St. Thomas beaches vs. St. John

[StacyB2011]

So I'm gonna be cruising Carnival with my mother and 9 year old son in August. I'm looking for a nice relaxing beach day in St Thomas. I heard alot of good things about St. John and also Saphire Beach . Is it really worth it to spend all that money for taxis and ferries back and forth to go to St. John? Or is it just as good to go to Magens Bay or Saphire...? Any input?

[augie]

There are beautiful beaches on St. Thomas where you can do just what you describe.

 

Personally, I love the beaches, and the island as a whole really, of St. John more than I do St. Thomas. Because of that, it would be worth it, to me, to take the time and trouble to go to St. John. But I also enjoy the ride across St. Thomas to get to Red Hook, the ferry ride to Cruz Bay, and the open air taxi ride along North Shore Road to get to those postcard perfect beaches.

 

If all of that sounds like more than you'd like to deal with, considering who you're traveling with, then I'm certain that you can find a beautiful and relaxing beach to enjoy on St. Thomas that will be easier and faster to get to and from.

 

To sum up, no one but you can decide if taking the trip to St. John "is worth it".

 

Have fun, whatever you decide to do!

[lil nemo]

So I'm gonna be cruising Carnival with my mother and 9 year old son in August. I'm looking for a nice relaxing beach day in St Thomas. I heard alot of good things about St. John and also Saphire Beach . Is it really worth it to spend all that money for taxis and ferries back and forth to go to St. John? Or is it just as good to go to Magens Bay or Saphire...? Any input?

 

your day would be, exit ship, catch taxi and or bus, get tix to ferry, taxi ferry to st. john 20 minute ride, get taxi to beach, rinse repeat, you see the drill....lol

 

getting to St. John's is a whole lot of fuss to consider it a complete relax, not that it's not worth the fuss, but if you are looking for relaxin and chillin head to 1 of 20 some beaches st. thomas has to offer. each has it own unquie treasure, so match up to your needs and you'll find that relaxing beach day.

[mytime53]

I agree with lil nemo--getting 3 generations to St. John would not be relaxing. Probably at least 1 of the 3 would be very happy to get back on the ship at the end of the day!

[MindTheGap1918]

We were in port from 8AM-5PM in January and I took the ferry to St. John on my own while my fiancee went scuba diving. I had more than enough time to spend there and relax. I didn't see the journey to and from St. John as being a "fuss" at all. There was only one other ship in port that day so if there are more, it may be more of a hassle with traffic. Trunk Bay is well worth the journey IMO. :)

 

 

[BrianB1964]

We were in port from 8AM-5PM in January and I took the ferry to St. John on my own while my fiancee went scuba diving. I had more than enough time to spend there and relax. I didn't see the journey to and from St. John as being a "fuss" at all. There was only one other ship in port that day so if there are more, it may be more of a hassle with traffic. Trunk Bay is well worth the journey IMO. :)

 

 

I am going down in May and I am taking the time to head to St. Johns!! Look at these pictures!! It is worth the hassle. My ship will be docked from 7am till 6 pm. I will be at Red Hook by 8;30 to catch the 9am ferry. Head back to the ship around 2 or 3 pm the latest. Plenty of time. And we will have 3-4 ships there that day!!

[icequeen]

We have gone to Magen's Bay on St. Thomas a couple of times and really enjoyed it but have made the trip over to Trunk Bay on a least three occasions and it was definitely worth the trip! Trunk Bay is so gorgeous..the sand...the colour of the water...the snorkel trail around the little island just off the beach. I would highly recommend it. We have taken the ferry from Charlotte Amalie, also taken the bus to Red Hook and ferry from there...everything worked fine for us no matter what travel option we took. Just make sure to come back on an earlier ferry (mid-afternoon) as the ferry tends to get full with commuters nearer to the end of the day.

 

On the con side, Trunk Bay is VERY popular and if there are a lot of ships in port, it will be crowded so if you're looking for peace and quiet, you won't probably find it there.

 

Our new favorite beach is Honeymoon Beach on Water Island (which also involves a ferry ride but a much shorter one). The beach is so gorgeous and very few people on it. A true tropical paradise :cool:

[gail811]

For those that have been to Honeymoon Beach on Water Island.....once there, how far is the beach and are taxi's available?

[icequeen]

Once the ferry drops you off on Water Island, you just walk up the hill along the road a bit and down another hill (to the right) and you are at the beach. It probably takes about 7 minutes or so (at most) to walk to the beach. There are no cabs as Water Island is very small and has very few actual vehicles on the island. Most residents get around by golf cart.

