How to Visit St. John While on A Cruise.

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 has an international airport and is a cruise port stop for major cruise lines.

If you are traveling by cruise ship, note that St. Thomas has 2 cruise ports: Havensight and Crown Bay.  They are a few minutes apart, but Havensight is closer to the “town” of Charlotte Amalie. To get to St. John, take a ferry or charter a private boat. If you plan to travel to the island with a car, you’ll need to take a specific ferry designated for auto transport.

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 takes about 40 minutes and runs a few set times per day, while the Red Hook Ferry 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 you’ll want to add this time to 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, at the time of this post, the round-trip ferry from Red Hook to St. John was $16 per person.  All aboard for the noon ferry, and off we sailed for our afternoon visit to St. John!

Helpful Links:

Virgin Islands Guide

St. John Ticketing – From Red Hook to Cruz Bay

Crown Bay to Cruz Bay 

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 lunchtime, so we each ordered a local beverage and shared the sandwich special.  While we ate lunch, we noticed a K.C. Royals banner hanging over the bar.  As Kansas City, Missouri, natives and HUGE fans, we had to know how they got a Royals Series banner.  We asked the bartender, and she told us the owner of Cruz Bay Landing was originally from the Kansas City metro area.  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. To this day, it is still one of the most beautiful spots we have ever seen.

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.

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.  Many restaurants and bars in this area had been destroyed.  Several shops were just beginning to reopen, and some looked like they had been completely spared.  Nature is an unexplainable force.

The water is amazing, the sand is soft and beautiful, and the people are kind and welcoming. It’s a trifecta of wonderfulness!

We shared a taxi to the beach with a lady who had been visiting St. John for many years.  She told us that, before the hurricane, live music always played in Cruz Bay and the environment was lively.  She also mentioned that the beaches were so popular that the parking lots were packed with cars.

We hope (and we assume) that St. John will rebuild and be back to 100% in the future.  We are already discussing our return!

Important Tips for Visiting St. John During a Port Day

Disembark your cruise ship as early as possible.  Disembarking takes time: walk through the port area to the taxi stand, wait for a full vehicle, and drive to Red Hook.  Remember, if the Charlotte Amalie ferry is operating, it’s closer to the cruise ship, but the ride takes longer.

Do NOT wait for the last possible ferry before your all aboard time.   Here’s why.  We knew the 5 p.m. 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 I can be a severe stress case at times, suggested we 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 when school-age teens and island workers were heading home to St. Thomas.  Thank goodness we have the 5 p.m. ferry to fall back on.  And let me tell you, some tourists were 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!