I think that next time I'm in St. Thomas I'd prefer more shopping time as you can get some amazing deals, especially on jewelry.

We were a little late getting into port, our excursion was supposed to leave at 9:15 but I don't think they had started letting anyone off the boat at that time. We ended up being let off with the crew as some other ladies in our elevator felt faint due to the crush of people on the floor above.

The bus driver taking us back to the ship was open to dropping some of us off at different areas of the city if we wanted so my Mom and I got off downtown to do some shopping before walking back to the pier. If you like really nice tablecloths and other linens I'd suggest checking out The Linen House. If you like colour changing clothing and accessories definitely check out Del Sol (there is one in St. Thomas as well).

We did the catamaran sail and snorkel and had a lot of fun. Our tour was the last of the day and unfortunately we got a bit of a late start as the previous tour was a bit late in getting back. We had been on a snorkeling excursion before in the Dominican Republic but I must say that the captain of this boat explained the best way of getting a good seal on the snorkel mask much much better which made the trip a lot more fun.

Don't wait to buy your souvenirs for this stop - everything was much more expensive ($30 T Shirts and towels etc.)

We didn't spend any time at the beach, however the ladies who shared our dining room table with us did and they let us know that if there is a ship leaving port while you are at the beach they make everyone get out of the water while it is preparing to leave and you can't get back in until the ship is safely away.

The reason for this is that the cruise ships actually get very close to the island. The water is about 26 feet deep around the island then it suddenly drops to 7000ft (according to the catamaran tour anyway). This makes for some cool shots of the ships from the pier and the shore.