TTEllis

Beer!! Dang I didn't know that. Thanks for the history lesson. I'll find the beer lounge (that even sounds cool) beer lounge how awesome. The breadfruit vodka produced locally sounds SCRUMPTIOUS. Yummy. Mutiny I wrote it down. I'm extremely open minded when it comes to breadfruit vodka produced locally. Nice thanks. Btw WTH is breadfruit? Sounds great!! Appreciate you. 🤜🤛

Thanks you. I have one more question 😁 would you let the number of ship's in port dictate whether or not you went in town or not? For whatever reason it seems the last several times there's been 5-7 ships in port that's why I either got off the island and went to St. John or I went to the other side of the island Secret Harbor or Sapphire. I cannot imagine what it's like walking around downtown with 4 or more ships in port. Btw last time or the time before that, downtown, parts of it were closed. Would love to see downtown like it used to be. Too much fun. 😎

I haven't been downtown in a long time I was going to make a concerted effort to spend some time in town this go round. Stop and have a nice local lunch. Shop and hit Riise like the good ol days. There's a very nice pub restaurant type thing across the street on the hillside from Havensight I forgot the name I thought it was very nice. It's in a shopping area on the left corner I think. Was with a large group from the ship they went shopping in the store next door and I went to the bar next door. Place is nice. I'm just going to keep an open mind about that. Last time at Secret Harbor I had a great lunch at the Sunset Grille but it wasn't like local fare. I was looking for something a little more traditional if that makes any sense. Thanks!!

Thank you that's great information. My buddy ran the campground on Water Island for about 9 years he told me all about Hull Bay. He said exactly the same thing you did. Big ship day go to Hull Bay which I had not heard of Hull Bay. I love that side of the island too. Sapphire is my favorite beach. While I'm on this subject I have another question. Thank you for your help. Ok on a cruise ship visit if you were to go in or around town CA during the day, WHERE would you stop in and have a nice lunch that's a local establishment. My buddy said Bologno Bay has a great cookout thing but I'm not sure we're going to be there late. I would love to sit and have a nice dinner on St. Thomas but our ship leaves straight up at 5pm so I have to have lunch. So downtown Main St. are they're any local hole in the wall but AWESOME local fare type restaurants? It doesn't have to be anything 5-star quite the contrary the homey'r the better. I've eaten some absolutely wonderful meals in Mexico back in the day in these aren't even restaurants these places are rough. ICE cold beer and authentic Mexican food I'm in I don't care how nice or not nice it is as long as the food is good and local. Btw I don't know if anyone remembers but the Hard Rock Cafe St. Thomas I had lunch in there in 1996. Yep, there was a Hard Rock on STT. I promise. Thanks.

Shortage of good tour operators on St. Thomas is not the problem.

I couldn't agree with you more."stick with a cruise ship shore excursion". Better yet you might be better off staying on the ship. If your worried about paying $20 each way from Crown Bay back to Magens Bay. Stay on the ship hang out at the pool by yourself hit the bar drink you a couple of Shirley Temples and take selfies all afternoon. If a 4-5 star rated tour operator doesn't answer your phone call doesn't respond to your emails or other messages. HE'S NOT DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU. You are NOT, not doing business with him. Your kidding yourself. He doesn't get back to you it's 1 of 4 things. #1 he telling you to take a ships tour. #2 he's telling you to stay on the ship. #3 he's telling you he needs your money like he needs 6 more pains in his ass. #4 he's telling you to stay on the ship AGAIN. Shirley Temples all day long for you on St. Thomas. Have a great time!! You got this. 🥸

Nice, thanks for the info. I've never stayed at the Intercontinental Miami but I'm going to sounds killer, Whole Foods nice wine selection. Sealed the deal. Thank you.

I thought it was just me. I knew it!! Get in hang on for dear life no seat belts. Take the minivan out of Magens Bay if there's not one find one. Or OR don't sit on the end seat🥺😬🥺of the safari van if you don't get bounced out of your seat in the safari van you get wiped out by a palm tree branch going sideways up the mountain. WTH!! Just to get back to the ship? It's no wonder I'm always drinking on St. Thomas you don't have a choice.

The French😂😂😂😁😂😂😂you got me started Ms411. I don't get this it never fails the French pop up all over the world in some unpleasant capacity and always try and piss on everybody's parade. I thought St. Thomas was the USVI not the FrenchieVI. I'm famous for going off the beaten path getting lost and missing the rest of my cruise and have to fly home with nothing, can't do that anymore. Plan B stay ON THE BEATEN PATH keep my mouth shut(I'm worse in person)and get back to the ship in one piece. Frenchie oughta see Martinique LOVE that island the place is magnificent, Frenchie still mad cause we saved there ass 80 years ago. Guys shake it off, have some fun before they get there ass kicked again and we have to go and save their ass again. 🙄 Thanks again sorry to ramble but it's true.

