Red Hook or Charlotte Amalie Ferry?

[mickeyfan4444]

We are planning on taking a ferry to St. John on our own and were wondering which is better - Take the Charlotte Amalie ferry - closer and no taxi but longer to ferry over or take a taxi to the Red Hook ferry? There are 9 in our group going so we want to do it the easiest way possible. We also want to get there as soon as possible when we get off the ship to have more time to explore St. John and still come back and shop a little in St. Thomas. I know we are trying to squeeze a lot in a short day there, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Patti

 

[DrCavin]

We did not do either, but here is something to consider as well. When we got back on the ship, we heard that the group that took the Charlotte Amalie were sea sick. Guess it was a VERY rough ride, kids were crying because they were scared, people were throwing up over the side of the boat.... That was on the ride over to St. John, not sure how many took the same ride back.

I would hope this was a rareity, but maybe worth considering if others post some similar experiences....

 

[mickeyboat]

We tendered in to downtown and took a taxi ($8 per person) to Red Hook and took the Red Hook ferry over. The taxi ride was about 20 minutes and DD3 almost got car sick - it was a bit scary. I was concerned that if we did the same thing on the way back, and we got stuck in downtown traffic, we might have trouble making it back to the ship on time.

So we took the C.A. ferry back. It was very convenient, dropped us off right at the tender station, but the trip was VERY rough, I was concerned at more than one point that the boat was going to overturn.

But it was worth the trip to go to St. John. Good luck deciding.

Denae

 

[castlegazer]

You know, I think I would go over to Red Hook again. I haven't ferried out of Charlotte Amelie, only Red Hook, but the taxi there is not that bad and the ferry schedule is a bit more frequent in Red Hook - giving you many more options to get back again.

Hmm, but I am not comitted to this opinion. I had been tossing around using the Charlotte Amelie ferry until I finally gave up the ghost as its just too much to do for us as we have wee ones.

The longer boat ride is a problem if most of it is rough. Hmmm. I guess I am not sure what you should do.

 

[jel0511]

If you feel that anyone if your group has a tendancy to get sea sick, then definately taxi over to the Red Hook ferry. Yes, the car ride can be adventurous, there are lots of twist and turns as well as hills during the ride from Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook, its definately not for the non-adventurous. Now, with 9 people, it might be difficult to get one taxi to take everyone, so the Charlotte Amalie ferry would be very convienent. Also, if tendering, the ferry and tenders are in the same location, also something that is convient. We travel to St. John often, and I try to avoid the Charlotte Amalie ferry due to it's rough nature, and I've NEVER gotten sea sick. The Red Hook ferry also runs every hour on the hour, whereas the Charlotte Amalie ferry runs every 1 1/2 - 2 hours, depending on time of day. Any more quesitons, please ask.