Getting to St. John on our own?

[coombs2]

I am going on the CB July 9th which stops in St. Thomas. My wife and I are looking into taking a taxi to the ferry, going to St. John then taxiing to Trunk Bay where they have the snorkel path. I had a few questions for you all. I know this might be best placed under Ports of Call but since this is specific to Princess, I posted here.

 

1. Where does Princess dock? Is it a far taxi ride to the ferry from where it docks or is it possible to walk?

 

2. Has anyone gone onto Trunk Bay in St. John? if so, have you done the snorkel path? Is there a place to rent snorkel equipment there?

 

I looked on the website for thee xcursions available in St. Thomas but none of them do this type of excursion which is why we are thinking of doing our own since we have also toured St. Thomas on a past cruise.

 

thanks in advance

[PescadoAmarillo]

You will have no trouble doing St. John on your own.

 

First, I am not sure where the ship will be docked, but if either Havensight or Crown Bay, you can take a taxi to the Charlotte Amalie (CA) ferry. It leaves from right on the main street in town. We always try to catch the 9am ferry. You can also taxi to Red Hook (RH), but we kind of enjoy the longer ferry ride from CA. The combination of taxi and ferry makes the transit about the same price from either CA or RH.

 

Once you arrive at Cruz Bay on St. John, you can take an open taxi (along with others from your ferry, I'm sure) to Trunk Bay. The drivers generally stop at a scenic overlook for a quick photo op. Once at Trunk Bay, you'll pay an entrance fee and yes, there is equipment available for rent there.

 

Just take note of the ferry departure times from Cruz Bay. We ferry to either RH or CA just depending how the times meet our requirements (CA ferry runs less often). We just note the absolutely last ferry we can catch to return to the ship in comfortable time, and know that is our outside limit.

 

There are plenty of taxis to meet the ferries at all stops, so no issues there.

 

If you dock at Havensight, you could walk to the CA ferry, but it is not a fun walk...lots of traffic and traffic noise. Just walk out of the terminal area and head to the left and hug the waterfront. But it is only about a $3 taxi ride from Havensight to CA and a $4 taxi ride from Crown Bay, per person.

[chrysalis]

Princess normally docks at Crown Bay, but occassionally they do dock at Havensight. Either way, you need to take a cab to the ferry docks for St John.

 

We have done the Trunk Bay snorkel path, and I did see equipment being available, but that was a couple of years ago, but did not pay much attention because we brought our own.

 

Princess has offered a Trunk Bay snorkel in the past...it included transport to a ferry, the ferry to St John, transport to Trunk Bay, snorkel gear and transport back the the ship. It costs more than doing it on your own, but you do not have to worry about getting back in time and missing the ship's departure.

[blindrid]

On our 3/30 CB, we docked at Havensight - so there is no way to know for sure in advance. It's really not a big deal one way or another.

[frofro]

I am going on the CB July 9th which stops in St. Thomas. My wife and I are looking into taking a taxi to the ferry, going to St. John then taxiing to Trunk Bay where they have the snorkel path. I had a few questions for you all. I know this might be best placed under Ports of Call but since this is specific to Princess, I posted here.

 

1. Where does Princess dock? Is it a far taxi ride to the ferry from where it docks or is it possible to walk?

 

2. Has anyone gone onto Trunk Bay in St. John? if so, have you done the snorkel path? Is there a place to rent snorkel equipment there?

 

I looked on the website for thee xcursions available in St. Thomas but none of them do this type of excursion which is why we are thinking of doing our own since we have also toured St. Thomas on a past cruise.

 

thanks in advance

 

 

I'm on that sailing too, actually it's the 10th, and I want to do the same thing. I've found that everyone does what the above posts have said. The only thing that has me hesitating to do it on my own is that it seems it's about 90 minutes going and 90 minutes coming back if there's no traffic. How much time does that leave for the beach? Is it cutting it too close? We need to be onboard at 3:30. I'm worried also about missing a ferry, traffic, etc. I know there's an 8 am ferry that leaves Red Hook, that would be better to get an early start. If I don't do it on my own I may opt for the more costly champagne catamaran sail. Coombs have you joined our roll call?

