Review of Sapphire Beach

[Crusin Karen]

Oh, and then a tip...well, someone mentioned that you can have the taxi driver take you to Paradise Point on the way back for a photo op. Would they charge extra for this? Thanks...will probably suck it up and go to the beach, but I was just surprised at the price. :cool:

[Terpnut]

It would be $80 for my family of four to travel to and from the beach. That seems like a lot of money for transportation and I am from NY so I am used to things being expensive. I would much rather spend the money on rum punch and food . That is why I am trying to figure out if there is a less expensive alternative. Someone mentioned paying $6/pp. Any thoughts or suggestions.

Sapphire is absolutely gorgeous, and for our family of four, it was definitely worth the extra $40 to get there and back. Of course, if the extra money breaks the bank, there are closer (but unfortunately not much cheaper) alternatives. Remember, all the taxis will charge per person so you won't save much money!

I kind of thought the same thing. It would only be 2 of us, but I thought, wow...$40 just to get there. I was going to see if CCL had any excursions that would include the beach. Just to make sure: is it free admission to the beach?

You will pay much more (probably $35-$55 per person) for a cruise line "excursion" that gives you 4 hours at the same beach so $20 per person for a 22 to 24 km/40 min roundtrip is really not that bad. In addition, if you use a taxi, you go and return as you please--no such flexibility with the cruise excursion. Remember, whether you take a taxi in St. Thomas or use a cruise excursion, they will ALL charge per person.

 

And finally, keep in mind that taxi fare from Havensight to not-that-far Charlotte Amalie is already set at $5-6 per person so Sapphire Beach and other points on the other end of the island is not much more! IOW, it will cost you $5-6 pp just for a 5-10 min ride into town nearby, but only an additional $4-6 pp to get all the way to the other end of the island (e.g. Magens, Coki or Sapphire).

Edited April 13, 2013 by Terpnut

[blue_water]

Sapphire Beach is free to the public, only Magens bay and Smith Bay charge an entry fee.

 

Yes, we often hit PP before returning to the ship, just have the driver take you up and if you're docked at Havensight you can take the tram down and walk to the ship. Or you can buy the tram tickets at your excursions desk and they're usually refundable but double-check.

[erinpdx]

Back home! Loved our day at Sapphire. To clarify- the cab ride was $10 for the 2 of us one way (not per person). It was a flat fee both ways. When we were ready to leave we just walked outside and there were several cabs waiting. It was a 15 minute ride from the cruise pier.

 

I don't know about life jacket rentals- sorry I can't answer that one. I did see people with life jackets so I am assuming they do rent them though. The beers at the dive shop were $3 and sodas were $2. There was also a woman from the banana cabana taking food/drink orders. We ordered chicken sandwiches (they came with a bag of chips) which was $11 each.

 

The water here isn't rough-very easy to get in and out of the water. There were lots of fish. We had a great day here. Would definitely come here again.

[blue_water]

Thanks Erin, glad you enjoyed Sapphire as much as we do. Just a great option for a beach day.

I'm surprised your cab fare was only $5pp each way! That's the first I've ever heard that. The rate is normally $9 - 10pp each way so you got a real deal!

Thanks!

[MrsLadyL]

Back home! Loved our day at Sapphire. To clarify- the cab ride was $10 for the 2 of us one way (not per person). It was a flat fee both ways. When we were ready to leave we just walked outside and there were several cabs waiting. It was a 15 minute ride from the cruise pier.

 

I don't know about life jacket rentals- sorry I can't answer that one. I did see people with life jackets so I am assuming they do rent them though. The beers at the dive shop were $3 and sodas were $2. There was also a woman from the banana cabana taking food/drink orders. We ordered chicken sandwiches (they came with a bag of chips) which was $11 each.

 

The water here isn't rough-very easy to get in and out of the water. There were lots of fish. We had a great day here. Would definitely come here again.

 

Thanks Erin! We thought the cab ride was $10 each person each way too. Hopefully it's still like that in 3 weeks when we get there. Lol! We're so excited! :D

[erinpdx]

Thanks Erin, glad you enjoyed Sapphire as much as we do. Just a great option for a beach day.

I'm surprised your cab fare was only $5pp each way! That's the first I've ever heard that. The rate is normally $9 - 10pp each way so you got a real deal!

Thanks!

 

 

We had other people in the cab with us. Perhaps that is why it was only $10 for the two of us. Both ways there were other people catching a ride too. Maybe if it had just been the 2 of us and no one else it might have been more.

[Ms411]

The posted rate from the dock is $10-$12 per person each way. Some drivers may cut a deal, but not often. Expect to pay $10-$12.

[CuplACruzrs]

Just wondering how deep the water is?

 

I'm not a swimmer but I do enjoy getting into the water but not into water over my head right at the beach as I have experienced before at a rocky snorkel site.

[mitsugirly]

Just wondering how deep the water is?

 

I'm not a swimmer but I do enjoy getting into the water but not into water over my head right at the beach as I have experienced before at a rocky snorkel site.

 

There's plenty of sandy space for swimming without it being over your head. As for snorkeling, we went really really far out and it was still not over our head. ;)

[CuplACruzrs]

There's plenty of sandy space for swimming without it being over your head. As for snorkeling, we went really really far out and it was still not over our head. ;)

 

Thanks so much! That's great to hear!

[Terpnut]

We had other people in the cab with us. Perhaps that is why it was only $10 for the two of us. Both ways there were other people catching a ride too. Maybe if it had just been the 2 of us and no one else it might have been more.

