crown Bay. The local merchants ultimately decide which ships the port authority will allow where.

 

No contest folks. The Dollar speaks loudly AND carries a big stick. Carnival and Royal Caribbean will get Havensight every time.

[dsawyer]

I'm glad the local merchants picked us. I just checked and our ship, The Noordam, will be in St. Thomas on March 29, 2006, and we will be at Havensight. The Maasdam will be at Crown Bay.

 

Sorry Maasdam cruisers.

[Bodger]

Prior to spotting this thread I just looked and saw that on our cruise the Volendam will be at Havensight on March 20. Hooray. There are only three ships in St. Thomas that day, a Monday. Seven day cruises can't make it to St. Thomas on a Monday if they leave on the weekend.

 

It is my feeling that the ships that have regular seven day itineraries get priority over the ships with irregular shedules.

 

We have been known to walk in to town, around town and walk back to the ship. Have to work off those desserts some how!

 

Actually the one time ten years ago when we anchored in the bay and tendered to downtown was the best.

 

We sail in twelve days.

 

Bodger

[dhcoaster]

On our Westerdam Cruise we tendered. On the Zuiderdam Cruise we docked at Haversight. Never heard of Crown Bay. Where's that located at?

[sail7seas]

I've been told that ships with a weekly stop at St. Thomas have priority for Havensight. The ten day itinerary ships, obviously, do not call there each week.

 

We have always found our docking in Aruba to be convenient. Been there (on ships) at least 5 times or more.