Virgin Islands

[WINTER]

what do you enjoy in the Virgin Islands? Excursions?

 

[anricat]

Are you talking about St. Thomas? We really enjoyed our private snorkeling with sea turtles excursion with St. Thomas Adventure Tours.

 

[Calantha]

what do you enjoy in the Virgin Islands? Excursions?

US or British? Can't comment on British yet.

For U.S. - St. Thomas, I've enjoyed walking around town, kayaking/snorkeling, and visiting Magens Bay. I didn't like the one time we went on a DCL excursion - there were 70 people jammed on a small boat.

For St. John, I've only been over there once, and we just enjoyed walking around town.

For our cruise coming up in October, we are doing a private jeep tour on St. Thomas and then a catamaran tour from an outside company on Tortola.

 

[DisRecruit]

We really enjoyed our private snorkeling with sea turtles excursion with St. Thomas Adventure Tours.

I'm not the OP, but also looking for options on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. This tour provider seems great! Do you mind if I ask whether you considered other options, or may consider another options in the future? Also, were you able to arrange to have them meet you at the port, or did you have travel to meet them?
Thanks!

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

Visited VI for first time. Loved the Sea Lion swim in St Thomas
The Treasure Island snorkel was ok but ngl, I mainly enjoyed the rum lunch they gave us

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

We loved our sail and snorkel with sea turtles when we stopped at St. Thomas. It’s was through fury sailing charters. They only take about 20-25 people. They sailed on the way out so that when we got there the other packed excursion boats were wrapping up and heading back. We had the reef to ourselves. Then on the way back, too much rum punch to finish!

In tortola, the Jost van dyke beach day. Not the transfer. The whole day with lunch. This was just amazing.

 

[anricat]

I'm not the OP, but also looking for options on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. This tour provider seems great! Do you mind if I ask whether you considered other options, or may consider another options in the future? Also, were you able to arrange to have them meet you at the port, or did you have travel to meet them?
Thanks!

I don't recall what else we considered. For the future, I'm honestly not sure. I usually plan once we have a destination and we have no plans currently to revisit St. Thomas. I might consider one of their other tours though.

We did have to travel to meet them. We took a taxi and it was easy on the way there, sort of a mess on the way back due to the taxi driver, I think, completely forgetting we were there and picking up a whole load of other other people from a RCCL ship and heading back to take them a completely other place before we hollered at him to let us off the taxi! It was sort of a crazy ride. It's in my trip report here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...ern-caribbean-adventure.3891761/post-64210267

 

[auntlynne]

The beaches. Whether we are there for a day or are doing a week on land, that is the focus. And we are not “beach people;” there is no day-long lying in the sun. It is playing in the water or watching the sun set during an evening walk.

We are actually doing Disney excursions next month: Jost Van Dyke from Tortola and St John from St Thomas. They each offer about 90 minutes actual beach time, which is plenty of sun and water time for me.

In St Thomas, just get to any of the major beaches by taxi, rental car, or excursion (land or sea) and enjoy the waters of the VIs. This area and the Bahamas is some of our favorite water - so clear, often shallow, with beautiful color.

My sister’s family enjoyed The Baths from Tortola and a Champagne Catamaran Sail to St John from St Thomas.

(Yes, I feel St John, with the beaches in the National Park, to be nicer than St Thomas. But I am happy with many of the beaches on St Thomas: Magen’s, Lindquist/ Secret Sands, and Sapphire. Just depends on what I want to do.)

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

We did a private charter on St Thomas, which took us to a few totally empty beaches (and one high end resort for lunch) around St. Thomas and St. John.

We did the 1/2 day Disney transfer to Jost Van Dyke at Tortola. I am nearly certain we spent more time transferring to and from JVD than we actually spent on the beach—but I didn’t mind being on the ferry boat. If it was going to do it again though I would do the whole day on JVD or I would do a private transfer to a closer beach.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

St Thomas- Magen's Bay. Beach is gorgeous. Facilities, food, gift shop and bar. Bring your snorkel, I saw sea turtles and it was amazing!
Ferry from St. Thomas to St. John. Hike around the national park area. Find a quiet beach and relax. Shop in town
Tortola-full day transfer to Jost Van Dyke. Painkillers at the Soggy Dollar. Once again, bring your snorkel for sea turtles!

 

[I Run Long]

My DH and I really enjoyed the zip-lining on both islands - loads of fun! We plan to do them again when we return next September.

 

[DisRecruit]

We did have to travel to meet them. We took a taxi and it was easy on the way there, sort of a mess on the way back due to the taxi driver, I think, completely forgetting we were there and picking up a whole load of other other people from a RCCL ship and heading back to take them a completely other place before we hollered at him to let us off the taxi! It was sort of a crazy ride. It's in my trip report here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...ern-caribbean-adventure.3891761/post-64210267

Thanks for sharing your trip report. It was a fun read! I guess we'll have to make sure the taxis don't forget about us (we're only a family of 3 as well).

Thank you everyone one else as well for your great tips and suggestions!

 

[RedHead0186]

what do you enjoy in the Virgin Islands? Excursions?

On Tortola, I enjoyed ziplining. If you're not that adventurous I know others enjoy going to Jost van Dyke or the Baths. On St. Thomas I did the catamaran sail and snorkel to St. John, which I really liked.

 

[auntlynne]

St Thomas- Magen's Bay. Beach is gorgeous. Facilities, food, gift shop and bar. Bring your snorkel, I saw sea turtles and it was amazing!
Ferry from St. Thomas to St. John. Hike around the national park area. Find a quiet beach and relax. Shop in town
Tortola-full day transfer to Jost Van Dyke. Painkillers at the Soggy Dollar. Once again, bring your snorkel for sea turtles!

Love the photos. The turtle looks like a silk-screened print.