Beach Day - Tortola and St. John - Recommendations

[kathi]

We want to go a beach day on our own in both Tortola and St. John (3 fully vaccinated passengers). We have taken a trolley to Sapphire Beach in the past, but cruise ships go there now on excursions. Never been to Tortola. Looking for chairs to rent, restrooms and ideally food/drinks.

 

[Kwami]

We're going on our first Eastern Caribbean cruise in February, so I'd also like to know more about this! And, how are the currents in the winter? I hope they aren't too strong to swim.

 

[Mitura]

Just got off the Fantasy 11/28 and we did Tortola and St Thomas. Its our third time doing Eastern Caribbean.

My recommendations:

Tortola: Definitely Cane Garden Beach. We have done it all three times. Love it! $16 round trip via local taxi to the beach. Beach is just the right amount of crowded/not crowded. There is a rustic bathroom/changing area and some little shopping trucks. Also plenty of little bars restaurants on the beach. Rental of 2 beach chairs and umbrella is $15 I think (or $30, I forget). 30 minutes from the ship each way via taxi. Go to the website "resortcams cane-garden-bay" to see how the beach looks. Taxi driver had plastic sheets between us and him and he wore a mask for the whole drive. Ocean water temp was great, CC was a lot colder (November). Very calm and clean water.

St Thomas: We have done Magen's Bay (over crowded and pricey), and we did a private island tour (not much to see). We have done St John's via the Disney cruise and want to go back to St Johns, but not via Disney. Its way to short if you go with Disney. The Disney tour (for us, pre-pandemic) left at 11 and we got to the beach at around noon and had just 1.5 hours on the beach for a steep price. If you do St John's get up early take taxi to Red Hook and take ferry to St. John's then taxi to the beach. I haven't done it but the family said I have to figure it out out for the next cruise. St John's has the National Park beach, beautiful and empty. There is a little snack shopping truck/table which is perfect. There is bathroom and changing area nicer than Tortola. Get the local root beer.

Hope this helps.

 

[insureman]

Just got off the Fantasy 11/28 and we did Tortola and St Thomas. Its our third time doing Eastern Caribbean.

My recommendations:

Tortola: Definitely Cane Garden Beach. We have done it all three times. Love it! $16 round trip via local taxi to the beach. Beach is just the right amount of crowded/not crowded. There is a rustic bathroom/changing area and some little shopping trucks. Also plenty of little bars restaurants on the beach. Rental of 2 beach chairs and umbrella is $15 I think (or $30, I forget). 30 minutes from the ship each way via taxi. Go to the website "resortcams cane-garden-bay" to see how the beach looks. Taxi driver had plastic sheets between us and him and he wore a mask for the whole drive. Ocean water temp was great, CC was a lot colder (November). Very calm and clean water.

St Thomas: We have done Magen's Bay (over crowded and pricey), and we did a private island tour (not much to see). We have done St John's via the Disney cruise and want to go back to St Johns, but not via Disney. Its way to short if you go with Disney. The Disney tour (for us, pre-pandemic) left at 11 and we got to the beach at around noon and had just 1.5 hours on the beach for a steep price. If you do St John's get up early take taxi to Red Hook and take ferry to St. John's then taxi to the beach. I haven't done it but the family said I have to figure it out out for the next cruise. St John's has the National Park beach, beautiful and empty. There is a little snack shopping truck/table which is perfect. There is bathroom and changing area nicer than Tortola. Get the local root beer.

Hope this helps.

We did Tortola a few years back on the Fantasy and did the Cane Garden Beach tour and we did not like it at all. The beach was crowded, the bathroom was disgusting and the free rum drink was some lady at a card table with punch in a 5 gallon container. The chairs they had were rusted and looked like they were discarded from one of the cruise ships. Unless they drastically changed in 3 years I would not recommended that. I would recommend one of the ship tours to St John however. I am somewhat paranoid on doing St Johns on our own just because I don't want to miss the all aboard time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Also note that the ferry to St. John can be... rough. If you have any tendencies towards sea chunder, prep for the ferry.

 

[insureman]

Also note that the ferry to St. John can be... rough. If you have any tendencies towards sea chunder, prep for the ferry.

I had to google chunder.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I had to google chunder.

I am trying to be classy and not use the words "vomit comet." (Oops, there I went!)

Channels between islands everywhere have tendencies, and that particular channel has very known tendencies. If you are prone to seasickness, eat the right breakfast and wash it down with plenty of your fave motion sickness med.

 

[kathi]

I am trying to be classy and not use the words "vomit comet." (Oops, there I went!)

Channels between islands everywhere have tendencies, and that particular channel has very known tendencies. If you are prone to seasickness, eat the right breakfast and wash it down with plenty of your fave motion sickness med.

Sadly - we are a family that likely would not do well on a smaller craft in rough water. Any other thoughts for St. Thomas?

 

[Intr3pid]

Jost Van Dyke from Tortola and Trunk Bay from St John are the two best beaches on the Eastern Caribbeans itineraries. By quite a margin IMO. More color:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/jost-van-dyke-beach-day-tt65.3792450/post-61755571
We find most St Thomas beaches overcrowded - but if the numbers were down in the pandemic, Magens Bay would be it.