Help me plan our St. John day

[Becky]

We arrive in St. Thomas the first week of Jan. with 4 ships in port. We arrive at 8:00 a.m. and depart at 5:00 p.m. I would like to catch the first ferry over to St. John. I know from reading the boards that the first ferry would be at 9:00 a.m., would this be ship time, so 1 hour after ship arrival?

 

I would like to visit some high points of the island and get a real 'feel' for the area. We will be spending time in St. Martin at the beach so allotting a lot of beach time is not a must but if this is a highlight of St. John then it can be on the list.

 

I've read about hiring a taxi to show us around once we exit the ferry. There will be 5 of us and I'm not keen on sharing a tour. I am the mom and the other 4 are in their 20s. If you could help me ask for specific points and time frame to return I would be most appreciative.

 

Since mom is footing the bill I do not want to spend a lot of $$. I've read that a tour is typically $20-$25pp. which is doable.

 

Thanks.

[Becky]

Hoping someone will reply in the next two days….

[Host Anne]

Hi Becky ~ hope my response is not too late. You didn't say what ship you are sailing on so I can't tell you whether your ship stays on eastern time or island time (which is one hour ahead). Celebrity ships, for example, change to island time. So if you arrive at 8:00, 9:00 AM would be the first ferry you could catch. Hopefully you are arriving into Havensight. It's a shorter taxi ride to the Red Hook ferry from this dock than from Crown Bay.

 

Upon arrival in Cruz Bay, you will want to talk with one of the taxi drivers about an island tour. It's a great way to see the highlights of this beautiful island. However, the taxis are all safari-type vehicles that carry more than five passengers. I don't know that you will be able to find someone who will be willing to provide a private vehicle for just five people at $20 - $25 per person. With the cost of gas (very high on the island) and the limited number of passengers they can tour each day, it's not cost effective for them to take just five people on an island tour. If you are willing to share a tour (it's really not a bad thing on St. John), you can do a couple hours tour for about $25 per person. You'll make a variety of stops at scenic overlooks (my avatar is from the Trunk Bay overlook). It really is a beautiful island.

 

After your tour, I recommend grabbing lunch in either one of the restaurants in Mongoose Junction (walkable back to the ferry dock and your taxi driver can drop you here) or one of the beach bars along Wharfside Village (just next to the ferry dock - look to your right when you get off the ferry). Both are great spots. Mongoose Junction has a variety of restaurants/bars and great shop. Wharfside Village is smaller but also has nice shops and a series of beach restaurants that run from the ferry dock to the south.

 

If you manage to get a private taxi, I also recommend heading out to Coral Bay and perhaps stopping for lunch at Shipwreck Landing or at Chateau Bordeaux overlooking Coral Bay. Our lunch last April at Chateau Bordeaux on their outdoor deck was terrific. The view from here is one of my favorites anywhere!

 

Let me know if I can provide any other info. You'll have a great day!

[Host Anne]

Becky ~ I'm guessing you are on NCL. All their ships dock in Havensight so if you are off the ship early when you dock, you should be able to make the 9:00 AM ferry to St. John.

[Becky]

Anne,

 

Yes, we will be on NCL. So do we stay on ship time? Can 5 people fit in a taxi? If we didn't do the safari type tour, what would you recommend for say 3 different stops for the day. I'd like a beach & mountain top for pictures. We will not be snorkeling. I've read that we should catch the 2:00 p.m. ferry, is this correct?

[Host Anne]

Hi Becky ~ I haven't sailed NCL in quite some time so I don't know if they change times or not. Be sure to check your daily paper to see if the ship changes to St. Thomas time or stays on east coast time. If the ship does not change time, keep your watch on the ship time as the time on island is irrelevant. You can post a question on the regular NCL boards and ask if the ship changed to St. Thomas time when you dock there.

 

You aren't going to find a taxi that takes just five people. At least all the taxi's I've seen are safari type at the pier on St. Thomas and hold between 12 - 20 people. You won't find any standard taxis on St. John. They are all safari type. You might be able to negotiate a private tour with one of the smaller safaris on St. John (holds 8 - 10).

 

Three stops for me would be the north shore beach overlooks (Trunk Bay and Maho Bay); Annaberg Plantation (walk up to the top and get great views to the north); and Chateau Bordeaux (my favorite view).

 

Yep, I would recommend taking the 2:00 PM ferry back. Since you haven't done it before, I think it's best to build in a little time. With only four ships in port, it won't be as crazy as it can be on St. Thomas getting back to the ship, but I like being a little cautious.

 

Here's a link to some photos I took on St. John earlier this year. https://stjohnmarch2013.shutterfly.com/pictures/8 It's a very pretty place.

[newmexicoNita]

Anne,

 

Yes, we will be on NCL. So do we stay on ship time? Can 5 people fit in a taxi? If we didn't do the safari type tour, what would you recommend for say 3 different stops for the day. I'd like a beach & mountain top for pictures. We will not be snorkeling. I've read that we should catch the 2:00 p.m. ferry, is this correct?

 

Just off NCL last week: they stay on Atlantic time and don't switch back to Eastern standard time til they leave the island and head back to America, or if you hit St Thomas first you will set your clocks accordingly the night before arriving. At least that is what they did last week.

[Host Anne]

Thanks for the update, Nita. Nice info for NCL passengers that the ship does change time!