What to do in St. John?

[shashi883]

We have been to St. Thomas several times and would like to take the ferry over to St. John. Other than go to a beach, what is there to do?

[dixieva]

You can easily find a taxi to take you on a tour. That's what we did. Our taxi driver who took us to Red Hook Ferry from the ship called a friend of his on St. John and he picked us up and took us on a two hour tour. It was great. We saw the whole island and he stopped frequently for us to take pics or get something to drink. I think we paid $20 or $25 pp. Well worth it.

[The Islander]

You can hike a trail (there are shorter ones and longer ones), visit some of the sugar plantation ruins (Cinnamon Bay Ruins or Annaberg are easy access and have signs pointing out things of interest and explanations), shop (some unique stores in Cruz Bay for hand made jewerly, art, crafts, souvenirs).

 

--Islander

[texancruzer]

Last time we were there we went to Trunk Bay and snorkeled....then back to Woodys for a yummy burger and beer.

 

This trip we plan to rent a dinghey (zodiac) and explore the coast, snorkeling along the way.......

[cruisingforsix]

Hi i have a question about renting a dinghey .do you have to have a large group of people or is there an excursionco. you are using? If you can give me some information it would be great. we went to st.johns when we were here about 5 years ago and would like to try somewhere else this time.

[texancruzer]

Hi i have a question about renting a dinghey .do you have to have a large group of people or is there an excursionco. you are using? If you can give me some information it would be great. we went to st.johns when we were here about 5 years ago and would like to try somewhere else this time.

 

Private rental. It will just be dh and I.

 

Here is the website for info..... www.divestjohn.com/dinghies.html

for prices click on the turtle :)

 

As you can see they also have tours, waverunners etc etc. Hope this helps

[florida_mom]

We loved St. John's so much after our first cruise, that a few years later we spent a week there. Then several years after that we returned on a cruise ship and explored for the day.

 

Our favorite itinerary:

 

-- Ferry to St. John's.

-- Pick up rental jeep. (We used the open air taxis once but the smell of gas while sitting in the back made me sick. A jeep to call your own for the day is so worth it.)

-- Peruse map. Note that it's basically a big loop.

-- Skip Trunk Bay. We found it overcrowded and not that exceptional. Go to Hawksnest Cay instead. It's pretty much the first beach you come to as you start around the loop. It's sooooo pretty. And secluded. Enjoy Hawksnest for a few hours -- snorkel, etc.

-- Hop back in jeep. Go to Maho Bay. That's a beautiful beach, too.

-- Now you're going to be hungry. So, head to the far end of the island and go to "Skinny Leg's" restaurant. This is the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" place if you ever saw one. Awesome burgers. Cold beer. Great atmosphere.

-- Enjoy the gift shop after lunch.

-- Get back in jeep and decide if you have time to explore any plantations, etc.

-- Return jeep and return to ship!

 

If you don't want to explore the beaches, the sugar plantations are pretty interesting, and have quite a history. The cliffs on the far side of the island are spectacular, but I'm not sure if you can get to them by car. If you rent a boat you can go around the island and see them. Just gorgeous...

[markstudy]

This trip we plan to rent a dinghey (zodiac) and explore the coast, snorkeling along the way.......

 

Wow! :D Just what I was looking for. Thanks... you made my day :)

I'd love to hear your trip report. We are going in January.

 

Funny thing, I just finished all my planning for St Thomas yesterday.

Had everything worked out. Now all that work gets tossed out... I just wrote to these guys for more info about the rental

[texancruzer]

Wow! :D Just what I was looking for. Thanks... you made my day :)

I'd love to hear your trip report. We are going in January.

 

Funny thing, I just finished all my planning for St Thomas yesterday.

Had everything worked out. Now all that work gets tossed out... I just wrote to these guys for more info about the rental

 

 

You're welcome - I think ????? :confused: Sorry to botch up your plans.

 

We loved St. John but wanted more "water" time but without a whole boatload of other people....... will let you know how it works out !

[markstudy]

We loved St. John but wanted more "water" time but without a whole boatload of other people....... will let you know how it works out !

 

I was thinking the exact same thing :) Thanks again for the great tip.

