Many Royal Caribbean cruises make a stop in St. Thomas while on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary, but the nearby island of St. John is an enticing and exotic destination cruisers should consider in their shore excursion plans.

St. John is just a few miles away by ferry from St. Thomas, making it an easy commute between the two islands.  Regular ferry service means getting back and forth is a mere formality and that means the pristine beaches of St. John are easily accessible.

On a recent Royal Caribbean cruise, we decided to try a visit to St. John and the good news is it is a great option to consider, especially for those that may feel St. Thomas is a "been there, done that" situation.

St. John Overview

St. John is the smallest and least populated island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.  It tends to be a refuge for cruise visitors and local residents alike, who seek a place to "get away from it all."

The Virgin Islands National Park takes up roughly two thirds of the island, which means visiting St. John is really about taking time to enjoy a beach, nature hike or combination of the two.  The beaches of St. John offer plenty of sun and surf, along with the typical beach activities like snorkeling, kayaking and paddle boarding.

There is a small town where visitors arrive via ferry, Cruz Bay.  This town has some basic offerings, such as restaurants, bars and some shopping.  However, unlike St. Thomas or St. Croix, the offerings in Cruz Bay are limited.  Essentially, people come to St. John for the natural beauty.

Getting to St. John

There are two primary means of getting from your Royal Caribbean cruise ship to St. John.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and which option you pick depends on your personal preference.

Royal Caribbean excursion

Royal Caribbean offers a few excursions to St. John that will depart from near the cruise ship and take you directly to St. John.  There are tours that will provide round-trip ferry transportation, as well as some sort of an organized tour while in St. John.  In addition, there is also a "on your own" St. John excursion that brings you just to the island and lets you go on your own.

The primary consideration with the Royal Caribbean excursions to St. John is the fact you will take a longer ferry ride.  The ferry from Crown Bay is roughly 40 minutes in length, which is about double that of the other ferry.  

Of course, booking with Royal Caribbean has an added bonus of the guarantee of return, where you know you will absolutely get back to the ship, no matter what.  For many, that peace of mind is important.

On your own

Many residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands regularly go back and forth between St. John and St. Thomas, which means there is regular ferry service offered for a small fee.

There are two primary points of taking a ferry to St. John: Crown Bay and Red Hook.

The Crown Bay ferry is the same ferry Royal Caribbean excursions take.  The benefit is this ferry departs and returns very close to the cruise ship, which means taking a taxi is either unnecessary or significantly cheaper.  Of course, the ferry ride is about double the length and there are less ferries offered throughout the day.

Red Hook is an area on the east end of St. Thomas, with a short 15-20 minute ferry ride to St. John.  While it requires a taxi ride to reach Red Hook, we felt the shorter and more frequently offered ferry rides were worth it.  Ferry service from Red Hook runs every hour, on the hour.  You can consult the ferry website for exact fare and schedules. 

The taxi ride to Red Hook is fairly short as well, although often you will get lumped into vans other other guests, where the driver makes a few stops along the way.  Your experience will vary, but the one way trip should take about 30 minutes (if not less).

Once at the ferry terminal, you can purchase round trip fare.  Be sure to bring plenty of cash, because taxis and the ferry regularly take cash only.

If you are wondering how long it takes to get from Crown Bay to Red Hook and then take the ferry to St. John, it depends largely on timing.  How long it takes you to get into a taxi, for the taxi to drop you off and what time you arrive before a ferry departs are all factors you may not have a lot of control over.  If you time things out perfectly, it should take just around an hour.  If you just miss the ferry, figure another an extra 30-60 minutes on top of that estimate.

Arriving in St. John

The ferry will drop you off in Cruz Bay, which is on the west end of the island. There are a few shops and restaurants, but the real attraction of going to St. John is to see the beaches.  You ought to be able to take a taxi to any of the beaches nearby.

There is a primary road, North Shore Road, that runs along the Northwest coast of St. John and has easy access to the beaches. Most day visitors opt for taxis, but you could also rent a car.  Keep in mind that vehicles drive on the left side of the road in St. John.

