ONCRUISEMODE

Having been to both Sapphire and Trunk Bay, TB is definitely the better of the two for snorkeling.. There are underwater snorkeling marked trails. I was able to stand in water chest deep and saw a lot of beautiful sea life right in front of me.

 

 

 

It was so easy to get to Trunk Bay on our own. Not only did we pay half the amount that the Carnival excursion cost, we were literally on the beach for nearly five hours, compared to two hours that the Carnival people had.

 

The directions include a 15 minute walk, a taxi, a ferry, and another taxi. Well worth the savings and part of the adventure.

 

If anyone would like the specifics, I'm happy to oblige.

I would love the specifics please....La

We spent a week in the USVI several years ago....St John snorkeling is definitely better than most St Thomas beaches! Trunk Bay is incredible!!

Did you try Coki Beach as well?

Thanks for this very detailed info!! We are going to be in St. Thomas this coming Sunday and we think we are going to try taking this cheap $2 bus to Sapphire Beach.

 

questions, how long did the bus ride take?

How long of a walk was it from the bus stop to the beach?

Was it a easy or strenuous walk?

What kind of restaurant/food was available at the beach?

 

I think the $8 total cost for 2 people is much more affordable than $40 total for a taxi for us. We are trying to maximize our money there and would rather spend that on some food or a bottle of rum to bring back!!

The money saved would purchase 2 bottles of rum....:o

My husband and I went to St. John on our own when we docked at St. Thomas a few years ago. We were able to catch the local bus over to Red Hook and took the ferry over to St. John. It worked out perfectly. We have done this twice and both times had a great experience with time to go to a beach and do some shopping in Cruz Bay. It is an affordable way also to see the island. Just be mindful of the time.

 

We are planning to do this again when we dock there in our upcoming cruise in December.

We will be going to ST. Thomas in December as well. Are you on the Dec. 7th Allure by any chance?

Yes you should "complete your mission" and go to Sapphire. :D it is one of our favorite beaches and with just 1 or 2 ships on port it should be a beautiful day with lots of shaded spots available. There are some rocky areas to the right and a seagrass area to the left, but the swimming area is pretty sandy. No drop offs when we were there but conditions do change with sea swells and storm surges.

The owners there are invaluable and don't mind answering questions about the best snorkeling spots.If you're lucky Beautiful Bill will be there. There's a web cam at this site to get you through the winter, and also a drone video -

http://www.sapphireinthesun.com

Have a great day!

Blue Water, In your professional opinion, where is the best place to snorkel in STT? There are going to be 21,000 passengers in port that day. Thank you.

La

If you do not like crowds and want to be on a beautiful beach then you might want to visit Smith Bay Park. It is an undeveloped beach no hotels, condos or restaurants.

 

There are picnic tables and bathrooms but that is it- just you and the beach. It is near both Coki and Sapphire on the east end.

But will her husband be able to enjoy snorkeling there???

Last time (I think it was last year) when we were at St. Thomas we walked to a bus stop and caught open air bus for $1pp. It took us to the downtown market. Then we took another one to the last stop (University as far as I remember). From there it was 5 min walk to Brewers Bay. Beautiful beach, quite deserted. We met only one local couple there. We had an entire beach to ourselves. After few hours there we walked back to the bus stop and caught return bus to the ship. It took maybe 30 minutes one way. We drove past airport, I remember that.

We will be back in December and we will probably try the same thing. It worked out great.

By any chance, will you be coming in on the Allure? We are departing FLL on the Allure Dec. 7.

 

For snorkeling STT we'd not choose Trunk because it's heavily touted and not the best snorkeling, in our opinion. If you want good off the beach snorkeling look at Waterlemon, or perhaps Francis and Maho bays. Fewer ppl and you'll probably want the driver to return for you. Trunk has the amenities but is more touristy. An island tour is also a good option if you're in port long enough. If you go to STJ go on your own via the Red Hook ferry to optimize your time and flexibility. For the best snorkeling take a daysail with Yacht Nightwind or High Pockets and moor off the cays of STJ.

