St. Thomas Beach Break Excursion Reviews

The bus ride to Megan's Bay gave us a view of the inner island (shocking shabby - is this really U.S. territory?). magan's Bay beach is supposed to be one of the top ten in the world, but did not impress me in the least.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Magen's Bay beach break. Beautiful beach, no complaints.

Provider: Princess Cruises

St. Thomas was overcast, cold and raining. I know it is a beatiful island but the cold weather and rain didnt do much justice. The kids didnt seem to care though they still played in the sand and swam for about 2 hours. Trip costed about $52 for 4 of us to and from the beach with admission for 2 adults into Magans Bay. Admission to Magans Bay is $4/adult and Children are free. $40 Cab fare

Provider: Independent Operator

Went to Sapphire beach. The excursion included chair & snorkel equipment plus a drink. The setting was beautiful although the water was rough. Beware of large boulders under the water.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Half day at Sapphire beach. Great beach, $7 chairs and reasonably prced drinks. Bus took us back for shopping after 4 hours on beach.

Provider: Independent Operator

A cruise critic member booked a group of us an open-air taxi using Godfrey. He was at the pier on time, charged $20pp and took us on about a 25 minute drive to Sapphire Beach. Picked us up 4 hours later and brought us back to the pier. Reliable. Safe driver. Sapphire Beach: rent a lounge chair for $7. The area looks like it was once very nicely kept but showed signs of definitely having gone downhill. Washrooms were not nice. Only two for women and when you had to line up you could see directly into the men's urinals. Yuck! Canopy structure there with no canopy. We did have a nice day with a breeze and sitting and reading was great. I did not realize the strength of the sun and did get sunburn on my legs. Water shoes were advised and we had them on but even with them the water was so full of stones, pebbles, rocks, even boulders that it was not at all enjoyable. There was about a foot drop where the waves hit the shore. Not safe for little ones. And the undercurrent was very strong. I was in and out in no time. There is a reef to one side of the area but the current was so strong my husband did not want to attempt it with his snorkeling equipment. I would definitely go to a different beach another time. I am not a shopper but if you are then go shopping in St. Thomas.

Provider: Independent Operator

Great beach, a must see if you go to St. Thomas

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

We had a trip called "Island tour and Sapphire beach". We travelled about 1/2 hr and then arrived at an idyllic beach with loungers, snorkelling equipment and a drink included. Plenty of shade under the trees. Beautiful beach - cold sea!!

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Beautiful beaches

Provider: Independent Operator

Ok tour

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

The car ride through the mountains was almost as fun as wave running, snorkiling and scuba diving. Lots of fun and the kids had a blast.

Provider: Independent Operator

We'd thought carefully about excursions before booking and really wanted good snorkelling. WE therefore originally booked the St John snorkel tour which had great reviews. This was cancelled at the last minute due to high sea swells - ok, there was nothing Celebrity could do about this, but their organisation re letting us know was very poor. They knew the evening before that it wouldn't be going ahead, but didn't leave a message until 1/2 hour before. We'd already left the cabin to get breakfast and find the meet point on the pier. Hung around for a while trying to find the tour, then found out it was cancelled and had to go back onboard to book another tour (i.e. got what was left that nobody else wanted). We went on the coral world and then st magens beach excursion. Coral world was ok in parts, but they had performing sea lions/captive sharks kept in tiny tanks etc which I don't like - I wouldn't bother booking it myself. Magens bay beach was very nice - I'd recommend going here.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Atlantis was FANTASTIC and suggest all to see.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Beautiful island! Locals on the island are very nice & accommodating as well as want you to have a good time there and offer many different things for you to see/do. We went to Sapphire Beach. It was beautiful. We were even going to pay extra to not go back with the rest of the people from the excursion by taking our own taxi back to the ship..... but a rainstorm came thru & we did go back with the others. Warning: do not purchase any lunch items without asking price. We were told the mahi sandwiches were great & could have them delivered by the wait staff right to our beach lounger. We ordered 4 sandwiches & 4 drinks = $124 without tip! My fault for not asking. Think it may have been the price that reflected the sandwich not being so great.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

We went to a very nice beach that had clean changing rooms and a snack bar and bar. The water was so clear you could stand in it up to your knees and see fish swimming by.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

The drive was nice there. The beach could have been beautiful but there were so many cigarette butts laying in the sand I felt like I was on an ashtray.

