Eastern Caribbean

[LLB430]

We are going on our in April..it will be, my husband and two kids 7 and 3. What beaches would you recommend in St. Thomas and Tortola. I am skeptical about Magens Bay as there will be several ships and port and I am worried about it being crowded. We thought about going to Jost Van Dyke while in Tortol, but I am wondering how I will get my 3 year old to shore since I have read you have to swim to shore. Anybody know how close to shore the ferry gets? Thank you !

 

[rosaciri]

Would luv to read a cruise report - we are doing this cruise on April 2017. We have already done the western carribean so hoping we are going to like the eastern carribean. Traveling all the way from Australia to Florida to do it again. My DDs 10 and 4 luv all things Disney.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

We are going on our in April..it will be, my husband and two kids 7 and 3. What beaches would you recommend in St. Thomas and Tortola. I am skeptical about Magens Bay as there will be several ships and port and I am worried about it being crowded. We thought about going to Jost Van Dyke while in Tortol, but I am wondering how I will get my 3 year old to shore since I have read you have to swim to shore. Anybody know how close to shore the ferry gets? Thank you !

I can't help with Tortola but when we did MB in June 2013, we were there with 2 or 3 other ships and crowds were not an issue at all at Magen's Bay. We had a fantastic time and the pizza there is awesome!

 

[danajay]

We are going in April as well (with my husband and my 2 kids, 4 and 8). For Tortola, we plan on taking a cab to Cane Garden Bay (supposedly beautiful beach). We have the same concerns about Megan's Bay. We may not even do a beach day in St. Thomas (maybe will just do the Skyride and walk around a bit), but if we do we may just head to Morningstar Beach (very close to port). The Marriott is there and has restaurants, restroom facilities. Note this will be our first cruise and first time to these islands, so this info is just based on my research.

 

[squirk]

I would skip St. Thomas and head for St. John. It's a bit of a hike, but worth it, in our opinion. Not nearly as built up as St. Thomas, lower crowds, more secluded.

 

[c todd]

We're doing the Eastern in March. I can't give first hand experience yet but the operator that's taking us to Jost Van Dyke said that the water would be waist deep for me and I can pull my 3 year old along side me (he'll wear life jacket) or carry him. The DCL excursion we were on that was canceled allowed 3 year olds so I'm going to assume that was fine for them as well. They have very strict age restrictions so I don't think they would have accepted that age if it was an issue. We are very hesitant about Magen's Bay as well but after a lot of research, we've decided to go ahead and do it. It's supposed to be the most beautiful beach there and great for kids. I can report back after our trip in March...

 

[lilluv117]

We're doing the Eastern in March. I can't give first hand experience yet but the operator that's taking us to Jost Van Dyke said that the water would be waist deep for me and I can pull my 3 year old along side me (he'll wear life jacket) or carry him. The DCL excursion we were on that was canceled allowed 3 year olds so I'm going to assume that was fine for them as well. They have very strict age restrictions so I don't think they would have accepted that age if it was an issue. We are very hesitant about Magen's Bay as well but after a lot of research, we've decided to go ahead and do it. It's supposed to be the most beautiful beach there and great for kids. I can report back after our trip in March...

Hi, I'll be going on a Disney cruise in November and I was debating doing the Josh Van Dyke excursion. Just wondering how your trip went and what you did in Tortola?

 

[Kuzcotopia1]

We are going in April as well (with my husband and my 2 kids, 4 and 8). For Tortola, we plan on taking a cab to Cane Garden Bay (supposedly beautiful beach). We have the same concerns about Megan's Bay. We may not even do a beach day in St. Thomas (maybe will just do the Skyride and walk around a bit), but if we do we may just head to Morningstar Beach (very close to port). The Marriott is there and has restaurants, restroom facilities. Note this will be our first cruise and first time to these islands, so this info is just based on my research.

Morningstar is nice. It's quiet with a lot less people. If you want to take a water taxi back to town ask at the Marriott. There is one on their property and (I think) we paid $8/pp. It'll take you back through the bay where the cruise ship is and drop you off in the middle of the town, then you can walk back shopping and seeing sights.