That's all I needed to know it's back to Sapphire. Thanks for the info, and the definition of Frenchie. Damn I didn't know anything about that😟. Last thing I need is too walk into a hornets nest somewhere out on some deserted beach or rent a car. I rent a car either way I'm in trouble. Sapphire Beach in a TAXI WITH SEAT BELTS. Ol Frenchie doesn't have to worry one bit about Ol Whitey. Thank you for the heads up. Appreciate it Ms411

Btw the reviews just said beware of "Frenchies" WTH is a Frenchie?

Hey Ms411 have you ever been to Hull Bay or the Hull Bay Hideaway restaurant? I'm going to do a beach I've never done before on St. Thomas. A great friend of mine recommended Hull Bay, he said it was very popular with locals lots of tourists don't know about it. Looks right up my alley. Btw what's a "Frenchie" ? I'm sorry I don't know what a "Frenchie" is. 😕

This is simply a suggestion, I would try and keep it around the 8-quart size. There's all kinds of options online. Soft sided insulated coolers have come a long way. Make your life much easier with less nonsense sitting in a tour bus dying of thirst or you want something to eat while your bus driver is blowing by grocery store's and One-Stops.

Bathsheba North East Coast.... good luck with that.

Thanks!!

Nobody's leaving without you.🙄 Don't get buried up with some cornball ship tour. Get out and see the freaking island. Go to one the beaches mentioned above close to Crown Bay don't go on some cheese overpriced canned ship tour especially on St. Thomas. Your killing yourself.

Your welcome. The way things are today I just don't like traveling around without something to drink or eat anymore.

The one you want is the YELLOW ONE made by California Innovations. It has 2 separate compartments. If you have something you want to stay cold but not get wet like power bars, CHOCOLATE, a couple pieces of fruit or a sandwich, it works great. Just don't fill it all up with beer and no ice😁, it doesn't work like that. I go about 60% whatever I happen to be drinking and 40% ice. Keep it zipped up (no pun intended) and it stays COLD lol all day. California Innovations.

Here you go chief, I had to go to my store room to get these, I had them with my luggage.

Ouch, that sounds HOT, 45 minute walk to the beach? On vacation? Through Castries? I don't know about that, might be a bit too much walking. I'm fit and mobile and I ain't doin it. Btw what's Rendezvous? Thanks PORT ROYAL.

I can post a picture of it. The ice lasts normally in the range of about 3 hours you have to keep it zipped up though. After the last cruise and having a bit of an issue of finding something to drink much less trying to keep something cold. I'm not traveling without my own cooler. It's too hot I'm too old bringing my own cooler eliminates any worry especially when you're sitting in some form of a taxi or ferry for awhile. Somebody in this specific forum😉😁 informed me there's a new grocery store at Havensight. Thank God, I'm happy for everyone, they're not only getting my business this will be my first stop off the ship in St. Thomas. THANK YOU!! Last time on the island little was open and finding anything to drink much less something with alcohol in it was a bit dicey. I almost started to panic!!🤭 Never again same thing on Antigua, Dominica, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and Grenada just for starters BMOB. Just to eliminate any misunderstanding BMOB stands for Bring My Own Beverages. This by no means has anything to do with what I do when I find the beach bar. What it is it means while I'm on some form of transportation on any island in 95 degree heat I have something cold to drink and don't have to concern myself with it. I have a couple of soft side and not so soft side over the shoulder coolers. I'll get you a pic or two. I'll never get off the ship without one.

Yes packing a soft side cooler is KEY. I have one that holds exactly a 6-pack of 12oz. cans plus ice(I fill it up with ice in the World Fresh Marketplace at breakfast on the ship). Works great not only saves me money but it's a great piece of mind having my own drinks. It's perfect, it's a little small but keeps drinks cold for hours and your not stopping at the bar every 15 minutes dropping a $10 bill for 1 beer.

The taxi setup on St. Thomas is different for a lot of reasons than it is on the other island's. For the most part there are no short rides on taxi's on St. Thomas. If you want to go to a nice beach away from most of the crowds you have to go to the other side of the island or take the ferry to St. John. Either dock, Havensight or Crown Bay, don't get in any type of hurry finding a taxi. Before you get in a taxi have something to drink with you whatever you prefer, chances are your going to be in a minivan or a safari van for a few minutes, at a bare minimum. If going down into Magens Bay in a safari van isn't bad enough coming back up out of there bumper to bumper in a safari van with no seats belts sideways straight up a mountain is twice as bad. Stick with the air conditioned 9 seat minivan WITH SEAT BELTS, bouncing around in a safari van from one side of the island to the other and back is a bit much. The taxi fares on St. Thomas after all is said and done are fair to everyone especially us. Always have been.

$20 each way, sounds a bit high to me. That may include the entrance fee to Magens Bay on the way in. Magens Bay AWESOME, 4 ships or more🥺. Your late arrival to Crown Bay, by the time you got to Magens it will be 2pm, keep it simple and take the advice of the previous post. Don't go any further away from Crown Bay and your ship than those two beaches.😁