St John snorkel tours - help me pick please

[xsteves]

For years I've heard how great snorkeling in St John is and we are finally going in November.

Our cruise (HAL Volendam) offers 2 tours that snorkel in St John

1. St John Trunk Bay Beach Tour

2. Champagne Catamaran Sail to Honeymoon Beach

One is a ferry and bus and the other a boat but I'm mainly interested in which is the better snorkeling site.

[dinky2417]

Hey - I'm going to copy the post I just made on another similar thread.

 

I don't know about the Trunk Bay Beach tour, but my fiance and I took the Champagne Catamaran excursion when we stopped at St. Thomas during the 6/13 Carnival Legend cruise, and we LOVED it! The catamaran was very relaxing and enjoyable, we got to see some great sites on the way out, and the snorkeling there was great - the water was very clear, lots of colorful fish, even a turtle! We also spent some time on the beach (where my fiance proposed to me!) before we had to be back on the catamaran, and the ride back was nice as well, with no shortage of free champagne, beer, and fruits/cheese/bread. The owner of the catamaran told us a lot about the nearby islands and the history of the area, and the whole crew was very friendly.

 

We had a wonderful time, perhaps in part due to the excitement of our engagement, but everyone else seemed to enjoy themselves as well, and we bonded with many of the other passengers. Definitely a recommended excursion!

[kchesneylover]

Don't take the ship tour. You can get to Trunk Bay easily on your own - without being herded like cattle and paying outrageous prices through the cruise line.

 

This site has the ferry schedule. You can go to Trunk Bay on your own. http://www.*****/general_usvi/interisland_ferry/

[kchesneylover]

Oh and by the way, in the future when I snorkel, I always compare to St. John and nothing comes close to Trunk Bay. Just snorkeling in that ocean and looking up at the beautiful, lush, green mountains is a sight to behold. I couldn't take my eyes off of how beautiful it was. I remember it so vividly.

[chris sea]

For years I've heard how great snorkeling in St John is and we are finally going in November.

Our cruise (HAL Volendam) offers 2 tours that snorkel in St John

1. St John Trunk Bay Beach Tour

2. Champagne Catamaran Sail to Honeymoon Beach

One is a ferry and bus and the other a boat but I'm mainly interested in which is the better snorkeling site.

 

We have done both. Honeymoon beach was a nice beach. Got off the Cat. there were picnic tables that we put our stuff on and we swam . Water was nice.

 

We really liked Trunk Bay. Thought the snorkel was better there. We saw Eric Clapton on his boat there too.

 

Honestly they were both great places. We took them through different cruiselines and they were both Cat trips though.Enjoy

[sunshine3360]

We're doing Cinnamon Bay this trip. Trunks Bay is the best beach, but snorkeling is just o.k. and very commercial. Everyone should see it at least once. We took the ferry over. It is very easy and you can set your own times. Last time we were there, we did a wooden sailboat. There were 4 people and a 2 man crew. It was great snorkeling. Also one time we did a tour on a large dingy type boat that was also good. But a small boat to cross to St. John. Not for people that aren't easy with the water.We have never snokeled in St. Thomas so I really don't know about it. I think St. John is said to be better.

[sheephugs]

kchesneylover, When you arrive in Cruz Bay, how do you get to the beach for snorkeling, or are you already there? Thanks for the great ferry schedule!

[Sheffie]

kchesneylover, When you arrive in Cruz Bay, how do you get to the beach for snorkeling, or are you already there? Thanks for the great ferry schedule!

 

I am not Kchesneylover, but have been to St. John a couple of times. (I think I love this island as much as kchesneylover does!)

 

When you get to Cruz Bay you will need to take a taxi get to whichever beach you decide on. There are LOTS of taxis at the pier waiting to take you to the beach. It takes around 15 minutes to get to Trunk Bay, a few minutes longer to get to Cinnamon.