 

The posted rate from the dock is $10-$12 per person each way. Some drivers may cut a deal, but not often. Expect to pay $10-$12.

Celebrity Summit is one of the few ships that makes its visits to St. Thomas without any other ships in port so taxis must be plentiful and drivers might be cutting people some slack to be competitive. But $10 per person each way should be what most cruise passengers expect to pay. Edited April 16, 2013 by Terpnut

[DebbieCruises]

This may sound like a dumb question, but.... I haven't been to a beach for a verrrrry long time. What do you do with your "stuff" when you go in the water to swim, snorkel, or just cool off? Do you just leave the rental chair, your towels from the ship, your beach bag, etc. sitting unattended? Does one person have to stay behind and watch over everything while the others go in the water? Or...is Sapphire Beach safe enough to leave everything while you're gone? I know you can get water-proof containers for your money, does it also work for your cell-phone? Does anyone have a particular brand they know that is better than the others? Thanks for any help you can offer.

[gail8]

We take the $2 bus every time we go to Sapphire without issue. Bit of a walk down the hill to the beach but worth it to us. We have been there many days where it is rough and seemed to get deep pretty quickly so not great with little ones but the snorkelling is pretty decent and the beach is nice.

[sueandtimj]

We were at Sapphire beach on April 1st. We are a family of 4 and paid $9 pp each way. Coming back, we had friends with us, so there were 6 of us and it was still $9 pp. Lots of taxis waiting to take you back.

 

The beach is really nice, my kids really enjoyed snorkeling. We brought our own gear, but you could rent it at the dive shop. We rented 2 lounge chairs $7 each. There is lots of shade, so you don't need to worry about umbrellas. We were there from 11-3 and the beach was not very crowded.

 

There are people who walk the beach with menus. We ordered a pizza from one guy (can't remember his name, but you can't go wrong whoever you use). The large was more than enough and I think it cost $15 and then a tip.

[blue_water]

We had other people in the cab with us. Perhaps that is why it was only $10 for the two of us. Both ways there were other people catching a ride too. Maybe if it had just been the 2 of us and no one else it might have been more.

 

Erin I think you're probably a supermodel and you're not telling us, huh? :D that would explain it!:p

[Terpnut]

This may sound like a dumb question, but.... I haven't been to a beach for a verrrrry long time. What do you do with your "stuff" when you go in the water to swim, snorkel, or just cool off? Do you just leave the rental chair, your towels from the ship, your beach bag, etc. sitting unattended? Does one person have to stay behind and watch over everything while the others go in the water? Or...is Sapphire Beach safe enough to leave everything while you're gone? I know you can get water-proof containers for your money, does it also work for your cell-phone? Does anyone have a particular brand they know that is better than the others? Thanks for any help you can offer.

In general, St. Thomas is pretty safe so most people just leave their things on their chair or towel unattended if necessary. You're at a relatively remote resort-like area and I think things are reasonably safe. Of course, nothing is absolutely safe so your comfort level should dictate what you do.

[DebbieCruises]

In general, St. Thomas is pretty safe so most people just leave their things on their chair or towel unattended if necessary. You're at a relatively remote resort-like area and I think things are reasonably safe. Of course, nothing is absolutely safe so your comfort level should dictate what you do.

 

Thanks for answering. I'm a very trusting soul (my husband says too trusting:eek:), so I'll probably leave my stuff and hope for the best. I appreciate your help!:)

[blue_water]

Sapphire is an extremely safe beach. There are 3 condo resorts here so you are sharing the beach with the owners and renters there. Other than the beach runners from the grill and restaurant there are also zero vendors there which makes it even safer. So no worries, just use common sense when it comes to large amounts of cash.

[joeming]

Thanks for answering. I'm a very trusting soul (my husband says too trusting:eek:), so I'll probably leave my stuff and hope for the best. I appreciate your help!:)

When we are in the water, I always face the beach to keep an eye on the chairs, but in our family of 4, there is always somebody who will go back and sit after a few minutes in the water so the rest of us can go snorkeling. It has never been a problem for us. We have been to Sapphire a couple of times and have always felt safe. Not too many pushy vendors. Enjoy.

[blue_water]

I forgot to mention there is a good security presence at Sapphire as well, if anyone used the resort pool a guard will make sure they're staying there and a guard is always walking the property. No vendors as well so very safe!

[DebbieCruises]

Thanks everyone for the reassurances about the safety on Sapphire Beach. I feel much better now. I won't have a lot to steal anyway...except my oh-so-cute new beach bag!:D:eek::D I'll leave most of my cash in the safe on the ship. I can hardly wait to get there!!!

[blue_water]

I'm sure you'll have a great day there. If you have lunch there be sure to get a mahi mahi sandwich from the Banana Cabana beach grill which is between Sapphire Resort condo buildings B and C (bldg A is next to the dive center). I think it's $12 but it's very good. The burger is also good, and they also make tropical drinks there. But the rum punches are better at the dive center and they and the beer are also a little cheaper there.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

[Crusin Karen]

Thanks for all this advice. Can't wait to go! One more ?, because I see differing opinions: approx. how far away is it from the ship? TIA.

[BoPippy]

$22.00 ,$44.00 return for 2 persons.nice beach,lots of snorkelling,nice sandy area too,nice views to St.John Island.Only about 50 people the day we were there.My preference is still Magen's Beach though and not as far.