Trunk Bay from Crown Bay

[panzafit]

We are cruising with Royal Caribbean late June on Harmony which I'm told docks at Crown Bay.  I was told no other beach in St. Thomas/St. John compares to Trunk Bay.  Looks like we are docked from 12pm-8pm.  What is the quickest/cheapest/easiest way to get to Trunk Bay from Crown Bay?  OR   Is there a beach on the St. Thomas side that is comparable?

[Ms411]

The easiest way to get to Trunk is through the ship's excursion if they offer one. If you do it on your own by taking a taxi from the dock to the ferry terminal, ferry over to St John, and taxi to Crown Bay it's going to cost you approximately $27 per person each way. Allow approximately 1 hour travel time on St Thomas and 15 minutes on St John.

 

Trunk is beautiful, but so are other beaches on St Thomas. Maybe not quite as beautiful but probably prettier than a lot of other beaches.

 

Emerald Beach and Honeymoon Beach on Water Island are much closer than Trunk and are pretty beaches with food, drink, chairs, etc.

 

[scorpluvsdolphins]

Which is the best for snorkeling?  Willing to get a private charter. 

[TTEllis]

On 5/3/2019 at 3:41 PM, panzafit said:

We are cruising with Royal Caribbean late June on Harmony which I'm told docks at Crown Bay.  I was told no other beach in St. Thomas/St. John compares to Trunk Bay.  Looks like we are docked from 12pm-8pm.  What is the quickest/cheapest/easiest way to get to Trunk Bay from Crown Bay?  OR   Is there a beach on the St. Thomas side that is comparable?

Crown Bay to Trunk Bay........be the first off the ship, early as you possibly can. Walk outside the gate keep walking to the street, ask a taxi driver you need to get to RED HOOK, NOW. He will point you in the right direction for the right taxi to Redhook. Within several minutes you will be on your way, once you arrive at Redhook get inline or walk up to the ticket counter and buy yourself a round trip ticket, the ferry ride over to Cruz Bay is about 20 minutes. When you get off the ferry walk right up to one of the OPEN AIR taxi driver's and say, TRUNK, hand him $12 and your good to go.

 

You'll figure your way back, hint hint don't miss the 3pm ferry BACK over to Redhook ST .THOMAS from Cruz Bay ST. JOHN 😊

Trust me on that one. Be at Cruz Bay by 2:50pm latest LEAVE Trunk Bay(THE BEACH) by no later than 2:30pm.

 

Go have fun. Later Todd

[CruiseDad2019]

Good detail....but whats the reason to take the 3pm ferry back when the ship doesnt leave until 8pm?  Would love to hear.  Thank you!

[TTEllis]

3 hours ago, CruiseDad2019 said:

Good detail....but whats the reason to take the 3pm ferry back when the ship doesnt leave until 8pm?  Would love to hear.  Thank you!

If your ship doesn't disembark St. Thomas until 8pm, you not only don't have to catch the 3pm ferry back to Redhook, you don't have to be one of the first off the ship and in a mad dash for Redhook before the 8am ferry departs for Cruz Bay.

 

So you say your ship doesn't leave St. Thomas until 8pm, let me guess it doesn't get into Crown Bay until 3-4pm? What a CROCK!!

If this is the time frame you have to work with on St. Thomas I would forget about St. John and do exactly what the previous member has suggested and stay on St. Thomas and do an awesome beach there. Forget about St. John, you'll miss the ship, you don't need that. Hope that helps Todd

 

 

[O2B@Cagain]

TT: Did you see that the ship arrives at noon? LOL

To the OP, you don't have to hurry back on the 3, but you won't want to stay on a beach past sunset, as it tends to get buggy then. Sunset is around 6, year around.

[CruiseDad2019]

O2B...ty for clarifying. (Think a nerve was hit before, as no ship I know of docks that late at St T lol) greatly appreciate your kind insight and clarification for sure!😊

[blue_water]

Trunk and Cinnamon Bays are very nice, but if interested in more beach time with your later arrival I would suggest Sapphire Beach on the East End of St Thomas for a gorgeous beach and good snorkeling. That would save you ~1.5 - 2 hrs of travel time. But if you want Trunk the taxi and ferry services are very reliable and I would recommend going on your own for any beach destination. Just ferry to Red Hook, ferry over to Cruz and taxi to Trunk. Total cost is ~$50pp + entry fee...Sapphire would be ~$22pp.

[TTEllis]

4 hours ago, O2B@Cagain said:

TT: Did you see that the ship arrives at noon? LOL

To the OP, you don't have to hurry back on the 3, but you won't want to stay on a beach past sunset, as it tends to get buggy then. Sunset is around 6, year around.

