Hey Patty P

I think your ideas are just great! Shopping with Ellie in the morning in Charlotte
Amalie and then heading to Red Hook for the ferry to St. John, lunch at Caneel Bay sounds like a good plan. You may want to save some time for shopping in Cruz Bay,
neat shops, the kind you like and then head back to the ship. Have a great time!!!!
Your buddy Pal Lindy

I would suggest switching around your plans. Go to St. John in the am, see a little of St. John and eat lunch there as you mentioned. Then shop in the afternoon - if you are docked in Havensight shop there, so you are closer to the ship in case your mom wants to return to the ship. If you are going into town Charlotte Amalie, later in the afternoon after 1pm will be cooler, maybe more comfortable for your mom to be walking around. If there are lots of ships in and Charlotte Amalie is not a must then shop in Havensight - might be a bit less tiring, Charlotte Amalie requires more walking around and is a bit louder then Havensight. You can also poke your head into the shops in Cruz Bay if you want a more quiet shopping experience.

--Islander

Dear Islander:

Thank you for that info. I think we will be docked in Charoette A.

Which ferry should I take to St. John? I have a girlfriend who says that Red Hook ferry is quicker but the ferry from C.A. is more scenic.

Do you think we would also have time to fit in a cab ride to Mountain top? I hear the view is spectacular!

Thanks again, Patty

Docked in CA - you are on the Norway??? They anchor in the harbor and you tender in. If thats the case then that even more strongly supports why recommendation to do St. John first... that way you are totting shopping bags with you to St. John from your AM shopping OR you wont have to take the little tender ferry back to the ship to secure the shopping bags in your room and head out again to St. John.

Really the two ferries work out to be about the same. Charlotte Amalie will be a longer ferry ride, if you get seasick easily dont do this one. Its a 45 ferry ride, plus you would have been on a ferry to tender in from the ship. The Red Hook ferry is shorter but requires a taxi ride... so the two commutes work out about the same in terms of time. And the dollar value is a about the same, the Red Hook ferry maybe a few dollars more because of taxi ride for the two of you.

Sure you could fit a car ride to Mountain Top if you dont want to do a lot of shopping. What you could do it go to St. John, if lunch and visiting is all you want to do. Go in the AM, perhaps do Red Hook so you can see a bit of St. Thomas via the taxi ride. Go to Caneel have lunch or take an island tour before going to Caneel, walk around Caneel resort and the beach if you like. Then head back to Cruz Bay - if you want to shop there do that. Keep in mind the time it took to get to St. John from the ship... then leave an hour and a half for taking a taxi up to Mountain Top, hanging out there for a little bit and heading back to town. If you hadn't done your shopping in Cruz Bay then look around the Venders Plaza and Waterfront shops before heading back to catch the tender ferry back to the ship. Thats a full day - hope your mom has lots of energy. 🙂 Maybe plan for it all, keep in mind time frame, if its between shopping and Mountain Top when you are heading back to St. John then make that decision. If you have enough energy and time then do both.

--Islander

Just thought of something, depending on what day you are in.... Mountain Top times are affected. Not sure what their Sunday hours are???? if thats the day you are in.

Also if you get over to St. John late, rather then early am, you might have a hard time fitting both a relaxing shopping and Mountain Top without feeling rushed.

--Islander