Thread: (From St. Thomas) Five Star St. John & Trunk Bay

How did you like this Excursion?
(Carnival version listed)

Five Star St. John & Trunk Bay 4.00 hours $65.00*
Start your day with a beautiful cruise aboard the comfortable, stable 115 ft. M/V Leylon Sneed, from St. Thomas to St. John. On this excursion you will:

• Anchor for an hour and a half at world famous Trunk Bay.
• Enjoy some fantastic snorkel opportunities with the equipment, instruction and in-water supervision provided.
• Sunbathe on the beach, swim in or go ashore by dinghy or watch a movie about the Virgin Islands in the air-conditioned theater.
• Enjoy the scenery, while sunbathing on the bow, or in the shade.
• Rinse off salt and sand under the fresh water shower.
• Sit back with a complimentary glass of rum or fruit punch from the bottomless punch bowls, or other beverages of your choice from the cash bar.

Note: During certain weather conditions, an alternate anchorage may be visited.

Hesitate to answer because it was almost 4 years ago when we took this excusion ... but ... probably is about the same.

LEYLON SNEED -- Report

This works well for people who want to take a HALF Day ship's tour to St.John (Trunk Bay). This tour is 4 hours with 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours at the beach ... depending on ocean conditions.

The Leylon Sneed is a replica of a Chesapeake Bay oyster boat (think 115 ft.) so there's always plenty of room. There are "normal" toilet facilities (not heads like on sailboats) and even a freshwater shower.

The crew was very professional and did a nice narrated tour with Q&A's going out. Beautiful scenery!

Snorkel equipment was passed out to those who wished. There were also snorkel instructions for beginners. This was all done on the way out so no time was lost snorkeling.

When we achored at Trunk Bay, those who did not want to snorkel were taken to the beach in a dinghy. Some people just took the tour for the ride and did not get off of ther boat at all. ( They have a film of St.John for the folks who stay on board.)

Trunk Bay is incedibly beautiful in every way -- palm lined beach, solf white sand, and clear blue water. The water really is as clear as glass! Be sure to take an underwater camera!

We did not snorkel on this excursion but have snorkeled there MANY other times. Those who did seemed to have had a great time and saw lots of fish!

While by no means a party boat, rum punch was served on the way back and there was a cash bar as well.

Hope this helps a bit. Please let me know if you have any questions ....

Note: We took this on Princess. People from other cruise lines were there as well.

We used to love it when the cruise ships would arrive early outside St Thomas, a special boat came out to the ship and took booked shore excursion passengers over to St John for the day and then brought them back to Red Hook and a special bus would bring us all back to the ship in Havensight. Boy those were the days (before 9/11).

So, is St. John's bay like a cove or something that stays calm and clear (water), or does it get churned up and cloudy when it is windy?

Trunk Bay has always be calm and VERY clear when we've been there on both cruise excursions and land vacations.

Do consider that our "timing" has always been New Year's -- June ... and have never been there in bad weather. Don't know how it is other times of the year ....

I'm so looking forward to going to Trunk Bay although I'm not taking a tour/ traveling with others whose been there taking the taxi to the ferry and another taxi to trunk bay. The taxi drivers are in with those on St John and you come to an agreement on price for the whole trip not a one way.

Originally Posted by Krazy Kruizers

We used to love it when the cruise ships would arrive early outside St Thomas, a special boat came out to the ship and took booked shore excursion passengers over to St John for the day and then brought them back to Red Hook and a special bus would bring us all back to the ship in Havensight. Boy those were the days (before 9/11).

Those were the days. I haven't been back to St. John's since.

And I must ask the proverbial stupid question. Of course I know all about 9-11, but what makes it different in St John's now?

Originally Posted by hanna

And I must ask the proverbial stupid question. Of course I know all about 9-11, but what makes it different in St John's now?

Pre 9/11 many cruise lines had SHORE EXCURSIONS that would make a tender stop for folks to tender to St.John. Then ... that afternoon ... they'd be taken to St. Thomas to rejoin the cruise ship.

The old SS NORWAY did an excursion we loved: We'd tender from the ship to St. John and get on a catamaran for a day of fun in St.John ... then, sail back to meet the ship in St.Thomas.

Since 9/11, I haven't been able to find ANY cruise lines offering anything like this. Think it's a "customs" thing ... and ... also, as you well know, the security is much tighter now than it use to be ....

Bottom Line: Many of us miss having ships stop for a 5 minute tender to St.John ... rather than going all the way to St.Thomas ... and then going to St.John (about 30 minutes ... not including taxi time) ....