[Amtrack Springfield]

We took 5 people to St John in January from Crown Bay. We picked up a taxi outside the gate and he took us to Red Hook. Watch the ferry times. They are doing alot of construction on St. John's and the locals fill up the ferry's fast. You can rent gear from the ship. We had a great day.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Remember, too, that depending on your itinerary, you may have to pass through immigration on the ship when you arrive at St. Thomas.

[Chesneygirl]

Do either one of the ferry rides offer views of the Stars homes?

I would also like to check out Woody's and have heard it's located pretty much where the ferry lets everyone off. Does anyone know of this place?

 

Thanks for your help. :)

[coombs2]

I'm on that sailing too, actually it's the 10th, and I want to do the same thing. I've found that everyone does what the above posts have said. The only thing that has me hesitating to do it on my own is that it seems it's about 90 minutes going and 90 minutes coming back if there's no traffic. How much time does that leave for the beach? Is it cutting it too close? We need to be onboard at 3:30. I'm worried also about missing a ferry, traffic, etc. I know there's an 8 am ferry that leaves Red Hook, that would be better to get an early start. If I don't do it on my own I may opt for the more costly champagne catamaran sail. Coombs have you joined our roll call?

 

 

i did not join the roll call- where do i go to do it? keep in touch with me as time gets closer since it sounds like we are thinking of doing the same thing on the ship. my email is my username at hotmail.com

 

thanks for the updates from everyone- it looks doable to me and i think we would have ample time to get there and back if we take the early shuttles.

[C&F]

Do either one of the ferry rides offer views of the Stars homes?

I would also like to check out Woody's and have heard it's located pretty much where the ferry lets everyone off. Does anyone know of this place?

 

Thanks for your help. :)

Hey Chesneygirl, I'm pretty sure I know whose home you want to see. We saw it last year and pretty much swam in his backyard which is Cinnamon Bay. Also went to Woody's which is his favorite hangout on the island and there are platinum albums up and its very cool. It's very close to the ferry.

We just saw both opening nights in CT this past weekend. We were inches from the stage opening night and I got awesome pics. It was amazing to say the least.

You will definitely be able to do it on your own, but make sure to keep track of time.

Any questions, I'll gladly answer.

Freddie

[Chesneygirl]

Hey Chesneygirl, I'm pretty sure I know whose home you want to see. We saw it last year and pretty much swam in his backyard which is Cinnamon Bay. Also went to Woody's which is his favorite hangout on the island and there are platinum albums up and its very cool. It's very close to the ferry.

We just saw both opening nights in CT this past weekend. We were inches from the stage opening night and I got awesome pics. It was amazing to say the least.

You will definitely be able to do it on your own, but make sure to keep track of time.

Any questions, I'll gladly answer.

Freddie

 

What gave it away??!! :p

I am a HUGE fan of his!

I was at both shows this past weekend too! I thought Friday's show was slightly better but Saturday's show definitely had it's share of highlights! I am looking forward to seeing him again in July at Gillette!

 

So you pegged me right :) ...I would LOVE to see his home and his hangout.

I would take the ferry over and then take a taxi to Cinnamon Bay?

Does Woody's serve lunch? Is it within walking distance to the ferry?

 

Our ship arrives at 7 AM and leaves at 4 PM. What time frame would you recommend to take the ferry over and the ferry back? I want to make sure we have enough time to see everything.

[C&F]

We will also be at Gilette, and PNC in Jersey. We go about 4 or 5 times each tour. My wife is obsessed and I am a big fan as well. Funny thing is my wife got into country and Kenny about a year after I stopped working at NYC country radio station. She had the opportunity to meet just about any star including Kenny,(who I never met) but didn't even know who these people were when I worked there. Now, I drive thousands of miles per year to see Kenny, Tim McGraw and others, lol. Oh well!

