Docking or tendering in St. Thomas?

[Cherylbug]

How do you know if the ship will dock or if you'll have to tender in St. Thomas? A couple of years ago (on our 1st Eastern) we docked but have heard about other people having to tender in. Is there a web site that will tell? Our cruise is next month and I am just curious.

Thanks.

 

[Cabin8538]

There is a web site www.usvi.net that will show the cruise ship schedule. Just click on the St. Thomas button. There is also a web cam that updates daily. The schedule is currently only showing May, so watch for June to be updated at the end of the month. You can see on that one which is docked and which is in the harbor.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

There's a very good chance that you'll dock. The ship has to tender when there are more ships in port than room at either of the cruise ship piers. This happens mostly in the late fall and winter. During the spring and summer, many ships which sail the Caribbean from October to May are in Alaska, so there's less traffic in the Caribbean.

Of course, you won't know for sure until they release the schedule (and even then it may change), but I would say that the odds are in favor of docking.

In addition to the site listed above, keep an eye on:

www.ships.vi

and

www.usvi-on-line.com

These sites also have the St. Thomas schedules posted once they're available.

Good luck!

 

[DisneyJam]

I was on the May 1st eastern this year and we docked, but a couple of employees i spoke to said that was a pretty recent change. Up until about two weeks before the May 1st cruise they had been tendering. I beleive they mentioned they will dock through the summer months, then back to the schedules.

 

[TheWog]

We were supposed to dock in January, but ended up tendering. I think we found out about it in the Navigator.

 

[Cherylbug]

Thanks guys.

I know it really doesn't matter one way or the other but it's just a little more convenient when you can step right off the ship onto land. I hope we get to dock.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by Cherylbug

I know it really doesn't matter one way or the other but it's just a little more convenient when you can step right off the ship onto land.

Actually... it <b><i>does</i></b> matter, because if you tender, you'll be arriving in downtown Charlotte Amalie. If you dock, you'll be walking ashore in Havensight, over three miles away. It makes a difference if you're coordinating a pickup for an excursion that you're arranging on your own, or if you plan to shop downtown (need a taxi vs. walk), or want to go up the Paradise Point Tramway (need a taxi vs. walk).

 

[tbuot]

Dave--
I have a question for you..
So, if we dock we will be at Havensight...is this where Paradise Point is or is it in Charlotte Amalie??

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

The Paradise Point tramway is right across (OK, down a little bit, too) the street from the WICO (Havensight) pier. If you're tendering, you have to catch a cab from the tender pier downtown to the tramway.

 

[tbuot]

Thanks Lloyd Dobbler! Is there anything else of interest around the Paradise Point Tram??

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

There's a Wendy's and a KFC right there...

Not much at the bottom of the hill. There's a small mall around the Havensight pier (Havensight mall), but most of the shops there also have a location downtown, and I think it's more fun to wander around downtown than at this Caribbean version of a strip mall.

At the top of the tram, there's a bunch of shops and a café, a tropical bird exhibit, and some room to wander around and take in the sights. Check out:

http://paradisepointtramway.com/