St. John excursions vs. On Own...

[SueEllen]

I would love suggestions from those of you who had been on the Eastern cruise.

I would like to see St. Thomas, but have heard awesome things about St. John's Tunk Bay.

I'd like some feedback from those who have done these islands on their own and some from those who have done the Disney excursions.

Also, what did you do at St. Martin? Any suggestions, reviews? on your own or Disney excursion?

I like to do my own thing to save some money, so if that is the way to go over paying the price for the Disney excursion I'd like to know.

How difficult is it to get to Trunk Bay on your own? How much time do you have at the islands here? What is all aboard time?

I have done the Western several times, and the 3 and 4 night cruises, but this is my first Eastern cruise.

Suggestions are welcomed!!
Sue Ellen

 

[ganurse]

we had a blast doing the champagnee catamaran to stt johns. it sprinkled a bit while snorkeling but still very warm. it was worth the price. snacks on the way down their with champagne and then a sandwich tray with salads, desserts and margaritas. there was great music and the staff was wonderful

 

[hannahandkatesmommy]

Hi all! I am new to this disboard thing....do I get kicked off if I ask too many questions in 1 day? Cruise is in 19 days and counting....

We would like to see St. John on our day in St. Thomas-we've been there before and just want to see something different. My youngest daughter is only 3 and the excursions from the trip are all for 4 and up. My TA and also my best friend(who will also be with us) called to verify and she cannot go on those excursions. No problem, we will just find our own way to St. John and Trunk Bay. We have been on websites trying to figure out the best way to get to where we need to go and just get overwhelmed each time. Has anyone organized their own trip to St. John and if so, how did you do it(cab to where? Ferry to Where?....) and was there enough time in port to do that and get back in time?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Jennifer

 

[mickeyboat]

DH and I went to St. John on our own in March with DD3 and DD4, for the same reasons you did, no excursions for our little one. We honeymooned in St. John and were dying to go back.

We tendered in to St. Thomas from the magic. There were taxis standing by at the tender station. We had to wait quite a while for the taxi to leave to go to Red Hook and we were charged $8 per person. The taxi ride was about 30 minutes (DD3 almost got car sick). At Red Hook we bought ferry tickets (I think Red Hook ferry elaves every hour on the hour) for $3 for adults and $1 for the kids. The ferry ride took about 20 minutes and docked in Cruz Bay. We decided to go to Mongoose Junction for lunch, check out some of the stores, go to Gallows Point where we stayed before. We did not go to Trunk Bay. We decided with the other things we wanted to do, we would not have time. But if we had gone to Trunk Bay, there are taxis at the dock that will take you there.

Be sure to catch the 2PM ferry back to St. Thomas. If there are a lot of ships in port, it can be difficult to get trhough traffic in Charlotte Amalie.

Another option is to take the downtown ferry to and from St. John. It is a 45 minute ride but the seas are VERY rough. We took that ferry back from St. John because it docks right at the tender station, no cab ride from Red Hook. I was terrified that the ferry was going to capsize, and some people I talked to said it was worse on the trip over. I think the price on the downtown ferry was $7 for adults and $3 for children.

St. John is not to be missed. Trunk Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world - a little crowded but worth going. I am sure others will be able to recommend other beaches if you want to avoid the crowds.

Have a great time!

Denae

 

[herrbeeb]

we are cruising the eastern caribbean on 6/26. this will be our 4th disney cruise. clearly we are pleased with the experience as we keep coming back to disney even though an alternative cruise line would be much less expensive.

in any case, this will be our 1st trip tp st martin and st. thomas/john. the we includes my husband, 2 daughters, 16 and 12 and son, 14. i am looking for reviews and/or recommendations for shore excursions on both stops.

thanx.

 

[RebeccaLovesDisney]

We went on our own to St. John in December and plan on doing it again on our next cruise. On our cruise, we were tendered in St. Thomas. After taking the tender to downtown Charlotte Amalie (CA), we took a taxi to Red Hook to catch the 10:00 am ferry. We actually just missed the 9:00 ferry that left from CA for St. John. The Red Hook ferry actually left at 9:45 and we made it to St. John in 15 minutes. We took the 2:15 ferry back from St. John to CA and were back at 3:00. The ferry dock is only a few yards away from the tender dock, so no taxi is needed. Here is a link to the ferry schedule:

http://www.st-thomas.com/week/ferries.html

We did not have rough seas on the ferry from St. John to CA, but apparently this can vary depending on the sea conditions that day.

We went to Trunk Bay while in St. John and absolutely loved this beach. It is beautiful. It wasn't very crowded the day we were there, but we went at a "slow" time, just one week before the Holiday crowds. If crowds are an issue, I've heard that Cinammon Bay is just as beautiful with great snorkeling. The taxis at Cruz Bay will take you to any beach you want.

Have fun!