You can also enjoy great snorkeling right on the East End of STT and save 1.5 - 2 hrs in travel time. Cowpet Bay (Elysian beach) is the least visited if you have your own gear. Secret Harbor and Sapphire are both great options, and Coki is good but more crowded.

Blue Water...you just saved me tons of research. We are going to STT the second week of December and we wanted to snorkel. My husband gets sea sick real easy so we want to avoid snorkeling off a boat. Your above information has come in handy.

For the first-timer - and even a return visitor - there are indeed a ton of opinions about the various beaches, and we too are certainly biased in our rankings. But each beach has a unique or distinctive vibe or setting that can help one choose based on their situation that day. Some are located near a port while some take much more effort to get to but reward that effort.

 

The East End beaches of St Thomas are preferred by many who are looking for the nicest beach on STT. These include Coki, Smith's Bay, Sapphire, Secret Harbor, and Cowpet Bay (Coki and Smith's Bay are actually on the north side but are on the east end of the island). But others are also very nice and may work best if you have limited time or just want a nice beach to relax at that is closer to port and may be less crowded. And of course the beaches of St John are also gorgeous and should be experienced when possible. Trunk Bay, like Magens Bay, is highly-touted and so a bit touristy most days, but Cinnamon Bay and others less frequented are also beautiful.

 

For St Thomas -

 

Coki Point is a gorgeous beach set in a very small bay with good snorkeling off the beach. You'll find one of the nicest beaches you've seen here, but it will have a lively vibe as it gets very crowded. Several vendors renting stuff and selling food and drink. Taxis are readily available. We love Coki and find it a very intimate and romantic beach when ships are not in port.

 

Smith's Bay Park and Lindqvist Beach is a beautiful, maintained beach (both Smith's Bay Park and Magens Bay are maintained by the Magens Bay Authority and charge a small entry fee) but is much quieter and offers very few amenities. Here you would find natural beauty and relative quiet that you might have expected to see decades ago and not today. Grab your towel and a lunch and drinks from Gourmet Gallery and enjoy the beauty while it's still here. There may be chair rentals and portapotties there now, and you may need to have a taxi return for pick-up.

 

Sapphire Beach is a gorgeous beach in a larger bay with abundant natural shade, nice island views and great snorkeling off the beach. There is a reef area, a sandy swimming area, and a sea grass area where turtles and rays may be spotted. Home to 3 condo properties with food and drink options, but currently there are no chair rentals or public restrooms. So a very nice spot to be for condo guests on big ship days. And those cruisers young at heart (and body) that can be happy with a towel in the sand and the sapphire-colored sea for relief will be rewarded with paradise here. Taxis were stationed here but with fewer cruisers coming here you'll want to have the driver return or call a taxi when ready.

 

Secret Harbor is a small bay that is home to one condo property and has a quieter vibe more like Sapphire. However the water is dead calm at SH and there is no shade available to most day visitors. Good snorkeling and a restaurant on site and nice beach though.

 

Cowpet Bay is very close to Secret Harbor and is home to the Elysian Resort (condo resort) with a small beach and snorkeling. Primarily suited to guests of the condo but still a public beach.

 

Magens is on the north side and is a deep bay with a a nice, calm beach that's maintained (small entry fee) and is touted as one of the top 10 beaches in the Carib by Frommer's, cruise ships, etc. It has that rating for a reason, and it sees many people and so is touristy. No snorkeling here, and for some folks Magens doesn't have the charm or character some of the other beaches do. But it is a beautiful beach that is great for toddlers and kids because it is so dead calm, and it offers restrooms, small restaurant, a gift shop and available taxis.

 

Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach) is closest to Crown Bay and is a popular beach for folks docking there. A nice enough beach with rentals and food and drinks available at the Best Western Emerald Beach Plus Resort. You can also rent a room for the day to take advantage of a shower and changing room. Nice option if Magens and the East End beaches are too much effort.

 

Honeymoon Beach on Water Island is another popular destination for folks docked at Crown Bay because the ferry to Water Island is very close. This beach has become very popular however and gets crowded during the day.

