Sapphire Beach video and review

[luckyprincess]

Hi! I just got back from the Explorer on Tuesday. We decided to go to Sapphire Beach in St. Thomas. From the ship we walked out towards the sign that says TAXI and told them we were going to Sapphire Beach. They put the 6 of us in a van with two other people and it was $10 per person. Our taxi driver gave me his card and we arranged for him to come back at 2:00 to bring us back to the ship.

 

We had a wonderful day with perfect weather. The ocean is clear and blue and the sand is soft. It does drop down to deeper water pretty quick and I'm told that the undertow is powerful so be careful. There was a dive shop where you could rent lots of snorkel equipment. We all rented a beach chair for $7 for the day. There was plenty of trees for shade and although it seems small, plenty of room on the beach for everyone. Beer was $3, water and soda was $2 and there was two women (one from NY) working the food/drink place and getting orders on the beach. You didn't even have to get up and order something - they brought menus out to you. I didn't need to use the bathroom but my friend said cleanliness wise it was a 5 out of 10 and not the worse she's ever seen. I am so glad I went and would recommend it to anyone.

Here is video I took of the beach and after are some photos:

 

P2280013 by ihateworkinglate, on Flickr[/img]

[DevonianCruiser]

Hi! I just got back from the Explorer on Tuesday. We decided to go to Sapphire Beach in St. Thomas. From the ship we walked out towards the sign that says TAXI and told them we were going to Sapphire Beach. They put the 6 of us in a van with two other people and it was $10 per person. Our taxi driver gave me his card and we arranged for him to come back at 2:00 to bring us back to the ship.

 

We had a wonderful day with perfect weather. The ocean is clear and blue and the sand is soft. It does drop down to deeper water pretty quick and I'm told that the undertow is powerful so be careful. There was a dive shop where you could rent lots of snorkel equipment. We all rented a beach chair for $7 for the day. There was plenty of trees for shade and although it seems small, plenty of room on the beach for everyone. Beer was $3, water and soda was $2 and there was two women (one from NY) working the food/drink place and getting orders on the beach. You didn't even have to get up and order something - they brought menus out to you. I didn't need to use the bathroom but my friend said cleanliness wise it was a 5 out of 10 and not the worse she's ever seen. I am so glad I went and would recommend it to anyone.

Here is video I took of the beach and after are some photos:

 

P2280013 by ihateworkinglate, on Flickr[/img]

 

Wow great video - thanks. I'll be there on the Explorer in under two weeks :-)

[luckyprincess]

Wow great video - thanks. I'll be there on the Explorer in under two weeks :-)

 

No problem! I was always looking for videos and pictures before I went! :D Have fun! I'm jealous :p

[jaynak]

Thank you! We have done Coki, Magans and Emerald several times and have been contemplating trying Sapphire. Your video convinces me :-)

[SueBabe]

Thanks for sharing your review and video. I may change our ship excursion to St. John I had reserved and go to Sapphire instead. This will be our first time to St. Thomas.

 

Where did you dock? Did you shop or do anything after the beach?

[blue_water]

Thanks lucky. Many ppl head straight to Magens or Trunk Bay on St zkohn and never experience the East End beaches of St Thomas and they are beautiful.

 

Sue baba our favorite day is time at Sapphire then a stop at Paradise Point at Havensight. If you're docked there it's a short walk from the PP tram to the ship.

Taxi from Havensight is $10pp each way, from Crown a little more. But easily accessible from both ports.

[luckyprincess]

Thanks everyone!

 

SueBabe we docked at Havensight and went to the shops afterwards so my friend could buy (more) diamonds, lol! It was an amazing day!

[SueBabe]

Thanks everyone!

 

SueBabe we docked at Havensight and went to the shops afterwards so my friend could buy (more) diamonds, lol! It was an amazing day!

 

Awesome, thanks!

[mitsugirly]

tear :*( I wanna go back. Gosh how I love Sapphire and it's beauty. :)

[capecodrealtor]

Here's a view a little further down the beach where it is a little bit quieter. Again, remember, if you are going to Sapphire for the day while on a ship, please remember to take your trash with you!

 

[blue_water]

You had the beach all to yourself for a bit, you were closer to Crystal Cove.

