1st timer in St. Thomas- Trunk Bay or Sapphire?

[treezt]

1st time in St. Thomas & limited @ that.

In from 11-7 on RCL so can really only do one

 

Want to do water activities such as jetskis &/or snorkel (Sapphire).

But also know that St. John is heaven on earth. with some great beaches & vistas @ that park.

 

Either way - this is a self guided tour so I would luv to here any pro's & con's if possible.

 

Thanks!:)

[dre5116]

There is a good thread before this that gives a great idea of what to expect when planning to see the amazing trunk bay in St john - it is a nice beach but i didn't see any watersports, it was more liek a private beach.

[treezt]

There is a good thread before this that gives a great idea of what to expect when planning to see the amazing trunk bay in St john - it is a nice beach but i didn't see any watersports, it was more liek a private beach.

 

Oh -I've read them all! :D

It's comparing apples to oranges I know.

I have no preference for one over the other.

Just trying to see if some posters can help me make a decision esp. as I am a newcomer trying to maximize my time.

 

Basically tell me what to do! :p

[alphakitty]

If trying to maximize your time is the goal, the I'd take Sapphire over Trunk Bay. It can take an hour or more one way to get to St. John...it would take less time (and $$) to get to Sapphire Beach. :)

[Stacey779]

If trying to maximize your time is the goal, the I'd take Sapphire over Trunk Bay. It can take an hour or more one way to get to St. John...it would take less time (and $$) to get to Sapphire Beach. :)

 

i totally agree - the transportation aspect will take up a lot of your time if you go to st. john.

 

the snorkeling is better at trunk bay, but there is decent snorkeling off the beach at sapphire as well. sapphire has water sports rentals but i don't believe that includes jet skis or other motorized rentals (at least that's what i observed when we were there in december).

[PatfromPa]

I am just back from a cruise and spent the day at Sapphire beach. I enjoy this beach as it is clean, no vendors, quiet, and the water is like heaven.

I have always said I wanted to go to St John but then I think about the time it takes to get there and worrying about getting back on time to the ship I usually change my mind and go to Sapphire. this time however it was very rocky when getting in the water, very rocky and I don't remember this from the last time I was there. Maybe it was just the part of the beach I happened to be at this time but but it killed my feet. Once in the water though I forgot about it till it was time to venture out again. Again this is the first time I experienced this at Sapphire

[TrishePat]

My vote is for Trunk Bay. Wonderful boat ride over to the Island. St. John is 2/3rds forest preserve and Trunk Bay is in the forest preserve. A short walk past bathrooms, lockers, showers, and snack bar to the beach (this is not commercial at all, very simple, no vendors). The setting of Trunk Bay is like a scene from a movie (its one of the top beaches in the world), you are not quite sure it is real. It was wonderful. The have snorkel gear available and have an under water snorkeling trail. The drive to the beach is on winding road, through the trees. I guarantee you won't forget this beach if you do go!

[Browezilla]

My vote is for Trunk Bay. Wonderful boat ride over to the Island. St. John is 2/3rds forest preserve and Trunk Bay is in the forest preserve. A short walk past bathrooms, lockers, showers, and snack bar to the beach (this is not commercial at all, very simple, no vendors). The setting of Trunk Bay is like a scene from a movie (its one of the top beaches in the world), you are not quite sure it is real. It was wonderful. The have snorkel gear available and have an under water snorkeling trail. The drive to the beach is on winding road, through the trees. I guarantee you won't forget this beach if you do go!

I second going to Trunk. You will spend an hour each way, but the ride is very nice. Take it from Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay one way and then Cruz Bay to Red Hook the other (for variety). The other thing to factor in is that it will run you about $45/person by the time you add up taxis, ferries, and entrance fee to Trunk. If money/time is a concern, then pick one of the beaches on St. Thomas (Secret Harbor, Sapphire, Coki).

[island guy]

Definately Trunk Bay, Hands down.

[OZjones12]

I went to Saphire last time and this time I am going to Trunk after reading this thread!

[OV8]

I would definitely goto STJ & Trunk bay again after coming back from FOS this past week.

Plenty of amenities without the crowds.

& the ferry ride to STJ & taxi ride on STJ is also well worth it.

Time getting to & fro wasn't the issue @ all.

The only trouble I had was finding a bus in Charlotte Amalie.

Even after talking to a couple of locals & reading the instructions provided on these threads I still screwed it up.

Wasting an 1+ hr looking for 1 - ended up getting a taxi.

Cost me precious time @ TB.

 

From what i remember the bus looks like a taxi & the taxi does the same thing a bus would do.:confused:

maybe some1 can clarify what the bus looks like. I kept looking for a VITRAN label somewhere.

[applegam]

In my opinion, Trunk Bay is one of the most beautiful places on Earth! On our next cruise, it's the only excursion that we are going to repeat. Yes, it takes a little while to get there, and is a little more $$, but it will be the highlight of your cruise. It's really hard to put into words. It's something right out of those Corona ads.

[theisle]

How much does it cost to get to Sapphire Beach??

[OZjones12]

just the taxi ride... I think it was $8 p/p? Trunk bay is much better! Ive been to saphire and it is nice but not Trunk bay.

[OV8]

I'll repeat myself - Trunk Bay all the way.

Of course, I might do Cinnamon down the street just for a comp.

 

Either way STJ is the bomb.

[Brumar]

I would decide on st john beach based on number of ships in port that day.. Trunk Bay can be overrun with cruise ship passengers.. beautiful as it is. If many ships in port I would definitely go to cinnamon. Both beaches have facilities..and food available..

Trunk has the snorkeling trail but you can also swim out at Cinnamon and snorkel

[CanuckCruiser519]

I would decide on st john beach based on number of ships in port that day.. Trunk Bay can be overrun with cruise ship passengers.. beautiful as it is. If many ships in port I would definitely go to cinnamon. Both beaches have facilities..and food available..

Trunk has the snorkeling trail but you can also swim out at Cinnamon and snorkel

Is it worth comparing Magens Bay to St John, or are we talking apples and organges here. I am also worried about the travel time, and we are 9 people in total i our party.