Recent input on HAL's ULTIMATE ISLAND EXPERIENCE excursion in St Thomas?

[kflietst]

We will be stopping In St Thomas while on HA Nieuw Amsterdam later this month and searching for excursion options. The excursion reviews for the one we are considering have not been updated since 2018.  Does anyone have more recent input on ULTIMATE ISLAND EXPERIENCE option? We would like to see the high points of the area as well as visit the beach.

[robotpony]

We did this excursion in November and thoroughly enjoyed it. The tour guide was a lot of fun, and talked about the history of the island while we drove through the windy mountain roads to a large gift shop with a fantastic view. The shop had a bar and classic island drinks (some of the best we had on the trip, despite it being 10 in the morning).

 

After the mountain view gift shop, we descended to Magan's bay as the first set of cruisers there. There was a small burger shack and bar, both of which were enjoyable. The beach and bay are lovely and we'll likely return there for a non-cruise vacation in the future.

 

After the beach time, the bus brought us back to a shopping area, which had stalls, stores, and restaurants.