[gail811]

Thanks Ice Queen!

[amistad]

I wish someone would post pictures of water island, I would love to see some. I would also like to know if there are restrooms or porta potties there and what type of food options are available? Thanks

[pghsteelerfan]

I wish someone would post pictures of water island, I would love to see some. I would also like to know if there are restrooms or porta potties there and what type of food options are available? Thanks

 

I second that - any pictures? I'd love to see some too.

[icequeen]

I tried to figure out how to upload some pics but it seems that unless they have a url address (Flickr or something similar??) I can't get access to the ones on my hard drive. :confused:

 

If you want to see some pics, you can check out my blog as I have several on there of the ferry, the beach, etc. Just find my recent blog post about our day on St. Thomas and also check under 2010 posts for a detailed outline on St. Thomas and Water Island.

 

Enjoy!!

[pghsteelerfan]

I tried to figure out how to upload some pics but it seems that unless they have a url address (Flickr or something similar??) I can't get access to the ones on my hard drive. :confused:

 

If you want to see some pics, you can check out my blog as I have several on there of the ferry, the beach, etc. Just find my recent blog post about our day on St. Thomas and also check under 2010 posts for a detailed outline on St. Thomas and Water Island.

 

Enjoy!!

 

Thank you icequeen - I just saw your blog about you day at St. Thomas & time at Water Island and enjoyed it and your beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing. Water Island definitely looks like a good idea for something to do in St. Thomas.

[islandsinmyblood]

St john is beautifull but a bit of a hassle to get to for a short day from a cruise. But so is st thomas, go to sapphire, linquest or meagans if you want to relaze on a power white crystal clean water beach....

[BabySis]

I tried to figure out how to upload some pics but it seems that unless they have a url address (Flickr or something similar??) I can't get access to the ones on my hard drive. :confused:

 

If you want to see some pics, you can check out my blog as I have several on there of the ferry, the beach, etc. Just find my recent blog post about our day on St. Thomas and also check under 2010 posts for a detailed outline on St. Thomas and Water Island.

 

Enjoy!!

ICEQUEEN.... thanks so much, even after 24 cruises, most in the Caribbean, we found your blog helpful!

[icequeen]

Wow...24 cruises! That will be my goal :)

 

So glad that with so much experience under your belt that I was able to help out. Isn't cruising fabulous??

[icequeen]

I wish someone would post pictures of water island, I would love to see some. I would also like to know if there are restrooms or porta potties there and what type of food options are available? Thanks

 

There are rest rooms on the beach. Word is that they don't open until the bar does (further down the beach) but they were open around 11am the day we were there. They are pretty 'rustic' but island-worthy :)

 

There is a food spot there. It is kind of a cart set up. The lady makes burgers, etc. and my husband had a burger and said it was fantastic! Mind you, it cost about $9US for the burger and coleslaw but it is a huge patty and extremely tasty.

[airhead22]

We did St. John and the worst part was traffic coming back to port. It was bumper to bumper for 45 minutes and cut in on our shopping time. Be sure to allow plenty of time coming back.

[lrn2cruise]

icequeen. I could not get your blog to open up!!!

[Irish90Cruiser]

Just at Magen's Bay while on the Serenade. Very beautiful. Previously we had been to Sapphire Beach on St Thomas and to Trunk Bay on St John twice. If I was to choose between Magen's and Sapphire, then definately Magen's. However, Trunk Bay is much nicer, maybe the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean. With that said, I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost and time to get to unless you are wanting to get in some snorkeling.

[gail811]

icequeen. I could not get your blog to open up!!!

 

After you paste it into your browser, make sure you delete the blank spaces between the letters.

[icequeen]

icequeen. I could not get your blog to open up!!!

 

Not sure what the problem would be. I just typed in the blog address and it came up no problem?? Did you remove the spaces when you pasted it into your browser??

[annezgirl]

Ice Queen

My huband, i and 17 year old son are taking our first cruise. I have heard St. John's beaches are beautiful but don't see many excursions listed by NCL. Do you feel Water Island's Honeymoon Beach compares to St. John's beaches? NCL has a sail excursion to Christmas/Turtle Cove and then goes to Water Island.

[icequeen]

Annezgirl

 

Everybody looks for something different in a beach. I love beaches that are quiet and don't have a crowd. Trunk Bay used to be my #1 preference (even with the crowd) but now it is definitely Honeymoon Beach. The location is incredible, the beach is pristine and not a lot of people go there. It is easier to get to (and cheaper) than Trunk Bay. Definitely a recipe for a stellar beach day in the Caribbean! :)