US Virgin Islands: Things to Do

[TravelTime]

We are going to spend 15 days in the US Virgin Islands in the first half of June. We are staying at the Ritz Carlton St Thomas near Red Hook ferry terminal. I am starting to plan things to do for me, my husband and my two girls age 6 and 10.

Some things I am interested in are:
-Sailing to St John - Lady Lynsey leaves from the Ritz so we will probably sail with them a few times. Are there other sailing excursions to St John that you highly recommend?
-Kas Kas Kayak and Snorkel - they also have a tour with hiking included, is this tour better that just the kayak and snorkeling tour?
-Beaches on St Thomas and St John with chairs and umbrellas. If it does not have chairs and umbrellas I can’t go because I recently had skin cancer surgery and my skin is too pale for sun.
-Turtle snorkeling trip - How is Little Buck Island?
-Best scuba diving spots and dive operators?

Things we do not want to do:
-I am not interested in the aquarium. I heard it was not that great unless you do a dolphin swim and I am not interested in that.
-Strenuous Hiking - walks or easy hikes are great but not too hard

 

[Tia]

Maybe take an island tour with a guide. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g147400-i171-U_S_Virgin_Islands.html has good participation in their forums

 

[SandyPGravel]

Umbrellas might be an issue on St John because of turtle nesting season. I know you can rent a sun shade at St John Beach bum. Chairs also will need to be rented. Honeymoon beach had some shade structures(cabanas) and chairs but last I heard it was still shut down.

I have a pop up beach tent that I purchased from Amazon that fits in my checked luggage. I think it weighs 5 lbs or so. (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0786B1P3S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) Super easy to put up and take down.

 

[TravelTime]

Umbrellas might be an issue on St John because of turtle nesting season. I know you can rent a sun shade at St John Beach bum. Chairs also will need to be rented. Honeymoon beach had some shade structures(cabanas) and chairs but last I heard it was still shut down.

I have a pop up beach tent that I purchased from Amazon that fits in my checked luggage. I think it weighs 5 lbs or so. (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0786B1P3S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) Super easy to put up and take down.

Great idea! I found one on Amazon that says it is 3.5 pounds and got a 4.5 star average with thousands of reviews. Problem solved! Thank you so much for this suggestion.

 

[nerodog]

H

Great idea! I found one on Amazon that says it is 3.5 pounds and got a 4.5 star average with thousands of reviews. Problem solved! Thank you so much for this suggestion.

Have a wonderful time! Very beautiful islands and St J was my favorite. It's tranquil and all the nature. Breathtaking vistas.

 

[legalfee]

We are going to spend 15 days in the US Virgin Islands in the first half of June. We are staying at the Ritz Carlton St Thomas near Red Hook ferry terminal. I am starting to plan things to do for me, my husband and my two girls age 6 and 10.

Some things I am interested in are:
-Sailing to St John - Lady Lynsey leaves from the Ritz so we will probably sail with them a few times. Are there other sailing excursions to St John that you highly recommend?

I recommend Aquamarine. They will take you where you want to go and take great care of you.https://www.diveaquamarine.com/

-Kas Kas Kayak and Snorkel - they also have a tour with hiking included, is this tour better that just the kayak and snorkeling tour?

I think you're better off renting a car and snorkel gear and checking out Coki Beach, Sapphire Beach, etc...

-Beaches on St Thomas and St John with chairs and umbrellas. If it does not have chairs and umbrellas I can’t go because I recently had skin cancer surgery and my skin is too pale for sun.

Magens Bay and Coki Beach rent chairs and umbrellas. Trunk Bay on St John. The sun is much stronger in STT than in the states and you will burn faster.

-Turtle snorkeling trip - How is Little Buck Island?

Never been to Buck Island but Aquamarine can get you there and great turtle spots

-Best scuba diving spots and dive operators?

Aquamarine.

Things we do not want to do:
-I am not interested in the aquarium. I heard it was not that great unless you do a dolphin swim and I am not interested in that.
-Strenuous Hiking - walks or easy hikes are great but not too hard

 

[mdurette]

I absolutely LOVED a glass bottom night kayak excursion we did in St Thomas. It left off the pier in between Frenchmans Cove and the hotel (pre hurricane). It was so peaceful, the water was calm the kayaks had lights that attracted the fish and turtles right under the kayak. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

 

[TravelTime]

Countdown begins. Only 18 days until we fly to St Thomas!

I love all the suggestions folks have made. My most important preparation was purchasing the pop up beach tent. This is critical due to the skin cancer surgery I had on my face in February. It is much better now but still healing. The pop up weighs 3.6 pounds. It is pretty small and compact so worst case is I can carry it in my back pack.

