St. John Trunk Bay Beach Getaway

[warrenz1963]

We will be sailing on the Fantasy in October with St. Thomas as one of our ports. We're very interested in the St. John Trunk Bay Beach Getaway (ST79). Has anyone here done this excursion recently? Was it hard to book? Did you enjoy the time on St. John?

 

[BruinEd03]

We will be sailing on the Fantasy in October with St. Thomas as one of our ports. We're very interested in the St. John Trunk Bay Beach Getaway (ST79). Has anyone here done this excursion recently? Was it hard to book? Did you enjoy the time on St. John?

It wasn't hard to book, but I think it did eventually get sold out. However, our cruise was at max capacity. It was a lot of fun. This is the same as a variety of St. John Trunk Bay "excursions." The snorkeling one just provides the snorkels (so if you bring your own, you don't need to do it). You take a 45 min. boat ride from St. Thomas to St. John - along the way they'll point out landmarks and celebrity houses. Then a 15-20 min. bus ride from the harbor to the beach.
The beach was nice, but you'll have to use the sand dune for shade. However, there is food and drinks sold there (along with souvenirs). In the waters, they had a nice area marked by buoys for snorkeling where there's lots of coral and also signs (with facts/trivia on ocean life) that you can read underwater.

All in all, I think it was the right amount of time in the water. No time to "sight see" at St. John afterwards, though. The taxi will pick you up at a designated time and take you straight to the boat.

 

[warrenz1963]

It wasn't hard to book, but I think it did eventually get sold out. However, our cruise was at max capacity. It was a lot of fun. This is the same as a variety of St. John Trunk Bay "excursions." The snorkeling one just provides the snorkels (so if you bring your own, you don't need to do it). You take a 45 min. boat ride from St. Thomas to St. John - along the way they'll point out landmarks and celebrity houses. Then a 15-20 min. bus ride from the harbor to the beach.
The beach was nice, but you'll have to use the sand dune for shade. However, there is food and drinks sold there (along with souvenirs). In the waters, they had a nice area marked by buoys for snorkeling where there's lots of coral and also signs (with facts/trivia on ocean life) that you can read underwater.

All in all, I think it was the right amount of time in the water. No time to "sight see" at St. John afterwards, though. The taxi will pick you up at a designated time and take you straight to the boat.

Thank you for the information! I have another question: is the beach near any of the National Park facilities?

 

[Mitura]

We have been to Trunk Bay 4 times. We have done the Disney Cruise excursion once, with the other 3 times on our own.

Trunk Bay is awesome and beautiful. It is part of St John's National Park. As of December 2022 it cost $5 to get in.

We do Trunk Bay on our own because of time. When we took the Disney Excursion the water taxi was a 45 minute ride, compared to a 15 minute shuttle ride from Red Hook. This 45 minute shuttle caused a lot of queasy stomachs in our party. this also didn't leave us a lot of time at St Johns. We got to the beach at 12 and had to be back at the pier at 2. With a 15 minute shuttle to the beach this left us 1.5 hours on the beach. So for us the Disney excursion was a lot of travel - little beach time.

If you do it on your own (and I have posted my guide on how to do this else where) you can get to the beach earlier and enjoy more of the beach and take your time getting back.

That's my sales pitch.

Otherwise Trunk Bay is gorgeous. There is a snorkeling trail, and you can rent chairs, umbrellas, snorkel gear. There have nice shower/bathroom facilities (compared to Cane Garden in Tortola). There is also a cute little snack/bar/souvenir "food" truck setup there as well. Beach is not crowded at all.

Our one bad time was summer 2022 when the wind was so high that you were sand blasted on the beach. Our only recourse was to get in the water to avoid the sand. We had to leave early that day.

I hope you have a great time!

 

[warrenz1963]

We have been to Trunk Bay 4 times. We have done the Disney Cruise excursion once, with the other 3 times on our own.

Trunk Bay is awesome and beautiful. It is part of St John's National Park. As of December 2022 it cost $5 to get in.