 

Morningstar Beach is closest to Havensight and is a popular spot for folks docking there who are looking for a quick beach stop following an excursion or other tour. Home to the Marriott and you can use their services or just pick a spot on the beach for your towel and take a lunch if you'd like.

 

Hopefully not confusing the choices even more! And here's a map showing the beach locations for those not familiar with the island, just click on the map for a larger view -

http://www.virginislandsthisweek.com..._road_map.html

How very generous of you to post so much information that clarifies our questions.

I have been to both and love both beaches. I have now been to Coki many times for the snorkeling. You will find shade at the far end of the beach.

I forgot to ask...how did you get to Coki?

I have been to both and love both beaches. I have now been to Coki many times for the snorkeling. You will find shade at the far end of the beach.

So would you recommend Coki for the snorkeling? MY DH and I just started snorkeling and now my port research centers around the best places to snorkel.

Can you recommend places to snorkel in St. Maarten?

Thank you. La

No zip line in Nassau.

Hello, I couldn't help noticing your expertise with Nassau. We are going to be there December 8th. I would love to go snorkeling on a boat. Can you kindly email me (if you have the time) and tell me who you would recommend?

Lydia > my email address is in my signature.

Yes :) :D

 

Welcome to the club! :D:cool:

 

Just know that ship stalking is almost as bad as cruising and want makes you want to do MORE cruises ;) :eek:

Kiwi cruiser, hi, did you get the email I sent you 5 days ago? I am still on the century. Do you think the Princess will be operational on 13 of October. I truly appreciate your help.

Lydia

This has just been sent out to all the passengers who are going on the Sea Princess on the 29th / 30th September 2014:

 

SEA PRINCESS UPDATE:

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

As you know, Sea Princess has been in repair at the Garden Island dry-dock in Sydney for the past several days. Work has continued on the complex repair project and over the past 48 hours it has become clear that the work will be more complicated than originally thought, causing additional undetermined delays. At this time we cannot confirm with certainty when Sea Princess will be ready to sail. In an abundance of caution, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the cruise. In recognition of this extraordinary circumstance, all guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, pre- and post-cruise packages, air costs, and taxes, fees, and port expenses. Each guest will also receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit equal to the cruise fare paid on this voyage. Reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses will also be considered. We will also work with our guests who have begun their travels to secure homeward arrangements. Please know that we share in your disappointment and deeply appreciate your patience and understanding of these circumstances.

Hi can you tell me how you found out?.. We are on the October 13 cruise out of Brisbane. What do you think I am to expect? Right now we are on the Century in Tahiti with very scared Wifi Access. Looking forward to your reply and info.

Lydia

C424 is cruise scheduled to depart Brisbane for NZ on 29/9 - 13/10.

 

I hope your cruise scheduled to depart Brisbane on 13/10 goes ahead as you've had enough bad luck already with Princess cancelling your first choice cruise.

Thank you...we are just waiting and hoping..and beginning to think "again" about alternative choices.

You are most kind.

We received notification today that it is unknown how long repairs will take, and they are unsure when sea princess will sail again. We have been advised this will likely affect future c424 voyages.

The future of.....c424 ..... Means what.....?.:confused::confused::confused:

I am on the next cruise after this and I am nervous. But will see how it goes. All we can so is make the most of it!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We are on the October 13th cruise out of Brisbane...and we are a bit nervous. We already had Princess cancel our original cruise...Sun Princess that we booked for October 17th. I don't know why or what happened but it was cancelled out of Sydney. It was very frustrating to have to revamp all our plans....however, we are coming from the US and our flights were already prepaid and non-refundable. Princess stated there was noting they could do about our flights so we booked the Sea Princess.

Welcome to CC on your first post, sure was a positive one. Ah hem, do you by chance work for Carnival Australia?

 

Enjoy CC anyway.

Great come back....I was going to say something, as well, but couldn't come up with anything witty. You did a great job.