[markstudy]

Private rental. It will just be dh and I.

 

Here is the website for info..... www.divestjohn.com/dinghies.html

for prices click on the turtle :)

 

As you can see they also have tours, waverunners etc etc. Hope this helps

 

Texancruzer

 

Can I get some help? Who did you talk to to set up your trip. Or how did you set-up your trip, and do you know much about the operation?

 

I sent an email, and they said they don't make advanced reservation, just to show up that day and see what they had available.

 

So I wrote back and asked for some way to reserve a boat for sure? I'm waiting for answer.

 

I'd love some further info, if you have any?... my email is- davids1999@hotmail.com if you don't want to go into details on the boards.

 

Thanks

Mark

[texancruzer]

Actually we got the same email....... they do not do advance reservations. I would imagine they have SOOOOO many people cancel or not show etc. etc....... don't really blame them.

 

We plan to proceed and if things don't work out then we will head to the jeep rental place right past the dock and explore the island by jeep.....stopping at various beaches to snorkle etc. We don't normally operate this way...... but I have decided this cruise I will be LAID BACK a bit more. I usually have everything planned down to the nnnnth degree.

I do not have any excursions booked - only planned and just going to go with the flow........ however......

 

let me know what they say :D

[markstudy]

Thanks,

 

Okay... I was thinking the same thing. If it didn't work, I'd find something to do.

 

But I'm like you, trying to plan ever detail wayyyy in advance :D

 

Do you have any idea how far this place is from where the ferry drops you off? I'm guessing I grab a taxi on St John to Cruz Bay Watersports?

[The Islander]

Cruz Bay Watersports is just a hop, skip and a jump down the beach from the ferry dock (or you can walk along the road and through the shops to get to it too). Very close..... However I understand their activities (dinghy rentals, charters, dives etc.) are over at their Westin Resort location. Westin Resort is a short taxi ride from Cruz Bay, maybe 6-7 minute drive and should be around $5pp one way.

 

--Islander

[markstudy]

Cruz Bay Watersports is just a hop, skip and a jump down the beach from the ferry dock (or you can walk along the road and through the shops to get to it too). Very close..... However I understand their activities (dinghy rentals, charters, dives etc.) are over at their Westin Resort location. Westin Resort is a short taxi ride from Cruz Bay, maybe 6-7 minute drive and should be around $5pp one way.

 

--Islander

 

 

Thanks for the help :D

[texancruzer]

Since my email states we can go to either location ........ I again emailed them for clarification on this.

 

Will let you know if you can rent dinghie at either location - or one or the other....... would just be nice to know instead of taking a taxi to Westin.

[texancruzer]

Just got another email from Deidre.....Cruz Bay Watersports. The dinghies aer indeed at the Westin Resort location..... so a taxi ride is needed once you dock at Cruz Bay.

[markstudy]

Just got another email from Deidre.....Cruz Bay Watersports. The dinghies aer indeed at the Westin Resort location..... so a taxi ride is needed once you dock at Cruz Bay.

 

The way their email was worded... It sounded like you could stop at the location by the Ferry dock, and have them call in your rental. That way if they don't have a boat, you would know before driving over there.

 

Where is the car rental place?

Do they have car rentals at the dock where the Ferry pulls in?

And do they also have car rentals at the Westin Resort.

 

My problem is that we are going on a Saturday Jan 2nd during a holiday week so I might have more problems, because I'm sure the resort will be full.

 

And does anyone know the name of the area where the ferry pulls in?

I'm guessing there is just one location on St John? (yet depending on which dock your cruise ship pulls into, there are a few different services from the two cruise ship docks... do they all drop off on St John at the same place?)

[texancruzer]

Cruz Bay is pretty small..... passenger ferries dock in one location. Not sure about the ferries that carry cars. Yep, my email says stop at either location and they can help you with dinghie rental....so we will also stop at the Cruz Bay store first to make sure they have one available.....if not the jeep place is straight down the little street off the dock. You will see all the jeeps (there were maybe 5 or 6 the day we were there) once past the dock area.

[The Islander]

There are several car rental offices in Cruz Bay, all pretty much in walking distance of the ferry dock and of each other.