We do Trunk Bay on our own because of time. When we took the Disney Excursion the water taxi was a 45 minute ride, compared to a 15 minute shuttle ride from Red Hook. This 45 minute shuttle caused a lot of queasy stomachs in our party. this also didn't leave us a lot of time at St Johns. We got to the beach at 12 and had to be back at the pier at 2. With a 15 minute shuttle to the beach this left us 1.5 hours on the beach. So for us the Disney excursion was a lot of travel - little beach time.

If you do it on your own (and I have posted my guide on how to do this else where) you can get to the beach earlier and enjoy more of the beach and take your time getting back.

That's my sales pitch.

Otherwise Trunk Bay is gorgeous. There is a snorkeling trail, and you can rent chairs, umbrellas, snorkel gear. There have nice shower/bathroom facilities (compared to Cane Garden in Tortola). There is also a cute little snack/bar/souvenir "food" truck setup there as well. Beach is not crowded at all.

Our one bad time was summer 2022 when the wind was so high that you were sand blasted on the beach. Our only recourse was to get in the water to avoid the sand. We had to leave early that day.

I hope you have a great time!

Thank you so much, sounds wonderful, I appreciate the information.

 

[BruinEd03]

Thank you for the information! I have another question: is the beach near any of the National Park facilities?

As noted from other posters, there are bathroom facilities and also outdoor showers to wash off the sand.

 

[squirk]

Everything @Mitura said. Do it on your own, get there at least an hour before the cruise crowds arrive.

Get off at Havensight, find the taxi coordinators (they will have company-branded polo shirts and lanyards), tell them you need to get to Red Hook.

At Red Hook, buy ferry tickets to St. John (buy the round-trip tickets, and save a little time and money on the trip back). As you get off the ferry in Cruz Bay on St. John, you will see a ton of taxis, vans and jitneys waiting for fares. Tell whichever driver you’re directed to that you want to go to Trunk.

It’s part of the National Park system, and you have to pay some minimal fee to get in. Bathrooms, showers, equipment rental, limited food and drinks.

When you are done at the beach, there will be a bunch of jitneys and vans waiting for fares right at the entrance when you come out.

Just reverse your steps - Trunk to Cruz Bay. Use your return ferry ticket to get from Cruz back to Red Hook. At Red Hook, there will be people there (again, branded polo shirts and lanyards) coordinating rides back to Havensight. Will drop you off right at the little shopping area next the ship.

Four tips:

1.) The taxi fares are pretty standardized, but always ask the coordinator/driver for the fare cost before you get in the vehicle. In terms of budgeting, you can find the fares online with a few simple Google searches.

2.) The cab/van/jitney drivers are paid in cash. Last time I was there (last May), I saw a few drivers accepting payment on their phone (my guess is that they were using Venmo, Square/Cash App or Apple Pay/Cash). But that seemed to be the exception to the rule. We always bring cash.

3.) Bring cash for the ferry tickets, too. We’ve had a few trips where the computers and phone lines at the Red Hook ferry dock were down, and they couldn’t accept card payments. If worse comes to worst, there are ATMs nearby, but you might pay a hefty transaction fee to use those. I think you can now buy ferry tickets online ahead of time, but we have not tried that yet.

4.) Do not cut it too close on the trip back, timing-wise. Charlotte Amalie does have afternoon traffic, and your trip back to Havensight could be a lot longer than your earlier trip from Havensight. Use your best judgment, but IMO, anything after the 2:00 ferry from Cruz is asking for trouble.

 

[warrenz1963]

Everything @Mitura said. Do it on your own, get there at least an hour before the cruise crowds arrive.

Get off at Havensight, find the taxi coordinators (they will have company-branded polo shirts and lanyards), tell them you need to get to Red Hook.

At Red Hook, buy ferry tickets to St. John (buy the round-trip tickets, and save a little time and money on the trip back). As you get off the ferry in Cruz Bay on St. John, you will see a ton of taxis, vans and jitneys waiting for fares. Tell whichever driver you’re directed to that you want to go to Trunk.

It’s part of the National Park system, and you have to pay some minimal fee to get in. Bathrooms, showers, equipment rental, limited food and drinks.

When you are done at the beach, there will be a bunch of jitneys and vans waiting for fares right at the entrance when you come out.