You should get off the ship ASAP. We took the cab to Red Hook from Crown Bay to Red Hook. Took the ferry to St. John and went to Cinnamon Bay for about 2 hours. We had the whole beach to ourselves. There is a little island shop and the clerk pointed out Kenny's house which looks like a resort.

We then took a cab back to the ferry terminal and walked maybe 2 blocks to Woody's. We had burgers and fries I believe and a few cold ones. People were very friendly and the waitress told my wife Kenny was in there a month before. He was on tour when we were there.

I don't remember what time we left, but I was getting nervous when we got back to St. Thomas because there was some traffic. I wanna say we caught the 1:30 ferry from St. John to St. Thomas.

We were the only ship on the island that day and there was a lot of traffic. This year there will be 3 other ships I believe, so there will be much more traffic. I may take the ferry from CHarlotte Amalie because there is less land time and a longer ferry ride. There will be no water traffic so it will be more time efficient.

We will be doing it again this year. I wished the ship had more of a on your own type of excursion to St. John. The catamaran sounds fun, but you have to do it their way and can't really do your own thing.

[Chesneygirl]

My story is similiar to yours accept I have always been the country fan and I begged my husband to come see Tim McGraw with me one year and he has been hooked ever since. Kenny and Tim are my two favorites. The furthest I have ever traveled to see one of them was Nashville. That is a really fun place to visit!

 

It's nice to see that I am not the only "crazy fan" out there! :p

 

Thank you very much for your input on St John's. You were very helpful.

Have fun on your cruise.

[steveo2916]

You may want to check how many ships will be in St Thomas the day you dock. If it's more than a couple, Trunk can be VERY busy. If that's the case, you can always snorkle Hawksnest. It's a great beach, also on the north shore, and snorkeling starts close to shore. Generaly less packed with cruise ship day trippers.

 

SteveO.

 

BTW, K.C. sold his Peter Bay property and has listed his Susannaberg home for sale for a cool $14MM!

[4cats4me]

We just came back from the Emerald Princess and we took the ferry

over to Trunk Bay on our own. However, we were fortunate enough to

get the dock at Havensite and the poor Crown had to dock at Crown Bay.

It's a $10 taxicab ride [per person] from havensite to Redhook to catch the ferry,

or $14 pp to cab it from Crown Bay to Redhook. Redhook seems to have

ferries departing every hour on the hour. try www. vinow dot com

and you can check the schedules from both Red Hool and Charlotte Amalie.

45 minute ferry ride from Charlotte Amalie to St. John or 15 - 20 mins from Redhook

to St. John.

In total, it cost both of us nearly $100 to do the round trip between

2 taxi rides and 1 ferry ride EACH direction. Admittance to the Trunk

Bay is $4 pp. [uS Parks] and $7 pp to rent a chair, and yes, if you

get there before the ships people get there, there seemed to be

plently of snorkel stuff for rent. They had fins, snorkels, masks, everything.

[Crusin Karen]

We have been to ST. Thomas many times and never did Trunk Bay. I have heard raves about it, so when we went on Crown last October we ventured over there. Taxi, ferry, all that...for the time it took us and the time we HAD there, I was NOT impressed. Still can't figure out the big deal about it. There was sand and water. Maybe we were at the "wrong place" but it seemed kind of a "waste of time and $" to us. Wouldn't go back. :confused: :confused: JUST MY OPINION.

[4cats4me]

We have been to ST. Thomas many times and never did Trunk Bay. I have heard raves about it, so when we went on Crown last October we ventured over there. Taxi, ferry, all that...for the time it took us and the time we HAD there, I was NOT impressed. Still can't figure out the big deal about it. There was sand and water. Maybe we were at the "wrong place" but it seemed kind of a "waste of time and $" to us. Wouldn't go back. :confused: :confused: JUST MY OPINION.

