Magen's Bay (St Thomas) vs Trunk Bay (St John)

[Cruise]

Just wondering if anyone have an opinion about which of these is better.

Last time we did the Eastern, we went to Magen's Bay and loved the beach. It was just a quick cab ride and the water was beautiful and clear. There wasn't much to see in the way of snorkling - at least where we were anyway.

I'm guessing Trunk Bay is the same beautiful water? Is there more underwater life to see?

Taking it all into consideration, is it worth the extra trouble of getting the ferry over to St John, or would it just end up being comparable to Magen's Bay?

Thanks!

 

[IrishCowboy]

IMHO, Trunk Bay is much better, but does require more time and expense to get there.

 

[metzfan64]

I've stayed on St. Thomas and Trunk Bay is by far the best...no contest...it is one of the most photographed beaches...it is more of a haul than Magens Bay...you will have to get some sort of ground transportation from the ship to the ferry which will take at least 30 - 40 minutes and then a ferry ride to St. John which is about another 40 minutes...then its about a 10 minute ride to the beach...if all you want is a beach day and you have the time, I would recommend Trunk Bay...I've been to Hawaii, Carib and Bermuda and I have to say that St. John was probably #1 to me for beautiful beaches...

 

[SweetSpot]

Trunk Bay is much better for snorkling and it is beautiful there but a long trip with such a short amount of time to spare. Magen's Bay is beautiful but it's a bay with no waves, few fish but a beautiful view. A good compromise might be Coki Beach which is also not far from the ship, next to Coral World Aquarium and has decent snorkling. It's especially good for little kids since there are fish are as close as the shorline. Sapphire Beach is also nice with decent snorkling but it's further away and we didn't like it as much as Coki.

 

[cseca]

We did St. John's island tour and wished we had gone on the snorkeling session at Trunk Bay instead. Trunk Bay is BEAUTIFUL! We only got to see it high up above during the tour. But from what we saw it was gorgeous.

Never been to Maagen's bay so I can't say...

 

[dcladdict-ohio]

We did Trunk Bay October 2006 - it is really worth the time and effort to get there but you need to realize it is a 45 minute ferry ride then a bus and maybe a couple of hours at the beach. It was a half day excursion when we went, don't know if it still is. Also, we were the only people there - about 30 of us. Since then we have seen Trunk Bay in magazines and TV shows as one of the 10 best beaches etc. We would definitely go back!

 

[Cruise]

Thanks for all the replies!

It seems like the overwhelming majority say Trunk Bay! Castaway Cay will be our hang out by the water day, so I'd really rather get in and see some interesting stuff on the other islands. We've never done a ship sponsored excursion before because I've always felt confident we could go it alone, but I think going to St John might be the exception since I'd be worried about the travel times.

I didn't realize Coki would be good for snorkling too as an option. Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get there from where the Magic docks? And how does the snorkling compare to Trunk Bay?

Thanks again!

 

[autumnlala]

Also, there's an underwater snorkeling trail at Trunk Bay (with signs that tell you what the fish and other things you see are!), which is just so cool. And it's, IMHO, the most beautiful place on earth

 

[jgillfamilymtairymd]

Just got back from that Cruise.

We too went to Trunk bay. it did cost a bunch of money for taxi and water taxi, but I will have to say it was worth it.

Just be careful coming back that you don't miss the ferry or you might miss the ship.

Jim