Cruise Talk: St Thomas, St John, St. Croix

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»	Cruise Talk » Ports of Call and Destinations » St Thomas, St John, St. Croix

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Topic: St Thomas, St John, St. Croix

sunnie
First Class Passenger
Member # 1265

posted 05-04-2000 08:18 AM

I'll be cruising with my family (husband and 2 teenagers) in early July on the Triumph, Eastern Caribbean. I'm trying to decide which tours we should take while visiting St. Thomas/St. John and St/Croix. I love to shop and my husband and the kids love the beach. I was thinking of a shopping/island tour in St. Thomas/St. John and a beach/snorkeling tour in St Croix? What island has the best beaches or best shopping. I even thought of combining 2 tours in one day (St Thomas shopping pm/St. John beach am) but I think in order to do that, we might have to venture out on our own because of the tour times. Don't want too much of a busy day but trying to make sure we do a little of beach and a little shopping so everyone is happy in one day might be a bit much. Thats why I was thinking of maybe just shopping/tour in St Thomas/St John and just the beach/snorkeling in St. Croix - but again, back to my original question (what island has the best beaches and best shopping)
I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks

Posts: 10 | From: Pennsylvania | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

gizmo
First Class Passenger
Member # 972

posted 05-04-2000 08:47 AM

Hi sunnie,

St. Thomas has Megan's Bay and Coki Beach.
Coki is great for snorkling and has Coral World. Megan's Bay is beautiful. No need for tours from the ship to go to the beach or shop. There are island tours availabe both from the ship and from open air safari's available at the pier and in town. There is St. Peter's house and a great view of Megan's Bay.
You could snorkle St. John's early morning. Most ships anchor around 7:00 AM then leave for St. Thomas. Another option is a catamaren tour. Most ship offer this also and they leave from either St. Thomas or St. John's and cruise the islands and stop for 1 hr snorkle. Some are about 4 hrs., other full day.
I snorkled at St Croix and did not think much of it.
St. Thomas has the best shopping. Lots of jewelry !

Posts: 686 | From: Kennesaw Ga. (origianlly from Philly) | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

MHP
First Class Passenger
Member # 1101

posted 05-04-2000 09:13 AM

Sunnie: The U.S. Virgin Islands have a web site for St. Johns, St.Thomas and St.Croix. You can find them at st-thomas.com. This will give you some idea of what there is to do. Just for comparison: The Captain Nautica 1/2 day Snorkeling to two locations around St. John's is $45.00 and kids are half price (with web prebook discount - otherwise $50.00.) In the R.C.I. excursion booklet it's $46.00. It was encouraging not to see price gouging. Same goes for the Atlantis Sub...(Same price with the cruise ship or without)

[This message has been edited by MHP (edited 05-04-2000).]

Posts: 86 | From: Toronto, Canada | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

WJCdiver
First Class Passenger
Member # 946

posted 05-04-2000 09:17 AM

For snorkeling and beach St. John's is the best. There is a snorkeling trail at Trunk Bay that is fun, not great snorkeling but a fun thing to do. Hawks Nest is a great beach with good reefs right on the beach. You also have about 7 other beaches to choose from on St. John's. St. John's has the least shopping.

St. Thomas has the best shopping. Their are two good beaches to snorkel the best is Coki, next best is Saphire Beach.

St. Croix is smaller than St. Thomas with a reasonable amount of shopping and ok beaches, but snorkeling is mediocre.

One possibility you might consider is when you are at St.Johns/St. Thomas you go shopping in St. Thomas and your husband an kids go to St. Johns to beach and snorkel.

Bill

Posts: 159 | From: New York, NY | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 05-04-2000 11:36 AM

sunnie; I say do it all!!! Most ships I have been on will not let you off in early AM at St. Johns unless you are on one of their tours. Very easy to go it alone on these two islands. I would take the ferry to St John from downtown early get on one of their truck taxi when you get their. Trunk bay is not the best snorkeling in the caribean but a different experience (underwater nature trail) They rent equipment right there. When you are done go the other ferry to St. Thomas
You can get a van taxi and take a quick trip to the top of the mountain (blue beards castle & to the home of the banana daquri) Then get dropped off at downtown you should not miss the shopping on St. Thomas! You should have plenty of time to do all of this (a full day). My wife is the shopper, but I am sure your family will enjoy themselves all the shops and all of the people. Remember to greet everyone on the island with good morning, afternoon, evening which ever is appropriate. Where ever it might be get in the water while you are at these two islands!

