Beach excursion

[Scaredcrazy]

So I'm curious about St Thomas. I c they have a sapphire beach excursions or a secret sands beach excursion. Which I believe is Smith bay park. So my question is , which is better , and safer..

[Hlitner]

If you go to the Jersey Shore do you take an excursion? So why take a beach excursion on St Thomas. There are plenty of taxis at the port and the taxi "starter" will organize everyone into larger taxis (some of these are small trucks that carry more than a dozen) depending on their destination. Taxi fares are fixed, set by the government, and posted. So if you want to go to Saphire, Coki, Magans Bay, etc. just go out and tell the taxi folks and you will be on your way in a few minutes at far less cost then any excursion.

 

As to better or safer this is just a matter of personal preference. Personally, DW and I prefer beaches less well known (and populated by) cruisers. Others flock to famous beaches such as Magans Bay. We actually make our beach decisions on the spur of the moment based on where the ship is docked (Havensight or Crown Bay) and our mood.

 

Hank

Edited January 12, 2016 by Hlitner

[6rugrats]

Agree, no need to pay for an excursion to take you to the beach. On St. Thomas, we just took a cab to Sapphire Beach.

 

It's a total waste of money to pay for such an excursion. Save your money and rent some loungers on the beach, and have drinks and lunch at the restaurant there instead.

[leaveitallbehind]

So I'm curious about St Thomas. I c they have a sapphire beach excursions or a secret sands beach excursion. Which I believe is Smith bay park. So my question is , which is better , and safer..

 

I know from your previous thread that you are extremely concerned for safety and can only say that - as with most Caribbean ports of call - St. Thomas is very safe and no one beach is safer than the other. As a first time cruiser you may be better off staying with a ship sponsored excursion but as Hlitner and 6rugrats pointed out, taxis to and from are very easy - and safe - and less costly

 

Please stop being so concerned for your safety in the Caribbean - as said before, you and your family will be fine. The less you worry the more you will enjoy. Cruises and the many interesting ports of call offer a lot for the traveling family and I hope you can just go and enjoy yourself with your family. We've done it for years.

Edited January 12, 2016 by leaveitallbehind

[Scaredcrazy]

Thank you. My main concern about all is that my children out number me and are on the younger side. Im also trying to figure out about if the beaches are shallow and waves are rough. I c that u have been on many trips and take ur advice to heart.

[cb at sea]

You don't need excursions for beaches, especially in St. Thomas!

[Scaredcrazy]

I know from your previous thread that you are extremely concerned for safety and can only say that - as with most Caribbean ports of call - St. Thomas is very safe and no one beach is safer than the other. As a first time cruiser you may be better off staying with a ship sponsored excursion but as Hlitner and 6rugrats pointed out, taxis to and from are very easy - and safe - and less costly

 

Please stop being so concerned for your safety in the Caribbean - as said before, you and your family will be fine. The less you worry the more you will enjoy. Cruises and the many interesting ports of call offer a lot for the traveling family and I hope you can just go and enjoy yourself with your family. We've done it for years.

So I tried to respond to ur answer. Just figured out how to

[leaveitallbehind]

Thank you. My main concern about all is that my children out number me and are on the younger side. Im also trying to figure out about if the beaches are shallow and waves are rough. I c that u have been on many trips and take ur advice to heart.

 

Your concern for water safety at the beach with younger children certainly is understandable. Our most recent experience (although a number of years ago) was with Sapphire, and my family loved it.

 

The beaches will have a shallow entry and will not be too wave intensive close in. I think either would be fine in that regard.

[Scaredcrazy]

Your concern for water safety at the beach with younger children certainly is understandable. Our most recent experience (although a number of years ago) was with Sapphire, and my family loved it.

 

The beaches will have a shallow entry and will not be too wave intensive close in. I think either would be fine in that regard.

 

Yes I'm kinda over the scared crazy bit. Lol But I couldn't figure out how to change that title. Im just trying to pick the best arrangements for the trip now. U have given great advice.

[Extra Kim]

We have been to St Thomas. We didn't have big expectations and was a bit disappointed since we where supposed to got to Tortola and from there to Virgin Gorad and the baths, but Royal changed the itinerary.

 

We had not planed to got to St Thomas and knew where little about the island. I had heard talk about Megan's Bay so we walked of the ship, went to the taxi area (just follow the signs) and got on one of the taxi trucks.

 

When we got to Megan's Bay, we just walked to the left (if you have the beach infront of you) until it wasn't crowded.

 

We had a WONDERFUL day and I would go back in a heartbeat!

 

There will be taxi's that go back to the port.

[leaveitallbehind]

Yes I'm kinda over the scared crazy bit. Lol But I couldn't figure out how to change that title. Im just trying to pick the best arrangements for the trip now. U have given great advice.

 

Didn't mean to harp on that - just wanted to reassure you that all will be fine. I don't think you can change your screen name without deleting it and signing up again.

 

Keep asking the questions - there's a lot of good people here with a ton of good answers.

 

I'm sure you will love your first cruise and it will not be your last!

[h-sar]

As always, good advice from everyone here. Having been on a dozen cruises (which makes me a relative newbie compared to many others) since my youngest was 6 (they're 16 and 18 now), you have absolutely nothing more to be concerned about in the Caribbean than you would at any beach in the US.

 

Hank as always, hit it on the head. We've ventured away from even taxis to as much public transportation as we can (but it took about 6 cruises to get to that comfort level!) Nothing like a $2.50 public bus ride to 7 Mile Beach in Grand Cayman as we did a couple of weeks ago or even less in Antigua to Valley Church Beach versus the $40-60 ship excursions, per person, to drop you off at a beach and provide you a lounger. Huge thanks to Hlitner (Hank) for the posts over the years which got me out of my comfort zone!

 

You and your kids will have a fabulous time and you will be ready to ditch your username in no time! Don't be afraid to ask questions - there's a wealth of experience on these boards, and the search engine at the top right is a great way to get even the most obscure question answered!