It's still a choppy trip over and back at that time of day. I ALWAYS stay until the last minute on Trunk, it cost me in 2011.

Crown Bay to Redhook is NOT the same as Havensight to Redhook, especially later in the day on your way back. I would never take the 6pm ferry back to STT, if my ship left Crown Bay at 8pm. With the variables involved in getting back to Crown Bay in under 2 hours, I can't do it anymore, I get on the ferry 3 hours before whichever ship I'm on departs either pier. 

 

If your on STT with say 4 ships or more in both piers it doesn't matter, I would very much consider heading over to STJ, but if you get to Redhook and the traffic, vehicle and pedestrian is a bit much and it took longer to get over there that you had expected, wait till you try and get back. You do the math, St. John Trunk Bay I do the math and I make it work. I would go, especially now that the snack bar and BAR BAR are open. Later Todd

 

[CruiseDad2019]

Thank you for your assistance!

[CruiseDad2019]

There are 2 ships in port on our day.  One in Crown, other at WICO

[TTEllis]

2 hours ago, CruiseDad2019 said:

There are 2 ships in port on our day.  One in Crown, other at WICO

2 ships in port that's incredible(that's just like the good ol days) this is your chance to go, an excellent opportunity, enjoy your day and get back to STT without all the fanfare.

Once you go and spend a few hours on Trunk in all due respect it will be difficult for you to go back to STT and do anything else. You'll figure it out, go have a great day on St. John and Trunk Bay. 

[blue_water]

The other ship in port that day is the smaller Conquest which leaves at 3PM, and with that information, the OP’s later arrival, and 8 hr port time we would still recommend gorgeous Sapphire for more beach time. But STJ is a nice day and we’d head to Cinnamon, and if returning to Crown would recommend the 5PP out of Cruz...

 

The OP sailed today and I’m sure will enjoy the day whatever option they choose!

[TTEllis]

19 hours ago, blue_water said:

The other ship in port that day is the smaller Conquest which leaves at 3PM, and with that information, the OP’s later arrival, and 8 hr port time we would still recommend gorgeous Sapphire for more beach time. But STJ is a nice day and we’d head to Cinnamon, and if returning to Crown would recommend the 5PP out of Cruz...

 

The OP sailed today and I’m sure will enjoy the day whatever option they choose!

That's "touching" that "we" would still recommend Sapphire, "we" can do whatever you wish, comparing anything on STT to Trunk Bay and STJ altogether can't be done. Whether anybody likes it or not the nicest beach on STT is Magen's Bay if it wasn't the NPS would own it as well, it's a rather simple thing. 

Cinnamon and Hawk's Nest are great if there's 5 people or less on the beach, no bathrooms, no lockers, no showers, no snack bar, nothing to drink, no anything.

You can Sapphire and Cinnamon it all day long, Trunk Bay is the place to be, always has been always will be!! 

 

 

[blue_water]

 “touching”...wow...🤔 Your response would be hilarious if not so childish...Someone provides ideas that don’t agree with your opinions and you feel the need to respond like that...nice!

Obviously everyone has their opinions, and we (yes we as a couple) definitely disagree with everything you posted. But that is our opinion, and we shared our ideas with the OP.

 

The OP, again, has already sailed...😉

 

[O2B@Cagain]

Todd: Magens (yes, that is the correct spelling) is part of a territorial park system. I don't believe that anyone in the VI is interested in the feds taking it over. LOL

 

Luckily everyone is able to have an opinion on which beach they would like to visit. 😉

[the fish]

The facilities at Trunk Bay close at 4pm.  So with a late arrival of noon at port, wait for them to let folks off, taxi, ferry, taxi, you are probably getting to Trunk Bay between 2 and 2:30.  I believe you can stay after they 'close' at 4 but not sure the latest a taxi will be there to take you.

[TTEllis]

On 6/24/2019 at 11:31 AM, O2B@Cagain said:

Todd: Magens (yes, that is the correct spelling) is part of a territorial park system. I don't believe that anyone in the VI is interested in the feds taking it over. LOL

 

Luckily everyone is able to have an opinion on which beach they would like to visit. 😉

The NPS, doesn't operate Magen's Bay, so that explains it. I've always been very fond of Magen's Bay, beach and water are excellent, the Magen's Bay bar and restaurant, vibe is terrible, been there twice, I'll never go back. Actually now that the bar, restaurant and other amenities are back open on St. John, I'll never stay on STT again. 