Last time when traveled to Hawaii for 12 nights in April, my luggage was about 42-45 pounds so I should have no trouble putting it in my luggage. This time, we are in USVIs for 15 nights. I plan to travel lighter with less clothing since I did not wear about 1/3 of what I brought.

 

[legalfee]

I would also recommend water shoes. Some of the beaches can be rocky.

 

[mjm1]

Countdown begins. Only 18 days until we fly to St Thomas!

I love all the suggestions folks have made. My most important preparation was purchasing the pop up beach tent. This is critical due to the skin cancer surgery I had on my face in February. It is much better now but still healing. The pop up weighs 3.6 pounds. It is pretty small and compact so worst case is I can carry it in my back pack.

Last time when traveled to Hawaii for 12 nights in April, my luggage was about 42-45 pounds so I should have no trouble putting it in my luggage. This time, we are in USVIs for 15 nights. I plan to travel lighter with less clothing since I did not wear about 1/3 of what I brought.

How was your trip last year? If you rented a car who did you rent it from?

We will be on St Thomas next April - four nights in town and four nights at the Ritz. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[TravelTime]

How was your trip last year? If you rented a car who did you rent it from?

We will be on St Thomas next April - four nights in town and four nights at the Ritz. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Best regards.

Mike

It was great. The Ritz is a nice resort. Twice daily housekeeping and they will do your dishes. The landscaping is beautiful and feels like another world when you go through the gates.

We did not rent a car. The taxis in STT are not their best asset but they are abundant. We calculated that we spent about the same on taxis as a car rental would have cost. The driving in STT seems a bit scary esp as you get to the Ritz bc it’s hilly. But I think you will be fine either way if you are comfortable driving on the left side of the road on hills.

We loved the sailing excursions on the Lady Lindsay at the Ritz. She goes over to St John and you can snorkel over there. It is a nice way to enjoy St John without taking the ferry and taxis to/from the beach.

I went diving with Red Hook Divers. They were excellent. One of the best dive shops ever and I have been on over 300 dives in my life. The diving in St Thomas is decent, much better than the snorkeling.

We did a lot of excursions but some were not memorable. We did the snorkeling boat that leaves out of the Marriott at Frenchman’s Cove. It was just okay. I was probably comparing it to the Lady Lindsay which is so much nicer.

We went kayaking in the mangroves. That was enjoyable and different. I highly recommend that excustion.

We went to the aquarium in St Thomas. It was interesting for a few hours. We did the dolphin kayaking experience and that was unique. The dolphins swim under the kayak and you can see them through the glass bottom. The dolphins get up close to you.

We mainly cooked in our unit. We ate out a few times but nothing memorable to me.

 

[mjm1]

Thank you @TravelTime. We will be in a 2BR Suite, which I understand has a mini frig. It sounds like it doesn’t have a microwave, but I need to confirm that. We usually have leftovers from meals out and like to heat them for a second meal. I will look into the various excursions.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[Eric B]

Thank you @TravelTime. We will be in a 2BR Suite, which I understand has a mini frig. It sounds like it doesn’t have a microwave, but I need to confirm that. We usually have leftovers from meals out and like to heat them for a second meal. I will look into the various excursions.

Best regards.

Mike

Here's a picture of the kitchen in a 2 BR suite there - we met some folks staying in one while we were there in April in a 2 BR residence on a ThirdHome exchange. IIRC, one of the mini fridges was a freezer and the oven was a combination microwave/convection one. You could email the concierges there to ask - GRP_RCStThomasClubConcierge@marriott.com is the group email for them and whoever is on duty will respond.

We'll be on either St John or St Thomas weeks 14 & 15 in 2024 - always happy to meet fellow Tuggers when we can. The last couple of years we've split between the two islands, using one of the two weeks we own at WSJ and switching into the Ritz on an exchange for the other week.

Cruz Bay Watersports does some good snorkeling trips on the Lady Lynsey and there are a few others they do on a smaller boat they have, Daydreamer. They've just started doing trips to the BVI again - we enjoyed the one to Jost Van Dyke last visit and will be doing the one to Virgin Gorda next time.

We typically don't rent a car, either, though we will no doubt do so to get to the further snorkeling spots on St John one of these days. Last trip out there we took a tour of St Thomas with www.explorestt.com - IIRC it was about $350 for a private jeep tour of the island lasting most of the day. Our driver was Ken (340-998-4762) - he was a good tour guide and we'll likely use him again.