St. John is largely set up as a National Park, and that means lots of beaches to consider.  By far the most popular is Trunk Bay, which is about a 10 minute taxi ride away.  There are lots of other beaches, including Cinnamon Bay Beach. We chose Cinnamon Bay Beach for the lack of crowds.  

For the purposes of this blog post, we will be discussing Cinnamon Bay Beach, but the experience of visiting any of the beaches in St. John is likely very similar: a beautiful and scenic coastline with white sand and clear, turquoise waters.

At Cinnamon Bay Beach, there is no beach fee, so feel free to grab any spot you choose.  We were able to rent beach chairs from a company that offers surf rentals as well.  There is not a lot of natural shade, but if you retreat to the back edge of the back, there was some shade provided by trees and shrubs.

Most of the taxis in St. John make regular stops at each of the beaches, so getting a taxi back is fairly simple and just a matter of timing.

If you are a United States resident, your cell phone will likely work normally in St. John because the island is part of the United States.  We found cell phone coverage to be a "light" the further away from Cruz Bay and the main road you get, but placing phone calls (like to a taxi driver) usually works.

Your Thoughts

Have you visited St. John? What did you think of the experience? If you have visited other Caribbean islands, how do you think St. John compared to those? Any tips of your own to add about visiting St. John? Any questions? Hearing from readers is part of the fun (and is helpful to others), so please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean has changed the Shore Excursions Cancellation Policy. The new cancellation policy will transition from a 24-hour prior to tour departure deadline to a 48-hours prior to port arrival deadline.

Excursions can be modified or cancelled up to 48 hours prior to port arrival without penalty. Tours involving flights, trains, special events, overnight stays, hotel stays and Private Journeys must be cancelled 30 days prior to sailing to avoid cancellation penalties. Other restrictions may apply.

The new policy goes into effect fleet-wide on June 15, 2017.

If guests have booked before June 15th and wish to cancel before 24 hrs., they will be allowed to do so. If they booked their Shore Excursions after June 15th, the Cancellation will fall under the new policy.

The deadline for exchanges is 48 hours before port arrival. In the event a tour is cancelled, a full refund will be provided to the guest’s onboard account.

The island of Aruba is well known for its perfect weather and even prettier beaches. For many Royal Caribbean guests, visiting Aruba might be a one-time opportunity, and for those that want to see some of the cultural and natural highlights of the island, while cruising in an over-the-top fun bus, then the Kukoo Kunuku Palm Beach Tour might be just right for you.

While in Aruba on port stop onboard Navigator of the Seas, we tried out this colorful tour of Aruba to see what it is like to explore Aruba while singing at the top of your lungs.

Description

Kukoo Kunuku is a local tour company that provides bus tours of Aruba that visit some of the island's best known spots. While bus tours tend to be very similar experiences (pile in, go to a spot, pile out, take photos and pile back in, repeat), the folks at Kukoo Kunuku wanted to really change it up.  They took old school buses, painted them all sorts of colors, plastered a ton of funny sayings and metaphors all over the bus, added maracas and blast classic sing-along songs to enjoy as you explore Aruba.

Guests climb aboard the bus (there were three in our tour), and are quickly indoctrinated into the Kukoo Kunuku culture of singing, being loud, and trying to "scare" any bicyclist or person on the street you pass by with hoot and hollering.  The tour is as much about the experience onboard the bus as it is the places you visit.

The Kukoo Kunuku tour visits three spots, but begins with a general tour of Aruba that includes back story of the island and many opportunities to see what life is like in Aruba. 

The first stop is at Alto Vista Chapel, which is a small Catholic chapel that stands on the hills above the north shore of the sea.  It is a beautiful spot that provides some lovely views all around.

Back in the bus, the next stop is the California Lighthouse. The lighthouse was named for a ship that wrecked nearby Aruba in the 19th century.  Guests may not climb to the top of the lighthouse, but like the chapel, the spot provides an excellent vantage point of the surroundings.

