You could go to St. John, but that will waste a lot of time

I would be better to go to Coki Beach....you'll find good snorkeling on the right side of the beach....plus you have food & drink there as well.

F.I.

That beach has LOTS of fish, Coral World is next door and the fish stay close by.

Or you could do one of the excursions from the ship that offer snorkeling...you will probably find 20 different options on your ship...check their website....and if they offer the BOSS Underwater Adventure....GO!! It's like snorkeling...kinda....I mean, you're underwater and can see well, like snorkeling...but you're driving an underwater motorscooter! What a hoot! www.bossusvi.com

Here's my 2-cents for what it's worth. Pick a spot on STT or STJ and take a taxi/ferry on your own. You'll have a lot more fun and save a lot of money. We've done both and much prefer on our own.

hallie1: I totally understand your point of view but the OP is a newcomer to STT and I'd venture to guess that the first time you came here you also went on an arranged excursion? When you're only in port for one day and don't know your way around, whatever brief glimpse you get on a tour excursion can seal the deal and have you coming back for more and THEN going independently as you become more familiar with the territory.

lodozg: if you love to snorkel then, as Marty suggested, I'd look into what the cruise ship has to offer. If you're already into snorkeling then the BOSS thing might be rather too lame for you but there are many different land/sea excursions which will take you to the better spots than, for instance, the typicalTrunk Bay (STJ) beach snorkeling trip or the Coki Beach or Sapphire (STT) ditto. Get out there on the water and many of the sail/motor boat operators will take you to some wonderful offshore spots only accessible by boat.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your day on STT and may your cruise be blessed with calm seas and balmy winds. Cheers!

I probably wasn't clear about what I was suggesting in my earlier post. What I intended to convey was that visitors can book their own tour/excursion rather than going through the cruise line. Our last cruise in April included three islands we had never visited. We did our homework, decided where and what we wanted to do, and got names of tour companies on various travel forums. For us, the advantages include 1) controlling your itinerary, 2) small group vs. large herd, 3) and lower cost. But, if someone feels more comfortable doing the cruise ship excursion, that's cool, too. (tu) You're going to have a good time either way, especially in the VIs! 🙂

hallie 1,
I am with you entirely! Why pay extra? You can book your own excursions and pay less! I went on a cruise and we did not one of the cruises excursions! We planned on our own!

So some research and plan your trip on your own, you will have a better time, believe me! 🙂

If it is your first time to STT - I would recommend enjoying STT.
There are beautiful waters to enjoy and although many belittle it - there is some serious shopping
Sometimes it can be overwhelming.

Me I would recommend a day sail like the Fury with Capt Mike
http://www.usvisailing.com/
Call or email and tell them what ship and you want a morning sail. They go out of the Marriot so you will not waste a lot of Cab time

Then in the afternoon go Downtown and visit the shops, the craziness of the flea market, and wander down the alleys.

Towards late afternoon head back to Havensight close the where the ship will park and call it a day in STT with a Bushwacker.

Next trip then we will recommend the adventure

Hi Lodogz-

I did a daysail on Castaway Girl, a catamaran beauty, that docks near the cruise ships. They book through the cruise ships. The mate goes to the cruise ship to colle collect people, and then the cat goes out to Buck Island for some great snorkeling, and the crew does guided snorkel tours. You'll see lots of fish and a shipwreck! It's a booze cruise on the return trip, and the bartender makes a mean rum punch.

I don't know what the cost for the trip is, because I was smuggled onboard by a crew member who's a friend of my dad's, but I thought it was a great way to spend the early part of the day.

Enjoy! Heather

I actually work on one of the boats that takes cruise passengers to Buck Island (Jolly Mon Catamaran). To be honest, it's a great way to go because you are brought straight from the ship to the boat, and the boats all set you up with rum, music and snorkel gear and you don't have to worry about a thing. Buck Island is fantastic. Calm water, lots of fish and plenty of sea turtles. You really can't go wrong with any of the boats that take you there. Bones, Doubloon, Jolly Mon, Castaway Girl, Dancing Dolphin, etc. They all do the same thing and despite what you might think, you don't really feel like you're being herded around. Just book through the cruiseline (they'll assign you a boat) and they get you there and back with plenty of time left over to shop or venture out for another few hours. YOu can also pick the afternoon instead (usually they go 8:30am to noon-ish or 1-4pm-ish). They also book full day charters that go to Buck Island and Water Island. Bones does this primarily and it's a really cool-looking pirate ship that they just refurbished with real mango wood and even a jail cell! It's all very low stress and FUN!

Go to Cruisecritic.com. They have several different threads there one relating to excursions. You can get some great tips there. When I go on a cruise I find all of my tour guides here. Echoing Sherri post above. Stay away from the ship's excursions, they all can be had for less, dealing directly with the tours.