Help doing St. John AND St. Thomas on our own please

[stitch78]

Our cruise stops there - from about 8AM to 8PM. We chose not to do an organized excursion through the boat and go off on our own. I'm trying to plan out the things to see.

 

I know how to get to St. John - cab, ferry, cost of the beach, Trunk Bay, but is there just a beach? Can we walk and see other things? Seems kinda expensive to travel over there just for a beach.

 

 

Is a lot of stuff on St Thomas walkable or will we have to get in a cab a lot? I have heard Magen's Bay - but if we go to Trunk Bay do we really need to go to two beaches? Also , we plan to do Paradise Point and the SkyRide thing. What other things are nice to see? Can we walk most places or do we have to keep getting in cabs? I know there is shopping but we aren't interested in shopping since we can shop anywhere. More into culture and stuff.

 

Just trying to figure out a plan so we aren't aimlessly wondering where to go. Also, any place good to stop for lunch?

We haven't been to either and since it is just one day we only expect to get highlights or a general tour, visit a beach.

[Sheffie]

You have a nice long day in St. Thomas . . . Great! Yes, it is pricey to get to St. John, but I think it is well worth it. Check out this site: http://www.*****/stjohn/ and you can click on the beaches and see what else is available. There are some trails at Cinnamon, and I think Trunk.

 

You can save quite a bit to get there and back if you catch the local bus which is outside the port and then to the left. We caught it on our way back and paid only $2 instead of $10 pp. Next time I plan on taking it both ways!

 

I would head back to the mainland on either the 1 or 2 o'clock ferry and then spend the rest of the time on the main island.

 

You could always have the taxi (or bus) drop you off downtown on your way back. I don't think I would go all the way back to the ship, and then go out again. Too much time wasted.

 

You could check out things to do on this site: http://www.*****/stthomas/

 

You will love these islands; we do!

[The Islander]

Hello,

 

Trunk Bay is part of the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John. The National Park includes 2/3rds of St. John, so you can visit other parts of the park... sugar plantation ruins, hiking trails, beaches, the Visitor Center. If you go to Trunk Bay, you can't easily walk to other things. At Cinnamon Bay there is a sugar plantation ruin and a hiking trail just accross the street from the beach parking/entrance so you could do a little of all three things. Renting a car on St. John will allow you the greatest ability to see a lot of the park, but you can also do a taxi tour - they generally include Annaberg, which is a plantation ruin and some of the island and then you can get dropped at a beach.

 

On both St. John and on St. Thomas walking isn't really an option as a means of getting around. The islands are small but mountainous so there is a little flat land. Getting between Magens Bay and Paradise Point/Havensight area and the St. John Ferry on St. Thomas requires driving.

 

--Islander

http://www.*****

[Keys2Heaven]

Mr. Islander,

 

I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but we're wanting to do our own thing when in port. Arriving on the Carnival Destiny on December 11th, 2006, we'll be on the dock between 8:00am and 9:00am. We'll need to be back onboard no later than 4:00pm. We'd like to see St. John and Cinnamon Bay. We're planning on using the local bus to get us to Red Hook to take the ferry across to Cruz Bay.

 

How reliable are the local buses from Cruz Bay? Looking at the taxi rates on the website you link to, it will cost us $56 total (plus tip) to go back and forth from Cruz Bay to Cinnamon Bay. The local bus will cost us $8. Yes, I'm cheap!

 

Just wanted to know approximately how long it will take to get on the local bus in St. Thomas, travel to Red Hook, ferry to St. John and then local bus to Cinnamon Bay. If we're talking 3 hours, then we'll just stay on St. Thomas.

 

I've got us spending a maximum of 3 hours in St. John's not including travel time back and forth. My wife's mother wants us to stop in at Coconuts in St. Thomas as my wife's mother and stepfather are regular cruisers and know the woman who runs it.

 

Thanks Islander!

[Sheffie]

I don't know if there are local busses in Cruz Bay. I do know that the taxi cost us $7 pp. each way. Our ship sailed at 5:30, (had to be back onboard at 5) so we caught the 3 p.m. ferry back, then the bus, and had plenty of extra time. I would say that you would be fine catching the 2 p.m. ferry back. You would be back at Red Hook about 2:20, and then could catch a taxi or bus and be back in plenty of time.

[Brianinidaho]

When we were there we found the local St. Thomas open air bus for a buck or two per person each way. Safe, fast, and fun. It goes to Red Hook. Then ferry, then taxi (only option on St. John we could find).

 

The open air bus saved us over $100 compared to the taxis for our group of 7. Perhaps this is what you are looking for.

 

Brian

[The Islander]

Hello Keys,

 

I know you said local bus however for the sake of avoiding confusion, there is bus transportation on St. Thomas and there are the 'dollar rides'.

 

The buses on St. John run along Centerline Road; Cinnamon Bay is off Northshore Road - so taking the bus isn't an option. Dollar rides don't exist on St. John.

 

Time: If you were docked in Havensight it would take about 17-20 minutes to drive in low-medium traffic and just a couple minutes more if you were tendered into Charlotte Amalie waterfront. If you were docked in Crown Bay add another 10 minutes. These times are driving straight and not on a bus that might stop a few times so keep that in mind. The Red Hook ferry takes about 15-20 minutes. The drive to Cinnamon Bay is about 15 minutes. So figure about an hour give or take depending on traffic, if you get to the ferry dock right on time to jump on a ferry or if you have to wait a bit.

 

--Islander

http://www.*****

[Nodaybttdy]

Hi,

 

Any tips for renting a car in St. John, St. Martin ? We are interested in doing that...thanks

 

kal