The final stop, and bulk of your time in the excursion, is a stop at Palm Beach. 

Palm Beach is one of the two most popular beaches in Aruba (along with Eagle Beach) and the excursion includes the use of a complimentary beach chair. There is food and drink service provided at the beach for an additional fee.

The tour concludes with a fun trip back to the port area, with a good look at the beaches along the way.

Comments

Kukoo Kunuku is one of those excursions you have to experience for yourself to truly understand what it offers.  It is more than a typical bus tour, and the fact we were traveling with many friends in a large group made for an even better time onboard.  The tour's approach to encouraging everyone to sing along to classic rock songs set the tone a very fun day.

The driver of each bus serves as your guide, and will talk about various sights you will see along the way.  The tour takes you through the interior of Aruba to begin with, and then concludes with a ride down the coast on the way back.

The tour culminates with a beach stop at one part of Palm Beach.  Unfortunately during our visit, the beach was quite packed by the time we arrived. Personally, I prefer a spot on the beach with shade (my days of seeking a bronzed look are well past me), and there just was nothing to be found.  There were umbrellas for rent, but they were sold out. We ended up sitting at a picnic table underneath a few trees and that served the purpose just fine (plus I had great bar service).  I definitely would have preferred either a less crowded part of the beach, or a beach with more shade options.  All that being said, we ended up having a nice time once we got settled in.

I was skeptical about the zany nature of the tour, but by the end of the 4 hour excursion, I was wanting more.  From singing along to great songs to speeding around traffic circles multiple times, the tour ended up being a lot of fun.

Ultimately, what sets Kukoo Kunuku apart from other tours is the fun you have onboard the bus.  From the moment you sit down, you will notice this is not your typical tour.  Groups, families and anyone who kind of knows a few people on the tour will really enjoy this opportunity to explore Aruba while having a great time. The low cost of the tour (just $34 per adult) made getting a taste of Aruba just what we needed.

Cost: $34.00 per adult or $19.00 per child. Infants are free.

If there is one shore excursion that stands out as the excursion to try in Port Canaveral, Florida, it has to be Kennedy Space Center.  Kennedy Space Center is known around the world for the incredible history that has taken place, and the new adventures that are coming just around the corner.  

Despite the fact that Kennedy Space Center is one of the premier attractions in the Central Florida area, I had never visited the complex, whether on a land vacation or by cruise.  So when my Anthem of the Seas cruise had a port stop listed for Port Canaveral, I felt it was time to give it a try and see what this was all about.

Description

Kennedy Space Center is about 15 minutes away by car from Port Canaveral, and is the center of NASA's space launch operations.  From the early days of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions to the Space Shuttle and missions of today, Kennedy Space Center has been at the heart of these historic milestones. The Visitor Center allows guests to explore the grounds, see historical artifacts that have global significance, and learn about the history and future of manned space travel.

We booked this shore excursion through Royal Caribbean.  These days, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of different tours to Kennedy Space Center. On our cruise, we took the 5-hour unguided tour.  This means bus transportation is provided to and from Kennedy Space Center, but we would be on our own while at the Visitor's Complex.  I wish I could give you a good rationale for why we choose this tour over the others, but it simply came down to the fact we waited to book this tour onboard the ship and this was the only excursion that was not sold out.

Like most Royal Caribbean shore excursions, we were given a time and place onboard the ship to meet prior to getting on the bus.  Once our group was called, we were escorted off the ship and onto a waiting bus to bring us to Kennedy Space Center.

The bus ride over is short, and our excursion guide gave everyone a brief overview of the Visitor Center and what to expect.  Once we got off the bus, we were on our own.

