Shore Excursion Suggestions?

[Cruisen Elf]

St. Thomas was just substituted as a port on our upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise next week.  Any ideas for a shore excursion?  We are willing to do independent or ship tours.  We have only visited St. Thomas once a number of years ago, so almost anything would be fine.  With such a short time frame to find and book something, I'm open to any suggestions.  RCI didn't have any of their excursions on the cruise planner yet.

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

[Bostonjetset]

We were there last week and honestly Magen’s Bay totally lives up to the hype. It’s absolutely gorgeous there. And they have natural shade in areas which is important to me. 
 

If your ship offers an excursion to St John it’s well worth going there as well. Even more beautiful. It’s a hassle to go on your own but it’s possible. 

[roysue]

St. Thomas has a lot to offer - great shopping, beaches and some decent snorkeling.  If you can tell what your interests are you will get better responses.

 

Bon Voyage

[heels/colts]

Best place to snorkel with out going to st johns

[blue_water]

9 hours ago, Bostonjetset said:

We were there last week and honestly Magen’s Bay totally lives up to the hype. It’s absolutely gorgeous there. And they have natural shade in areas which is important to me. 
 

If your ship offers an excursion to St John it’s well worth going there as well. Even more beautiful. It’s a hassle to go on your own but it’s possible. 

Actually a self-excursion to STJ is a piece of cake! No more hassle than the cruise line option. In fact a much nicer alternative to a ship excursion IMHO. I can understand having some trepidation as a first-time visitor, but the taxi/ferry service there is very reliable. I would suggest adding the island tour if you go. But your time in port is a huge factor, as you need to allow 2 - 2.5 hours for round trip travel time and buffer time…
 

Magens Bay is indeed the most-hyped STT beach by the cruise ship director. But I would look at the number of cruise ships in port as it does attract most first-time visitors. Of course if you are there on a very busy day then any beach offering the amenities you probably want will be busy.

Our beach of choice is Lindqvist (restrooms but no other amenities, sitting on our towels with a lunch from Moe’s Market), or Sapphire Beach where there are more amenities.

 

Why don’t you share your ship and date in port (or your sail departure date) and you can get some more pertinent recs? A day sail, a nice beach, some history with shopping are just some options…

Edited January 14, 2022 by blue_water

[blue_water]

3 hours ago, heels/colts said:

Best place to snorkel with out going to st johns

Our choice would be Sapphire first choice), or Coki Beach or Secret Harbor…
 

For good snorkeling on STJ you’d want enough time in port to go to Waterlemon Cay or Maho…

Edited January 14, 2022 by blue_water

[ULCajunCruiser]

Not to hijack but has anyone done a private/semi-private/small group boating excursion??  I can't seem to find anything.  Part of the problem is we don't dock till noon (we are there for 8 hours).   Ideally we would visit 3 or 4 spots, do some snorkeling, see some scenery and do some swimming.

[blue_water]

Yes it would have to be a private charter to go out that late. There are a few small powerboat operators that take out 4 - 6 ppl max. You can find them on the VINow site. Price was typically ~$600 + fuel but check with them for options.

 

[Cruisen Elf]

Thanks for all of the ideas!  We arrive in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas on Wed., Jan 26th from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Anthem of the Seas.  I like to see something of the island and its culture, while DH is happy on a beach.  So we're looking for something with a bit of everything (if possible), but laid back at the same time, if that makes sense.

[blue_water]

14 minutes ago, Cruisen Elf said:

Thanks for all of the ideas!  We arrive in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas on Wed., Jan 26th from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Anthem of the Seas.  I like to see something of the island and its culture, while DH is happy on a beach.  So we're looking for something with a bit of everything (if possible), but laid back at the same time, if that makes sense.

Ok so yes, a pretty busy port day with 3 ships at Havensight, and your ship and another RCCL ship at Crown…

There are the cookie-cutter group tours that typically hit the overlook on , then Mountain Top for shopping and a gorgeous view of Magens Bay and the north shore, and a short stop at a beach (usually Magens). We’ve not used these but others can share their recs.

 

Another option is just taking a short taxi into town and getting dropped in the historic area. You can see the highlights on your own, then do some shopping, and after have plenty of time to return to the ship and then a short taxi to Lindbergh Bay (aka Emerald Beach). The Emerald Resort has lounges and umbrellas for rent. They may all be taken by then because there are two large ships docked in nearby Crown Bay, but there is a beach bar and a restaurant as well. Brewer’s Bay is another option but fewer amenities there…And Honeymoon Beach on nearby Water Island is a small beach with a food truck, but that will also tend to be very overcrowded…
 

 

 

[heels/colts]

13 hours ago, blue_water said:

Our choice would be Sapphire first choice), or Coki Beach or Secret Harbor…
 

For good snorkeling on STJ you’d want enough time in port to go to Waterlemon Cay or Maho…

Thank you. We are in port 8:00 to 7:00

[blue_water]

On 1/14/2022 at 12:19 PM, heels/colts said:

Thank you. We are in port 8:00 to 7:00

That is a very long port time! 😄

Most cruisers don’t have nearly that much time in port so snorkeling options are usually limited to STT, Trunk Bay on STJ, or a shared day sail. 
 

We are not avid snorkelers, but from everything I’ve read the best off-the-beach snorkeling options are Waterlemon, Maho and other areas that are a bit further from Cruz Bay. Trunk is not rated that well, but it is an option.