It is beautiful there in the early morning amd evening too. Unfortunately some ppl do not pick up after themselves and the resort staff does a great job cleaning up in the morning. But it is greatly appreciated by the owners and other residents of the island when visitors respect the island, water, and especially the coral.

[capecodrealtor]

We were in front of Crustal Cove and when we spent a week here, we came to the beach every morning by 8:00 am

[mitsugirly]

So is that the area where the sea grass is located?

[capecodrealtor]

No. actually, it's a very clear place to swim, near where the chairs are stacked in front of Crystal Cove

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[blue_water]

The sea grass is just to the left and out a bit. The reef is to the right of the dive center.

[mitsugirly]

The sea grass is just to the left and out a bit. The reef is to the right of the dive center.

 

Ok, I figured it was down that way and you could see the darker areas in the water. We only went in the middle and toward the right at the reef. After coming home is when others said that the sea grass is to the left and you could sometimes find turtles there. I figured it was somewhere around here. :)

[tinybabynurse]

TBN hubby here...

 

Just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Eclipse with St Thomas as our first stop.

 

I like to snorkel and Sapphire Beach has always been my favorite when the winds/waves are calm. Unfortunately, I am afraid that the cruise lines have discovered this location and there now are cruise tours. With 5 ships in port including the Oasis, this visit turned to a rotating mob scene as the tours departed and arrived about every 2 hours beginning about 10:30. Scrambling for chairs seemed to be the most popular activity followed closely by destroying the coral.

 

The saddest part were the hordes of, apparently, first-time 'snorkelers' that spent most of their water time standing on what is left of the reef. Although the locals and dive shop people tried to shoo these jerks off the reef it was hopeless. Seem they make it just to the reef before discovering they do not know how to clear their mask and then stand up on the reef, or jump up and down on the coral while fiddling with their mask and snorkel.

 

Oh well it was nice while it lasted...

[SueBabe]

TBN hubby here...

 

Just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Eclipse with St Thomas as our first stop.

 

I like to snorkel and Sapphire Beach has always been my favorite when the winds/waves are calm. Unfortunately, I am afraid that the cruise lines have discovered this location and there now are cruise tours. With 5 ships in port including the Oasis, this visit turned to a rotating mob scene as the tours departed and arrived about every 2 hours beginning about 10:30. Scrambling for chairs seemed to be the most popular activity followed closely by destroying the coral.

 

The saddest part were the hordes of, apparently, first-time 'snorkelers' that spent most of their water time standing on what is left of the reef. Although the locals and dive shop people tried to shoo these jerks off the reef it was hopeless. Seem they make it just to the reef before discovering they do not know how to clear their mask and then stand up on the reef, or jump up and down on the coral while fiddling with their mask and snorkel.

 

Oh well it was nice while it lasted...

 

Oh no, sorry to hear that! There will be 6 ships in port in St. Thomas when we will be there. I was debating between the ship's excursion (ferry, then on our own) to St John to Trunk Bay, which I have reserved OR going to Sapphire Beach. Maybe we should just stay with the St. John excursion.....

[mitsugirly]

Oh no, sorry to hear that! There will be 6 ships in port in St. Thomas when we will be there. I was debating between the ship's excursion (ferry, then on our own) to St John to Trunk Bay, which I have reserved OR going to Sapphire Beach. Maybe we should just stay with the St. John excursion.....

 

Just be aware...one persons experience doesn't mean the next persons experience is the same. You may have a day with a lot of ships in port or very little. On a day that a lot of ships are in port, still could vary depending on how many people on THOSE cruises know about Sapphire.

 

Each day is different and if this seams like a place you want to go, then by all means go and experience it and form your own opinion. I always read peoples reviews, look at the their pictures, and then decide if it's someplace I want to experience. I never let various people indicate by "their" report whether I go or not. If I go and enjoy, I win. If I go and didn't enjoy, I can say I went and would never go back. I do this many times...just like with my recent visit to Bannister Island in Belize. A lot of people recommended, a lot didn't...I went anyhow, had a great day, enjoyed certain parts of it, didn't enjoy other parts, would never go back, but boy to I have some AWESOME memories and pictures of the place. :)

 

What ever you decide to do. Have a GREAT cruise and a GREAT time. :D

[blue_water]

TBN hubby here...

