Sapphire Beach Rocks!!!

[FundyGirl]

We just returned from St Thomas where we spent Easter Sunday on beautiful Sapphire Beach. The beach is beautiful and the snorkeling is excellent.

 

Buckets of 6 beer or coolers were available for $15, great barbecued food from the resort, and plenty of loungers for $7.

 

Cab fare was $10 per person one way.

[Jfeasel]

Was it hard finding a cab to bring you back to the ship?

[FcapAcap]

very easy to get a cab, they have a cab stand right outside the Hotel about 1 min walk form beach

[letsgocruz1]

We just returned from St Thomas where we spent Easter Sunday on beautiful Sapphire Beach. The beach is beautiful and the snorkeling is excellent.

 

Buckets of 6 beer or coolers were available for $15, great barbecued food from the resort, and plenty of loungers for $7.

 

Cab fare was $10 per person one way.

 

It sounds like you had a great time!!

 

Where did you purchase your buckets of beers/coolers? How far away is the resort? I have read that the beach restaurant is closed??? Was the food expensive, and was the beach crowded the day you were there?

 

I'm trying to decide if I want to go to Sapphire, Magens Bay, or Secret Harbor.

 

Thanks!

[FundyGirl]

It sounds like you had a great time!!

 

Where did you purchase your buckets of beers/coolers? How far away is the resort? I have read that the beach restaurant is closed??? Was the food expensive, and was the beach crowded the day you were there?

 

I'm trying to decide if I want to go to Sapphire, Magens Bay, or Secret Harbor.

 

Thanks!

 

We sat right in front of the resort. We rented loungers from their dive excursion desk. The bar/gift shop was right next to it and the washrooms were behind it.

 

One of our group walked over to where the resort had a barbecue set up and purchased hot dogs and hamburgers. I'm not sure how much they cost.

 

The nice thing about the buckets is that you could mix and match beer & coolers (Mikes Hard Lemonade or Smirnoff Ice) for $15. The blended drinks were $4 or $5. Great Bushwackers!!!!

 

The snorkeling was good. We even saw a barracuda and a few sea turtles.

[letsgocruz1]

We sat right in front of the resort. We rented loungers from their dive excursion desk. The bar/gift shop was right next to it and the washrooms were behind it.

 

One of our group walked over to where the resort had a barbecue set up and purchased hot dogs and hamburgers. I'm not sure how much they cost.

 

The nice thing about the buckets is that you could mix and match beer & coolers (Mikes Hard Lemonade or Smirnoff Ice) for $15. The blended drinks were $4 or $5. Great Bushwackers!!!!

 

The snorkeling was good. We even saw a barracuda and a few sea turtles.

 

Thanks Fundygirl,

 

This sounds like a great choice for our group. I'm going to talk to them about it!!

[ebonybee]

Sapphire beach I think is the better value and view on St Thomas. You have to pay for Maegen's Bay and no motorized sports. I posted on Princess board you can get from Downtown to Sapphire Beach for $2.00 each way by taking the Safari Bus. It's the public transportation system for St Thomas.

[letsgocruz1]

Sapphire beach I think is the better value and view on St Thomas. You have to pay for Maegen's Bay and no motorized sports. I posted on Princess board you can get from Downtown to Sapphire Beach for $2.00 each way by taking the Safari Bus. It's the public transportation system for St Thomas.

 

Ebonybee,

 

Thanks for your help. Sapphire beach is sounding better by the minute!!

[jeffcole]

Could you please elaborate on the snorkeling on Sapphire Beach? Sea turtles sound great, but I've seen (and survived) enough barracuda to last a while. Is the snorkeling at all supervised? I assume you have to swim out a way. How far, etc.

 

Also, what is the best way to get to Sapphire Beach? Taxi? What if we went to St. John in the morning and then to Sapphire in the afternoon?

 

Thanks.

[captNcrunch]

Could you please elaborate on the snorkeling on Sapphire Beach? Sea turtles sound great, but I've seen (and survived) enough barracuda to last a while. Is the snorkeling at all supervised? I assume you have to swim out a way. How far, etc.

 

Also, what is the best way to get to Sapphire Beach? Taxi? What if we went to St. John in the morning and then to Sapphire in the afternoon?

 

Thanks.