There are two main components to the Kennedy Space Center, the Visitor Complex and the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

The Apollo/Saturn V Center is open to guests, but requires a bus ride to get there.  Our guide on the bus ride over to Kennedy Space Center recommended doing that sooner than later, so we headed there first.  We waited about 15-20 minutes for our turn to board a bus, and we were on our way.  The bus ride over took us near the Vehicle Assembly Building, various operation centers and provided an excellent view of nature.  Along the way we spotted alligators, various birds and even a Bald Eagle nest.

Once at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, there is a brief exhibition about the Apollo launches, which sits guests in a recreated launch command room to experience the final moments leading up to launch.

Following that re-creation, guests can explore the grounds and see an entire Saturn V rocket, which is incredible to see in person.

In addition to the Saturn V rocket, there are a few smaller exhibits that have some pretty interesting pieces of history from the Apollo era.

Taking the bus back to the Visitor's Complex, there is a lot to see here.  The star attraction is Space Shuttle Atlantis, which features the fourth operational and the second-to-last Space Shuttle built, back in October 1985.  The shuttle conducted 33 missions and orbited the Earth a total of 4,848 times, traveling nearly 126,000,000 mi (203,000,000 km).

There are many more exhibits, including 3-D IMAX films (included with admission), rocket gardens, Astronaut Hall of Fame and much more.

Comments

I made two mistakes with booking this shore excursion. First, was waiting to book this until I got onboard and the second was worrying I would be bored.  Luckily my first mistake was cleared up thanks to the Shore Excursions team on Anthem of the Seas, and my second concern was completely unfounded.

Five hours visiting Kennedy Space Center might sound a bit dull, but I can assure you if anything, we wish we had another few hours to explore even more.  The facility and its history is simply incredible. Being there and bearing witness to the accomplishments of the past, with an eye towards the future, really gave me an appreciation for the remarkable work that has happened, and is still happening, at Kennedy Space Center.

Even the fastest power-walker will find it impossible to see and do it all at Kennedy Space Center. You really have to prioritize which exhibits you want to see, and even then, you will not have enough time to read about everything on display.  There is a tremendous amount to see and do.

Our tour provided no guide and no lunch.  I felt that not having a guide worked better than I anticipated, just because we were able to move at our pace and stop for the exhibits we really wanted to see, and skipped over others that did not hold our attention. That being said, the guides we ran into across the facility were incredibly knowledgeable.  Our bus drivers that took us to and from the Apollo/Saturn V Center knew so much about Kennedy Space Center, it felt like they were not just employees earning money driving a bus, rather, they were true die-hard fans who knew it all.  Hearing their explanations and stories from the past really made a difference.

After visiting the Kennedy Space Center, I lamented not visiting sooner and definitely need to come back again to see the exhibits we missed the first time around.  

Overall, we loved our time at Kennedy Space Center. It may have been one of the best shore excursions we ever took, and lived up to the reputation as the premiere thing to do in Port Canaveral.

Odds are if you take a Royal Caribbean cruise to somewhere in the Caribbean, there is a good chance you will stop in Nassau, Bahamas.  Nassau is one of the busiest cruise ports in the region, and offers quite a variety of shore excursions to consider.

On a recent stop in Nassau while on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas, we decided to check out a well-respected resort just steps away from the port that offers a day pass for guests to enjoy their facilities without breaking our budget.  

Description

Located a short walk from the cruise terminal in Nassau, the British Colonial Hilton resort faces the entrance to Nassau harbor, and offers guests full access to the resort's pristine beach and pool. Guests that want to enjoy pool and beach time will find a convenient option on lovely grounds. The resort underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2009.

We reserved our spot at the British Colonial Hilton through a third-party website, ResortForADay.com.  The site will reserve each person a place at the resort, which only sells a limited amount of day passes. The day pass includes

• $40 food and beverage credit per paid adult
• $20 food and beverage credit per paid child
• Beach access
• Beachfront swimming pool
• Towels, pool chairs and lounges
• Beach chairs and lounges, umbrellas
• Non-motorized water sports: kayaks, snorkeling gear

Transportation to and from the resort is not provided, but considering the location of the British Colonial Hilton to the cruise port, it is largely unnecessary if a leisurely 10 minute walk is not out of the question. If you need to take a cab, the price is $9.00 based on two and $3.00 for each additional person. The cab ride is also 10 minutes away from the hotel.

