Question about the NCL Excursion - St John On Your Own

[Chesneygirl]

Has anyone done this excursion?

It says it's a "private ferry ride"….does the ferry pick us up at the cruise port? Or do we have to go to Red Hook to catch this ferry?

 

Just trying to determine if this 4 hour excursion is worth it or not based on travel times. 

 

OVERVIEW

Explore neighboring St. John, the most naturally preserved of the U.S. Virgin Islands, at your own pace and however you wish. During the private ferry ride to the village of Cruz Bay, enlightening commentary will describe the attractions of St. John, which will help you decide how to spend your time there. Of course, you are free to do whatever you like. Be assured there are abundant choices. If you prefer to simply stay in Cruz Bay, it’s a delightful setting for one-of-a-kind shopping and dining, especially along the waterfront. If you’re looking for something more unusual, drop by the visitor center for a recommendation. Outdoor activities are particularly inviting because two-thirds of St. John is protected national parkland. You won’t have to go far to find a beach, as many of them overlook the bay. As an alternative, you could just walk around the village and visit the place you find most attractive.

[df5250]

I took the St John beach Escape and snorkel excursion in March. I don’t recall the description details, but The ferry picked us up at the pier. 

[WhiskeyTangoFoztrot]

@Chesneygirl did you end up booking or taking this excursion, we have similar questions.

[BirdTravels]

On 10/15/2023 at 6:06 PM, Chesneygirl said:

Has anyone done this excursion?

It says it's a "private ferry ride"….does the ferry pick us up at the cruise port? Or do we have to go to Red Hook to catch this ferry?

 

Just trying to determine if this 4 hour excursion is worth it or not based on travel times. 

 

OVERVIEW

Explore neighboring St. John, the most naturally preserved of the U.S. Virgin Islands, at your own pace and however you wish. During the private ferry ride to the village of Cruz Bay, enlightening commentary will describe the attractions of St. John, which will help you decide how to spend your time there. Of course, you are free to do whatever you like. Be assured there are abundant choices. If you prefer to simply stay in Cruz Bay, it’s a delightful setting for one-of-a-kind shopping and dining, especially along the waterfront. If you’re looking for something more unusual, drop by the visitor center for a recommendation. Outdoor activities are particularly inviting because two-thirds of St. John is protected national parkland. You won’t have to go far to find a beach, as many of them overlook the bay. As an alternative, you could just walk around the village and visit the place you find most attractive.

You take the NCL complimentary ferry. The ferry picks up at the ship's gangway and drops you off at the ferry terminal at the side of town. You will have the ferry schedule for trips from St John back to the ship. 

[Chesneygirl]

41 minutes ago, WhiskeyTangoFoztrot said:

@Chesneygirl did you end up booking or taking this excursion, we have similar questions.

No not yet. Our cruise is coming up next month so we will need to make a decision. 

[WhiskeyTangoFoztrot]

1 hour ago, Chesneygirl said:

No not yet. Our cruise is coming up next month so we will need to make a decision. 

Ours is in January as well... We have done the real "St. Johns on your own" back in 2010 and by that I mean that we went to Redhook to catch the ferry, but NCLs time in port is crazy early and short which makes this not a realistic possibility.... We are leading towards the excursion for no reason other than St. Thomas is like any other cruise port with the same shops... 

 

Worse case scenario you can hang out in a much smaller, nicer town and best case for us we can hike the trail to the beach. It's About 1.2 miles away to Salmon Beach or 4.2 to Honeymoon Beach, with the trailhead being s about 10 min from downtown. 

 

Lind Point Trail to Honeymoon Beach on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us-virgin-islands/saint-john/lind-point-trail?p=-1&sh=gdgehp&u=i