Provider: Independent Operator

Small amount of beach and sand. Felt slightly crowded.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Music too loud. Geared to the 20's and 30's on board.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Snorkeling at sapphire beach. Beach was beautiful. We saw fish. Good for beginner snorkelers.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Well organized, also at the Sapphire Beach itself, where we were at the resort. Loungers were reserved for us at prime location, with a food service if desired.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Originally we booked the Champagne Catamaran cruise to St. John's. We took this excursion in another cruise line in march and had a blast! Unfortunately I pulled a muscle in my leg and decided to cancel and book the trip to Trunk Bay instead. Ferry picked us up at the pier for an uneventful trip to St. John. Trunk Bay, as in past experiences, was post card perfect! Bright sun, warm, clear water and sugary fine sand. After 2 1/2 hrs, we returned to the ferry and St. Thomas. We only had time to shop at the port upon our return. IMHO, the shops at Havensight are just as good as the ones downtown (selection and price wise) and a heck of a lot more convenient. I found a rare bottle of bourbon (Blanton's Green Label Single Barrel Private Reserve - $70). We then re-boarded and enjoyed lunch on the ship. If you've never visited Trunk Bay, I highly recommend it. Always take the ship sponsored tour to ensure the ship won't sail without you, plus you are picked up and dropped off at the pier. Likewise, the catamaran trip to St. John is a blast ( leg injury not withstanding).

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Went to Magens Bay and enjoyed the beach and facilities. Beaudtiful beach.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

We've been to St. Thomas on a couple of occasions so this time we took the ferry over to St. Johns and went to Trunks Bay. Absolutely one of the prettiest beach my wife and I have every visited. Problem is it takes a while to get there and is costly. We took a taxi to

Provider: Independent Operator

We took a high speed private ferry to St. John directly from downtown Charlotte Amalie as we were anchored and tendered to the port. It was a fast bouncing ride but we enjoyed it. At arrival we got into an open air transport to Trunk Bay. Sea conditions were a little wavy, but the beach was as beautiful as ever. I gave it a 4 because we did not have much time at the beach. I wouldn't do this excursion again because of that but in fairness we had a good time - just not enough of it.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

I walked around the port and liked the area. Took pictures of some churches, government buildings, and the harbor. I then hopped on a shared ride taxi to Sapphire Beach. Great sand, beautiful water, and decent snorkeling. Well worth the effort and less crowed than Coki or Megans Bay. Took a private cab back to port. It was an enjoyable day.

Provider: Independent Operator

This is probably our favorite excusrsion. After going through 3-4 stops quickly (15 to 30 minutes each) where you can take photos and buy snacks/souvenirs, the tour ended at Maegen beach, which was absolutely beautiful. It had plenty of showers and facilities to rent body boards, kayaks, louge chairs, etc. Even the restaurant served some pretty good food - the stewed chicken was flavorful and perfectly cooked.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

The beach was very quiet. Great cooked to order food. Beach was clean with an occasional boat load of people that showed up. they never stayed long. one of the nicest beaches if you like it quiet and off the beaten path.

Provider: Independent Operator

Coki Beach - Amazing. GREAT for families.

Provider: Independent Operator

What an exquisite beach! The sand and water were perfect

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

The beach was incredibly overcrowded as not only was Oasis in port but so was Carnival Dream. The taxi service to the beach was a service nightmare as we sat in the parking lot for 20-30 minutes while they tried to find us a driver. Just get a cab on your own if you want to make this excursion. It will ultimately cost you less. The water was murky by the time we got there from the vast number of people kicking up sediment and the water was covered in a haze of skin conditioners and sun blocks, etc. Shopping was mainly jewelry and a market made up mostly of bad knock offs.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Very nice, wish it was longer time. Only 2 hours!

