jackiehammond

how late are shops open in cruz bay?

does anyone know what day the cruise ships roll in to trunk bay?

my plan for a half day is to rent a jeep and snorkel trunk bay, do a quick trail, like 30 minutes (my husband doesn't like to walk for long periods of time) and visit cruz bay (then pick up dinner there)...we are fast explorers, but i wanted to see how late cruz bay shops were open...i know, i'm not on island time yet.

on a side note, i just called nauti nymph and they don't do 1/2 day trips to the baths. i was hoping to rent a power boat at 8:00 a.m. and be back to caneel bay by 1:00 p.m. that doesn't look like a possibility. the very nice lady on the phone said, "would you go to asia for one day? you need a whole day to go to VG." she was funny.

looks like limnos or NH2...oh, the choices in paradise!

CaribbeanSoul

www.mongoosejunctionstjohn.com

This is a link to a collection of shops in Cruz Bay. Hopefully you can get some answers here.

jackiehammond

GREAT! thanks!

christiegr

Jackie,
I have been to St John 2 times.I think that you will be fine if you go EARLY (between 6-8am)to Trunk Bay even if the Cruise ships are in.

The times that we went to Trunk Bay were either early or around 4 PM ...it was not crowded at all.

I would not try going to the Baths,if I were you.You are only going to be in STJ for a short time...just enjoy exploring only St John.It will be much more relaxing.And St John has alot of beauty to explore.

Christie

jackiehammond

thanks, christie! i'll try trunk bay later in the afternoon. maybe around 3? we need a car to get there, right? i was planning on renting a jeep and going after my husband scuba dives that morning.

i know the baths are kind of far away, but we really want to see those rock formations. i may be disappointed, since in arizona, there are boulder formations in the carefree/cave creek area in the hills, but they look so interesting to me. i really appreciate your input!

brenandg

jackiehammond,
The tone of your posts suggest to me that the Baths are something you really want to see. It is an all day trip as it took a solid 45 minutes to get there on NH II's fast powerboat. Then you have to clear customs. The nice thing about NH II is that the Baths are the first stop, early enough to beat the crowds. I can't even imagine what it would be like crawling around there with toooo many people. One other thing is that it may even too late to book NH II, it is a popular day trip. Car rental for a day may be difficult as well, but maybe Caneel can help you with that. I think there is a hiking trail with ruins at Cinnamon Bay Beach/Campground which might be worth looking into. That beach is beautiful and more private than Trunk Bay. We went to both of these beaches in one morning, got an early start.

jackiehammond

hi brenandg,

you are definitely right when you say that the baths are something i want to see. i really appreciate your suggesstions. i wish i would have booked the jeep and boat trip a little earlier, as i am worried that i won't get my first choice of days, etc. good point about going early because of the crowds at the baths. it wouldn't be great to be crowded by people. thanks so much for your post!

lovethecape

There are plenty of taxis from Caneel Bay to Trunk Bay and Cruz Bay. If that is the extent of your driving, you may not need to rent a car.

christiegr

I agree with Brenda about Cinnamon Bay.

As for the Baths...go for it.If it's something that you really want to see..you will regret it if you don't go.

I would love to go back and go to the Baths.(also would like to go out West, we live in NC )

If Trunk Bay is too crowded...Cinnamon Bay is the next beach down and definitely worth a stop.

Donkeys normally roam on the beach at Cinnamon Bay.Last time I was there..I saw one walk up to a guy who was reading and grap the book in his mouth and started walking off with the book it was soo funny! The guy chased after him to get his book.

When do you leave for your trip?

Christie

iamq

Hi jackie,
Here is a schedule of cruise ships arriving STT for June. The passengers are shuttled over to St. John.

http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.co...chedules.shtml

Have a great trip.

-Bill

brenandg

jackie, One suggestion for the day you want to pick up dinner in Cruz Bay, Uncle Joes BBQ. There is no sign, just have to look for the big silver grill. It is one block from the customs ferry dock and across from a local place called Cap's (blue building). They have excellent chicken, ribs and sides that you could take back to Caneel or eat there. We got the take out, but plan on a beverage or two while you wait. They are cooking in real time. Great BBQ sauce. They sell it on STJ, but no recipe on the bottle.

CaribbeanSoul

Oh yes, excellent choice Brenda! Uncle Joe's is fantastic!

jackiehammond

hi lovethecape,

good point about taking taxis instead. i may go with that option. thanks!


hi christie,

LOVE the donkey story! hilarious! we leave on a red eye friday night for our trip. i'm so excited! cinnamon bay sounds like a must. out of curiousity, when you say you'd like to travel out west, where exactly? i lived on the west coast for 16 years, and have also been to hawaii and tahiti. just wondering if i could be of some help.

hi bill,

thanks so much for that link! it looks like there won't be any cruise ships there when i want to go to trunk bay, so I'm good to go! I appreciate your post!

hi brenandg,

thanks for posting again. uncle joe's bbq take out sounds delicious! i'll have to check it out!

CaribbeanSoul,

thanks for seconding the uncle joe's recommendation. it sounds yummy!

christiegr

Jackie,
I have also been to Hawaii..Kauai and it is the most beautiful place.I would love to go to Tahiti sometime..but is too expensive right now.

Oneday, my husband and I want to travel through Arizona,Oregon,Colorado and Washington.

Not sure when that will happen.

Have fun in St John!

Christie

jackiehammond

hi christie,

if it can ever be of help to you for arizona information, just let me know. thanks for all of your help!

Tuxedocat

jackiehammond: Don't know if you'll check your post again, but I agree with everyone else on this board. I think you'll enjoy a one day trip to VG on any of the offerings. We've gone to VG on the Stormy Petrol and Limnios and they are different but have their respective good points. Either way, it won't be a waste of your time to see the vast vacation possibilities of the Virgin Islands. I'm sure Caneel's concierge will assist in finding you a rental car. That is worth it as well so you can have total freedom of movement for your time on St. John. You'll be planning your next trip before you leave. Have a great time and don't forget to post your trip report when you return.

christiegr

Your welcome! Have fun...can I ride in your suitcase?

Christie

jackiehammond

hi Tuxedocat,

you've always been so helpful with my questions. thanks so much for your post! we tried to book the stormy petrel, but it was sold out, so we booked the limnos. my husband booked a scuba diving trip with low key, and caneel is working on getting us a rental car. thanks for confirming all of my choices. it makes me feel more confident about them!