Cruise questions - no flames please!

[smilesfromMN]

Please do not think less of me or my family after this question... we truly are more STJ people than cruise people (read my recent trip report for proof!:D) But here goes...

We have taken one Disney cruise (Feb 2008 - Western Carib) with extended family, and are considering another one. While we realize that a cruise is not even in the same galaxy as a week (or more) enjoying STJ, with the others that we will be traveling with, a cruise may actually be the better way to go. We are considering the Eastern Caribbean route this time, which has a one day stop in STT. Here's my question: Have any of you ever had a one day stop in STT and taken that day in STJ on your own (not an official cruise excursion)? From the itinerary on the website it looks like we'd dock at 8am and need to be back on board at 4:30pm. We'd like to take the downtown ferry ourselves and take a taxi to one of the northshore beaches for the day. My concern is that it would just be too time crunched and that it would be too difficult to be on STJ and then have to leave after just a few hours. What do you all think? Any advice/personal experience is appreciated. Thanks!

[Joshie]

...

[smilesfromMN]

Thanks, Joshie!
I have to tell you, while we were on island last week, I looked at a lot of people who I assumed were local and thought to myself, "hmmm, I wonder if that's Joshie." It was kinda fun!

[bevm]

I agree with Joshie. Our first intro. to STJ was because we were on a cruise. We took the ferry over to Trunk Bay. I think it would be a great addition to your cruise!

[JJShaw]

Actually, yes I have done this 2 times. I would advise you to come over to STJ on your own esp since you know your way around the Island instead of doing the excursions they offer. I think they are over priced and I hate being herded like cattle. Just watch your time and you should be fine. The first time we lucky enough to catch a ferry going back to the ship that was taking a crew to the ship from an excursion and didnt have to get a taxi from CA to Havensight. While there is nothing like staying on the Island, cruising is a good way to see other islands and Disney is great cruise. We have sailed with them 2 times...and carnival several times....so...no flaming from here...LOL

[TrvlJohn]

We have done this several times. I would not even consider going on a cruise tour- we have always gone on our own. We try to be the first ones off the ship. If your ship says 8:00-4:30, that generally means they will start letting people off a little before 8:00. We always try to be down on the departure deck about 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time.

After you get off the ship, you need to make a decision about which ferry to take based on the time and the current ferry schedules. We have always taken the Red Hook ferry and are usually sitting on the beach at Trunk before 9:00 AM.

None of the ship tours will arrive til about 11 so you will have the beach to yourselves for a few hours before the crowd descends...

We usually take an early afternoon ferry back to Red Hook and then have some refreshments at Duffy's before going back to the ship.

Joshie's idea sounds good too...the jeep would give you a lot more freedom...multiple beaches...lunch...

My wife and I will be on our first 'non-daytrip' to St. John in May...10 days in Coral Bay...can't wait

[philbetm]

We have taken 10 cruises in 11 years, on
various lines. Of those 6 has been to eastern
carib. with a day stop on STT. This also
was the way we found STJ. First time was ship
excursion...herded like cattle with no quality
time at any place. Only got to visit Trunk Bay
and of course it was slammed. All other times
since we have done our own thing and it has
been great!
As a matter of fact we are going to be there
again on a cruise with Princess in June and
I already have a Montero rented for the day
for 6 of us. We take a taxi to Red Hook to get
there quick...then the ferry back to C.A. and
catch a open-air back to the shopping center by
the port for a look around and on ship on time
with no problem.

Hope this helps !

Sherry in SC

[augie]

Our first STJ experiences, when we fell in love with the place, were on day trips off of cruise ships. We have done it several ways - taken both ferries over then taxis to the north shore beaches, and one time we rented jeeps (reserved in advance) from an outfit in Havensight and drove them to the car barge and were truly on our own.

We basically stopped at Trunk and Cinnamon, then took North Shore Rd. to Centerline and back to Cruz Bay. We really had no idea where we were - if I had to do that today, knowing the island better I'd plan the day quite differently.

So go - have fun, no matter how you decide to enjoy the day!

