St. John questions

[tarheelschik]

Do each of the beaches in St. John offer alcoholic drinks, or is it just water, soda, etc?

 

We are traveling outside of our comfort zone while we are in St. Thomas, and are wanting to take a trip over to St. John, as Trunk Bay looks beautiful, but are still pretty uncertain of what all we need to do or get lined out before we are certain that we have it all planned out.

 

Carnival does not offer any trips over to St. John on the day we are in St. Thomas, which was really a big letdown for us. We are in St. Thomas from 7:30 - 3:30. If you have any suggestions/recommendations for the quickest route to get to the ferry, and what time we would need to come back over on the ferry to get back on the ship, I would greatly appreciate it!

 

Any pictures of the different beaches would also be greatly appreciated :)

[beautifulbill]

It isn't hard to go to St. John, but you really don't have much time to do it. You get a taxi when you get off the ship to Red Hook. Probably a 20 to 30 minute trip depending on traffic and about $12/person. The ferry leaves Red Hook and is about a 20 minute ride and $7/person. The ferry docks in Cruz Bay and you catch a cab to Trunk or Cinnamon, the only beaches with food,drink, and showers. Again about 20 minute drive and $10/person.

You reverse the trip coming back to the ship and I would catch the 1PM or 1:30 ferry to be sure to get back to the ship.

So it is doable but a lot of travel for not much beach time.

[tarheelschik]

Thanks for the reply! Does anyone have an idea of the cost of food or drinks at Trunk Bay?

 

And suggestions for the best spot on the beach?

[HarpHarp]

The other problem you will run into with that port schedule is that the ferry runs hourly at the top of the hour. If you are VERY LUCKY with your timing you may make the 8 am ferry, but the 9 is more likely.

That gives you about 3 hours at the beach because you will need to catch the 1 pm ferry back.

 

Trunk bay is National Park & has a snack bar. Cinnamon, Caneel $$$, & maybe a couple of other beaches have more variety. Cruz Bay has many good places to eat.

[tarheelschik]

Thanks for all the helpful advise!! I am super excited about St. John, and even if I can only make it to the beach there for 3 hours, I will be beyond pleased with that :)

 

Is the ferry pretty reliable with their schedule and timing?

[HarpHarp]

Thanks for all the helpful advise!! I am super excited about St. John, and even if I can only make it to the beach there for 3 hours, I will be beyond pleased with that :)

 

Is the ferry pretty reliable with their schedule and timing?

 

The ferry is very reliable and on time. I'd head back to Cruz Bay & have some conch fritters for lunch before you catch the 1pm ferry. There is also some very interesting shopping there.

When will you be there? The next month is pretty slow & some places may be closed or have shorted hours. The under water snorkeling trail at Trunk is wonderful, but the beach can get crowded.

St. John is a magical place, with too many spectacular beaches to visit even in a week.

[tarheelschik]

We actually won't be there until next June, but we are trying to get all of our plans lined out before :)

 

Is there a great place to eat in Cruz Bay, that you would recommend?

[OCruisers]

Do each of the beaches in St. John offer alcoholic drinks, or is it just water, soda, etc?

 

There's a Full Service bar at Trunk Bay! No Problem! :D

 

LuLu

[tarheelschik]

There's a Full Service bar at Trunk Bay! No Problem! :D

 

LuLu

 

That is great news!!!!

[Host Anne]

tar heel ~ here's the info I provide to family/friends who want to visit St. John while on a cruise with a stop in St. Thomas:

 

Getting There & Cost

• Roundtrip taxi from ship to Red Hook ferry: approximately $20

• Roundtrip ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay: $14

• Roundtrip from Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay: $14

 

 

• Disembark the ship as soon as they allow you to get off. If your ship is in early and you can possibly catch a taxi by 7:30 you might be able to make the 8:00 AM ferry.

• Jump in a taxi and head to the Red Hook Ferry ($10 per person)

• The ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay departs on the hour and is approximately 20 minutes long.

 

The Island

There are only two towns on St. John. Cruz Bay on the west end of the island where the ferry will drop you off and Coral Bay on the east end. Cruz Bay is far bigger (lots of shops, restaurants, grocery stores, car rental agencies, hotels, etc). Coral Bay is barely a town but it’s a great place.

