Jost van dyke beach transfer worth it?

[Bestdisdad]

Our cruise is in a week and we keep going back and forth with 2 youngish kids is the beach transfer really worth it ?

 

[squirk]

JVD is worth it. You might find the transfer to be a little too short.

The beach day is longer and well worth the upgrade, in my opinion. Just set your expectations extremely low re: the provided lunch.

 

[alisaocean1213]

We are on the same cruise! Actually we are doing transfer only as we are not beach people. I’m excited to swim around for two hours and just think 4 hours is too much sun and water for us at a time lol, we also have 4 year old with us. We figured after getting back we can grab lunch on the boat and still have time explore port or cab to nearest beach to check it out as well.

 

[CruiseGoon]

I think I did the transfer years ago. First, because my youngest was too young to do the baths. Second, because the Soggy Dollar Bar sounded like a neat place to go. And it's honestly the major point on going to that particular beach on JVD. We got our painkillers and souvenirs (I need to get a new hat sometime as mine is really worn out). And the beach was very pretty. As the posters above said, the included snack and drink are low expectation. After our ride back, we walked around the port town on Tortola before we headed back to the ship.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Just back from an eastern and we did the Jost with lunch. A previous eastern we did just the transfer and it was a very short, quick trip due to the time to get there-boat/taxi transfer. The longer excursion is much better in my opinion. The food is just fine-think beach food. There are several options to buy your own food at several of the bars there and I heard the fish tacos were fantastic. The beach is just beautiful and the Soggy is a fun place to visit. Private area on this excursion with loungers and umbrellas, bathrooms attached to food pavilion. Our excursions was not without issues, however. The taxis-think open air buses, didn't seem ready or there were not enough of them when our tour arrived to the island. It was a very warm wait in the sun, both coming and leaving to get back to the dock and the ship that would take us to and from Jost to Tortola. Not sure if that was a hiccup or it is something that happens on every excursion.

 

[auntlynne]

The excursion description describes walking through water due to no dock. Is this leftover verbage from the past? Perhaps no longer applicable with the safari taxi from Great Harbour?

How was the boarding of the water taxi from / to the dock ? - fairly even level or a big step up or down?

Do you know the price of loungers and umbrellas?

 

[brentm77]

The excursion description describes walking through water due to no dock. Is this leftover verbage from the past? Perhaps no longer applicable with the safari taxi from Great Harbour?

How was the boarding if the water taxi from / to the dock ? - fairly even level or a big step up or down?

Do you know the price of loungers and umbrellas?

Yes - it is leftover and no longer accurate. They stopped dropping people off that way for the Disney excursions. Our descripting said that still, and that's not what happens. They put you on those trucks that have seats in the truck bed and truck you over there now instead. There was room in the cab for a few lucky people too. It's a very short ride over.

We did the one that included lunch, and the umbrellas were included. I don't know if that is the case for the transfer. But even the lunch one was too short in my opinion, so I would do that one if possible, just for the extra time (not for the lunch, which was fine, but nothing great).

I loved visiting the Soggy Dollar Bar and little shop, and we don't even drink. They had a great little snack bar for ice-cream, drinks, and snacks too.

 

[auntlynne]

Yes - it is leftover and no longer accurate. They stopped dropping people off that way for the Disney excursions. Our descripting said that still, and that's not what happens. They put you on those trucks that have seats in the truck bed and truck you over there now instead. There was room in the cab for a few lucky people too. It's a very short ride over.

We did the one that included lunch, and the umbrellas were included. I don't know if that is the case for the transfer. But even the lunch one was too short in my opinion, so I would do that one if possible, just for the extra time (not for the lunch, which was fine, but nothing great).

I loved visiting the Soggy Dollar Bar and little shop, and we don't even drink. They had a great little snack bar for ice-cream, drinks, and snacks too.

Thank you. I dropped The Baths for JVD after watching multiple videos of each. Sounds like I made a good choice (for me).

 

[ladyofthetramp]

The excursion description describes walking through water due to no dock. Is this leftover verbage from the past? Perhaps no longer applicable with the safari taxi from Great Harbour?

How was the boarding of the water taxi from / to the dock ? - fairly even level or a big step up or down?

Do you know the price of loungers and umbrellas?

That barge/boat thing where you transferred in the bay from boat to barge to land is no more- open air taxi. The step from the dock to the boat is mostly level and not too large of a step. The crew was very accommodating and helpful to everyone boarding. I do not know the price of umbrellas or chairs as we did the excursion. The crew of our vessel provided ice cold water, which was welcome and rum punch-both complimentary, on our way back to the ship.

 

[auntlynne]

That barge/boat thing where you transferred in the bay from boat to barge to land is no more- open air taxi. The step from the dock to the boat is mostly level and not too large of a step. The crew was very accommodating and helpful to everyone boarding. I do not know the price of umbrellas or chairs as we did the excursion. The crew of our vessel provided ice cold water, which was welcome and rum punch-both complimentary, on our way back to the ship.

The regular mystery of daily weather/ choppy ride is my only concern now. That I won’t worry about. Sounds like the variables I have problems with - big steps up and down should Not be a problem. I saw a video with old people using canes going out in this excursion. I’m saying, if they can do it, so can I. I have found people to be very helpful when I am out and about. Strangers have given me that little push when getting on the tram at Castaway Cay. (I can get down, not up into it. I am fortunate I don’t don’t have a walking issue.). There are still a lot of good people in the world.

 

[brentm77]

The regular mystery of daily weather/ choppy ride is my only concern now. That I won’t worry about. Sounds like the variables I have problems with - big steps up and down should Not be a problem. I saw a video with old people using canes going out in this excursion. I’m saying, if they can do it, so can I. I have found people to be very helpful when I am out and about. Strangers have given me that little push when getting on the tram at Castaway Cay. (I can get down, not up into it. I am fortunate I don’t don’t have a walking issue.). There are still a lot of good people in the world.

My mom is 70 and has a similar issue getting up into vehicles, and she did great on this excursion. We did ask to let her ride up front in the truck to make it easier on the way back. The walk on the beach from where you are dropped off to where the lounge chairs and lunch are setup is a little long, but not terrible. The Soggy Dollar is in the opposite direction and closer to the drop off location. It's a very scenic beach and we enjoyed the excursion. The boat ride over is a little long, but enjoyable. You get a good view of some of the islands.