Excursions.
Tortola - I stayed on the ship. I have only heard two things mentioned: Jost Van Dyke and The Baths. No one seems to report doing anything else.
When I was younger (like mid-50s), I wanted to visit The Baths. Since then, I have watched a video of the complete trip from cruise ship to ferry to shuttle and hike/ walk down to the boulders. The steps/ incline are daunting to me - but now I can’t do steps with alternating feet; makes for a long trip.
It still looks amazing - and could offer an active, non-water -sports -activity for y’all.
I will probably push for us to try Jost Van Dyke due to reportedly beautiful beaches. (Totally understandable, as many in the USVI are gorgeous.). I always thought it might be a party beach, given its notoriety for its bars and drinks, but maybe they aren’t the only thing it’s got going.
St Thomas - if you are not going to St John for the quaint harbor area or big National Park and it’s hiking or spectacular beaches, St Thomas is a fine alternative.
Lindqvist Beach (Smith Bay), also sold as a Secret Sands excursion, has beautiful water (sometimes pale aquamarine) with a view of St John across the water. There is no concession. There are loungers and shade. A convenient bathhouse. Very under appreciated. It is just up the road from Sapphire Bay Beach. No taxis waiting. No shop with a phone to help you get a taxi. $5 pp.
Excursions to Sapphire Beach are more common. It is a small resort /beach hotel. This water is sapphire. (Truly, water at various beaches are different colors on a small island). Also has great views of St John. They have a bar, gift shop. This one is safer to do on your own by taxi than Lindqvist is, due to more traffic.
Magen’s Bay us often listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It is a nice, 1+ mile-wide beach. It is set in a U-shaped bay that is a good distance from the opening to the Sea. (The two listed above would be more similar to how Serenity Bay on CC Are wide open. I still consider Serenity Bay to be one of the best beaches I have visited. I have not been to Bali.)
Magen’s Bay has concessions - bar with runners, snack bar. lounger, kayak, snorkel rental. This might cover an activity for you and beach time for wife. They also have bath houses. This is probably the #1 place for tourists (but I haven’t seen it crowded - other than bunched up lounging near the bar. We go down a ways and have virtual privacy. It is a big beach!).
If the ship excursion looks like too little time here, this is very doable on your own. Taxis are available and waiting in both ends. Admission is $5 pp. A tour will usually include a stop for an overlook of Magen’s Bay and possibly on the other side of the road to overlook Charlotte Amalie, the harbor, and your cruise ship. Some stop at a place with banana daiquiris. And some tours will stop in Charlotte Amalie for shopping. The downtown has been getting a facelift of roads, sidewalks, and harbor walls after Hurricane Irma damage. The shops are mainly located in old stone warehouses (built 100-200 years ago). Pretty typical port goods - jewelry, alcohol, trinkets, crafts, clothing. The stores in the “alleys” between the warehouses are a little more upscale, without the pressure to come in and shop.
There will also be tourist stuff in the stores at Havensight as you walk back to your ship after a tour or taxI ride.
Oddly enough, one of my favorite experiences in St Thomas was visiting the Synagogue downtown. It is old and has a sand floor. One of 3? In the Western Hemisphere with this feature. Another is in Curaçao. And then we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Not Tex-mex. Probably not real Mexican, either. But tasty. It was in one of the warehouse alleys.
You could actually walk from the ship to Greengo’s Cantina / downtown shopping area in 33 minutes /1.6 miles), following the Harbour. Much of it is right by the water; brand-new pedestrian area.
(St Thomas and St John I have a better handle on, having done land vacations to both.)