Just reverse your steps - Trunk to Cruz Bay. Use your return ferry ticket to get from Cruz back to Red Hook. At Red Hook, there will be people there (again, branded polo shirts and lanyards) coordinating rides back to Havensight. Will drop you off right at the little shopping area next the ship.

Four tips:

1.) The taxi fares are pretty standardized, but always ask the coordinator/driver for the fare cost before you get in the vehicle. In terms of budgeting, you can find the fares online with a few simple Google searches.

2.) The cab/van/jitney drivers are paid in cash. Last time I was there (last May), I saw a few drivers accepting payment on their phone (my guess is that they were using Venmo, Square/Cash App or Apple Pay/Cash). But that seemed to be the exception to the rule. We always bring cash.

3.) Bring cash for the ferry tickets, too. We’ve had a few trips where the computers and phone lines at the Red Hook ferry dock were down, and they couldn’t accept card payments. If worse comes to worst, there are ATMs nearby, but you might pay a hefty transaction fee to use those. I think you can now buy ferry tickets online ahead of time, but we have not tried that yet.

4.) Do not cut it too close on the trip back, timing-wise. Charlotte Amalie does have afternoon traffic, and your trip back to Havensight could be a lot longer than your earlier trip from Havensight. Use your best judgment, but IMO, anything after the 2:00 ferry from Cruz is asking for trouble.

Thank you so much, this is a lot of great info! I appreciate everything.

 

[motherof5]

We have been to Trunk Bay 4 times. We have done the Disney Cruise excursion once, with the other 3 times on our own.

Trunk Bay is awesome and beautiful. It is part of St John's National Park. As of December 2022 it cost $5 to get in.

We do Trunk Bay on our own because of time. When we took the Disney Excursion the water taxi was a 45 minute ride, compared to a 15 minute shuttle ride from Red Hook. This 45 minute shuttle caused a lot of queasy stomachs in our party. this also didn't leave us a lot of time at St Johns. We got to the beach at 12 and had to be back at the pier at 2. With a 15 minute shuttle to the beach this left us 1.5 hours on the beach. So for us the Disney excursion was a lot of travel - little beach time.

If you do it on your own (and I have posted my guide on how to do this else where) you can get to the beach earlier and enjoy more of the beach and take your time getting back.

That's my sales pitch.

Otherwise Trunk Bay is gorgeous. There is a snorkeling trail, and you can rent chairs, umbrellas, snorkel gear. There have nice shower/bathroom facilities (compared to Cane Garden in Tortola). There is also a cute little snack/bar/souvenir "food" truck setup there as well. Beach is not crowded at all.

Our one bad time was summer 2022 when the wind was so high that you were sand blasted on the beach. Our only recourse was to get in the water to avoid the sand. We had to leave early that day.

I hope you have a great time!

great information thanks

 

[emmabelle]

I have a DCL excursion booked but really think I won't be able to spend much time on STJ. I've been there on a land vacation but never while on a cruise. Thinking I may DIY this.

 

[Betsyp]

Sorry to bring an old post up again, but my new one didn’t receive any responses.

So visiting St. John’s is what I’m most excited about, and I’m stoked to go to Trunk Bay. I plan to do the DCL lunch excursion, but I really do want more than 1 1/2 hours at the beach. Doing this on my own makes me nervous though, and…it looks like Fantasy is docked for a very short time - we have to be back by 3:45. That means that I’d have to leave Trunk Bay by, say, 12:45pm.

Since we go ashore at 7:45am, what time would I need to leave for Trunk Bay and what time would I need to leave to comfortably be back at the ship?

Thanks!

 

[auntlynne]

Sorry to bring an old post up again, but my new one didn’t receive any responses.

So visiting St. John’s is what I’m most excited about, and I’m stoked to go to Trunk Bay. I plan to do the DCL lunch excursion, but I really do want more than 1 1/2 hours at the beach. Doing this on my own makes me nervous though, and…it looks like Fantasy is docked for a very short time - we have to be back by 3:45. That means that I’d have to leave Trunk Bay by, say, 12:45pm.

Since we go ashore at 7:45am, what time would I need to leave for Trunk Bay and what time would I need to leave to comfortably be back at the ship?

