About 12 years ago we did a "one day" excursion (thru Frenchman's Reef Hotel's concierge) which hired a boat all to ourselves with captain and mate on a 50-ft Sea Ray, and we went wherever we wanted. We left from the docks at St. Thomas.
Since I'd been to VI before, I knew where I wanted to go----- St John, Tortola, Norman Island, Virgin Gorda. We visited the Baths, Cruz Bay, caves of Norman Island where we snorkeled, the shipwreck of The Rhone where we snorkeled, and other great beaches, Stanley's Welcome Bar in Cane Garden Bay (Tortola), and several other spots. They served a great brunch and a late afternoon dinner, and had drinks and snacks available all day. We left just after sunrise and rode back in just after sunset. We traveled from USVI, into BVI waters where we stopped to get legal passage, and back into USVI and St. Thomas.
We had "the best day our family has ever had", according to each member----(kids were teenagers then). To this day we still talk about "that day". It could not have been any nicer or more beautiful. We saw the Virgin Isles "the right way", and on our terms. I remember the captain's name was Tom and mate was Beth (whoa!). Our cost was $1600 but that's long forgotten and the memory was absolutely worth every penny. Cannot remember the name of the company. We elected to have "no alcohol", which was an option which cut the cost $200-300. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
(The only thing I'd compare it to would be our "day in Paris"-----a one-day excursion via the Eurostar from London to Paris----spending all day in Paris, seeing everything we wanted to---- did bus tour of entire city, walked to and lingered at Eiffel Tower, walked to Arc de Triomphe, walked along entire Champs Elysees, spent 4 hours in the Louvre, walked along the Seine a while----- then back to London. Another great day in our family's travels. Those 2 special days will forever stand out and will always be cherished.)
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