St. Thomas to St. John

[bwg03]

I am looking for some help...

 

I will be arriving into St. Thomas at 8am and departing at 6pm. I am interested in taking my girlfriend to St. John as she has never been to St. Thomas but figured St. John is even more beautiful.

 

Can someone explain the Ferry scheduling to me? Is it a good idea to take a ship sponsored excursion or can we get off of the Cruise and board a ferry right there? I read somewhere about taking a taxi to Red Hook? Not sure where or what Red Hook is...

 

If anyone can provide any assistance it would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks!

Bradley

[Hunter2]

I am looking for some help...

 

I will be arriving into St. Thomas at 8am and departing at 6pm. I am interested in taking my girlfriend to St. John as she has never been to St. Thomas but figured St. John is even more beautiful.

 

Can someone explain the Ferry scheduling to me? Is it a good idea to take a ship sponsored excursion or can we get off of the Cruise and board a ferry right there? I read somewhere about taking a taxi to Red Hook? Not sure where or what Red Hook is...

 

If anyone can provide any assistance it would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks!

Bradley

 

Here is the schedule

 

 

http://www.seestjohn.com/transportation_ferries.html

[bwg03]

Do people recommend the Red Hook ferry or the Charlotte Amile ferry? Seems more ferries run from Red Hook?

 

How much is the cab from cruise port to Red Hook?

[Compacjoe]

I am looking for some help...

 

I will be arriving into St. Thomas at 8am and departing at 6pm. I am interested in taking my girlfriend to St. John as she has never been to St. Thomas but figured St. John is even more beautiful.

 

Can someone explain the Ferry scheduling to me? Is it a good idea to take a ship sponsored excursion or can we get off of the Cruise and board a ferry right there? I read somewhere about taking a taxi to Red Hook? Not sure where or what Red Hook is...

 

If anyone can provide any assistance it would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks!

Bradley

 

Bradley,

 

The ferries run every hour on the half hour to St. John from Red Hook. If you take a cab to Red Hook I would allow about 45 min to an hour because there is almost always road work going on and traffic can be heavy. There are also excursions that go to St. John. Depending on where your ship docks, the Charlotte Amalie the ferry dock there could be a mile or so from the ship. There are more ferries from Red Hook. There are always many cabs at the Red Hook ferry dock. You can catch an island tour in Cruz Bay, go to one of the beautiful beaches, or just hang around Cruz Bay. Many things to do there too. Good Luck.

Joe

[bwg03]

Bradley,

 

The ferries run every hour on the half hour to St. John from Red Hook. If you take a cab to Red Hook I would allow about 45 min to an hour because there is almost always road work going on and traffic can be heavy. There are also excursions that go to St. John. Depending on where your ship docks, the Charlotte Amalie the ferry dock there could be a mile or so from the ship. There are more ferries from Red Hook. There are always many cabs at the Red Hook ferry dock. You can catch an island tour in Cruz Bay, go to one of the beautiful beaches, or just hang around Cruz Bay. Many things to do there too. Good Luck.

Joe

 

What is the recommendation?? Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie? We are there for quite awhile so I figured the 8am-6pm is plenty of time to do it by ourselves.. I am just afraid if we do the ship excursion it's only 1.5hrs at the beach. Ideally I would like to be there much longer...

[Compacjoe]

I am looking for some help...

 

I will be arriving into St. Thomas at 8am and departing at 6pm. I am interested in taking my girlfriend to St. John as she has never been to St. Thomas but figured St. John is even more beautiful.

 

Can someone explain the Ferry scheduling to me? Is it a good idea to take a ship sponsored excursion or can we get off of the Cruise and board a ferry right there? I read somewhere about taking a taxi to Red Hook? Not sure where or what Red Hook is...

 

If anyone can provide any assistance it would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks!

Bradley

 

To answer your other question, Red Hook is a small district on the east end of St. Thomas. The ferry dock is next to the American Yacht Harbor. It is about a 20 ferry ride over to Cruz Bay, St. John. Red Hook also has excursions available from there. They can take you to St. John beaches, go fishing or diving from there also....

[bwg03]

Excellent. and Cabs are roughly $20 per person to Red Hook from Charlotte Amalie?

[Compacjoe]

What is the recommendation?? Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie? We are there for quite awhile so I figured the 8am-6pm is plenty of time to do it by ourselves.. I am just afraid if we do the ship excursion it's only 1.5hrs at the beach. Ideally I would like to be there much longer...

 

I prefer Red Hook. The ferry ride is much shorter and the ferries fun more frequently. You can get a cab at the ferry dock in Cruz Bay to Honeymoon Beach or one of the other beaches like Trunk Bay, there is a snorkel trail there, there are nice beaches and calm water around Maho Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Francis Bay and numerous others. ..

