Trunk Bay and Beach on St. Thomas Same Trip?

[Lawag95]

Our ship arrives in St. Thomas at 8:00am and leaves at 5:00pm.  We were thinking about being off the ship first thing and going to Trunk Bay on our own to avoid a lot of the crowd.  If we left Trunk Bay around 11:00ish would there still be time to get back to St Thomas and visit a beach there before departing at 5:00pm?

 

Would there be a beach worth spending a couple hours at within a short taxi ride from the ferry from St. John?

 

 

[blue_water]

Yes if you want to do a beach on both islands you certainly could. Some folks will probably suggest you enjoy Trunk or one beach and don’t rush to another beach, but I like that idea as you get two different experiences, and you have enough time to do so.

 

You could take the 11AM or noon ferry from Cruz Bay back to Red Hook, grab a 3-minute taxi to gorgeous Sapphire Beach and enjoy that beach and a lunch until 3:30 or so. With the noon ferry you would have ~2.5 hrs at Trunk, and ~3 hrs at Sapphire. You’d have to pay $9 each for lounges at Sapphire unless you just lay on your towels...

But a nice way to see two very different, gorgeous beaches!

[Ms411]

Your ship may arrive at 8, but you never know what time you'll get off. If you're not off by 8:30 you probably won't make the 9 ferry. So you'll have to waste an hour waiting for the 10. You'll probably be heading 2 Trunk by 10:30 and arriving around 10:45. To enjoy any time at Trunk you would probably want to spend at least 1.5 hours there and you have to consider the time it would take you to get back to the ferry dock for your return to St Thomas. So plan on taking the 1 ferry back to St Thomas. You need to start heading back to the boat around 3:15 to make sure you're back on time. Earlier if you're on a Royal Caribbean ship which docks further away.

 

[Lawag95]

The only reason we are considering this is I've heard Trunk gets pretty crowded after 11am.  Of course that depends on how many ships are there that day in St Thomas.

 

Since we are on the smaller MS Veendam,  I'm hoping we can be off the ship in time to make the 9am ferry.  If not, then our plans/outlook may change. 

 

Of course, we will probably just make it a game time decision while at Trunk Bay.... just getting a feel for if it's possible.

[Ms411]

Trunk shouldn't be too crowded in August if you're the only ship that day.

 

[Lawag95]

5 minutes ago, Ms411 said:

Trunk shouldn't be too crowded in August if you're the only ship that day.

 

Sorry, should have been specific.  We cruise in January.

[Ms411]

Ha, ha! I think I confused your post with another one. I'm responding from my phone so can't see your post as I respond.

 

Yes, it will probably be crowded in January because there will also be more hotel guests because it will be season and more major hotels will have reopened by then.

[Lawag95]

That's what i was thinking.  Figured we'd try to get there ASAP, knock out the snorkel course, and try to get back to a St Thomas beach.  But if it looks sketchy for time, we'll just relax on the beach.

[blue_water]

For STJ, Cinnamon would be our choice, especially in high season, and if no food/drinks there we’d pack a cooler and lay our towels in the sand, then head to Sapphire and rent lounges there. But Trunk offers more amenities and as a result sees many more visitors. It just depends on what you are looking for in a beach. As you said you may enjoy a couple hours early and then head to Sapphire which should not be very crowded if only 1 ship in port. But you may decide enjoying one beach is much more relaxing than adding a second...

 

Is there only 1 ship in port that day? On big ship days Trunk is as popular as Magens...

 

 

[Lawag95]

On ‎7‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 7:12 AM, blue_water said:

For STJ, Cinnamon would be our choice, especially in high season, and if no food/drinks there we’d pack a cooler and lay our towels in the sand, then head to Sapphire and rent lounges there. But Trunk offers more amenities and as a result sees many more visitors. It just depends on what you are looking for in a beach. As you said you may enjoy a couple hours early and then head to Sapphire which should not be very crowded if only 1 ship in port. But you may decide enjoying one beach is much more relaxing than adding a second...

 

Is there only 1 ship in port that day? On big ship days Trunk is as popular as Magens...

 

 

 

I'm not sure how many ships are there that day.  Our cruise is in January.... is that too soon to see what ships are scheduled that day?

 

Only real reason we were going to go to Trunk is because of the snorkel course that we could do.  Sapphire definitely looks like the place to stop in St Thomas if we decide to make a 2nd beach stop.

 

Edit -  Just checked out reviews on TripAdvisor from Cinnamon and Trunk.  It sounds like Cinnamon has not been rebuilt from the hurricanes yet and lacks food service and only porta potties for facilities.  Trunk on the other hand apparently has facilities and a food truck up and going again. 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Lawag95

[beautifulbill]

Maybe if you have limited snorkel experience you will be impressed with the Trunk snorkel trail but if you have done lots of snorkeling and diving you will be disappointed. Trunk is a nice beach but there is much better snorkeling elsewhere. 

