Megan's Bay, St. Thomas

[Dblblessed]

What's the best way to get to Megan's Bay in St. Thomas? It doesn't have to be cheapest (cheapest isn't always best), but an affordable and "safe" way to get there w/o getting ripped off AND to know I'll be able to get BACK to the ship!

[emerald777]

When you get off the ship in St Thomas, there will be a zillion taxis lined up. Most are the open air safari type which will hold about 12-16 people. They usually wait until the are pretty full before they leave and may direct you to one that is headed in your direction. The cost is 6.00 per person each way. Coming back there is always a line of the same taxis waiting to take you back downtown or to the ship.

[BigDoug]

If you book your excursion onboard, the ship will not sail without you if it is late returning to the dock. The tour operators approved by the cruiseline are all reviewed for safety and insurance. You may pay a few more dollars but you will have peace of mind. If you have never been to this port before, I would only book a ship's tour (just MHO). Hope this helps.

[lucyjohnz]

Ship's tour is not a few dollars more than the $15/pp ($6 each way and $3 entrance fee) it will cost taking the taxis there and back - check the price with the cruise - it's probable more than $20-$30/pp and you'll be restricted on how long you can stay at the beach since it's listed as a 3 1/2 tour. I know for a fact that the taxi there takes about 45 minutes through very winding roads. And, we had no problems catching a taxi back when we were done.

 

My daughter and I did it on our own and had a good time (not a great time, notice). We were not real impressed with Megan's Bay - it was Christmas Day and very crowded - probably isn't that bad on any other day. It's pretty but not gorgeous like we'd been told. On another St. Thomas stop, we went to a beach near Coral World called Sapphire Beach and it was gorgeous - it's basically in front of a hotel and you can rent beach chairs for $5, snorkel equipment for $5 and drink and eat at the bar there for the usual high costs. We found it calm and beautiful. It did cost more to get there than Megan's Bay - abour $8/pp each way, but our taxi driver came back in 2 1/2 hours right on time to pick us up.

[BigDoug]

Sorry if you think I was giving bad advice to the OP but she did ask about a "safe" way to Megan's Bay AND getting back to the ship ontime. I still would advise any novice cruiser to book their excursions through the ship especially in foreign ports. St. Thomas is an exception but if you want safety and the security of knowing the ship will wait for your excursion to return, then book the ship's tours. If you go off on your own excursions, you really are on your own.

[jfritz126]

Godfrey Tours also has a great reputation in St Thomas. You can book their tours at godfreytoursvi.com. You will find all kinds of info on them on the ports board.

[lucyjohnz]

I just got back from an Alaskan cruise (on Celebrity) and the excursion prices for this cruise were absolutely outrageous compared to doing anything on your own. Also, we typically do excursions with 4 of us so even a difference of $20/pp means an $80 savings overall. Also, BigDoug is right in that St. Thomas is an island that's very easy and safe to get around in with Megan's Bay being one of the easiest beaches to get to and get back from - there are taxis-buses going to and from the port all day. Sapphire Bay is not as common a beach and you'll have to depend on a reliable taxi driver to come pick you up - it's easy enough to get there. Our taxi driver was waiting for us at the appointed time 2 1/2 hours later. The nice thing about Megan's Bay, is you don't have to decide when to have a taxi pick you up - you just go out when you're done and there will be several waiting there.

 

If Carnival charges in the $20s for Megan's Bay and you want to make sure you get back to the boat on time, the $5-$10/pp extra may be worth it to you for peace of mind. Remember though, that it is VERY easy to just take a taxi there and back for less money and more freedom. And, if you do your trip in the morning, you probably have 6-7 hours before the boat leaves - plenty of time to visit the beach, come back and shop and still be back on the boat in plenty of time.