For a while, I thought it might be that other poster ..whose day starts with S....

I figured he came back with a new Alias...

National Roads and Motorists' Association it does roadside service, mechanical maintenance, insurance, travel, and quite a few other things as well.:D

Thanks MicCanberra. I noticed that this couple is also from your town. I am glad they got their money back. NRMA did the right thing even if it was motive driven as Princess doesn't seem to care about the poor service or reputation they are obtaining.

Primarily it's a car lobby/service group (like your AAA). It's expanded into other things like travel as per this example.

Thanks for your prompt reply The_Big_M :D

The link worked and maybe NRMA were not so great to begin with, as the article mentions that they belatedly helped.:D

What is NRMA?

Inquiring minds want to know.

What do you want to see? Coral? Fish? Shark?

 

I think the best snorkeling is Roatan, hands down.

 

I thought the Shark Ray Alley tour in Belize was just ok. They do have some huge brain coral and nice fish, but it was not great, and I felt so rushed. The sharks were just some nurse sharks swarming around the bait they fed them.

 

Cozumel has really good snorkeling if you want to see a variety of fish. It is good snorkeling. You can snorkel off the shore in Chankanaab or I think SUnset beach, or take a tour out to the reef.

 

Roatan has lots of fish and coral. You can swim right out off of the beach, or take a boat out further. Either way there is so much to see. Each time I go I am in awe. I snorkel at my leisure and I see more variety of fish, crabs, eels, variety of coral, etc. in Roatan than in Cozumel and Belize combined. Snorkeling in Roatan should be on everyone's bucket list. :D

Roatan is definitely on my Bucket List. Where do you recommend we stay? Also where should we go snorkeling? I am sure some places are better than others.

Thank you.

Lydia

I am not referring to preferential treatment just that staff would be informed of itineraries.

I feel Princess have failed on three counts,

• one is not fixing the ship straight away.
  
• the second is the lack of communication to all concerned crew and passengers, they know there are issues with meeting itineraries but choose to wait until a few weeks prior to inform anyone.
  
• the third is the lack of opportunity for people to cancel without penalty if they feel the cruise is no longer the one they booked.
  

The first point may not have been a big thing if parts two and three were done well and fairly.

Let me summarize what I am thinking about this forum. Sea dog and hag thought that we were just complaining, and needed to get on with our lives. However, I think it is healthy that we are getting our thoughts in order. As a result of this forum, I have documented my personal problems with the Sea Princess on the Princess Facebook page. Also, they do read some of the CC forums....therefore, I think it is a way to verbalize our feelings regarding Princess and what is continuing to be shared about the lack of progress with the Sea Princess. Yes, she is traveling at a reasonable speed but like another member stated....why are they not adhering to the port schedule as was stated when people booked. And finally as you stated.... They are not showing any consideration for their customers and now we found out that they are acting the same towards their employees. How I wish we could all just stop using Princess in protest.

ONCRUISEMODE

I think it happened recently (with in the last couple of years) for JUly as well.

MicCanberra, This is what someone wrote to me regarding my "legend".

Actually, that is an urban legend that has been bouncing around for a while. August will always have 5 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in any year when the month starts on a Friday. Because 365 isn't evenly divisible by 7 and of course, leap year, August 1 falls on a Friday every 5, 6 or 11 years. It last happened in 2008 and we are entering the 11 year phase of the cycle so the next time 5 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays appear in August will be in 2025.

I know these things because of every-other-Friday pay periods and months with 5 Fridays are often very important! Aren't you glad we cleared that up?

So yes, it happened in 2008 and I apologize for being misinformed.

Lydia

Sea Dog & Hag,

Could you kindly list your future cruises in your signature.

I want to make sure I'm not on the same boat.:rolleyes:

Priceless...especially since everyone else on this forum seems to be of like mind.

Sea Dog and Hag: a simple thought...since you don't agree with us, just stop following this forum.

BTW, I have an August 2014 Trivia...

There are 5 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the month of August.

I think this will only happen once in your lifetime unless you live for another 823 years.

Lydia

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