 

Snorkeling is on your own, there is an area of coral to the right loaded with fish, and a grassy area to the left where we saw barracuda, rays, and turtles. Did it with no fins, neither area is that far from the shore and the water is quite calm with little current, I would rate it a fairly easy swim. :)

 

We took a cab 20 rt pp from the pier :D

[ciship]

Sapphire beach I think is the better value and view on St Thomas. You have to pay for Maegen's Bay and no motorized sports. I posted on Princess board you can get from Downtown to Sapphire Beach for $2.00 each way by taking the Safari Bus. It's the public transportation system for St Thomas.

 

Do you see mostly "locals" on this Safari Bus or are there a lot of cruiseship people? I will have children with me and I want to make sure it is safe for them. Is this an open air bus or like a city bus with airconditioning? How long does it take by Safari Bus to get to Sapphire Beach? Do they make a ton of stops?

[bailee]

:rolleyes:

 

Is there a restroom to change into your swimsuit at the beach. Would like to know since we are taking the Godfrey tour and wonder if we should wear a suit underneath our shorts.

 

Thanx for your help.

[fig414]

Ciship

 

I believe it would be "safer" to take a taxi. But then again a "local" would probably be driving. Tough call. Good luck.

[Jeanne B]

I'm not very familiar with the Safari bus but I know it's an open-air taxi and when we were in St Thomas last summer we saw both locals and tourists on them. We had a rental car and we were only there a couple of days before going to St John but we certainly would have taken it if necessary, and we had DD13 with us. Just make sure you ask the cost before you get on.

 

bailee - I haven't been in the restrooms at Sapphire but I know they have them.

[The Islander]

ciship,

 

The dollar rides (safari buses that do public bus type route) are intended for residents as public transportation, so yes its mostly residents that use them, however visitors do too. They are open air safari trucks, not closed air conditioned buses (those exists also but are the actual public buses). The concerns with small children on the dollar ride safari trucks is that they are open air, no seat belts and you have to walk a distance from the cruise ship docks to the pick up points and likewise from the drop off points to the beach/where you are going.

 

--Islander

[Big Sky Country]

ciship,

 

The dollar rides (safari buses that do public bus type route) are intended for residents as public transportation, so yes its mostly residents that use them, however visitors do too. They are open air safari trucks, not closed air conditioned buses (those exists also but are the actual public buses). The concerns with small children on the dollar ride safari trucks is that they are open air, no seat belts and you have to walk a distance from the cruise ship docks to the pick up points and likewise from the drop off points to the beach/where you are going.

 

--Islander

 

Funny. I took a taxi and paid big money for the same description you had for the bus. No seatbelts, open air, etc. They sound like the same vehicle.

[The Islander]

Hello Big Sky Country,

 

The dollar rides are taxis, they came about because of the unreliablility of the actual public transportation. Some taxis started running similar routes to the public buses in an effort to fill the need for public transportation. The idea caught on and so its more or less 'established' now, however its largely not regulated. So yes open air safari trucks are the vehicle used by dollar ride drivers and are one of several vehicles used by taxis. There are also taxis that operate in vans, suvs, cars... so someone with small children that wants the security of seat belts and doors can seek a taxi van/car.

 

--Islander

[croozinsnoozin79]

:rolleyes:

 

Is there a restroom to change into your swimsuit at the beach. Would like to know since we are taking the Godfrey tour and wonder if we should wear a suit underneath our shorts.

 

Thanx for your help.

 

Bailee, There are restrooms that were well cleaned when I was there. I changed into my suit after getting there. They are behind the shop that is on the beach. Hope you love it as well as my group did!

[Sandytoes]

Snorkeling is on your own, there is an area of coral to the right loaded with fish, and a grassy area to the left where we saw barracuda, rays, and turtles. Did it with no fins, neither area is that far from the shore and the water is quite calm with little current, I would rate it a fairly easy swim. :)

 

We took a cab 20 rt pp from the pier :D

 

This year we will be ending over to Sapphire Beach..Saw Megans Bay and Coki Beach already...

 

Fins should not be worn if swimming with or near sea turtles...

Glad to hear you weren't wearing them.

 

Thanks for all your info.

[iluvseashells]

Hi! I will be in St. Thomas this coming Easter, was everything closed down because of the holiday?

 

Thanks