 

Just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Eclipse with St Thomas as our first stop.

 

I like to snorkel and Sapphire Beach has always been my favorite when the winds/waves are calm. Unfortunately, I am afraid that the cruise lines have discovered this location and there now are cruise tours. With 5 ships in port including the Oasis, this visit turned to a rotating mob scene as the tours departed and arrived about every 2 hours beginning about 10:30. Scrambling for chairs seemed to be the most popular activity followed closely by destroying the coral.

The saddest part were the hordes of, apparently, first-time 'snorkelers' that spent most of their water time standing on what is left of the reef. Although the locals and dive shop people tried to shoo these jerks off the reef it was hopeless. Seem they make it just to the reef before discovering they do not know how to clear their mask and then stand up on the reef, or jump up and down on the coral while fiddling with their mask and snorkel.

Oh well it was nice while it lasted...

 

We saw taxis and tour guides coming and going while staying at the Sapphire resort last Jan and during earlier stays. It is an unfortunate reality that some days will just be much busier. Owners there are constantly pointing to the "Stay off the coral" sign on the beach for those who can't read on the busier days, but most beginners have some common sense.

 

As far as cruise tours coming in and changing Sapphire, generally Sapphire doesn't fill up with many cruisers as compared to Coki, Magens, Lindbergh (aka Emerald), and Morningstar. That's because it's a condo resort and much of the area is for condo owners and renters only. There are days however when even on smaller cruise ship days Sapphire can become very crowded. You just never know where everyone is going to go on a given day. If we were to find Sapphire to be more crowded than usual then we would take a short ride over to Secret Harbor. But most often Sapphire is less crowded on any given day. We've visited Magens and SH and Coki while staying at Sapphire and there is no comparison for us. Sorry you hit a busy one! We'll have to see if there is a change coming, or you just had an unlyucky day...

 

Suebabe, mitsugirly is right, you cannot base an opinion or decision on one person's experience on a one day visit, hopefully this was just another one of those busier days. I can tell you that Trunk will be very busy on a 6-ship day because that and Magens are the two most-touted excursion destinations. If you go to St John you'll want to go to Maho where there are very limited amenities to avoid a big crowd.

We've been at Sapphire when there were 6 ships (20k+ people) and Sapphire remained very comfortable for everyone there. Yes there will be busy days, and the only spot left to avoid many of your fellow cruisemates is at Smith Bay (Lindquist Beach) on St Thomas or Maho or maybe Cinnamon on STJ.

[tinybabynurse]

Just be aware...one persons experience doesn't mean the next persons experience is the same. You may have a day with a lot of ships in port or very little. On a day that a lot of ships are in port, still could vary depending on how many people on THOSE cruises know about Sapphire.

 

Each day is different and if this seams like a place you want to go, then by all means go and experience it and form your own opinion. I always read peoples reviews, look at the their pictures, and then decide if it's someplace I want to experience. I never let various people indicate by "their" report whether I go or not. If I go and enjoy, I win. If I go and didn't enjoy, I can say I went and would never go back. I do this many times...just like with my recent visit to Bannister Island in Belize. A lot of people recommended, a lot didn't...I went anyhow, had a great day, enjoyed certain parts of it, didn't enjoy other parts, would never go back, but boy to I have some AWESOME memories and pictures of the place. :)

 

What ever you decide to do. Have a GREAT cruise and a GREAT time. :D

 

 

 

Exactly right. 'Your millage may differ.' I didn't really mean to be so negative although my post IS factual for THAT day at Sapphire.

 

For those that like to snorkel, Sapphire beach may still be a good choice. Particularly if it is not too windy, If you take a cab there early, it will be practically deserted and you can pick your spot on the beach. Take some bread to feed the ducks and iguanas and you will likely have a great time. If you like a shady spot going early is more important because they do NOT have umbrellas and, for the the mob scene we witnessed, there was quite a lot of scrambling for a shady location when the tours started arriving.

 

Even if there IS a mob of people it is hard not to appreciate the lovely view of St Johns and some other small islands. One of the nicest views we have seen on either St Thomas or St Johns.

 

The reef is still fairly healthy in some locations and there are lots of colorful fish. The nicer area for corals and fans is out toward the 'point' on the right as you face the water. That description will be obvious when you get there. A bit of a 'kick' to get out there but worth it. The distance from the water line to this area is likely to protect it from the folks I talked about in my earlier post.