 

But because you do have the luxury of finding the best snorkeling for your day I would suggest posing that question on the STJ forum on TripAdvisor. That is an excellent resource for this type question. You can also get recommendations on a taxi driver who will work with you so you have more confidence in going to less-visited areas..

 

And of course a day sail is another option, there are several independent operators on the VINow site, both private and shared…

Edited January 15, 2022 by blue_water
Typo

[LSUfan4444]

W're not sure what to do either. We're there 12-7 and likely will have massages on board in the morning so will probably just hop off for some shopping and lunch. Any specific areas in that shopping district on the North side of the bay worth targeting? Or good lunch suggestions - not a pizza and burger type family?

[blue_water]

Not sure what you are referring to by “North side of the bay”? Havensight or Yacht Haven Grande perhaps?

Here is an island map - 
https://virginislandsthisweek.com/st-thomas/st-thomas-land-activities/st-thomas-island-road-map/
 

For lunch in town Gladys’ in Charlotte Amalie is very popular, we like the Green House when we are in town…You could also have a nice (but early) dinner before departing if you don’t do much else?

[LSUfan4444]

5 hours ago, blue_water said:

Not sure what you are referring to by “North side of the bay”? Havensight or Yacht Haven Grande perhaps?

Charlotte Amalie is on the North side of the bay, Havensight is on the Southeast side. I was referring to the shopping district in Charlotte Amalie on the North Side of the bay. We've never done ay shopping over there but I thought for some reason there had some decent shopping there, unless I am just wayyy off LOL

 

We've done Greenhouse before and wasn't our favorite but will keep it in mind; maybe we just had an off day.

Edited January 16, 2022 by LSUfan4444

[ahite]

On 1/14/2022 at 8:17 AM, ULCajunCruiser said:

Not to hijack but has anyone done a private/semi-private/small group boating excursion??  I can't seem to find anything.  Part of the problem is we don't dock till noon (we are there for 8 hours).   Ideally we would visit 3 or 4 spots, do some snorkeling, see some scenery and do some swimming.

Captain Max is fantastic, but only accommodates 6 people--reasonably priced and excellent! https://www.max-charters.com/

[blue_water]

Yes they are popular. I see they offer a 12:30 - 3:30 sail for 4 ppl at $600 each…

5 hours ago, LSUfan4444 said:

Charlotte Amalie is on the North side of the bay, Havensight is on the Southeast side. I was referring to the shopping district in Charlotte Amalie on the North Side of the bay. We've never done ay shopping over there but I thought for some reason there had some decent shopping there, unless I am just wayyy off LOL

 

We've done Greenhouse before and wasn't our favorite but will keep it in mind; maybe we just had an off day.

Gotchya! 😉

 

Yes the vast majority of shops are in town. Many of them are also in Havensight, but you find many more choices in town….

 

Definitely try something different, Gladys’ is one of the most recommended lunch spots. 😄
 

 

[LSUfan4444]

I'll take your suggestions and will definitely look into Gladys

[SparklyPinkCruiser]

On 1/16/2022 at 3:12 PM, ahite said:

Captain Max is fantastic, but only accommodates 6 people--reasonably priced and excellent! https://www.max-charters.com/

Do you know how much taxi fare would be to get here? 

[blue_water]

2 hours ago, SparklyPinkCruiser said:

Do you know how much taxi fare would be to get here? 

$10 - $11/pp depending on your port…

[487]

I've been trying to get in touch with Henry from Henry's Triple E Taxi and Tours.  Does anyone know if he is still working?  He usually responds to emails with 48 hours, but hasn't replied.  Also, I was not able to reach him by phone.

[snoopy5512]

On 1/14/2022 at 10:24 AM, blue_water said:

Ok so yes, a pretty busy port day with 3 ships at Havensight, and your ship and another RCCL ship at Crown…

 

How do you know how many ships are at a port?

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by snoopy5512

[blue_water]

The VINow site has a link to the cruise ship schedule which shows the ships scheduled to port in WICO (Havensight) and Crown Bay. 
there are always schedule changes and ships porting that were not scheduled for various reasons, but it gives you a good idea of how many fellow cruisers you have to compete with…

[snoopy5512]

Thanks! It looks like as of now we are in CB. I am on the Oasis of the seas

[Momma Rene]

On 1/13/2022 at 8:37 PM, blue_water said:

Actually a self-excursion to STJ is a piece of cake! No more hassle than the cruise line option. In fact a much nicer alternative to a ship excursion IMHO. I can understand having some trepidation as a first-time visitor, but the taxi/ferry service there is very reliable. I would suggest adding the island tour if you go. But your time in port is a huge factor, as you need to allow 2 - 2.5 hours for round trip travel time and buffer time…
 

Magens Bay is indeed the most-hyped STT beach by the cruise ship director. But I would look at the number of cruise ships in port as it does attract most first-time visitors. Of course if you are there on a very busy day then any beach offering the amenities you probably want will be busy.

Our beach of choice is Lindqvist (restrooms but no other amenities, sitting on our towels with a lunch from Moe’s Market), or Sapphire Beach where there are more amenities.

 

Why don’t you share your ship and date in port (or your sail departure date) and you can get some more pertinent recs? A day sail, a nice beach, some history with shopping are just some options…

Does anyone have the website address for the number of ships at port?  When there are a lot, I tend to do a tour rather than just walk downtown.