Excursions for Tortola and St. Thomas - Beach time?

[FigmentSpark]

We did the Eastern on the Fantasy last year and this year, we're just looking for more beach time or maybe a museum, if there is one. Does anyone have any recommendations for Tortola and St. Thomas?

I am trying to keep in mind that we just don't know what either island will be like in March, in terms of recovery, but hopefully the beach areas will be back to normal by then.

Tortola seems to have a few options:

• Day at the Baths (TT04)
• Jost Van Dyke Beach day (TT65)
• Long Bay Lunch and Beach (TT26)
• Tour to Virgin Gorda ? (TT23)

and a few others. Any opinions?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

JVD appears to have come through okay and is the most beach time option of your list at Tortola. Pictures show that JVD is in good condition.

On the St. Thomas side, only beach I have seen pictures or reviews on is Magen's Bay. It is a little less lush because of tree loss but is otherwise up and functioning, including concession. I have not seem much on the other beaches or the beaches of St. John; SJ still has electricity issues.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I found a local who is summing up beach conditions on St. Thomas. No pictures, just his opinion, all quotes here and not my own words but his:

• Magens Bay is open. The water and sand was as stunning as ever. The bar and restaurant is still under repair but drinks are being served!

• Lindquist Beach is ready and waiting.

• Limetree Beach is closed for repairs suffered from the storm surge.

• Sapphire Beach is ready for your beach towel and beach chair.

• Brewers Bay is beautiful.

• Emerald is open but the storm washed at lot of shell, coral and rocks onto the beach. Not exactly ready for toes in the sand.

• Vessup Bay looks good.

• Hull Bay actually looks better than ever. A lot of white sand has washed ashore.

 

[FigmentSpark]

How do I find out which excursions go to which beach?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

How do I find out which excursions go to which beach?

I think for St. Thomas, the main excursions go to Magen's Bay (is labeled) and I believe the Secert sands excursion goes to Lindquist. The Coral World excursion includes Coki Beach.

I would assume any of the catamaran sails with beaches are sort of flexible.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We did a snorkel thing last year on St. Thomas and the beach they took us to was nice, but there were sea urchins, which freaked out my DS. It was rocky in the water, too.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If the St. John's beaches are back up, head that way. Or do the St. John On Your Own (if you want to book via Disney) or check out the ferry schedules.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I found the Magen's Bay excursion for St. Thomas. Thanks.



Also, I see the Virgin Gorda one, although I'm worried that the hiking will be more than my family wants to do:



There's a warning:

• Guests should wear comfortable walking shoes as the path to The Baths is rough and uneven.
  
• Guests should be in good physical condition.

Does anyone know which beach this is? Also what tendering is like for this excursion?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

There shouldn't be tendering at Tortola.

You ferry to Virgin Gorda; it's a separate island (as is Jost Van Dyke).

There are two beaches at the Baths. The nicer is on the far side of the caves at Devil's Bay. Neither beach had much in the way of amenities pre-Irma, and I can only assume that to still be the case. (In other words, don't expect to rent chairs or stuff.)

There are a lot of Baths reviews here and elsewhere; getting through the caves can be a bit of a crowd scene and require bending over at spots. I'd look at those and evaluate if your family would be okay with the caves. They're amazing, but if you have family members who hate tight spaces or the hike, they are less amazing if you KWIM.

 

[FigmentSpark]

DH won't want to sit on any beach without a chair. That would be an issue. I doubt DCL wants us bringing those folding chairs on the ship, much less having them allowed on an excursion and carrying them on a difficult hike.

I was thinking about the tendering on the Jost Van Dyke excursion from the boat that takes you to to island to the beach itself, as described in the "know before you go":

• As there is no docking facility at the beach, Guests must be ambulatory and be able to step onto the beach from the tender boat.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

DH won't want to sit on any beach without a chair. That would be an issue. I doubt DCL wants us bringing those folding chairs on the ship, much less having them allowed on an excursion and carrying them on a difficult hike.

I was thinking about the tendering on the Jost Van Dyke excursion from the boat that takes you to to island to the beach itself, as described in the "know before you go":

• As there is no docking facility at the beach, Guests must be ambulatory and be able to step onto the beach from the tender boat.

Aaaah. Yeah. The tendering isn't all that serious. It isn't like the big cruise ship tender. It's just that yachts and similar can't come right up. I don't know how the DCL excursion does it, but most yachts just drop you there and it's literally drop you in the water and you walk 10 feet in shallow water to shore.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Oh yes, we did that with our excursion last year. It was unexpected, but worked out okay.

What about the Long Bay Lunch and Beach, compared to the Virgin Gorda excursion? I wonder which beach this is and what it's like?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It is Long Bay Beach. It is on the western end of Tortola. I am not familiar with it, but there are Cruise Critic reviews.

The beach is associated with the Long Bay Beach Club, which is still closed according to the BVI Tourism site and their parent company's site still says "until further notice." So that might be a consideration?

 

[FigmentSpark]

Ah, yes. No point in signing up for something (even if it is March) if there's a chance it won't be open. Thanks.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Or have a contingency plan. The BVI are doing a pretty good job of communicating what's open, what with it being yacht season for them. JVD was a priority, just because I think half their tourism revenue flows through the Soggy Dollar Bar.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I have to sign in next weekend, so I need to pick something that will be open. I can change, of course, but if it's an excursion that's popular, I may not get the chance to pick it, if I don't make the right choice now.

 

[princesspeaony]

Any updates or feedback on Abi beach?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Abi Beach is open as of 10/18/17, so I can only assume it's okay.

 

[Bettyscruise]

Tendering at J.V.D. beach is a bit silly. You transfer to a smaller boat that transports your group the last 40 feet to the beach where they drop a gangway and you walk onto the beach dry. Took two boat loads to get everyone ashore. Had a very nice time there. Many buildings damaged in the storm there.

 

[Neptune's Fork]

At Tortola, Cane Garden Bay was a very nice beach, one of the best I've seen, and had plenty of lounges. You could just hang out there as long as you wanted.