[TTEllis]

On 7/3/2019 at 1:05 PM, Ms411 said:

Your ship may arrive at 8, but you never know what time you'll get off. If you're not off by 8:30 you probably won't make the 9 ferry. So you'll have to waste an hour waiting for the 10. You'll probably be heading 2 Trunk by 10:30 and arriving around 10:45. To enjoy any time at Trunk you would probably want to spend at least 1.5 hours there and you have to consider the time it would take you to get back to the ferry dock for your return to St Thomas. So plan on taking the 1 ferry back to St Thomas. You need to start heading back to the boat around 3:15 to make sure you're back on time. Earlier if you're on a Royal Caribbean ship which docks further away.

 

This is an excellent suggestion. I would adhere to it, especially if you plan on doing beaches on both islands. 

 

Save your time and $$$, spend your whole day as much of it as you possibly can down on the far end of Trunk Bay and forget it. 

No regrets. Enjoy your day. Todd

[blue_water]

Yes as I mentioned we would avoid Trunk and choose Cinnamon specifically because there are fewer amenities - and therefore fewer people. You would bring a cooler with you....

 

Also agree with Bill, unless you are a novice you will must likely be disappointed with the trail at Trunk. On a cruise stop (and first visit to STJ) you don’t have enough time to go to the good snorkel spots, and Sapphire would be a good alternative if that is a priority.

 

[Lawag95]

6 minutes ago, blue_water said:

Yes as I mentioned we would avoid Trunk and choose Cinnamon specifically because there are fewer amenities - and therefore fewer people. You would bring a cooler with you....

 

Also agree with Bill, unless you are a novice you will must likely be disappointed with the trail at Trunk. On a cruise stop (and first visit to STJ) you don’t have enough time to go to the good snorkel spots, and Sapphire would be a good alternative if that is a priority.

 

Sapphire does sound nice.   Would you rate the snorkeling there better than Trunk Bay?

[TTEllis]

What snorkeling, Trunk Bay doesn't have any "good snorkeling" this beach is not for that. I have snorkeled all up and down Trunk the only thing I ever saw were stingray's the size of my living room coffee table. I've seen all those people snorkeling around that trail thingy, I'm not sure what that is. 

Wanna go have some fun ,walk half way down the beach, start swimming straight out about 150 yards really about 500 feet. I have several times water is about maybe 60-80 ft deep, crystal clear you can see straight down to the bottom. 

Hopefully you'll stir up a school of stingray's and get to swim with them, that's where your fun is going to be the stingrays are almost domesticated, they're beautiful swimming in a school in the water. Later

[TTEllis]

5 hours ago, Lawag95 said:

Sapphire does sound nice.   Would you rate the snorkeling there better than Trunk Bay?

Remember now, if you choose to spend your day at Cinnamon instead of Trunk when you start packing for your cruise, don't forget to pack your cooler (the big one with wheels), your gonna need it.😉

Unless of course you plan on dying of dehydration on Cinnamon Bay because there's nothing to drink.🤪

You'll figure it out.........or you won't.

[beautifulbill]

Maybe if you have limited snorkel experience you will be impressed with the Trunk snorkel trail but if you have done lots of snorkeling and diving you will be disappointed. Trunk is a nice beach but there is much better snorkeling elsewhere. 

[TTEllis]

17 minutes ago, beautifulbill said:

Maybe if you have limited snorkel experience you will be impressed with the Trunk snorkel trail but if you have done lots of snorkeling and diving you will be disappointed. Trunk is a nice beach but there is much better snorkeling elsewhere. 

Yes!!! I have somewhat limited snorkeling experience, actually I suck at snorkeling and I wasn't impressed. 

Want to snorkel go to Secret Harbour, they take diving and snorkeling really serious over there. I watched them the whole day I was there.

The Dive Shop is at the end of the beach on the right, it was packed when I was there.

Edited July 9, 2019 by TTEllis
typo

[blue_water]

55 minutes ago, TTEllis said:

Remember now, if you choose to spend your day at Cinnamon instead of Trunk when you start packing for your cruise, don't forget to pack your cooler (the big one with wheels), your gonna need it.😉

Unless of course you plan on dying of dehydration on Cinnamon Bay because there's nothing to drink.🤪

You'll figure it out.........or you won't.