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

We took a taxi to Sapphire beach. Beautiful blue water, drank pina coladas and enjoyed the view of the island from the taxi.

Provider: Independent Operator

Provider: Disney Cruise Line

Took a taxi to the beach. Taxis on the island are a rip-off and they know it. Several people we talked to who were local told us about the corruption on the island and how much came off the top for kickbacks. Overall the beach is pretty but expensive.

Provider: Independent Operator

Beautiful views then beach. Pretty beach. Then shopping.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Beach was packed wall to wall (2 ships there that day) and looked like an average city park. They charge you for every little thing, with the admission charge just the beginning. We immediately got back in the cab and went to the ship.

Provider: Independent Operator

An expensive taxi ride. We booked this on the ship at the last minute. This beach is rated a top 10 beach by someone, somewhere. I can tell you it was a beautiful beach. We brought our snorkel equipment with us and I'm so glad we did. While we were there, the Sea Turtles started popping up just inside the markers for the swimming area, so we headed over and we found them, munching away on the sea grass. We just snorkeled around them for about 1/2 hour, with them popping up next to us for a breath of air. Definitely go to this beach if you can, but you can save a lot of money by catching a cab instead of booking it through the cruise company. St. Thomas as a whole is ok. We snorkeled here before and it was nice. We've walked around the port area and it's the same ole shops you will find at any port. If you need any emergency items, there is a Kmart that is a 10min walk up the hill.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Magen's Bay was delightful. We enjoyed the calm water and the long beach. We had 2 hours there, arriving at 11:30 and found a shaded picnic table. There were multiple excursions from our ship and even though we arrived for the tour early, our group got right under way, enabling us to get to the beach before the crowds. As we left at 1:30 the beach was extremely crowded. The skyline drive included a very brief stop for pictures.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

St. Thomas was our favorite stop. The ship pulled alongside the dock so we could walk right off the ship and go shopping. An hour later we joined our excursion group. We went to Magens Bay which was absolutely beautiful and our favorite spot on the whole cruise. I rented a floating mat for my wife and we swam for two hours before we had to leave. I wish we had had more time to spend there. The tour bus driver asked if we wanted dropped off at the street market instead of going back to the ship and we said yes. There was an ATM ($2.50 fee) at a nearby bank where I withdrew some money because the market was cash only. We bought some nice souvenirs before getting a taxi (which are plentiful and cost us $8 plus tip) to return us to the ship. I took some beautiful long distance shots of our ship from the harbor in the market area. I also took a video of a seaplane taking off from the water.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Very good no complaints

Provider: Independent Operator

Very unfriendly shop keepers at port. I think everyone has been there and done that.

Provider: Independent Operator

Very nice weather for very nice beach day. Note:tour was 2 hours beachtime.

Provider: Princess Cruises

Beautiful!

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

beach is beautiful. buy skyride through ship.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Jumped in a cab with a few other people, we went to a private little hide away we have been to in the past, some others went on to Coki Beach, a great day all around!

Provider: Independent Operator

We got off The Victory and found a van taxi which took us to Megan's Bay. Okay, this is a crowded place SO....walk away from the crowd. Do not be afraid to walk away from the bar area and go down to where people are snorkeling. You really do not need to rent a chair here of you go farther down the beach and sleep on your Carnival towel in the sand. The water is calm here. When we needed to leave we went back to the bar area and found an open air cab/pick-up. The hills and roads are crazy here....winding and narrow, but your driver does it everyday. You wil have some tremendous pictures of the ship when you are driving back.

Provider: Independent Operator

We did the Downtown Shopping & Magens Bay tour! It was amazing! The toured us around the island and stopped us at peak spots for pictures. The shopping was nice too. Magens Bay Beach is breathtaking and must do when you are there!