Thanks!

I did the St John Beach excursion in September 2023 - and am doing it again with Norwegian at the beginning of December.

I have been to both St John and St Thomas on land-stay vacations and agree it’s reasonable as a DIY when there for a long day. But it was so easy and fit nicely into the short time allowed by a short port visit.

You board the transit ferry right at the ship. You get off and get into a waiting safari taxi (covered seats built into the bed of a pick-up). Drop off at the National Park station, which is just a minute or two walk on a sidewalk to a beautiful beach. You do not have to stop and pay the $5 entrance fee - that is in the excursion cost.

Yes, just about 90 minutes of swim / snorkel time, which is perfect for me - so I don’t get water logged. It is definitely an excursion for those who want to be in the water, not lounging on a beach - it is a short stay.

St John (perhaps specifically Trunk Bay) is my ideal beach. Not too much wave action nor tidal pull. Warm water year-round. I took my U-shaped blow-up float and just enjoyed time in the water.

It is not the greatest snorkeling; the downfall of a highly visited beach.

There is no risk of poor timing in catching the ferry either direction, nor having to wait for a taxi to fill up. It is just an easy excursion to a beautiful beach. If you have a long port stop and would like a longer beach visit or the chance to see a little more of the island, (or just prefer a ship excursion) I would say give the DIY version a try.

From our visit. Not crowded; mainly just our excursion there that day. I played in the water on the right; my sister snorkeled on the left side of the island.

 

[Betsyp]

I did the St John Beach excursion in September 2023 - and am doing it again with Norwegian at the beginning of December.

I have been to both St John and St Thomas on land-stay vacations and agree it’s reasonable as a DIY when there for a long day. But it was so easy and fit nicely into the short time allowed by a short port visit.

You board the transit ferry right at the ship. You get off and get into a waiting safari taxi (covered seats built into the bed of a pick-up). Drop off at the National Park station, which is just a minute or two walk on a sidewalk to a beautiful beach. You do not have to stop and pay the $5 entrance fee - that is in the excursion cost.

Yes, just about 90 minutes of swim / snorkel time, which is perfect for me - so I don’t get water logged. It is definitely an excursion for those who want to be in the water, not lounging on a beach - it is a short stay.

St John (perhaps specifically Trunk Bay) is my ideal beach. Not too much wave action nor tidal pull. Warm water year-round. I took my U-shaped blow-up float and just enjoyed time in the water.

It is not the greatest snorkeling; the downfall of a highly visited beach.

There is no risk of poor timing in catching the ferry either direction, nor having to wait for a taxi to fill up. It is just an easy excursion to a beautiful beach. If you have a long port stop and would like a longer beach visit or the chance to see a little more of the island, (or just prefer a ship excursion) I would say give the DIY version a try.

From our visit. Not crowded; mainly just our excursion there that day. I played in the water on the right; my sister snorkeled on the left side of the island.
View attachment 810351

Oh my word, that’s gorgeous!

Thank you for such great info! I don’t know why it’s such a short stop - we leave at 3:45, not 5pm. Given that, and the fact that I don’t want to stress over possibly missing departure, I’ll do the DLC excursion. I’m like you - more into swimming than laying out. I also love being out on the water, so 45 minute ride to St. John doesn’t bother me at all. I just wish I’d get to spend time at Cruz Bay….but, it’s going to be wonderful anyway!

Thanks again !

 

[auntlynne]

Oh my word, that’s gorgeous!

Thank you for such great info! I don’t know why it’s such a short stop - we leave at 3:45, not 5pm. Given that, and the fact that I don’t want to stress over possibly missing departure, I’ll do the DLC excursion. I’m like you - more into swimming than laying out. I also love being out on the water, so 45 minute ride to St. John doesn’t bother me at all. I just wish I’d get to spend time at Cruz Bay….but, it’s going to be wonderful anyway!

Thanks again !

St Thomas is a significant distance from Castaway Cay (I am assuming you have the standard Eastern Caribbean itinerary of Tortola, St Thomas and Castaway Cay). Those Sea Days on the schedule are necessary to get there and back.