You can make a major deal if it if you need that. We just grab a throw away cooler on the way and cold drinks and baguette sandwiches and lay our towel on the sand if no lounges. But again  we prefer that experience over the more popular Trunk. But if you want lounges and all the amenities you would be happier with Trunk or Sapphire. 

 

Yes we we would choose Sapphire over Trunk for the snorkeling.

Edited July 9, 2019 by blue_water
Typo

[Lawag95]

6 minutes ago, TTEllis said:

Yes!!! I have somewhat limited snorkeling experience, actually I suck at snorkeling and I wasn't impressed. 

Want to snorkel go to Secret Harbour, they take diving and snorkeling really serious over there. I watched them the whole day I was there.

The Dive Shop is at the end of the beach on the right, it was packed when I was there.

There is a dive shop at Secret Harbour?  As a diver, that piques my interest...

[blue_water]

 

1 minute ago, Lawag95 said:

There is a dive shop at Secret Harbour?  As a diver, that piques my interest...

There is a dive shop (AA Divers) that organizes dives. Do you want to snorkel? Or are you a certified diver or want dive instructions??

 

 If you go to the Secret Harbour Resort for snorkeling be aware it is a very small beach and very crowded. Lounges and umbrellas sell out early unless you reserve in advance.  

[TTEllis]

1 hour ago, blue_water said:

You can make a major deal if it if you need that. We just grab a throw away cooler on the way and cold drinks and baguette sandwiches and lay our towel on the sand if no lounges. But again  we prefer that experience over the more popular Trunk. But if you want lounges and all the amenities you would be happier with Trunk or Sapphire. 

 

Yes we we would choose Sapphire over Trunk for the snorkeling.

Ok then , they're going to have to swing by the store😳(somewhere between Havensight or Crown Bay STT and Cinnamon Bay STJ). Buy a cooler, pack it, carry it from somewhere the store is, to Cinnamon Bay on there CRUISE visit because there's no place to get anything to drink on Cinnamon Bay?? Porta Pottie's that's all you dude.

 

When, they can go to Trunk Bay with no cooler, buy whatever they prefer to drink at a nice snack bar, a new bar bar, with new showers, and NICE CLEAN RESTROOMS(not Porta Potties), and lockers to keep your stuff and loungers to rent. 

Unless your staying on the island Cinnamon Bay is a tough sell when it comes to Trunk Bay, especially on a cruise visit.

I don't even like THINKING about Porta Potties much less using one, those things scare me.😷

Your right it's not a "major deal", so you stick with the Porta Pottie's on Cinnamon, myself and everyone else we'll stick with the nice, clean, RESTROOMS and SHOWERS and BAR at LOVELY Trunk Bay. Sounds like a winner too me!!

[TTEllis]

1 hour ago, Lawag95 said:

There is a dive shop at Secret Harbour?  As a diver, that piques my interest...

Yes there's a dive shop at Secret Harbour you can't miss it all the way down on the right. I walked down there, too many people in the shop, I had spoken to the manager of the shop later that afternoon his name is Eduardo, forget Secret Harbour he's the biggest loser on that end of the island(hands down). LOTS of diving along the right(east) side of Secret Harbour, no kidding they were diving all day long. Hope that helps Todd

[TTEllis]

Trunk Bay aka Beach Todd.

I NEVER want to leave. 

That white sand is awesome.

[blue_water]

11 hours ago, TTEllis said:

Ok then , they're going to have to swing by the store😳(somewhere between Havensight or Crown Bay STT and Cinnamon Bay STJ). Buy a cooler, pack it, carry it from somewhere the store is, to Cinnamon Bay on there CRUISE visit because there's no place to get anything to drink on Cinnamon Bay?? Porta Pottie's that's all you dude.

 

When, they can go to Trunk Bay with no cooler, buy whatever they prefer to drink at a nice snack bar, a new bar bar, with new showers, and NICE CLEAN RESTROOMS(not Porta Potties), and lockers to keep your stuff and loungers to rent. 

Unless your staying on the island Cinnamon Bay is a tough sell when it comes to Trunk Bay, especially on a cruise visit.

I don't even like THINKING about Porta Potties much less using one, those things scare me.😷

Your right it's not a "major deal", so you stick with the Porta Pottie's on Cinnamon, myself and everyone else we'll stick with the nice, clean, RESTROOMS and SHOWERS and BAR at LOVELY Trunk Bay. Sounds like a winner too me!!

Lol...stopping in Cruz for a beach lunch is not a major deal and gives folks the opportunity to avoid a busy beach in January. But for the question of snorkeling Sapphire would be our choice unless a driver was available to get to a good spot on STJ. everyone has their idea of a nice beach day,  just offering alternatives we prefer. 😀

Edited July 10, 2019 by blue_water