What to do when exploring on our own

[Shiny137]

I will be heading to St. Thomas for the first time in November! We are sailing there on Oasis. It is the first time on a cruise and also anywhere in the Caribbean for my boyfriend and I.

 

We've all ready signed up for Bernards Tours on St. Martin, so we are thinking of just going at it on our own on St. Thomas. Any tips on what to do?

 

I saw a photo online of surfboards. Is there surfing there? I did it in Hawaii and would love to again but I didn't think there were big enough waves in the Caribbean.

[blue_water]

Hi Shiny!

St Thomas has a lot to offer - from beautiful beaches and good snorkeling to island tours like you are taking in St Maarten to ziplining to historic sites and more. St John is also a 1 hour taxi/ferry from your dock if you want to see the beautiful beaches there or tour that island.

Are you looking for a nice beach day?

 

When we're ready for a beach day we enjoy spending time at Sapphire Beach because it has everything we want. But you can also go to Lindbergh Bay (you'll see it called Emerald Beach here after the Best Western Emerald Plus Resort) which is much closer to Crown Bay where you will be docking. Not quite as nice as the East End beaches like Sapphire, but definitely nice enough and you can buy drinks.

 

And You will see Trunk Bay on St John mentioned, that's a beautiful beach but can be a little crowded on big ship days. Nearby Cinnamon Bay is another option. Taxis provide great island tours for $25pp and then drop you at the beach for a couple hours. The self-excursion to St John (which we would do) is very easy - just find a taxi heading to the Red Hook ferry terminal and take the next ferry to Cruz Bay, STJ, they depart every hour on the hour. You'll find taxis waiting to transfer you to a beach or on an island tour. Total cost from Crown to the beach is about $50pp roundtrip + entry fee for Trunk Bay.

 

We also like stopping at Paradise Point before returning to the ship, PP is up the hill from the other cruise dock, Havensight. There's an aerial tram right across the street from Havensight that takes you up or you can taxi up. Beautiful views of the harbor and a fun spot for cocktails and a bite. You would need to taxi to the tram from Crown.

 

You can also go ziplining, take a speedboat out on the water, take a nice daysail to St John or Water Island, take a private charter to the British Virgin Islands, go to Magic Ice, an ice sculpture show in downtown, enjoy duty-free shopping in downtown Charlotte Amalie along with a nice lunch, or even go flyboarding in nearby Lindbergh Bay.

http://www.stthomasflyboarding.com/

 

Many options! Anything sound interesting?

Here's a map to orient you with the island a little more -

http://www.virginislandsthisweek.com/us_virgin_islands_maps/st_thomas_island_road_map.html

[sail7seas]

The waters are too calm for surfing in St. Thomas. :)

[blue_water]

Hull Bay has some waves!

 

http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Hull-Bay

[O2B@Cagain]

Surfing is very seasonal- it takes storms in the north Atlantic to generate the waves, so it is typically a winter time activity. It is also considered a place for experienced surfers because of the reef break.

 

If you are over 25, you can rent a car and navigate the island fairly easily.

[Ms411]

If you don't want to do an island tour that includes beach time, you might want to do a stand up paddle board experience. These are very popular in VI because of the calm waters.

 

Many ships offer it as an excursion, but you can also try it on your own at Honeymoon Beach on St John.

[Shiny137]

Thanks everyone for the tips!

 

I'm thinking we're going to pass on checking out St. John this time.

 

I think I've narrowed it down to Emerald or Sapphire Beach. It sounds like Emerald is much closer.

 

How much is the Paradise Point tram? Do you have to pay for it in advance or can we just take a taxi there and do it?

[blue_water]

You can usually purchase the tram tickets at your excursions desk, I believe they're $18pp and are refundable. You can also taxi up to PP or pay cash at the tram gate. We've taxied up and trammed down but I can't remember the one-way tram price...

 

Lindbergh (Emerald) would be a nice day and I'm guessing the taxi there would be about $4pp, and from there to the tram and back to the ship about $14pp give or take...

[mosul809]

We are going on the November 16th sailing and signed up for the power cat excursion to buck island for snorkeling

[PreciousCruiser]

You can usually purchase the tram tickets at your excursions desk, I believe they're $18pp and are refundable. You can also taxi up to PP or pay cash at the tram gate. We've taxied up and trammed down but I can't remember the one-way tram price...

 

Lindbergh (Emerald) would be a nice day and I'm guessing the taxi there would be about $4pp, and from there to the tram and back to the ship about $14pp give or take...

 

I heard that the tram is closed, but plans to reopen on Nov. 1st.... read that just a minute ago on another thread!

[Shiny137]

We are going on the November 16th sailing and signed up for the power cat excursion to buck island for snorkeling

 

We're on that sailing too. My boyfriend is anti-snorkeling though so he doesn't want to do any excursion that does that. :(

[Shiny137]

I heard that the tram is closed, but plans to reopen on Nov. 1st.... read that just a minute ago on another thread!

 

Thanks for the info! I saw that as well after I posted in here. Hopefully it is open by then.