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

GORGEOUS beach with nice snorkeling! There was kayaking available, but we didn't take advantage. The facility was ok-a little "under construction" but was good for beach time. The view of St. Thomas overlooking the harbor was a nice unexpected plus to the tour.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

St. John Trunk Bay Snorkel and Beach Break - TOTAL RIP OFF. If you want to go there, take the ferry and go yourself. Through the ship we got at the beach at 10:15 and they made us leave at 11:45!!!!!

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Great bus driver, funny, and polite. Stopped when possible for views of Charlotte Amalie and Magen's Bay. Waited with bus until excursion was finished and continued to Pier.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

St. Thomas St. Thomas is beautiful. We took at shuttle/taxi service over to Magen's Beach. I believe the cost was $8 a person for the ride over (no negotiating here... they were set prices. I tried to negotiate with serveral different taxi's and they all had the same price.). There was also a $4 charge to get into this beach but kids under 12 are free. When they dropped us off there were a ton of people already on the beach but I had read on this website to take a walk down the beach and we'd find ourselves secluded and that is what we did. We walked down the beach away from the restaurant and water activity venders and found some great palm trees to lay under and we had the beach to ourselves for the most part. There were a few people who made it that way but not a lot. We did rent a longboard for an hour and it was only $10. That is a great price to try something I've always wanted to try! There are also paddles boats to rent as well. I didn't buy anything at the restaurant except for rum and punches and some waters. We actually ordered room service the night before and ordered sandwiches and chips and took that off the ship in our bags. This location is beautiful to be sure and very relaxing but I do prefer a little bit of surf to play in. I didn't realize just how calm these waters would be but it is really a good place for families with children since you can wade out pretty far and there are life guards here. It was a great day!

Provider: Independent Operator

Blongobay.com catamaran sail to Turtle Cove, almost 2 hours to snorkel/swim there then sail to St. John and Honeymoon beach,.. only can access beach walking or by boat. Had to walk in the water from the catamaran to the beach. They had a picnic for us which was very good.

Provider: Princess Cruises

Screen saver worthy beach, but filled with tourists. We were cautioned not to go to Magens Bay due to the lack of facilities, but in hindsight, it would've been nice to get away from the crowds.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

The ports were great - I suggest in St. Thomas to find your way to Coki Bay (spelling??). We went to Sapphire beach, and when we told the locals that was where we were going, the unanimous response was "Oh. Sapphire is nice. But Coki is MUCH better!". We had already purchased the tour though, and were not able to change it. In the end, Sapphire still ended up being a very nice beach to go to. We were able to snorkel and around the corner of the beach was para sailing & jet skiing, which we chose to jet ski (first time for me!). Very fun and convenient.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

St. Thomas was beautiful but very crowded with 5 ships in port. We took the snorkeling trip to Sapphire Beach. It was great when we arrived (early) and we snorkeled for an hour...not too many fish. Then the ships excursions started arriving. A beautiful white sand beach overrun with crowds and more lounge chairs lined up and down the beach...so close to each other you could hardly stand up next to your own. The Sapphire Beach Resort at least had a good dive shop and a respectable looking eating place. Our tour left early and dropped us off at the shopping area at the cruise terminal. One quickie trip through and we could see that we had no interest in another so-so jewelry store offering.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Did not enjoy this excursion to much. It was a long drive to the beach, and was not what we expected. The driver scared all of us with his driving, and we couldn't wait to get back to the boat. FYI...If you go swimming here, please note that the water is extremely salty. We did enjoy seeing the fish up close and personal though. That was the highlight.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Been to St. Thomas before so we took the Water Island Ferry to Honeymoon Beach. Nice relaxing time on a non-commercial part of the islands.

Provider: Independent Operator

Great time a Magens bay. Nice tour of city and ferry ride back to ship. 3 other ships in port that day so booked thru cruise line, but again no need to as many tours available at dock.

Provider: Princess Cruises

The trip to the beach was an adventure since we traveled in a less than safe vehicle on treacherous roads. Not for the feint of heart. Beach was beautiful but buildings were run down. We bought food at the grill but it was kind of gross because it didn't look like hamburger meat.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Very crowded. Go early before the crowds get there. It is supposed to be one of the worlds top 10 beaches. It was very nice, but we didnt think it any better than others we had been to - maybe because of the crowds?