 

Sometimes if a car rental agency has a couple cars available they will send someone down to the dockside to try and solicite customers coming off the ferry that might want a day rental. But this isn't always the case, so usually you have to walk to the offices and check.

 

There is a car rental agency that has an office at the Westin... I think its a Hertz office or a Hertz partner office... but I am not 100%.

 

January is definately high season for the USVI. It is possiable you might not find a dinghy rental.... and or rental cars available. What you might do as far as double checking on the renting cars is get together a list of agencies... and then just a week or so before your cruise email and see if they expect to have cars the week of January 2nd... that way you might narrow down the list a bit and can head to the ones that might have something.

 

The passenger ferries from St. Thomas pull into the ferry dock in Cruz Bay St. John. That is the name of the area: Cruz Bay. It is the main little town on St. John. Cruise ship excursion ferries to St. John also arrive in Cruz Bay but at a different dock from the passenger ferry dock. Car barges arrive about 2 minute drive from Cruz Bay in an area called Enighed. Here are all three on a map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=N+Shore+Rd&daddr=Prince+St+to:18.327742,-64.794123&geocode=FVe5FwEd-lQj_A%3BFSq2FwEdck0j_A%3B&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=16&sll=18.329942,-64.791806&sspn=0.009349,0.019248&ie=UTF8&ll=18.330003,-64.792256&spn=0.009349,0.019248&t=h&z=16. Point A is the dock where Cruise Ship Excursions arrive at, Point B is the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock where passenger ferries from St. Thomas arrive, and Point C is the barge dock where car barges from St. Thomas and other barges arrive. You can see driving between the 3 locations takes just about 3 minutes... Cruz Bay is a very small 'town'.

 

--Islander

[dixieva]

Is there a place to get good lunch in the area around where the Red Hook Ferry docks on St. John's?

 

Thanks

[markstudy]

There are several car rental offices in Cruz Bay, all pretty much in walking distance of the ferry dock and of each other.

--Islander

 

Thanks for your help :)

 

I went ahead and made a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C, on St John...since January is a busy time :D

 

One lasts question... Cruise ships offer trips over to St John but they tend to be half day trips, and I'm going over for the full day to do my own thing.

 

Do you have any problem getting on a ferry when you are not with a cruise ship tour? Do the Ferries have plenty of room and capacity? How about getting back from St John? Can you book a Ferry ahead of time? Reserve seats and times? Or just catch one when you show up?

 

The only reason I ask, is I heard that on Bonaire, the cruise ships book-up all the ferries and water taxis over to Klein Island, so it is best not to try and get one yourself.

 

Ruby princess gets in at 7:00am and leaves at 6pm

I see one other ship in port that day 7-5:30 Adventure of the sea.

So two ships scheduled both with 3000 passenger capacity each. If this web site is accurate? http://www.cruisett.com/ships.php?ShipID=16&date=17

[The Islander]

dixieva - the ferries pull into Cruz Bay St. John. That is the main little town on St. John - there are various restaurants there and all within an easy walk from the ferry.

 

markstudy - the cruise ships that offer St. John excursions have a 'private ferry' that is used just for their excursion. They do not use the regular 'public ferry'. The regular ferry usually has enough room for those waiting to get on. The only ferry trip that gets filled sometimes is the early morning ferry (7-8am or thereabout, start of work/school day) and the 5pm ferry (end of a work day) as there are people that live on St. Thomas but work on St. John or live on St. John work on St. Thomas, there are kids that live on one island but go to the school on the other... so more people commuting at those start of the day and end of day hours. You can not make reservations for the St. John ferry for a set time. You get there... usually 15 minutes before departure time is a good idea, buy your ticket and if the ferry is there you get on and wait for departure, if it isn't there you wait in the waiting area or get in line if there is one.

 

--Islander

[texancruzer]

Is there a place to get good lunch in the area around where the Red Hook Ferry docks on St. John's?

 

Thanks

 

We had a great burger and cold beer at Woodys. Not fancy tho. Other places close too.

[dixieva]

Thanks Islander! So any of those restuarants within walking distance would be a good place to have lunch or do you have a preference?