Excursion help St. Thomas and Tortola

[mousefan73]

We are leaving soon for our 7 night eastern and i have the following booked.
St. thomas:

8:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Port Adventures
Ultimate Island Experience (ST71)

Tortola:
8:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Port Adventures
Island Drive and Beach Break (TT11)



Has anyone done these excursions ? I am considering cancelling. the more I think about them, the more I realize these offer really nothing. We want more than 1 hour on a beach.. So we are tinking about doing beached on our own.Any advice here? I find it a shame they really only offer such short island excursions. 3 hrs really??? any tips on cabs, which beach especially tortolla. We are thiniking Magmans bay..

also my mom needs chairs and facilities. thanks...

Should I cancel? Is own your own ok? just have that nagging, will we miss the boat feeling.. we would plana 3pm latest return.. gives us 1.5 hr buffer thx

 

[Calantha]

I can’t speak to Tortola...but on St. Thomas it is fine to go on your own. Magens Bay is easy to get to via open air taxi and there is a small fee to enter. There are chairs and facilities there. There is a pretty continuous supply of transportation around, so you’ll be able to leave whenever you are ready.

 

[mickip]

Agree about Magen's Bay, we did that on our first trip to St. Thomas and it was perfect. There was chairs, concessions and bathrooms.

 

[mousefan73]

any tips on Tortola, from what I have been reading it seems there is less back and forth transportation available.. as the island has smaller resources....any experiences here?

 

[Birdie dog]

any tips on Tortola, from what I have been reading it seems there is less back and forth transportation available.. as the island has smaller resources....any experiences here?

The Islands are still working their way back from the hurricane damage. Ferry service has improved, but it can be erratic. If a ferry is down, or delayed, you can have a problem.

Also, keep in mind that there's a $70 per person customs charge to enter the BVI and you need to bring your passport with you.

 

[mousefan73]

The Islands are still working their way back from the hurricane damage. Ferry service has improved, but it can be erratic. If a ferry is down, or delayed, you can have a problem.

Also, keep in mind that there's a $70 per person customs charge to enter the BVI and you need to bring your passport with you.

70 to get off the cruise ship?! are you sure, this is the first I have heard of this...

 

[Dug720]

70 to get off the cruise ship?! are you sure, this is the first I have heard of this...

Agreed! I have a cruise booked on Celebrity in Feb that goes to Tortola and there is no mention of a fee to get off the ship.

 

[Bonnie1222]

Also, keep in mind that there's a $70 per person customs charge to enter the BVI and you need to bring your passport with you.

Can you clarify this? Are you saying if we want to go to Tortola on our own we have to pay $70 per person to get off the ship?

 

[Birdie dog]

70 to get off the cruise ship?! are you sure, this is the first I have heard of this...

If you're docking in Tortola, DCL has collected the fee. If you're traveling there from the USVI, there's a $70 PP customs fee. For all ages.

 

[Birdie dog]

Trying to clarify for those who haven't been. The $70 is a customs fee and everyone has to pay it. If you're docking in Tortola, DCL has collected and will pay this fee for you. If you're docking in St Thomas and taking a ferry to Tortola, Jost, Virgin Gorda etc you have to pay the $70. It is collected from each passenger traveling to the BVI (a different country).

 

[Bonnie1222]

Trying to clarify for those who haven't been. The $70 is a customs fee and everyone has to pay it. If you're docking in Tortola, DCL has collected and will pay this fee for you. If you're docking in St Thomas and taking a ferry to Tortola, Yost, Virgin Gorda etc you have to pay the $70. It is collected from each passenger traveling to the BVI (a different country).

Thank you for clarifying. The OP is taking the EC cruise, and talking about visiting Tortola when the ship docks there.

 

[Birdie dog]

Thank you for clarifying. The OP is taking the EC cruise, and talking about visiting Tortola when the ship docks there.

Sorry. I hadn't taken an EC since St. Thomas was your only option and you ferried everywhere else. We generally only go through Tortola for customs, then we head over to Jost.

 

[lklgoodman]

Our tablemates did the island drive tour in Tortola. They said they should have taken some Bonine before. The drive was a lot of up, down, and curves. We did the DCL excusion that went to Beef island, called beach express(I think). We enjoyed it. Did the Secret Sands beach excursion in St. Thomas, also liked it. We went to both in the morning, had about 2.5-3 hrs at each. Then had lunch on ship and enjoyed pool deck.

 

[kiford]

Has anyone done some decent island tours (DCL ones) on either Tortola or St. Thomas that don't have much beach time? DH and I aren't beach people; kind of bores us. We might not even bother to get off at St. Thomas as we've been there before but I'd like to see Tortola a bit.

 

[Gentry2004]

For Tortola, I'd recommend the one that visits either Jost Van Dyke or Normal Island. We did the Norman Island one and it was beautiful.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Tortola and St. Thomas are really beach destinations.

 

[hcox31]

We did the island drive and beach break on Tortola. It was a very hilly, precarious (to us) ride up and down the mountains. But the scenery was BEAUTIFUL. The driver of our taxi/bus was obviously local and knew the traffic rules/non rules very well. He was exceptional. But it was a nail biter, not gonna lie. It's just something we as North American drivers are not used to. They basically take you up to the top to a beautiful lookout, where you get a drink/bathroom break. Then you head to Cane Garden Bay. There are chairs available, if you want an umbrella there is a local on the beach who collects your $5 for that There was facilities nearby in a restaurant, and some places to get snacks/frozen treats/drinks.

Tortola is definitely still under repair (we went in March 2019) from the hurricanes. There are many ruined buildings and broken down cars and up and down the mountainside. The beach was gorgeous though. We felt safe there.

 

[Lisa F]

For Tortola, I'd recommend the one that visits either Jost Van Dyke or Normal Island. We did the Norman Island one and it was beautiful.

did you do the norman island snorkel? that is what I am considering. love to hear more about it!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We did the Baths at Tortola on our own a few weeks ago. It was super easy and cost a total of about $150 for 4 people.

I would shoot for the 1st ferry of the day and return on the 12:15 ferry. That gives you plenty of time to explore and if there is an issue with the 12:15 return ferry, there are at least 2 more just in case.

 

[mousefan73]

We did the island drive and beach break on Tortola. It was a very hilly, precarious (to us) ride up and down the mountains. But the scenery was BEAUTIFUL. The driver of our taxi/bus was obviously local and knew the traffic rules/non rules very well. He was exceptional. But it was a nail biter, not gonna lie. It's just something we as North American drivers are not used to. They basically take you up to the top to a beautiful lookout, where you get a drink/bathroom break. Then you head to Cane Garden Bay. There are chairs available, if you want an umbrella there is a local on the beach who collects your $5 for that There was facilities nearby in a restaurant, and some places to get snacks/frozen treats/drinks.

Tortola is definitely still under repair (we went in March 2019) from the hurricanes. There are many ruined buildings and broken down cars and up and down the mountainside. The beach was gorgeous though. We felt safe there. View attachment 422896View attachment 422897View attachment 422898

were you on the excursion that was only 3.5 hrsßß we are booked from 8:45-12:15.. T11. How much time was on the beach? did it seem rushed... this would be a perfect excursion if it got us back at 3pm or so.... then I wouldnt be reconsidering.. I am consdiering taxing it just to the beach