21,000 passengers in port!!

[HALrunner]

Is it worth getting off the ship?!?

 

I am just starting to research ports for our cruise next month and discovered there will be a total of 6 ships (21,000 passengers + crew) in St. Thomas the day we are scheduled in port.

 

Do they all arrive at the same port? According to our itinerary we will be at Charlotte Amalie.

 

Any suggestions on a less crowded place to spend the day or way to see the island?

[Ms411]

There are many ways to avoid crowds: non ship day sail, limited capacity ship excursions (mini boat, BOSS underwater scooters, bike tour, etc). The popular beaches will be crowded, but usually not uncomfortably crowded.

 

Yes, there are 2 docks on St Thomas, and HAL ships dock at the less busier dock.

[blue_water]

No need to stay on the ship. There are a couple nice beaches with some amenities that shouldn't be crowded, and as mentioned a daysail is an option f time allows, including the champagne cat sail to STJ through the cruise line.

You can also hire a private driver and avoid much of the crowd, you'll find a few threads here about Stanley Coran who does this. But contact him now if interested.

[HALrunner]

Thanks for the encouragement! My husband suggested we just find a water based excursion or charter a small boat. I will look into Stanley Coran, but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[blue_water]

For beach options Elysian Beach has a beach bar, restaurant, and snorkeling but is not a beach taxi drivers typically stop at. So it will be quieter with mainly condo guests, but you need to ask a driver to return. I think you can easily find a driver at the dock (talk to the taxi coordinator) taking a group to nearby Secret Harbor, and that driver should be willing to pick you up for the return and probably take your $ on the return. But you'll have to see if that's an option if you are interested.

Private daysails include High Pockets and New Horizons, the latter takes more ppl. And there are smaller charters that wil take a small group and many if these can be found on Vinow dot com under daysails. Reviews on TA can be helpful.

 

But don't overlook the champagne cat - it will probably bookup early, but very popular and an easy day away from the big crowds.

Good luck!

[Ms411]

The CruiseCritic forums, IMO, offer very few ideas for port stops. Almost all recommend a select few tour guides and beaches as if those are the only reputable options. Very, very few posts recommend the varied cruise excursions that offer something other than beach or island tours. Most of the islands have more to offer than those limited beaches and tour guides, and if you want unique experiences, I think you should also check other sources than CruiseCritic .

 

If I don't see something on cruisecritic that appeals to me, I usually do a Google search for "things to do in ..." and compare as many as I can. There are often tours offered exclusively by one provider.

[blue_water]

The CruiseCritic forums, IMO, offer very few ideas for port stops.

 

Actually I think the cc forums are a wealth of knowledge where folks can easily find the more popular attractions. And folks who want something other than the "cookie cutter" options and cruise line choices can find great ideas. For example the information we obtained here on Stanley Coran several years ago made a perfect port dauphin for us, and we just passed that on and many others have reported enjoying his private tour. There are several other examples of experienced cruisers and others providing unique ides to others.

 

So although cc is a public forum and people have to beware of dishonest and incorrect advice just as on tripadvisor and other forums, overall I think cruisecritic serves a great role for thousands of people. I agree that using multiple sources when researching destinations is wise.

[OCruisers]

St. Thomas often has a large number of cruise passengers plus others on vacation in port. Please do get off the ship and enjoy your day there! :)

LuLu

[stefanny28]

We were in St-Thomas yesterday and there were 4 ships in ports.

So we went to Lindberg beach (Emerald beach Resort/ Best Western).

It is right after Crown Bay Marina and it costs $7/person by taxi from Havensight.

Chairs were $7 but I did not see any umbrella for rental.

There are trees for shade but as the sun moves, you will loose the shade.

There was jet ski, paddle board and other water sport.

It was pretty quiet and unknown (unlike Magen's or Coki).

 

Hope this helps.

 

PS: I met a couple who took the ferrry from Crown Bay to Water Island to the "Honeymoon Beach".

Maybe you can do some research on that.

I think not a lot of people knew about the"Water Island Beach".

[Ms411]

Water Island is very well known and popular now. Was virtually unknown 5 years or so ago.