[bwg03]

I prefer Red Hook. The ferry ride is much shorter and the ferries fun more frequently. You can get a cab at the ferry dock in Cruz Bay to Honeymoon Beach or one of the other beaches like Trunk Bay, there is a snorkel trail there, there are nice beaches and calm water around Maho Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Francis Bay and numerous others. ..

 

Thanks for the tips!

 

I am going with my girlfriend so definitely looking for the most romantic beach?? Any ideas? Any favorites?

 

Looking for a calm beach that is out of this world beautiful??

[noshoobie]

IMO, don't miss St John - you will love it! Click on my Allure review below and jump to page 3 post 44. It's our experience on St John and how we got there.

[Compacjoe]

Thanks for the tips!

 

I am going with my girlfriend so definitely looking for the most romantic beach?? Any ideas? Any favorites?

 

Looking for a calm beach that is out of this world beautiful??

 

Honeymoon Beach is a lovely beach. It is close to Cruz Bay and the Caneel Bay Resort. The sailboats are on moorings just offshore from the beach. You can get some of the wakes from the inter-island ferries. Cinnamon Bay is also beautiful and more calm. As I mentioned, Trunk Bay has a marked snorkel trail...

[JBravo1977]

I tend to be a "don't-book-through-the-cruise-line" guy because they charge a pretty hefty premium. But, after having gone to St. John on my own from a cruise stop in St. Thomas, I highly recommend that you book this one through the cruise line. Why? Because there are so many transportation links in the chain that get you from the ship to the beach at St. John, and all it takes is for one to be a little late and you miss your ship. If you book through the cruise line, the ship waits for you. We left the beach at Trunk Bay very early to be extra sure we didn't miss the ship, and were in a panic for the last hour or so almost not getting back in time due to late ferries, broken down cabs, etc. I don't remember how much more money I would have spent booking through the cruise line, but I do remember that awful feeling of worry on the way back. It's your vacation. Spend a few more bucks for the peace of mind.

[OCruisers]

It's so much easier to get from St. Thomas to St. John on an excursion booked thru the ship. ;)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Bosjoe]

Hi There,

 

As I see you are on Celebrity but also Carnival after. If you are in St Thomas on Celebrity look at these 2 excursions. The times might be different but these are offered on my upcoming cruise. The boat leave right by the cruiseship area. The first one is basically the same price. I have gotten 3-4 hrs of beach time. Plenty of time to enjoy the beach.

 

If you want to do it on your own, get off the ship first thing to make the 9am ferry from Red Hook. Return you want to be on the 4pm return. All aboard should be 5:30. Cab $20rtpp Ferry $14rtpp.

 

Self Explore St John (STO3) Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Leaves at 8:30am

Scenic narrated roundtrip ferry ride from ship pierside to Cruz Bay. Once there guests will enjoy a minimum of 4.5 hours of personal leisure time to explore this beautiful emerald isle. St. John is 2/3rds National Park with mnay glistening white sandy beaches to choose from along with historical sites. The famous Trunk Bay where you can hire snorkel equipment and enjoy the snorkel trail. Cinnamon Bay beach is a more private location with its historical "Arawak" site.Hawksnest Beach was a flim location. Taxis readily available for island tours- visit Annaberg Ruins - you'll still have time to swim, relax &visit Cruz Bay for shopping before joining the ferry for your return trip.

Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes

Restrictions:

*Starting From

Adult

35.00 USD

 

OR

 

Destination St. John: Coastal Cruise of National Park Beaches (STL2) Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Leaves at 10:30

OVERVIEW: Enjoy a guided coastal cruise of St. John before having time to explore the island at your own pace. A good combination tour if you'd like to see the beauty of St. John from the water before heading off on an adventure of your choice.HIGHLIGHTS: Scenic ferry ride to and from St. John. See thousands of acres of unspoiled National Park highlights. Approximately 3 to 3.5 hours of independent exploration / shopping.Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes

 

 

Adult

40.75 USD

[bwg03]

Hi There,

 

As I see you are on Celebrity but also Carnival after. If you are in St Thomas on Celebrity look at these 2 excursions. The times might be different but these are offered on my upcoming cruise. The boat leave right by the cruiseship area. The first one is basically the same price. I have gotten 3-4 hrs of beach time. Plenty of time to enjoy the beach.

 

If you want to do it on your own, get off the ship first thing to make the 9am ferry from Red Hook. Return you want to be on the 4pm return. All aboard should be 5:30. Cab $20rtpp Ferry $14rtpp.