 

There are also many turtle sightings straight out from the water-toys shop -- in the grassy areas. And there are some nice 'stag horn' corals on the reef just to the left of the shop, although most of the reef there is unhealthy.

 

It is still a beautiful beach and it still will likely please most folks that have not been there before it was a cruise tour stop. For us, the charm of the nearly deserted beach we have enjoyed over the last 5 years seems to be a thing of the past and we will likely go again only if there are not many ships in port. Also maybe we have just been lucky the last 5 or 6 years but I also did not notice Sapphire being a cruise-tour destination until this year, including our last visit there in October.

[mitsugirly]

Exactly right. 'Your millage may differ.' I didn't really mean to be so negative although my post IS factual for THAT day at Sapphire.

 

 

Oh gosh, now I feel bad. I did not in any way mean to imply that this was not your experience that day. :( Please forgive me if you took it that way. I just meant that each day can be different and each persons experience can be totally different (even if people arrive on the same day at the same time, people can have a different experience). I just wanted people to know that if it's something that seems like it would interest them, then please go for themselves and form their own opinion. I did not mean to take away from your thoughts and it was not at all directed toward you. Sorry if it came across the wrong way. :)

[SueBabe]

We saw taxis and tour guides coming and going while staying at the Sapphire resort last Jan and during earlier stays. It is an unfortunate reality that some days will just be much busier. Owners there are constantly pointing to the "Stay off the coral" sign on the beach for those who can't read on the busier days, but most beginners have some common sense.

 

As far as cruise tours coming in and changing Sapphire, generally Sapphire doesn't fill up with many cruisers as compared to Coki, Magens, Lindbergh (aka Emerald), and Morningstar. That's because it's a condo resort and much of the area is for condo owners and renters only. There are days however when even on smaller cruise ship days Sapphire can become very crowded. You just never know where everyone is going to go on a given day. If we were to find Sapphire to be more crowded than usual then we would take a short ride over to Secret Harbor. But most often Sapphire is less crowded on any given day. We've visited Magens and SH and Coki while staying at Sapphire and there is no comparison for us. Sorry you hit a busy one! We'll have to see if there is a change coming, or you just had an unlyucky day...

 

Suebabe, mitsugirly is right, you cannot base an opinion or decision on one person's experience on a one day visit, hopefully this was just another one of those busier days. I can tell you that Trunk will be very busy on a 6-ship day because that and Magens are the two most-touted excursion destinations. If you go to St John you'll want to go to Maho where there are very limited amenities to avoid a big crowd.

We've been at Sapphire when there were 6 ships (20k+ people) and Sapphire remained very comfortable for everyone there. Yes there will be busy days, and the only spot left to avoid many of your fellow cruisemates is at Smith Bay (Lindquist Beach) on St Thomas or Maho or maybe Cinnamon on STJ.

 

BlueWater, you are always so sensible and reassuring:) How much farther is Maho by taxi than Trunk Bay from our port--Oasis' port, I think Crown Bay? I would still check out Sapphire first and if way too busy, go to Maho. Crowds don't bother me unless it is just really crazy.

[SueBabe]

Just be aware...one persons experience doesn't mean the next persons experience is the same. You may have a day with a lot of ships in port or very little. On a day that a lot of ships are in port, still could vary depending on how many people on THOSE cruises know about Sapphire.

 

Each day is different and if this seams like a place you want to go, then by all means go and experience it and form your own opinion. I always read peoples reviews, look at the their pictures, and then decide if it's someplace I want to experience. I never let various people indicate by "their" report whether I go or not. If I go and enjoy, I win. If I go and didn't enjoy, I can say I went and would never go back. I do this many times...just like with my recent visit to Bannister Island in Belize. A lot of people recommended, a lot didn't...I went anyhow, had a great day, enjoyed certain parts of it, didn't enjoy other parts, would never go back, but boy to I have some AWESOME memories and pictures of the place. :)

 

What ever you decide to do. Have a GREAT cruise and a GREAT time. :D

 

Thanks, that makes sense. I would not have known about Sapphire if not for reading CC comments. I can't wait to see it for myself, so excited--I have a great time no matter where I am :D