5 star St. John snorkel vs. St. John snorkel tour

[macbasset]

We can't decide between the 5 star St. John snorkel and the St. John Trunk Bay snorkel excursion. We did the second one last time and went by ferry and then open air taxi to trunk bay. the 5 star is onboard the Leylon Sneed; what is the boat like? How do you get off it to snorkel if it anchors out in the water? How long does it take to get to Trunk Bay on the 5 star? How long do you actually stay at Trunk Bay to swim? How smooth is the ride on that boa? Any help would be appreciated. Barb

 

[TootyJane]

We (dh, myself and 3 boys) did the 5 star St. John snorkel this past May. Leylon Sneed was docked right in front of the Magic. It took a little over an hour to and from. The boat ride wasn't all that bumpy as the kids and I recall. If you don't want to get wet, don't sit at the front of the boat! The crew is very nice. They take digital pictures of all passengers which you can purchase and they will email to you. On the ride over 2 of the crew told us some interesting facts about St. Thomas, St. John and the surrounding islands. You have approx 1.5 hours to snorkel once you get to Trunk Bay. You can get off the boat one of three ways:
(1) jump in and pretend your Jacque Cousteau; (2) climb down the ladder as if you were getting into a swimming pool; or (3) they have dingys [sp?] that will take you over to the beach. #1 son and his friend opted for #1, dh, our two youngest and I opted for the dingy. Trunk Bay was absolutely gorgeous and we found that 1.5 hours of snorkeling was adequate for us. I must say that all the kids (mine included) were pretty tired on the way back. All that fresh sea air and swimming was perfect. However, if you feel you need more time snorkeling, the best option is to do Trunk Bay on your own. My brother and his family did this and their time at Trunk Bay was wonderful too. HTH