Will there be enough time?

[Timmys_mom]

We will be docked in St. Thomas from 10:00 am to 8:00 p.m. Will this be enough time to ferry to St. John, taxi to Cinnamon Bay, catch some rays and ferry back to St. Thomas?

 

I'm looking for a quiet, relaxing day and I get the feeling that St. John's is a little more laid back than St. Thomas. I don't want to schedule an excursion, just me, a book, a beach and some booze. I understand that if I get bored, there are still some activities available at Cinnamon Bay.

 

Will this work?

[zqvol]

I think so. My DW and I did a pre cruise stay on St. Thomas last year. We went to St. John and got there and back in about 6 hours including beach time. Watch the ferry schedules.

 

This might be one to book through the ship.

[Sheffie]

Shelly, when I went there, we didn't leave till about 11 a.m. and had to be back by 5:00 and we were able to do it just fine. Spent a couple of hours on the beach, ate a little at a restaurant and ferried back. As zqvol said, watch the ferry schedules, and give yourself a couple of hours leeway. You can always go up the tram or shop if you have a lot of time left back at the ship.

[BuddyLee]

My wife and I will be in St. Thomas in Jan. and are planning to go to St. John to relax on the beach. Could anyone advise how long it takes to get from the pier to the ferry in St.Thomas, how long the ferry ride is (I found a website that says it's 45 mins.), and how long the taxi ride from the ferry to whichever beach is best on St. John. Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to calculate how much beach time we will have. The Royal Caribbean excursion only allows an hour and a half of beach time out of a four and a half hour tour. Thanks, Jimmy.

[beachchick]

Buddylee: How long the ferry ride takes depends on which ferry you are taking. The 45-minutes you saw would be for the Charlotte Amalie ferry, which leaves from the same area (but still a short taxi ride away) as the cruise ships. The Red Hook ferry (that's the one you taxi across island to get to) takes about 15 minutes. The taxi ride to Red Hook is about 20-25 minutes (depending on traffic, etc.). So, the timing is kind of a push. However, the CA ferry doesn't run as often as the RH one. I know prices have gone up, but the RH ferry would cost about $8 p/p rt; the CA ferry probably $16 p/p rt. (I'm sure someone will correct me pricing-wise; it's been more than a year since our last visit, so I'm kind of guessing.)

 

Once on St. John, it's about 15 minutes to Trunk Bay (as I recall, but there are stops at a couple of resorts along the way) and a bit further for Cinnamon Bay. Both are excellent choices for snorkeling.

 

We like to grab a taxi (private--I don't care that it costs more, I don't want to wait for a large one to fill up) and head to Red Hook. Then get tix on the next Red Hook ferry. Coming back, depending on timing and such, we like to return on the CA ferry. It's a really nice ride along the coastline of St. Thomas. (Be warned that it can get a bit choppy; nothing "scary" though.) But again, the CA ferry doesn't run as often, so you really have to figure out what works best for you. Remember that if you take the Red Hook ferry back that you must factor in the taxi ride back across the island. Depending on the time of day, traffic can get pretty backed up.

 

You should have no problem going to St. John and spending a few hours enjoying yourselves. I would recommend doing that first thing and then using whatever time is left of the day to take the tram (and have a Bushwacker) or wander around and do some shopping, etc.

 

beachchick

[zqvol]

My wife and I will be in St. Thomas in Jan. and are planning to go to St. John to relax on the beach. Could anyone advise how long it takes to get from the pier to the ferry in St.Thomas, how long the ferry ride is (I found a website that says it's 45 mins.), and how long the taxi ride from the ferry to whichever beach is best on St. John. Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to calculate how much beach time we will have. The Royal Caribbean excursion only allows an hour and a half of beach time out of a four and a half hour tour. Thanks, Jimmy.

If you leave from downtown St. thomas the cab ride is 5 - 10 minutes max, and the ferry is about 45 minutes. If you take a cab to Red Hook the ride is about 25 minutes and the ferry is about 15 minutes.