Here was the downstairs of the ferry; there was an upper deck, too, but we didn’t need extra sun. I think this was several different excursions - Trunk Bay and St John Explorer.

I was pleasantly surprised that the safari taxis were all new.

I think we were on a similar tight schedule. Arrival 7:45 Departure 3:45. And only one time option for St John excursion.

When we got back, we went to Tap & Still in the port shopping area. Essentially Five Guys (but has a bar and fresher milk shakes). But same fries and burger style. Better than what’s in the ship. It’s our tradition when in USVI. And still a little time for shopping. The port is easy.



If you thinking of going to The Baths when docked in Tortola, I definitely recommend it as a DIY.

 

[Betsyp]

St Thomas is a significant distance from Castaway Cay (I am assuming you have the standard Eastern Caribbean itinerary of Tortola, St Thomas and Castaway Cay). Those Sea Days on the schedule are necessary to get there and back.

Here was the downstairs of the ferry; there was an upper deck, too, but we didn’t need extra sun. I think this was several different excursions - Trunk Bay and St John Explorer.

I was pleasantly surprised that the safari taxis were all new.

I think we were on a similar tight schedule. Arrival 7:45 Departure 3:45. And only one time option for St John excursion.

When we got back, we went to Tap & Still in the port shopping area. Essentially Five Guys (but has a bar and fresher milk shakes). But same fries and burger style. Better than what’s in the ship. It’s our tradition when in USVI. And still a little time for shopping. The port is easy.

View attachment 810354

If you thinking of going to The Baths when docked in Tortola, I definitely recommend it as a DIY.

Ah, that makes sense...well. I’ll take as much as I can get..it will be a small taste, and then I can always revisit another time.

Oh, that sounds yummy - if there’s enough time when we get back, I’ll definitely try that...burgers, fries and shakes are my ham. Hopefully we do get back with enough time to spare!

To be honest, I’d decided on Jost Van Dyke because I’m not sure how capable is be of all the hiking (I’m not in great walking shape, lol). But if it’s not too bad, and we can avoid the sea caves (I’m not claustrophobic, but it sounds kind of iffy), I’d reconsider because it sounds so uniquely beautiful. Do we get to swim? I need to read up more on it.

The Baths is easy to get to as a DIY?

Thank you!

 

[ironz]

Oh my word, that’s gorgeous!

Thank you for such great info! I don’t know why it’s such a short stop - we leave at 3:45, not 5pm. Given that, and the fact that I don’t want to stress over possibly missing departure, I’ll do the DLC excursion. I’m like you - more into swimming than laying out. I also love being out on the water, so 45 minute ride to St. John doesn’t bother me at all. I just wish I’d get to spend time at Cruz Bay….but, it’s going to be wonderful anyway!

Thanks again !

Looks like AuntLynne gave you the info you needed. We did the Trunk Bay excursion (without the lunch) from the Fantasy this past September. I feel like we met for the excursion around 8 or 8:30 (I don't know where my notes are, if I took any). The ferry ride was about 30 minutes, then the drive to Trunk Bay. We had a couple of hours to swim/snorkel, walk the beach, and we got food at one of the stands there. We also were able to get our National Park passport stamped at the entrance. We did not have time in Cruz Bay to go the main visitor center for the National Park, as when our bus got back to Cruz Bay, we immediately got on the ferry back to the ship. It was fun, and a very pretty beach, as the photo shared demonstrates.

 

[Betsyp]

Looks like AuntLynne gave you the info you needed. We did the Trunk Bay excursion (without the lunch) from the Fantasy this past September. I feel like we met for the excursion around 8 or 8:30 (I don't know where my notes are, if I took any). The ferry ride was about 30 minutes, then the drive to Trunk Bay. We had a couple of hours to swim/snorkel, walk the beach, and we got food at one of the stands there. We also were able to get our National Park passport stamped at the entrance. We did not have time in Cruz Bay to go the main visitor center for the National Park, as when our bus got back to Cruz Bay, we immediately got on the ferry back to the ship. It was fun, and a very pretty beach, as the photo shared demonstrates.

Thank you - sounds like you had a great time! I can always come back on another cruise line for longer stays - or even just stay at a hotel. But this taste of the VI is going to be wonderful !