St. John from Oasis for less than 6 1/2 hrs

[TequilaToo]

I'm looking at the shore excursions offered by RCI for an Oasis cruise next March. From what I'm reading it seems as if the return time to St. Thomas from St. John is fixed on these official excursions. We have someone in our party that might not be up to a full 6 1/2 hours ashore, and who wouldn't want to be "stuck" in St. John if she felt she needed to go back to the ship to rest. However, we definitely do NOT want to miss St. John, as it's our favorite port of call in the Caribbean. Would we be better off doing a DIY, or is there a better way of doing it? All we really want to do is ride around the island and see the sights. I remember the vistas along the drive as being spectacular.

Edited May 23, 2014 by TequilaToo

[mrsfuzzmo]

You "could" do your own, but 6.5 hrs in port is not a lot of time to do that. I'd do the excursion. Sometimes ship excursions to St. John will go right from the ship dock rather than having to go to Red Hook, that's a huge plus. Yes, usually ship excursion time is a set time, so there would be little flexibility in returning on your own. Can be done by hopping the ferry to Red Hook, then taxi back to the port, but for the time and energy that would take on your own, you'd be better off staying on the tour for the extra hour.

[Host Anne]

In all the years we've been going to St. John, I've yet to visit with anyone who felt "stuck" on St. John. If there is one place I'd like to get stuck, that's it!!! :)

 

When they say the tour is 6.5 hours, keep in mind that includes travel time to get to and from St. John.

 

I'm with you, I could just ride around all day and look at the wonderful vistas and never tire. The nice thing is that there are lots of nice spots someone who got tired and just wanted to sit for awhile can relax. Cruz Bay Landing is the perfect spot just off the ferry dock for someone who wanted a break.

 

The travel distance is the same whether you do the ship excursion or on your own. Flexibility is better on your own but you really aren't going to have that much time on the island to begin with.

 

Good luck with your decision and enjoy whatever you end up doing!

[TequilaToo]

In all the years we've been going to St. John, I've yet to visit with anyone who felt "stuck" on St. John. If there is one place I'd like to get stuck, that's it!!! :)

Maybe "stuck" isn't the right word. Personally I'd like to get stuck there, too! It's just that the reality of not being able to get back to the ship to lie down might induce a sense of panic in one of our group members!

 

I'm thinking we might do the ST08 St. John Ultimate Island & Natil Park Beaches and rather than stay at the beach at Trunk Bay, re-board the bus and head to Cruz Bay where maybe we can find a place to sit and have a cup of coffee and do a little shopping. Either that, or the STL2 Coastal Cruise of National Park, which gives 3 1/2 hours to explore the island which might give us time to take a short taxi ride around the island. Has anyone taken either of these shore excursions?

 

The first time we went to St. John, we took the tender from the Norway, which anchored off-shore, did not opt for an official shore excursion, thinking we'd just poke around in Cruz Bay...at 6AM! There wasn't even a cup of coffee anywhere in sight! Our group of 10 walked up the hill thinking there would be something beyond it...only to find....another hill! So we walked back to the dock and got a "taxi" and took an unofficial island tour.

 

The second time we were on a Carnival cruise, and we took a shore excursion, but it wasn't nearly as long as 6 1/2 hours.

[Host Anne]

Tequila ~ first, forgot to tell you I love your screen name!!! :)

 

You're going back talking about the Norway. Those were the day!

 

The STL2 option sounds like the excursion we did with Celebrity in January. It's a nice boat ride along the north shore and then a few hours in town (or to tour the island on your own).

 

The other option sounds like you get an island tour and visit some beaches. Is this something your entire group would like?

 

I know you can sit and have coffee either at Cruz Bay Landings right at the dock or some place like High Tide which is literally next to the ferry dock. This area is also surrounded by very nice shops to stroll around. I can sit in this area all day long, watch people come and go, enjoy coffee and a snack and be very content.

 

Wishing you well in whatever you decide!

[blue_water]

If you aren't averse to going on your own that gives you the utmost flexibility and is a very popular option with many cruisers to STT. Just grab a taxi heading to the Red Hook ferry, take the 20 min ferry to Cruz Bay, and there you will see taxis lined up to take folks to the beaches or on island tours. Very easy and the ferry returns on the hour. Cost to get to Cruz Bay is comparable to other options at $36pp ($11 taxi + $7 ferry each way), and the drivers offer excellent tours for about $25 that are just enough to see the beauty of STJ. You can then return to Cruz for a lunch and shopping or hit a beach first.

 

Very relaxing and you own your time. And we love shopping in Cruz, beautiful Hook bracelets at St John Bracelets and great shops by the Beach Bar (a nice spot to relax) and at Mongoose Junction.

[monicajay]

Did the STL2. First and only cruise tour ever, only because we had planned on going on our own but my DH woke up feeling terrible. He wanted to stay on the ship and rest. Rather than go alone to St John, I booked this trip less than an hour before the departure.

 

The trip to St. John was interesting although at times the commentary got a little dull but the view was amazing. It was really nice to cruise along the north coast and see all the beaches. Once back at Cruz Bay I took a safari taxi to Trunk Bay and had plenty of time to snorkel and rest on the beach. Can't imagine felling 'stuck' here as it was the most beautiful of beaches.

 

On the return trip they served some very enjoyable Rum Punch ;).

 

A big thank-you to the couple who 'adopted' me that day. We had lunched together in the MDR a few days earlier and when they found out I was alone for the day they insisted I 'hang out' with them.

 

I think this tour would be great for you. Take some resting time at the beach.

[blue_water]

Touring the coast is also a nice option, especially on a nice cat. Some of the ferry options from port can be less fun, especially on rough sea days.

[Glamourgal]

Below are prices that I copied and pasted from a great thread on doing St. John's on your own. I feel these prices have more than likely increased and was wondering if anyone who has been there recently has more up to date prices...Thanks!!

 

APPROXIMATE PER PERSON COSTS TO GO ON YOUR OWN

Roundtrip taxi from ship (Havensight) to Red Hook: $20

Roundtrip ferry cost: $14

Roundtrip taxi cost to Beaches: $14

TOTAL APPROXIMATE COST: $48

[blue_water]

You are current! An island tour on STJ is about $25pp and is a nice way to see the beauty of the coast and some ruins before hitting the beach.