 

Beaches

The best beaches are along the north shore of the island. North shore beaches are easily reached from both Cruz Bay. Hawksnest, Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho and Leistner are among our favorite north shore beaches. Trunk and Cinnamon have snack bars (yes they serve alcohol) and facilities to rent snorkel gear, beach chairs, and lockers. You can take a taxi (safari type) right at the ferry dock to your beach of choice.

 

Shopping & Restaurants

For a small island, St. John has a lot of great restaurants and some fun shopping. Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay is a pretty high end outdoor shopping area with great shops, restaurants and a fun atmosphere. There is also a fun area to the right when you get off the ferry. It’s called Wharfside Village and there are bunches of great bars that line the beach here. High Tide (the first bar next to the ferry dock) and the Beach Bar (a short walk down the beach) are two good ones to grab a bite to eat and enjoy a blender drink!

 

Returning to the Ship

The ferry returns to St. Thomas every hour, on the hour. We always take the ferry three hours before our ships departure. For you cruise that would be the 1:00 PM ferry. Afternoon traffic on St. Thomas can be heavy but you'll be going back early enough it shouldn't be an issue for you. Between the ferry ride and the taxi back to the ship, you are typically looking at about 45 – 50 minutes total. There are plenty of taxis waiting at the Red Hook ferry terminal when you return to St. Thomas.

 

Have a great time. There's no place like St. John for me!

Edited October 18, 2015 by Host Anne

[tarheelschik]

tar heel ~ here's the info I provide to family/friends who want to visit St. John while on a cruise with a stop in St. Thomas:

 

Getting There & Cost

• Roundtrip taxi from ship to Red Hook ferry: approximately $20

• Roundtrip ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay: $14

• Roundtrip from Red Hook to Trunk Bay: $14

 

 

• Disembark the ship as soon as they allow you to get off. If your ship is in early and you can possibly catch a taxi by 7:30 you might be able to make the 8:00 AM ferry.

• Jump in a taxi and head to the Red Hook Ferry ($10 per person)

• The ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay departs on the hour and is approximately 20 minutes long.

 

The Island

There are only two towns on St. John. Cruz Bay on the west end of the island where the ferry will drop you off and Coral Bay on the east end. Cruz Bay is far bigger (lots of shops, restaurants, grocery stores, car rental agencies, hotels, etc). Coral Bay is barely a town but it’s a great place.

 

Beaches

The best beaches are along the north shore of the island. North shore beaches are easily reached from both Cruz Bay. Hawksnest, Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho and Leistner are among our favorite north shore beaches. Trunk and Cinnamon have snack bars (yes they serve alcohol) and facilities to rent snorkel gear, beach chairs, and lockers. You can take a taxi (safari type) right at the ferry dock to your beach of choice.

 

Shopping & Restaurants

For a small island, St. John has a lot of great restaurants and some fun shopping. Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay is a pretty high end outdoor shopping area with great shops, restaurants and a fun atmosphere. There is also a fun area to the right when you get off the ferry. It’s called Wharfside Village and there are bunches of great bars that line the beach here. High Tide (the first bar next to the ferry dock) and the Beach Bar (a short walk down the beach) are two good ones to grab a bite to eat and enjoy a blender drink!

 

Returning to the Ship

The ferry returns to St. Thomas every hour, on the hour. We always take the ferry three hours before our ships departure. For you cruise that would be the 1:00 PM ferry. Afternoon traffic on St. Thomas can be heavy but you'll be going back early enough it shouldn't be an issue for you. Between the ferry ride and the taxi back to the ship, you are typically looking at about 45 – 50 minutes total. There are plenty of taxis waiting at the Red Hook ferry terminal when you return to St. Thomas.

 

Have a great time. There's no place like St. John for me!

 

 

Thank you so much for all this helpful information! That is exactly what I needed, all in 1 message!! We are super excited about visiting St. John, as it has been on my bucket list for years now!! Just a little nervous about wandering that far out of our comfort zone lol :)

[Host Anne]

tarheel ~ I had an error in my previous post...should have said Roundtrip from Cruz Bay to Trunk Bay is $14 (I corrected it).

 

I certainly understand "comfort zones." The nice thing about doing this on your own is that there are others from your ship doing the exact same thing. I find everyone on St. John to be super friendly and the taxi drivers at the harbor in Cruz Bay never lead you astray. Plus, I've always thought if I had to get stuck somewhere, St. John would be it!!! :) ENJOY your cruise and St. John!