This is our first
DCL cruise so I cannot tell you from experience...but from others have said, it is very feasible to do St. John on your own.
What a coincidence, we honeymooned on St. John (Gallows Point) 11 1/2 years ago. Isn't St. John amazing?
We will be going to St. John on our March cruise. We are going to take a taxi to the Red Hook ferry to get to St. John. Then we are planning on taking a taxi to Trunk Bay. We will be traveling with our two DD's ages 3 and 4. We also hope to do a little bit of shopping and trying to eat lunch at Mongoose Junction.
One poster has recommended renting a car in St. Thomas and taking it to St. John on the ferry. That may be a good option if you want to do some exploring on your own. Remember the donkeys on the island? We rented a jeep last time we were there and almost hit a whole herd of them coming around the corner (on the left side of the road, of course).
From what I understand, Trunk Bay now has snorkel gear rentals, restrooms and a snack bar. I don't remember that from before. I have also been told that it is quite a bit more built up. I will be curious to see the expansion.
I will report back in March and let everyone know how our trip went. We can't wait!
Denae