St Thomas vs. St John?

[cransplash]

We are going aboard the Oasis in early December, and one of our stops is St. Thomas. (We're both new to E. Caribbean.)

 

We put a (small) deposit down for Sunny Liston's tour around St. Thomas. We've heard great things about it, but we continue to hear to skip St Thomas and head to St. John.

 

1. Should we skip Sunny Liston's tour (all day) and head to St. John instead? (The deposit was small so I don't mind if we lose it.)

 

2. Any St John excursions we should look into, or just cab over there and do our own sightseeing?

[coachnip13]

We are going aboard the Oasis in early December, and one of our stops is St. Thomas. (We're both new to E. Caribbean.)

 

We put a (small) deposit down for Sunny Liston's tour around St. Thomas. We've heard great things about it, but we continue to hear to skip St Thomas and head to St. John.

 

1. Should we skip Sunny Liston's tour (all day) and head to St. John instead? (The deposit was small so I don't mind if we lose it.)

 

2. Any St John excursions we should look into, or just cab over there and do our own sightseeing?

 

St. John is the jewel of the Virgin Islands. Three fourths of it is National Park, so the island is not inhabited and commercialized like St. Thomas. Don't get me wrong, we vacation on St. Thomas and there is plenty to see, but you really want to see St. John.

[cransplash]

St. John is the jewel of the Virgin Islands. Three fourths of it is National Park, so the island is not inhabited and commercialized like St. Thomas. Don't get me wrong, we vacation on St. Thomas and there is plenty to see, but you really want to see St. John.

 

Thanks coach- Should we book an excursion or just cab it over there and eplore on our own?

[coachnip13]

Thanks coach- Should we book an excursion or just cab it over there and eplore on our own?

 

Depends on your comfort level. If you aren't nervous about doing something not sponsored by the ship, then absolutely go on your own so you can see a lot of different things. This isn't Roatan, Honduras, where you need an armed guard if you go out alone. We just did it on Friday and hit all of our favorite spots. An excursion is probably taking you to just one beach.

 

If you're really adventurous, take the ferry to St. John and rent a Jeep, then just drive north/ east along Highway 20. Stop every time you see the paved photo spots....breathtaking. Then you can hit all kinds of unbelievable beaches on the north shore: Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, Maho, Waterlemon, etc.

[cransplash]

Depends on your comfort level. If you aren't nervous about doing something not sponsored by the ship, then absolutely go on your own so you can see a lot of different things. This isn't Roatan, Honduras, where you need an armed guard if you go out alone. We just did it on Friday and hit all of our favorite spots. An excursion is probably taking you to just one beach.

 

If you're really adventurous, take the ferry to St. John and rent a Jeep, then just drive north/ east along Highway 20. Stop every time you see the paved photo spots....breathtaking. Then you can hit all kinds of unbelievable beaches on the north shore: Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, Maho, Waterlemon, etc.

 

Sorry- hope you don't mind more questions! :)

 

1. Where would you recommend seeing/eating in St. John?

2. Where can you rent a Jeep, and how much would it be for the day? (I'm assuming same driving rules as in the US?)

3. Would you recommend a few hours in St. Thomas and then head to St. John?

4. Any other tips?

 

Thanks coach!

[BaBaG]

Depends on your comfort level. If you aren't nervous about doing something not sponsored by the ship, then absolutely go on your own so you can see a lot of different things. This isn't Roatan, Honduras, where you need an armed guard if you go out alone. We just did it on Friday and hit all of our favorite spots. An excursion is probably taking you to just one beach.

 

If you're really adventurous, take the ferry to St. John and rent a Jeep, then just drive north/ east along Highway 20. Stop every time you see the paved photo spots....breathtaking. Then you can hit all kinds of unbelievable beaches on the north shore: Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, Maho, Waterlemon, etc.

Reservations required/suggested for the jeep on St. John's? We're on the Dream in October. Thanks!

[Rambler5678]

Anyone ever taken the St. John Island tour?

[Ms411]

St John is beautiful, and its lack of commercial development makes it a very special island in the Caribbean.

 

BUT, if this is your first time in the Eastern Caribbean, and you're going to be a frequent cruiser (which I'm thinking you probably will be :D), you should take a St Thomas island tour so you'll know what it offers, and on your next cruise go to St John.

 

Some people who take land vacations in the Caribbean choose to stay on St Thomas, and do day trips to St John because St Thomas is generally cheaper than St John. Also if Godfrey takes you to Sapphire Beach, you can see those beachfront condos that are availabe as vacation rentals should you decide to do a land vacation. If there are any St John beachfront accommodations, they are PRICEY! You can also see St John from Sapphire so you can at least get a photo of it!