Provider: Independent Operator

Beautiful white sand beach. Very clean. Water was a bit chilly, but nothing out of sorts considering it was February.

Provider: Princess Cruises

We took the Megan' beach break with shopping. Had a nice couple of hours in Megan's Bay and then the transportation dropped us off in Charlotte to shop.

Provider: Princess Cruises

Wish we had more time at the beach. It felt rushed.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Well, it all started when we went out to meet our transportation vehicle... I know the big deal in St. Thomas is the taxis that are basically benches in the back of trucks, but this one was self-made. It looked like it barely was held together. We used this to go up hills and around tight corners to Magens bay beach. We tried to stop twice at scenic viewpoints but one was too crowded. The other we just got out in the middle of the road while our driver tried to find a place to park. We got to the beach and had two hours. It was packed! We walked all the way down to the far end where it was a bit less crowded. We ended up not getting in the water for two reasons: there was a LOT of dead vegetation in the water (someone can probably explain that a lot better than me, but it didn't look very clear and we don't like lots of stuff hitting our legs) and there were these dive-bombing birds trying to fish. We noticed there were a LOT more people on the beach than in the water. The little restaurant there was pretty good but very overpriced. We only had two hours before heading back. We definitely wouldn't go back to this beach again, and we would probably recommend that anyone wanting to just take a taxi over there. There area lots of taxis waiting to head back and we found that many of the tour taxis, including ours, would take extra people back with them for a fee. We walked around the town a bit when we got back and found a cute little place where we had homemade lemonade and a frozen cappucino. It was called "Bumpa's." The people were very friendly and the food (sandwiches, etc.) looked good also.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

We looked at the town in the morning -- lots of diamond shops, not too much else. In the afternoon we joined a tour of the island that stopped at Coki Beach. This was excellent value for $25, and about half the price of the equivalent tour booked with Princess. Coki Beach is right next to Coral World, and has a place to rent snorkels etc. We did that, and saw some coral, lots of fish, and even one stingray. It was a Sunday and lots of locals were there, adding to the festive air. We'd been told to expect to be harassed to buy things, but that didn't happen. We had a great time on our first locally booked tour. There's no worry here about getting back to the ship --- the tour operators don't collect any money in advance, you pay when you get back.

Provider: Independent Operator

Downtown St. Thomas is very crowded. Be prepared to walk if you want to shop. The beach was beautiful but time there was limited. Getting up at 8:30 am to do a beach excursion is too early. Then your time there is rushed as well. No beach chairs, bring your towel.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Magens Beach was lovely but watch the sun - 2 hours gets you an intense sunburn. Interesting to watch the birds diving to catch the fish alongside the swimmers.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Magden's Bay is as beautiful as they say one of the most 10 most beautiful beaches in the world not to be missed

Provider: Princess Cruises

Driven through main town and up hill to viewpoint of Magens beach. Thereafter dropped off at beach for 2 hours. Despite 4 cruise ships being in port the beach was not crowded and we swam and sunbathed. Beach is routinely in top 20 in the world and could see why! Dropped off in town for a walk around before short boat ride back to ship.

Provider: Princess Cruises

This excursion was just to the beach to swim at Magens Bay. We did stop at a small lookout point which overlooked the Bay. It was a beautiful view with the cruise ships in port. There were the usual local vendors present which allowed some fun shopping before going on to the beach. The parking lot is right at the beach with very little walking. We rented chairs and tipped the man to carry them down to a less crowded area. The swimming was great, the location incredibly picturesque. Its a good excursion.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Fantastic beach, well worth the trip.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Beach is good but I wouldn't say it's spectacular.

Provider: Independent Operator

A must to do as beach is awesome and diving brown pelicans are neat to see

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

This is another great port of call. It was a great trip on the snorkel and sail.

Provider: Disney Cruise Line