Wanting to go to St John. 🏝

[Ms411]

Wait until you see what's happening at Sapphire! At least Honeymoon on St John is quieter now because people who want a livelier atmosphere with amenities are going to Maho. 

 

I think there will be improvements at Vessup within 2 years. 

[blue_water]

2 hours ago, Ms411 said:

Wait until you see what's happening at Sapphire! At least Honeymoon on St John is quieter now because people who want a livelier atmosphere with amenities are going to Maho. 

 

I think there will be improvements at Vessup within 2 years. 

But the STT beaches have always been busier…Lovers of STJ cannot be thrilled…

We really miss Latitude 18 in Vessup Bay, especially enjoying Dick Solberg and his Sun Mountain Band along with great dinners!
That remains closed I gather…

Edited September 23, 2022 by blue_water
Typo

[Ms411]

Since shopping has almost disappeared, the beaches have gotten much busier through the years. St John beaches are mostly NPS so people expect them to be natural and tranquil. 

 

The new eco resort off St John accessible ony by boat is supposed to be lovely. Lovango Cay.

[Outta My Work Clothes]

Lovango is a Treasure! pricey but made for a wonderful Valentine's Day. One down side is they do not have a beach, so no ocean swimming.

[MeganGC1983]

Question about weekend ferries from Red Hook, we will be there on a Sunday. Does that make a difference? Everything I see says M-F. 

[Ms411]

The Red Hook ferry to St John runs every day, and the schedule is mostly the same every day. I'll see if I can find the current schedule and post it.

[Ms411]

The Red Hook ferry to St John runs every day, and the schedule is mostly the same every day. I'll see if I can find the current schedule and post it.

[Ms411]

This is the current ferry schedule. The Red Hook is the reliable one, so it's the only ferry you should consider. The other ferries are mostly for people visiting on land.

 

https://www.*****/travel/virgin-islands-ferry-schedules/stjohn/

[disneylover89]

On 9/23/2022 at 3:37 AM, Ms411 said:

I don't think the St John on Your Own excursion has been offered for the last few years. Honeymoon Beach rentals and refreshments has also closed. Maho now has the amenities Honeymoon had so that beach has become extremely popular.

We have an excursion booked with NCL called 

• "St John Eco Hike & Beach".  This includes the boat to St John's then you hike a mile to Honeymoon Beach and then hang at the beach for the rest of the day.  Does Honeymoon Beach not have restroom facilities?  Is there no where to purchase food or drink?

[Ms411]

A new vendor offers amenities at Honeymoon, but they are expensive. Google Caneel Bay Beach Club and there should be info on prices and amenities. I saw online that the prices recently changed so I think chair price is approximately $20. If you see a different price that may be an earlier post and price list. There are bathrooms and refreshments. Will post link to recent video.

[Ms411]

https://islandtidbits.com/2023/01/a-true-look-at-the-caneel-bay-beach-club/

[disneylover89]

On 9/23/2022 at 3:37 AM, Ms411 said:

I don't think the St John on Your Own excursion has been offered for the last few years. Honeymoon Beach rentals and refreshments has also closed. Maho now has the amenities Honeymoon had so that beach has become extremely popular.

We have an excursion booked with NCL called 

• "St John Eco Hike & Beach".  This includes the boat to St John's then you hike a mile to Honeymoon Beach and then hang at the beach for the rest of the day.  Does Honeymoon Beach not have restroom facilities?  Is there no where to purchase food or drink?

[Ms411]

The link I posted shows the amenities currently at Honeymoon. Hopefully it shows the restrooms. Caneel Beach Club is the name of the company that provides the restrooms, chairs, food, etc.

[disneylover89]

7 minutes ago, Ms411 said:

The link I posted shows the amenities currently at Honeymoon. Hopefully it shows the restrooms. Caneel Beach Club is the name of the company that provides the restrooms, chairs, food, etc.

I'm so confused, this link shows the beach is closed until March  Notice: Services Closed at Honeymoon Beach | News of St. John (newsofstjohn.com).  The video you linked was in the beginning of January when the beach concessions was supposedly closed. I really hope someone who has been on this excursion chimes in as to how it is now, but the excursion may not even be offered for cruises happening now because they did not expect renovations to be completed yet. 

 

  I see these are the prices for Caneel Beach Club.

  Caneel Bay Beach Club – St. John US Virgin Islands.

[Ms411]

That was last year. Late 2022 it reopened under new management as Caneel Bay Beach Club and renovations, and that video was filmed in January 2023, I think. Honeymoon Beach is on the property of the Caneel Bay Resort which was destroyed in the 2017 hurricanes, and the current owner wants to capitalize on the name since there are 2 Honeymoon Beaches in the VI.

 

Anybody can hike the trail to the beach on their own, but the NCL excursion will probably include a guide. Under the old management there was a guide.

 

That excursion has been offered for years so people who took it before January 2022 may respond, but their experience isn't current.

 

 

[disneylover89]

21 hours ago, Ms411 said:

That was last year. Late 2022 it reopened under new management as Caneel Bay Beach Club and renovations, and that video was filmed in January 2023, I think. Honeymoon Beach is on the property of the Caneel Bay Resort which was destroyed in the 2017 hurricanes, and the current owner wants to capitalize on the name since there are 2 Honeymoon Beaches in the VI.

 

Anybody can hike the trail to the beach on their own, but the NCL excursion will probably include a guide. Under the old management there was a guide.

 

That excursion has been offered for years so people who took it before January 2022 may respond, but their experience isn't current.

 

 

Thank you for all your information and links!!  I will keep my eyes open for reviews and ask again as we get closer to our June cruise and make a decision whether the excursion is worth it or not.  At this point it seems to be $100 for 4 loungers and access to restrooms so not too bad. Maegan Beach charged for loungers too and it's much more crowded there.

[Ms411]

Recent reviews of Honeymoon Beach (Caneel) on St John.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147413-d184538-r877106441-Honeymoon_Beach-Caneel_Bay_St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html