Non-DCL Port Adventures in the Virgin Islands

[Kwami]

I have an Eastern Caribbean cruise coming up and since we booked so late, we missed out on some of the better port adventures. Also, DCL isn't offering much at all for Tortola. So, I have a couple of questions about booking non-DCL adventures.

1. Are there usually more offerings in Tortola? Do they get added later? Is this a Covid thing?

2. Are we allowed to go off on our own if we're all vaccinated? I think that the general DCL policy is yes, but I don't know if there are specific rules for Tortola and St. Thomas.

3. Is it easy to get to these tours if we aren't relying on Disney? I've never been to the Virgin Islands, so I'm not sure what to expect in terms of how far away things are and what sorts of transportation are available.

Thanks!!

 

[jasonriv]

We sailed to the Eastern Caribbean 11/14. Anyone fully vaccinated can get off the ship without booking a DCL excursion. You may want to check age requirements though if you have kids. Additionally, I probably wouldn’t recommend booking anything in advance, at least not too early in the morning. Without a DCL excursion, you have to join a virtual queue to get off the ship and there is no gua

in Tortola, we went out on our own. We walked to the ferry port about 10 minutes and booked a round trip ferry to Virgin Gorda for $38 each, including ground transport to the Top of the Baths. It was through Sensation Ferries, but there are several ferry companies that go to the various islands. We were late docking in Tortola, so I knew we wouldn’t make the ferry we were originally going to try for. Luckily they had one at 10:20am that I didn’t see on their online schedule. They had multiple return times to choose from, so it worked out great! You can buy admission to The Baths for $3 when you get there.

in St Thomas, we took a DCL excursion, but they made it very clearly we had to get back on the ship WITH the ship, otherwise we would have to quarantine. In the past, you could take a DCL excursion and then stay on the island for afterward without getting back on the ship. I don’t know if this is specific to St. Thomas or if they have different rules in general for going out on your own there. Could we have boarded the ship and then left again? I don’t know.

Anyway, I hope that was helpful! Also, keep checking availability through DCL. Some of the excursions opened up again within a week or two of sailing. Others were also cancelled very last minute. I think everything going to St John was cancelled, but this was also the first sailing back to the Eastern Caribbean.

Jason

 

[frozenmania]

We have private sailing to St. John in our upcoming 12/26 Fantasy. I guess I will have to sign up for virtual que to get off.

Why were excursions to St. John cancelled? Weather related?

Given USVI, I though St. Thomas would be less strict as long as your party is fully vaccinated.

 

[rhinodadz]

We have a snorkelling excursion with a non DCL operator in Tortola on the 12/26 Fantasy sailing. They're located an easy 10 minute walk from the pier.

 

[Graymoon]

I have a private excursion booked with Aristocat Charters in Tortola leaving at 9:00. Is there a trick to getting in the first few virtual groups in order to get off and make it to this excursion ?

 

[Juan M]

I have an Eastern Caribbean cruise coming up and since we booked so late, we missed out on some of the better port adventures. Also, DCL isn't offering much at all for Tortola. So, I have a couple of questions about booking non-DCL adventures.

1. Are there usually more offerings in Tortola? Do they get added later? Is this a Covid thing?

2. Are we allowed to go off on our own if we're all vaccinated? I think that the general DCL policy is yes, but I don't know if there are specific rules for Tortola and St. Thomas.

3. Is it easy to get to these tours if we aren't relying on Disney? I've never been to the Virgin Islands, so I'm not sure what to expect in terms of how far away things are and what sorts of transportation are available.

Thanks!!

Highly recommend Aristocat for sailing/snorkeling excursion. A short walk from the cruise ship pier and hands down a fun afternoon sailing and snorkeling. Top rated on TripAdvisor for good reason

 

[lanejudy]

they made it very clearly we had to get back on the ship WITH the ship, otherwise we would have to quarantine.

This is due to COVID and part of doing a DCL excursion -- any DCL excursion in any port. They consider the excursion to be a "bubble" of sorts. The whole group must return together and reboard the ship. After reboarding, vaccinated passengers may again debark to explore on your own if you so choose and there is time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Why were excursions to St. John cancelled? Weather related?

If the water is especially choppy, they'll cancel. Even on nicer days, the ferry run to St. John can be a Chunder Express. When we last took the ferry I saw at least 4 people hurl, and it was not a particularly windy day.

 

[jasonriv]

We have private sailing to St. John in our upcoming 12/26 Fantasy. I guess I will have to sign up for virtual que to get off.

Why were excursions to St. John cancelled? Weather related?

Given USVI, I though St. Thomas would be less strict as long as your party is fully vaccinated.

I’m not sure why they were cancelled.

 

[jasonriv]

I have a private excursion booked with Aristocat Charters in Tortola leaving at 9:00. Is there a trick to getting in the first few virtual groups in order to get off and make it to this excursion ?

You can join the queue up to an hour prior to port arrival. You do need to close the Navigator app and reopen it in order to join the queue, but it was rather glitchy. We didn’t end up arriving in Tortola until after 9 (delayed due to a medical emergency 2 days earlier). I did manage to get into one of the first groups.

 

[Kwami]

Thanks everyone! That's all very helpful.