 

I was there 6 months ago, wouldn't go near Magen's Bay could have jumped in any taxi and gone there, ended up at Secret Harbour.  Was hoping during the last hurricane the restaurant and bar at Magen's got washed out into Magen's BAY with Kenny Chesney's beach house. We weren't that lucky, that's a whole lotta beach, with a whole lotta people with VERY little to drink or eat. The bar is so small and congested it's not worth getting a drink. Food I wouldn't eat a basket of fries from that place. 

 

I handed the "bartender" at the Magen's Bay restaurant and bar, my credit card, about 15 minutes later I got 1 beer, I made the horrible mistake of starting a tab with this beach dud, I could never get another beer it wasn't worth the hassle, it took me another 20 minutes to close out my 1 beer bar tab, never again.

 

Last Nov. 28th we got off the Caribbean Princess at Havensight I walked off the ship, looked to my right and saw the open air taxi's(all of them) headed to Magen's(cattle herder's convention) I walked over to a taxi driver and said I wanted to go to Redhook and St. John he genuinely said the island was not ready for tourists. I told him I cannot go with them, he looked at me and said, I'm taking you to a white sand beach that's beautiful very nice and quiet, if I didn't like it I didn't pay him I jumped on away we went.

15 minute's later we ended up at  Secret Harbour, the BAR and RESTAURANT The Sunset Grille, tried it again, handed my credit card to the bartender I said my name is Todd I'm going to be spending my day with you on your beach, I pointed at the spot where my backpack was sitting on the beach, could I start a tab please, and get a Stella? Guess what!!!!! With a BIG smile she handed me a Stella and told me to enjoy my day. That's my girl!!!! Take another guess, what happened every time I walked up to the bar with an empty Stella bottle in my hand, and a BIG smile on MY face, exactly she handed me another Stella, boy I'm asking for a lot aren't I!! 

 

Do yourself a favor next visit to STT, grab the ferry at Redhook or if you absolutely have to stay on STT head to Secret Harbour or Sapphire. I know I'm going to get hell for this post but it's the truth. 

 

[dst]

On 5/4/2019 at 7:51 AM, Ms411 said:

The easiest way to get to Trunk is through the ship's excursion if they offer one. If you do it on your own by taking a taxi from the dock to the ferry terminal, ferry over to St John, and taxi to Crown Bay it's going to cost you approximately $27 per person each way. Allow approximately 1 hour travel time on St Thomas and 15 minutes on St John.

 

Trunk is beautiful, but so are other beaches on St Thomas. Maybe not quite as beautiful but probably prettier than a lot of other beaches.

 

Emerald Beach and Honeymoon Beach on Water Island are much closer than Trunk and are pretty beaches with food, drink, chairs, etc.

 

can I ask if you have done this - we have been to St Thomas many times and I have always wanted to go over to St John but really try to play it safe, doing the ferry on our own makes me nervous.  We did notice that RCCL offers St John on your own - do you know how it works.

Thanks

[blue_water]

Would strongly suggest going on your own via the Red Hook ferry as the taxis and ferries are very reliable - they transport thousands of day visitors and residents every day.

 

If you just can’t do that then take the ship excursion. You will have less time, but if in port a short time that’s no biggie...

[blue_water]

18 hours ago, dst said:

can I ask if you have done this - we have been to St Thomas many times and I have always wanted to go over to St John but really try to play it safe, doing the ferry on our own makes me nervous.  We did notice that RCCL offers St John on your own - do you know how it works.

Thanks

With the RCCL “on your own” excursion you would take a 45 ferry from near the cruise ship to Cruz Bay, STJ. So you are on the water longer if you prefer that over a taxi to the Red Hook ferry, but the ferry from Crown can be a bit rougher, depending on the sea conditions.

 

Once in Cruz Bay you are free to taxi to a beach like Trunk Bay (busier on a big ship day) or Cinnamon which is also quite beautiful and less crowded, but if you want more amenities then Trunk it is. You pay the taxi each way (~$7pp each way). The safari taxis waiting for you in Cruz Bay also offer island tours and then drop you at a beach for ~&25pp. Would recommend that for a first visit as the views along the North Shore are spectacular along with some history of the island. 

 

Most folks with more experience cruising feel very comfortable with going on their own rather than through the cruise line and enjoy more time and flexibility and it may be less expensive. You have a little more time to enjoy the beach or shop and eat in Cruz Bay. Cruz Bay is very nice as compared to Charlotte Amalie on a cruise ship day...

You just need to take the appropriate return ferry. But choose the option you feel comfortable with. 

 

A link to RCCL’s excursion

https://www.*****.com/2017/07/17/guide-visiting-st-john-royal-caribbean-cruise