San Juan and the Virgin Islands - itinerary change

[Astalarasta]

We are just about a month out from our sailing and I logged on to Windstar's site to possibly book an excursion.  It looks like they have changed the first port from Vieques to Charlotte Amalie.  We have not yet received any notice from Windstar.

 

We are not disappointed since we like enjoy wandering around ports and exploring and Vieques looked like it would be either a snorkeling or beach day, without much to explore in town.  

 

I have a couple of questions:

 

Windstar's site show tour options for Charlotte Amalie, but no descriptions.  How do we get more information about the tours?

 

Does anyone who has been to Charlotte Amalie on a Windstar cruise(or other) have any suggestions for excursions or tips for exploring independently?

 

 

 

  

[Strenz]

WS used to go out of a harbor near  Frenchtown, very charming part if St. Thomas, to be honest with you  Charlotte Amalie not so wonderful is an understatement. If I were you I wound get the schedule for the ferrys  over to St. Johns and thenbwhen there take the funny trucks that go to the National  Seashore Park all the time, last time I was there it was $5. Glorious park and beaches. Jump on right by the harbor. If you love to shop, which I do not, Charlotte Amalie is for you, beware seriously crowded because of all the mega cruise ships. I can not imagine why they dropped Vieques unless due to the hurricane a year ago it is not ready for visitors. I love the BVIs and the US Virgins but not Charlotte Amalie. Happy Sailing

[6rugrats]

Thank you for posting this.  I also have this itinerary booked, and neither Windstar nor my TA has notified me of this change.  Very disappointing.  I don’t like St. Thomas and am not impressed by the lack of notification,

[Astalarasta]

Strenz,

 

Thank you for the suggestions.  We will have to take a look at the schedule, as I might be worried about missing the  ship sailing with ferries and such and I don't like to worry on vacation.  I do like shopping, but don't love the big crowds, which was one of the reasons for selecting a Windstar cruise. 

 

6rugrats,

I was really surprised that we didn't hear from Windstar about the change.  We had this itinerary booked for last December and they were very good about letting us know about the changes after hurricane Maria.   Maybe because it was just one port, they don't feel it is necessary to notify us.

 

I'll try to keep an open mind about Charlotte Amalie.  If it's not a great port for exploring, we might take one of the excursions, if we can get some more information about them. 

[O2B@Cagain]

I am sorry about the ill will for St Thomas. It is one of the easiest places to get around on your own, without ship's excursions. You can arrange day sails or power boat charters. You can go to a beach. You can go shopping. You can go to St John or Water Island.

 

Early December will not be that busy.

 

The ferry runs from Red Hook on the east end of the island to Cruz Bay on St John every hour, on the hour. Because of the National Park, there are hiking trails, etc. to experience. The "funny trucks" are safari vehicles/taxis. They will take you to beaches or on a tour. There are no restaurants/bars on any of the St John beaches, so BYO.

 

I hope you have a pleasant day on St Thomas...

[jmbklj]

Windstar has cancelled all port visits to Vieques Puerto Rico until they reassess safety and crime concerns…..and I’m so sad. Seeing the bioluminescent bay at night has always been on my bucket list.  That is the first and only Windstar excursion I've booked for our upcoming Nov 30th sailing.  That is a key reason why I booked this cruise.  We did this similar cruise 2 years ago on the Pride, and when I saw Vieques added on this itinerary, I was excited to book this southern caribbean route to see the bioluminescent bay and to kayak it after dark.

 

I found out about the itinerary change from Cruise Critic, not from Windstar or my travel agent.

 

More info:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4728/

 

[MNgardens]

My recommendations:

There is a quick ferry from CA to Water Island. There is a nice beach there with a beach bar there called Heidi's.

 

If you are up to driving on the left, rent a vehicle and head off the beaten path to Hull Bay. There is a restaurant there too.  It is not the most gorgeous beach but there will be no excursions to it from the big ships. Often there is a small dog Lily hanging out to swim with people. This is much more of a locals scene with local boaters, not yachts.

 

I have not done it- way off the beaten path: Drive and park at the entrance to the fancy development called Botony Bay. The guard will give you instructions on how to walk down to a beach area known as Mermaid's Chair. When the tide is low there will be a spit of land that appears and is very instagrammable. No services. Bring plenty of water etc. The walk back to the car is up hill.

 

More on the beaten path - Magen's Bay is super beautiful but likely to be crowed at one end if there are multiple ships in port. Put yourself at the far end away from the bar/restaurant/shop and you will be fine. Beautiful sandy beach. Not much snorkling. There is an entrance fee, I believe cash only.

 

Coki Beach has good snorkling. Another place that may get crowded. It is next to Coral World which is a small locally owned marine park. You could spend a couple of hours there and then eat lunch at Coki. The homemade waffle cones at the ice cream shop are outstanding. The best strategy if you have a car is tour Coral World first, get their parking permit, then walk next door for Coki. In addition to their aquarium and wild life displays, Coral World has visit add ons such as SNUBA, helmet walk on the ocean floor, swim with a sea lion, dolphin encounter, shark interaction, etc. This is not one of the more shady big corporation operators. The owners have a huge commitment to their animals' welfare and a passion for educating visiting and local youth about the ocean environment.

 

Closer to Red Hook are Sapphire Beach and Lindqvist Beach. Sapphire has a lot of condos, a bar, etc. and is a common destination for day trippers. Lindqvist is more of a community park, small fee to park, no services. One time I was there a man had a floating bar set up that he was mixing drinks from. It is a beautiful long sandy beach.

 

Traffic can be a little slow downtown. Driving on the left really isn't that bad because no where on the island can you really go more than 35-40 due to the many curves and hills. The car are with the steering wheel on the left (like the US) so remember to "Keep your shoulder on the road's shoulder" and you will be fine.

 

The island will still bear witness to the devastation of the hurricanes two years ago. There are still churches with the roofs blown off. You will still see houses with blue tarps. The schools all need rebuilding. The hospital was just recently granted US money for rebuilding. Electrical power is unreliable. It has been two years. The islands have definitely been neglected by the mainland. Any money you can spend locally will have an impact.

[MNgardens]

Regarding St John:

Trunk Bay has all services - snorkel rental, bathrooms, showers to rinse off, food services. I was just there in July.

Peace Hill has a short hike to a ruin of a windmill. The islands were sugar cane plantations for the Danish and conditions were brutal.

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by MNgardens