 

Self Explore St John (STO3) Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Leaves at 8:30am

Scenic narrated roundtrip ferry ride from ship pierside to Cruz Bay. Once there guests will enjoy a minimum of 4.5 hours of personal leisure time to explore this beautiful emerald isle. St. John is 2/3rds National Park with mnay glistening white sandy beaches to choose from along with historical sites. The famous Trunk Bay where you can hire snorkel equipment and enjoy the snorkel trail. Cinnamon Bay beach is a more private location with its historical "Arawak" site.Hawksnest Beach was a flim location. Taxis readily available for island tours- visit Annaberg Ruins - you'll still have time to swim, relax &visit Cruz Bay for shopping before joining the ferry for your return trip.

Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes

Restrictions:

*Starting From

Adult

35.00 USD

 

OR

 

Destination St. John: Coastal Cruise of National Park Beaches (STL2) Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Leaves at 10:30

OVERVIEW: Enjoy a guided coastal cruise of St. John before having time to explore the island at your own pace. A good combination tour if you'd like to see the beauty of St. John from the water before heading off on an adventure of your choice.HIGHLIGHTS: Scenic ferry ride to and from St. John. See thousands of acres of unspoiled National Park highlights. Approximately 3 to 3.5 hours of independent exploration / shopping.Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes

 

 

Adult

40.75 USD

 

Thanks for this. This is great. Do you know of any excursions the same as the option 1 for Carnival??? Exactly, what I am looking for.

[OCruisers]

If your ship is offering the "St. John Champagne Catamaran Sail, Snorkel, & Beach", it's a good one and worth your consideration. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[bwg03]

If your ship is offering the "St. John Champagne Catamaran Sail, Snorkel, & Beach", it's a good one and worth your consideration. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

 

Lulu-

 

I saw this one.. Not really into Champagne. Do they have other drinks as well?

[cody12000]

Check out Tripadvisor.com. There are reviews on all the beaches on St. John and other info you need. We are going on our own but we are going to make sure we are on the 3:00 pm ferry back to the ship. Also, I read buy a one way ticket because there are 2 ferry lines and you can only use the ferry you bought a round trip ticket on and you might want to come back on a different ferry.

[Bosjoe]

Thanks for this. This is great. Do you know of any excursions the same as the option 1 for Carnival??? Exactly, what I am looking for.

 

Hi There, unfortunately I have never sailed Carnival and not sure what they offer, check out their excursion page online for your cruise to see what they have.

[vacruizer]

Lulu-

 

I saw this one.. Not really into Champagne. Do they have other drinks as well?

 

The Carnival tour also serves up Painkillers... a dangerous concoction of rum, OJ, pineapple, coconut, and nutmeg. :) they also served fairly heavy snacks - fruit, cheese/crackers/bread and chocolates. The Champagne Catamaran is the only shore excursion I've ever done twice. Top notch crew that actually searched the reef for my ID and credit cards after my little waterproof case broke while snorkeling. :eek: A friend finally located them and the excursion crew dove down and got everything. I'm not always a fan of ship tours, but this is one of the best tours I've ever done. Beautiful sail, great crew, and snorkeling at St. John followed by drinks on the way back. Makes for a great day and sailing through the Virgin Islands on an actual sailboat is fantastic.

[OCruisers]

Lulu-

 

I saw this one.. Not really into Champagne. Do they have other drinks as well?

 

Yes...other drinks also. I know for sure beer and rum drinks (like rum punch, rum & coke, etc.). Way more people were asking for rum punch, than champagne.

It is a very nice excursion. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[augie]

Check out Tripadvisor.com. There are reviews on all the beaches on St. John and other info you need. We are going on our own but we are going to make sure we are on the 3:00 pm ferry back to the ship. Also, I read buy a one way ticket because there are 2 ferry lines and you can only use the ferry you bought a round trip ticket on and you might want to come back on a different ferry.

 

That is true if you are traveling on the car barge, but not so on the people ferry. Go ahead and buy the round trip ticket in Red Hook, that will save you a few minutes time standing on line in Cruz Bay for your return. Spend that time having one last cool drink at one of the waterfront bars while you plot your next visit! ;)

[Madden05]

We have done the Champagne catamaran. Loved it and we are doing it again!

 

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[bjarrett7]

We have done the Champagne catamaran. Loved it and we are doing it again!

 

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Can you share a little more about that? We had thought about taking that excursion but are still feeling unsure. So for now, we are doing the St Johns on your own.

[Madden05]

We did it as a carnival excursion. We are doing it again on Royal. You take an open air bus from the Pier to the Catamaran. Beautiful ride! Great, fun crew. One at St Johns you can swim and snorkel orbget a dinghy ride to shore to hang out on the beach. Not a real long beach stay. I was not a great snorkeler but this trip had me hooked. Beautiful sail back snacks and drinks.

 

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