 

Different stokes for different folks. Yes, a lot of the beaches in the

Caribbean are quite pretty, but Trunk Bay is beautiful. It's the serenity

of St. John what we like. It's more laid back than St. Thomas, IMHo.

I think Trunk Bay is one of those things that everyone should do at least

once, and for those who love to snorkel, they have a marked snorkeling

trail, so perhaps that is a draw for a lot of people.

[shuksan7]

Hi-

 

I have done this twice. Keep in mind: while the journey over and back to St. John requires both 2 taxis (the one on St.John being a hoot) and a ferry, getting there and back is part of the experience.

 

Despite all the logistics, we still enjoyed a leisurely day at the beach. Just give yourselves plenty of time to get back. We were docked at Crown Bay, but the return taxi stopped at Havensight first, and it was a major jam.

 

I love St. John, but then I much prefer pristine over developed.

 

I also prefer Cinnamon Bay, which is one "stop" past Trunk Bay. It's bigger, less crowded, and has better snorkeling, especially at the far right where the cliff meets the sea (watch your clearance.) Cinnamon Bay also has all the services you'll need. ((Watch any food you might have, or else a mongoose will get it!)

 

The "trail" at Trunk Bay may have been a great idea when created but it seemed damaged to us. Still, Trunk Bay is a fabulous beach.

 

The great thing is- all your options are great!

 

Rick

[CaribbeanBound]

Yes, been to Trunk Bay. Highly recommend it if you can get there early. Here is a thread with everything you want to know:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=757236

[frofro]

i did not join the roll call- where do i go to do it? keep in touch with me as time gets closer since it sounds like we are thinking of doing the same thing on the ship. my email is my username at hotmail.com

 

thanks for the updates from everyone- it looks doable to me and i think we would have ample time to get there and back if we take the early shuttles.

 

 

You can join the roll call here...July 10, 2008~~Caribbean Princess~~ - Page 14 - Cruise Forums - Cruise Message Boards - Cruise Critic

 

Come say hello, it's a friendly bunch...I'm adding your email to my address book, I think with more people I may feel better about doing it....

[frofro]

We have been to ST. Thomas many times and never did Trunk Bay. I have heard raves about it, so when we went on Crown last October we ventured over there. Taxi, ferry, all that...for the time it took us and the time we HAD there, I was NOT impressed. Still can't figure out the big deal about it. There was sand and water. Maybe we were at the "wrong place" but it seemed kind of a "waste of time and $" to us. Wouldn't go back. :confused: :confused: JUST MY OPINION.

 

 

This is exactly what worries me, that after all that traveling to get to it, it's just another USVI beach, which I may as well see in St Thomas since it's easier and cheaper. Everyone raves about St John, so this is why I'm considering trekking all the way over.....

[BURNSMN]

This is exactly what worries me, that after all that traveling to get to it, it's just another USVI beach, which I may as well see in St Thomas since it's easier and cheaper. Everyone raves about St John, so this is why I'm considering trekking all the way over.....

I have to agree with CrusinKaren. We were at Trunk Bay last month on the Crown. The beach was beautiful but the snorkeling was terrible. The beach was also very crowded even though there were only a couple of ships docked in St. Thomas. Would go back to St. John but not Trunk Bay.

[frofro]

I have to agree with CrusinKaren. We were at Trunk Bay last month on the Crown. The beach was beautiful but the snorkeling was terrible. The beach was also very crowded even though there were only a couple of ships docked in St. Thomas. Would go back to St. John but not Trunk Bay.

 

 

Where would you go in St John?

[BURNSMN]

Where would you go in St John?

Next time in St. John we are definitely going to Cinnamon Bay.

[C&F]

It was my wife and I on Cinnamon Bay last year and maybe 4 other people who seemed to be people who were staying on St. John and not cruisers. If there are lots of other ships while you are in port, it may not be as "private" as it was for us. Either way, it is a beautiful beach!