[papabou]

we're regulars to stj and pass through stt on arrival via stt rental car (now using dependable). we always go directly from airport to barge at redhook. however with atl return flts departing in afternoon, we always spend last half day doing stt. no beaching because we need to be dressed for flt checkin.

based on that experience, (& a few stays on stt) i suggest you may want to spend your day doing a self guided tour of stt in your own rental car (jeep not needed). pickup or be picked up by rental car dressed for beaches like you would on stj. do your home work on what to do see on stt as you did before 1st trip to stj and i believe you can have a great time on stt.

some of the nonbeach activity we have enjoyed on our half days: skyline drive and overlook for ca harbor; mountaintop and banana daq with final great view of stj; market downtown (if not a lot of cruise ships in port); drive around west end of island and appraoch aiport from that direction thru vi university; finally lunch on the beach at the emerald beach bwestern. nice views and close to airport.

we have through the years enjoyed beaches (admittly not as much as favs on stj) at coki, magen, bolongo and a couple of other stops i don't remember. there are many other beaches just as nice and a lot of interesting places. imho, use your time AT stt on stt to the fulliest as i'm sure you do while onstj and use the mttop views to remind you its time to plan the next trip to stj. ahh, the anticipation!

papabou

[jimg20]

Setting the flame thrower to OFF.

Seriously, we were introduced to STJ on a day trip. We spend several days in PR then several days in STT. Our travel agent said that if we are going to STT we must take the ferry to STJ for a day. We spent our time in Cruz Bay and and Trunk Bay. Of course, we loved it. Although we were not on a cruse, we followed the same kind of itinerary that crusers might follow. Even that short of an exposure to STJ can get you a life-long infection. It forces you to return to the island for an annual treatment. Is it a treatment or a fix? I'm not sure.

Papabou's suggestion is not wrong. You can go downtown to shop. There are some fabulous bargans and some not-so-good deals. You have to know what things cost to make that distinction. It is like a third world market in that counteroffers are frequently made. You don't have to pay the initial price. If you head for the shop door, a lower offer frequently follows. If you want a beach how about Saphire? There is a good, sandy beach with reefs close to shore (simmilar to Hawksnest) and restrooms and snack bars close by. Then take a taxi back to CA and sit in the Greenhouse watching the world go by while waiting for your ship to leave. There is a taxi stand out front and it's a short ride back to the pier.

JIM

[toes in the sand]

We found StJ that way also.
Last year my wife went on a cruise with her sisters and mother. She wanted to show them StJ during a cruise stop. I arranged a tour and beach stop through L&L jeep rental. He took them on a safari bus around the island and dropped the off at Hawksnest for a couple of hours and got them back to the ferry with no problem. I think that stop converted at least a couple of her family to the StJ way.

[Carolyn]

I have nothing against cruises and glad to see you are getting reasonable responses. We all got to St John one way or another and many find this paradise from cruises. No judgement here.

I think "toes in the sand" brings up a good option in the tour guide arrangement.

What scares me on a cruise restricted time schedule is getting back to the ship in time.

Another thing to think of is that cruiselines sometimes have to readjust times here and there and even changing port calls for whatever reasons.

I would not like to have a Jeep rental arranged that I couldn't get to because of a change in port times at the last minute.

A tour guide from STJ driving your group around would be ideal, he/she would know which ferry will get you back to STT pier at the appropriate time.

[KatieH]

One of the things I really liked about the one cruise we took was getting off the ship, renting a vehicle (or hiring a taxi) and going to explore. That's not how we found STJ, but we did enjoy other islands that way.

Last month (how painful to say!)we met a couple at Waterlemon who took the CA ferry over in the morning, and rented a Jeep for the day. They were leaving the beach and going to explore some more of the island.

You could also just take a taxi to one of the NorthShore beaches.

Just get there

[KatieH]

had a snack and drink at the old Pusser's restaurant,

Joshie - I was at Pussers in November of 93! We may have passed eachother and not even known

[djmom]

We would have done it on our last Disney cruise but the swells were terrible and we were concerned about getting stuck. You will know if swells are bad though because excursions get cancelled...

We joked that the way to do this "risk free" (especially on Disney) would be to leave a kid in the kids club while we went off to St. John.

There is NO WAY Disney would let that boat leave and let that kid be "parentless". I don't care whether the parent was on a non-Disney excursion or not! Can you imagine the publicity!!!!