 

[c todd]

Hi, I'll be going on a Disney cruise in November and I was debating doing the Josh Van Dyke excursion. Just wondering how your trip went and what you did in Tortola?

We ended up doing a private charter since the JVD excursion had been canceled for our trip. I don't remember what the excursion included. We went to JVD and spent some time there and then we went to Cane Garden Beach. It was nice having the private because we got on our charter right by the ship and then got to decide what and when we wanted to do things. JVD was nice but there had been rain in the area the day before and the water was murkier than I was expecting. We were in a small boat and were able to get very close to the beach but it was still deep (and cold, I'm a wimp). I was able to pull my son in his puddle jumper and there was no issue.

You didn't ask but we did the ship's excursion on St. Thomas to Magen's Bay. Having to do the meet up on board and then getting on buses makes it feel a little cattle car to me but Magen's Bay was great and perfect for little kids. Ans as a previous poster said, the pizza was really good. Actually, we all had something different from the little beach stand and it was all good - enjoyed it more than lunch on the ship. Our bus was 30 minutes late picking us up on the way back so we all had to stand around and wait which was a little annoying since they told us to be early. Wasted precious beach time but very glad we went.

 

[Sunshine2U]

It depends on your comfort level but I would not worry about signing up for an excursion to go to one of the main beaches on either island. Taxis are easy to use and plentiful. Most are the open air safari taxis that carry multiple people but there are private taxis available, too - just off the pier. When I was researching different ports on a non-cruise based site, I saw a hotel listed at Long Bay Beach that looked like an interesting option to Cane Garden Bay. We ended up taking the island tour and did not spend time on either beach.

 

[hanscarlet]

we did this and it was our favorite day of the cruise:
Tortola Excursion Review - Fort Recovery Beachfront Villas Review (Non-Disney Excursion). We are a family of four with two girls ages 4 and 7 and my oldest daughter is on the autism spectrum and is high functioning (HF). Due to some of my daughter's challenges, my husband and I try and find excursions that are relatively private and focused so we can enjoy ourselves without worrying about how my daughter's potential outbursts or discomfort in being out of her element with negatively impact others' experience. We found that the cost of a one night stay at Ft. Recovery Beach was reasonable to pay because we were looking for a quiet beach and a room accessible for the young kids to use to get out of the sun or if my daughter needed a break for sensory overload issues. We have done day passes at other cruise stops and found their summer rate reasonable however I don’t think I would pay the winter rate for a day pass so I hope the resort explores a general day pass rate for future cruisers interested in having a similar experience. We also like the private room because we can shower up at the end of the day which allows us to stay on the beach just a tad longer so we don’t have to rush back to the ship in order to get ready in time for dinner.
I selected this hotel after considerable research for few reasons:
- Great trip advisor reviews
- Nice looking beach from the photos
- Close to Soper’s Hole Marina
- Same side of the island as the port (wasn’t interested in driving through the windy hills to the North side of the island)
- Staff was extremely accommodating – I called and asked for a room closest to the beach because of the kids needed a break and they gave us Villa 1 which was wonderful
While on the way to the hotel, the cab driver indicated to my husband, “Why are you going to Fort Recovery? There is no beach there, go to the North side and see all the development” So my husband got discouraged but I pressed on and we continued on our trip. While pulling into the hotel, it looked like a rustic jungle so I think my husband was still a bit leery. We checked in and the check in desk is also quite rustic, but we received our key and we were escorted to our Villa by the nice staff lady at the front desk. Well we saw the beach and we were totally happy! It was a perfect beach for us with a gorgeous view of St. John! And no crowds! It was quiet and perfect!
After enjoying a few quiet, relaxing hours on the beach in the morning, the staff at the hotel were kind enough to call a cab so we can go to Pusser’s at Soper’s Hole for lunch. What a wonderful establishment and beautiful marina!
If you are looking for a relaxing, but activity filled day in Tortola, consider a day at Ft. Recovery – it was truly a memorable experience and a highlight of our overall Eastern Cruise.
Prices = $250 for one night stay for summer rate +$80 RT cab fare for family of 4 from port (excludes cab fare and cost for Soper’s Hole). Call ahead and make sure they give you a room that is ready by 10am. Happy to answer any questions you may have