We have planned on visiting St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands for so long. But because St. John doesn’t have an airport nor is it a cruise ship port of call, visiting St. John, USVI, can require some extra planning.
We just got back from our cruise on the Allure of the Seas and we specifically booked this itinerary because it included a port stop in St. Thomas. From there we planned to take the ferry over to visit St. John! I hope you enjoy reading about our day visiting St. John and gain a few planning tips for your trip.
What You Need to Know When Visiting St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
How to get to St. John, USVI
You will need to make your travel arrangements via St. Thomas, USVI. St. Thomas is home to an international airport and is a cruise port stop for the major cruise lines.
If you are traveling by cruise ship you’ll want to know that St. Thomas has 2 cruise ports – Havensight and Crown Bay. They are located just a few minutes from each other but Havensight is a bit closer to the “town” of Charlotte Amalie. In order to get to St. John, you will need to take a ferry or charter a private boat. If you plan to rent a vehicle, you may take your car on a specific ferry designated for auto transportation.
Catch the Ferry from St. Thomas to St. John USVI
When I researched the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John there were two options. The Charlotte Amalie ferry which takes approximately 40 minutes and runs a few set times per day and the Red Hook Ferry which takes about 20 minutes and runs on the hour throughout the day. Check the ferry schedules here. At the time of our visit, March 2018, The Charlotte Amalie ferry was not in operation. So, off we went to Red Hook.
Red Hook Ferry
From the Crown Bay Port, the taxi to Red Hook took a solid 30 minutes and cost $11 per person. I mention this because it will be important to add this time in for your return plan. It is likely that your taxi driver will want to take you on a little tour on your way to Red Hook so if you are not interested or don’t want to commit to that extra time, please be clear and speak up.
As is typical in the islands, we were not the only people in our taxi. We were put in a van with about 8 others and our taxi driver said that we would surely miss the 11:00 ferry so he was going to show us around St. Thomas a bit. Because of our experience in Jamaica (you can read about that here) and because we were anxious to get to St. John, we spoke up and insisted he take us directly to Red Hook.
We felt a bit jerky and apologized to the group for speaking up. But, I’m so glad that we did. The ferry line was quite long and took a bit of time. I absolutely didn’t want to miss the noon ferry, nor did I want my $11 fare to become more. Speaking of cost, the ferry from Red Hook to St. John, roundtrip was $16 per person. All aboard for the noon ferry and off we sailed for our afternoon visiting St. John!
Visiting St. John, USVI
Cruz Bay Landing
When we arrived in St. John we spotted an open-air bar that was just too convenient to pass by. It was lunch time so we each ordered a local beverage and shared the sandwich special. While having lunch we noticed that over the bar was a K.C. Royals banner. Being from the Kansas City Missouri area and being HUGE fans, we had to know how they came to have a Royals Series banner. We asked the bartender and she told us that the owner of Cruz Bay Landing was from the Kansas City metro area originally. A few minutes later we met the owner who was so friendly and laid-back ( a trait that everyone in St. John seems to carry). We shared a few midwest baseball tales and of course, learned how he came to live on St. John and really enjoyed our time at Cruz Bay Landing.
Trunk Bay Beach
After walking around Cruz Bay for a bit we took a taxi to Trunk Bay. The taxi cab ride from Cruz Bay cost $6 per person and included a brief photo-op overlooking Trunk Bay before we arrived.
We were “warned” that there weren’t any facilities open at any of the beaches but that visitors were welcome. No admission was charged at Trunk Bay, however, they were quietly accepting donations to help restore the area. While there weren’t any food/beverage options available on the beach, there were still restrooms and rinse off areas available and in good working order. Brian and I…and our entrepreneurial spirits, were on over-drive thinking what a great opportunity it would be for someone local to offer a food/beverage truck in the parking lot.
Visiting St. John is a Dream for Nature Lovers.
Two-thirds of the island is protected land. Everywhere you look there are trees and mountains and beautiful bodies of water.
The water is amazing, the sand is soft and beautiful and the people are kind and welcoming. It’s a trifecta of wonderful-ness!
As much as we enjoyed our time in Cruz Bay it was obvious that this close-knit community was still trying to get back up and running. There were many restaurants and bars in this area that had been destroyed. There were several shops that were just beginning to re-open and some that look like they had been completely spared. Nature is an unexplainable force.
We shared a taxi to the beach with a lady who had been visiting St. John for many years. She told us that pre-hurricane there was always live music playing in Cruz Bay and a lively environment. She also mentioned that the beaches were so popular that the parking lots would be packed full of cars.
We hope (and we assume) that St. John will rebuild and be back to 100% in the future. We are already discussing another trip!
Important Tips for Visiting St. John During a Port Day
Disembark your cruise ship as early as possible. It takes time to disembark, walk through the port area to the taxi stand, wait for a full vehicle and make the drive to Red Hook. Remember if Charlotte Amalie ferry is operational, it’s more convenient to the cruise ship but the ferry travel time is longer.
Do NOT wait for the last possible ferry before your all aboard time. Here’s why. We knew that the 5 pm. ferry would be our last option because our all aboard time was 6:30 p.m. We were safely back in Cruz Bay by 3:30. My wonderful husband, knowing that I can be a severe stress case at times, suggested that we go ahead and get on the 4 p.m. ferry.
Well…apparently everyone else in town had the same idea. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, they boarded the ferry and we did not make the cut. It just happened to be the time that school-age teens and island workers were heading to their homes on St. Thomas. Thank goodness we have the 5 p.m. ferry to fall back on. And let me tell you there were some cranky tourists more than “miffed” that they couldn’t get on the ferry. Friends, although St. John is beautiful, it will be costly if the ship leaves without you!
Have you been to St. John or do you plan on visiting St. John?
Please comment below.
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Happy Travels!
Jillian