Finally, the Ritz website is a hub of useful information that's worth checking out while you're planning a visit. They'll send you the link a few weeks in advance of your arrival along with some other info; here's the substance of the welcome email:

I am excited to welcome you back home to The Ritz-Carlton Club, St. Thomas!



Your reservation details show that you are arriving on:

April xx, 2023 for 7 nights in a Two-Bedroom Residence.



I will be more than happy to assist with all your reservation needs to ensure your stay with us is personalized and memorable. We strongly encourage you to have excursions, Dinner and Spa reservations confirmed prior to your arrival due to high occupancy.



In an effort to anticipate your arrival, please allow me to gather some information from you.

• What time do you plan on arriving at the Club?
• Will you be celebrating a special occasion during your stay with us?
• Do you have any accompanying guests you would like noted on your reservation?
• How many adults and children will be occupying your Residence?
• Do you have any bed configuration preferences or housekeeping requests?

We welcome you to explore our website, which is a hub of information on our resort, events and activities, dinning, excursions, local attractions, club amenities and services and much more. https://ritzcarltonclubstthomas.idaypass.com.



Club Services & Amenities

• Groceries - We offer an In-Residence grocery program through Moe's Marketplace.
• Transportation - Due to Virgin Islands law, we are unable to arrange transportation from the airport to The Ritz-Carlton Club. All airport transfers are available through both private and public taxis.
  • Private taxis are available through Kelly’s Taxi. If you would like to schedule pre-arranged transportation, please contact Kelly’s Taxi.
  • Multi-passenger taxis are available at the airport for $34.00 per person plus $2.00-$5.00 per bag. Please expect multiple stops.
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• Recreation - Should you desire to embark on a boating experience throughout the US Virgin Islands please visit Cruz Bay Watersports for more information and available excursions.
• Housekeeping Services

Housekeeping offers two services daily: AM Service between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. with our last service starting at 2:30 p.m. & Turndown service, which is a gentle refresh of your Residence is also available 6:00 p.m. through 9:00 p.m. nightly, starting on your second night of stay. For more information on our cleaning protocols and service times please click on the link below. https://ritzcarltonclubstthomas.idaypass.com/



Check in begins at 4:00 p.m.

If your travel itinerary brings you to the resort before 4:00 p.m., plan to have your swimwear or resort wear readily available so you can change out of your travel attire and start your vacation experience right away!



Upon check in, there is a $25 per night Environmental Infrastructure Impact fee that will be charged to the card on file. This fee goes directly to the U.S. Virgin Islands government as a way to combat the environmental impact of tourism.



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We would like to share some information regarding some important updates on our Club Beach. Please click on the attached document to learn more.



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We appreciate your loyalty for being a Valued Home Club Member at our beautiful Club and a Titanium Elite Member.



I am excited to assist you with planning your upcoming vacation!





Warm Regards,

 

[mjm1]

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Here's a picture of the kitchen in a 2 BR suite there - we met some folks staying in one while we were there in April in a 2 BR residence on a ThirdHome exchange. IIRC, one of the mini fridges was a freezer and the oven was a combination microwave/convection one. You could email the concierges there to ask - GRP_RCStThomasClubConcierge@marriott.com is the group email for them and whoever is on duty will respond.

We'll be on either St John or St Thomas weeks 14 & 15 in 2024 - always happy to meet fellow Tuggers when we can. The last couple of years we've split between the two islands, using one of the two weeks we own at WSJ and switching into the Ritz on an exchange for the other week.

Cruz Bay Watersports does some good snorkeling trips on the Lady Lynsey and there are a few others they do on a smaller boat they have, Daydreamer. They've just started doing trips to the BVI again - we enjoyed the one to Jost Van Dyke last visit and will be doing the one to Virgin Gorda next time.

We typically don't rent a car, either, though we will no doubt do so to get to the further snorkeling spots on St John one of these days. Last trip out there we took a tour of St Thomas with www.explorestt.com - IIRC it was about $350 for a private jeep tour of the island lasting most of the day. Our driver was Ken (340-998-4762) - he was a good tour guide and we'll likely use him again.

Finally, the Ritz website is a hub of useful information that's worth checking out while you're planning a visit. They'll send you the link a few weeks in advance of your arrival along with some other info; here's the substance of the welcome email:

Thank you Eric. This is very helpful and I will explore it further. If the timing works out we would enjoy connecting during our stay. I will reach out to you directly.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[TravelTime]

When we stayed in the 2BR suite last summer, there was only 1 mini refrigerator. You may want to call and see if most of the suites have one or two.