It has been quite a few years since we were on St. Croix we went to buck island wonderful snorkeling

Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

sunnie
First Class Passenger
Member # 1265

posted 05-04-2000 03:06 PM

You guys are just great! I can't believe all the fabulous ideas you've given me. I can't wait for my husband and kids to ask me about our itinerary. My response is going to be "Well my friend Gizmo says and my friend MHP says and my friend WJC Diver says, and my friend K&K says..."
All the advice was just what I needed. I think I'm going to do a combination of everything like K&K said "do it all." I figure - why not, I am on vacation and I can relax when we get back to the ship. I'll start early and we'll do all three (snorkel/island tour/shop)
Its going to be fun to see if the kids can keep up with me for a change.

Posts: 10 | From: Pennsylvania | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 05-04-2000 03:19 PM

Sunnie - there are some nice little shops just to the right and across the street from the pier in St. Croix. We went down a little alleway and found a neat shop that sold Tortuga Rum Cakes called Tropical Treats. My daughter wanted to buy a hook bracelet, looked at them in the store in St. Croix and waited until we got to St. Thomas (same company) and they had a wider variety.
Do what K&K said - have a banana daiqueri at Top of the Mountain - they are delicious. Tons of shopping in St. Thomas - have a great time.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 05-04-2000 03:56 PM

sympatico: Is the man with the donkey for pictures still there? Also do they still offer tours to buck island? I wonder if it is the paradise it once was? Do you know?
Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 05-04-2000 10:17 PM

Kevin - I haven't been to the beach or on a tour in St. Thomas for years - just shopping! I am sure the man with the donkey is there and the price has probably gone up from the $1.00. If it isn't him, then it will be someone else. A very lucrative business. Don't know about tours to Buck Island - also was there years ago on the sail boat of some some people we had met the year before. Sorry

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

d_jimbo
Just Boarded
Member # 1014

posted 05-11-2000 01:16 AM

There really is no need to take a shopping tour, just take a taxi. We were on the Triumph doing the eastern in Feb., we had a fantastic time. I wanted to snorkel and my wife wanted to shop, snorkeling is cheaper. We did both and it worked out ok. St Thomas has more shopping than I could believe, jewelry prices are good. The ship suggested omni jewelry store and we went there, we did buy a ring for my wife, but we thought that the sales woman was very pushy. We liked the shopping on St. Croix much better, it was more relaxed, but not as much. We bought jewelry on St. Croix too, go to Gems Direct in Christiansted and ask for Virginia, she was so helpful. We bought a tanzanite stone there and paid about $120-150 for it. When we got back home I had it set in a pendant for my wife and the jewelry store appraised it at $1300, good deal. We snokeled on both islands and since it was our first time we really enjoyed it. I would have like to have taken the trip to Trunk bay on St. John but we didn't have time. I think that snorkeing out in the bay from a boat would be better, the water is more calm than at the shore. I wouldn't rent snorkel gear from the ship, if you take one of the trips it is included in the price and the ship doesn't tell you that up front. Besides you can rent at all of the beaches and you don't have to then carry it with you. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions.
jrdiehl@dodgenet.com

Posts: 7 | From: Fort Dodge, Iowa, USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

sunnie
First Class Passenger
Member # 1265

posted 05-11-2000 11:05 AM

jimbo - thanks for the advice about taking a taxi for shopping as opposed to going on a shopping tour - that way I can have more money for shopping! Good deal you got on the tanzanite stone - thanks for the name of the store.

Posts: 10 | From: Pennsylvania | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 05-11-2000 12:48 PM

Sunnie - if the ship docks at Havensight Mall you may not have to take a taxi into town. Look around those shops first. A shop that I like for Black Coral is Bernard K Passman's "Black Coral And". It is on the main street in town.
Have fun.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

PFopma
First Class Passenger
Member # 356

posted 05-21-2000 12:03 AM

We took a shopping/beach tour on St Croix. Liked the shopping there a lot. I preferred it over St Thomas. Got some nice jewlery. We took the ferry to St John's and went to Trunk for some swimming and still had plenty of time back in St Thomas to hit the shops there.

Pat

Posts: 14 | From: Fair Lawn, NJ | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

SandyG
First Class Passenger
Member # 965

posted 06-09-2000 10:26 AM

We were in St.Thomas in February. It really is a beautiful island. We went shopping and also picked up a tour of the island downtown. It was much more reasonable than booking a tour on the ship. K&K- The guy with the donkey is still there. That was one of the highlights of our video of the island. He just asks for donations. Next time we want to do a snorkeling excursion. My husband was disappointed that we were only there one day.

Posts: 13 | From: Woodstock, GA USA | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

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