Compare beach excursions at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas?

[Missus_Aitch]

We'll be docked at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas for one day next December, and I'm trying to choose among the beach excursions RCI offers.  Choices seem to be:

 

Trunk Bay on St. John's

Christmas and Honeymoon Coves

Magens Bay Beach

Sapphire Beach

Secret Sands Beach

 

Does anyone have any input into advantages/disadvantages of any of these?  The descriptions on Royal's website are all equally effusive, so it's hard to compare.  We won't be hitting Coco Cay on this trip, so we're really just looking for a chill beach day with food available nearby if possible.  Two adults and a tween.  Thanks!

[O2B@Cagain]

I hope by next December you won't be limited to cruise ship excursions. It is easy to get around St. Thomas and visit a couple of beaches on your own. For food, from your list: Magens and Sapphire have food and drink available. "Secret Sands", actually named Linqvist or Smith Bay Beach, may have food by then. Magens is a long stretch of beach, great for walking. It has a gentle sandy entrance for bobbing in the water. Sapphire would be a good place to snorkel. The others are on St. John, so you either will have a boat or ferry to get there. Well, Christmas Cove is off of St. Thomas, but is probably a stop on the way to Honeymoon on St. John.

[blue_water]

Yes agree with O2B@C, unless you are trying to use OB credits you are much better off doing a beach on your own. STT is very easy to get around by taxi, as is STJ with the short ferry out of Red Hook. You also get much more time to enjoy the beach when on your own.

 

All of these beaches are gorgeous, Lindqvist (Secret Sands) is arguably the nicest, but you will be happy with any of these. There have been no amenities at Lindqvist other than public restrooms unless that has changed recently. “Secret Sands” cruise line excursions to that beach included lounges and refreshments I believe. Trunk Bay normally has food and drinks, but like Magens is one of the most popular and therefore crowded. Sapphire is home to 3 condo properties (our favorite spot to stay) and is a great choice. We’ve not done Christmas but Honeymoon beach is a nice spot.

 

Other beach options with food/drinks/restrooms include Coki, a gorgeous, intimate beach with good snorkeling but very crowded on a busy ship day. Secret Harbor is one of the calmest beaches with a restaurant and lounge/umbrella rentals. And Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach) is nice and has a restaurant and beach bar and lounge/umbrella rentals. Lindbergh is a very short taxi if your ship docks in Crown Bay. Coki, Lindqvist, Sapphire and Secret Harbor are all on the East End...

 

Any beach offering concession and restroom amenities will attract most day visitors of course, and the number of ships/passengers in port that day can make a big difference. You can get a great feel for the beaches by reading past threads here, and as you get closer to your cruise date check the cruise ship schedule on vinow dot com and the number of fellow passengers looking for that ideal beach.!

 

 

[blue_water]

Meant to add your time in port is another consideration...All of these beaches are within a 30 minute taxi wherever you dock. But if docked at Crown with just 8 hrs in port it may make sense to go to Lindbergh or Magens rather than a STJ beach or even one of the East End beaches, and if docked at WICO vice versa...