Arriving at the resort, you will enter the cavernous lobby to check-in.  The day pass is good from 9am until sunset. The bar takes the last food orders at 4.30pm with the bar closing at 5pm. Guest are welcome to stay in outdoor pool / beach area until sunset, however the lifeguard leaves at 5:00.

Following check-in, guests receive a special wristband and can then head to the pool and/or beach.

The pool area is located just outside the lobby, past the lush garden. It is a good sized pool, with a shallow and deep end, suitable for anyone that is comfortable to swim.

There are also lots of lounge chairs surrounding the pool, but shaded spots are quite limited.  In fact, at the pool the only shad provided comes from trees, so if shade is important to you, be sure to arrive early in the morning to grab a spot.  If all else fails, there is shade under the bar.

The beach area is quite large, and offers a great view of Nassau harbor.  In fact, it is a fantastic spot to watch cruise ships arriving or leaving, provided you happen to be there when such an event occurs.

Your day pass admission also includes a food and beverage credit, which is enough money to cover a lunch entree and cocktail.  The patio bar food and drink pricing is on the expensive side. Most entrees are around $20 and a cocktail will set you back about $15.  Keep in mind that your food and beverage credit does not cover gratuity or taxes.

Hanging out in the Bahamas #travel https://t.co/8XoqFoXwQw

— Royal Caribbean Blog (@theRCLblog) March 23, 2017

Comments

When we considered the British Colonial Hilton, we wanted to spend our day in Nassau with the option of spending our time in the ocean of pool without spending a ton.  We travel with two young children (ages six and two), so trying to predict if the pool or beach will be to their liking is always tough, and the British Colonial Hilton seemed to fit our group needs.

For the price, I felt like we got exactly what we wanted from our day at the Hilton.  While other resort day pass excursions may have offered more to do than the British Colonial Hilton, we felt like the resort offered a great experience at a reasonable price. The resort grounds are immaculately well-kept, and our kids had a blast swimming for nearly the entire day in the pool.

The most obvious alternative we considered was a day pass to the nearby Atlantis resort, but the price difference was massive.  Certainly Atlantis offers quite a bit more to do in an even more luxurious backdrop, however, the price for us was too much to consider.

The two negatives that I noticed from my time at the British Colonial Hilton were the lack of shade at the pool, and the very high price for food and drink.  We were lucky to have arrived before most of the other day pass guests, because we snagged shade under one of the few trees by the pool.  The food and drink prices are something to be aware of, and I would advise only indulging enough to use up your credits.  The cocktail prices make Royal Caribbean's drink prices look like a bargain, so your best bet is to skip the binge drinking for somewhere else.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time at the British Colonial Hilton because it was exactly what we were looking for: a relaxing spot for pool and beach time that would suit our family's needs. 

Cost: $65 per adult, $30 per child (ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free).

Royal Caribbean has kicked off its "Tour More, Save More" cruise planner sale, where guests can save up to 20% off shore excursions booked through the Cruise Planner.

Guests that log into the Cruise Planner will find 10%, 15% and 20% off select tours offered on select Alaska, Caribbean, and Europe sailings departing between April 15 – November 30, 2017. Tours that qualify for the Offer vary by sailing and port of call. Offer excludes Hop On/Hop Offs, Shuttles, Private Journeys℠, overnight tours, Multi-day Adventures and other special tours.

Offer applies to tours booked March 27-30, 2017.

Royal Caribbean International's parent company has launched a new site dedicated to offering private excursions and tours.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. launched GoBe this week and is the first non-cruise venture for the company. GoBe will allow travelers to book trips in 97 countries and 896 cities around the world. Excursions range from a $14 bus tour in Cape Town, South Africa, to a helicopter tour of Rome, starting at $3,785 per person.

The goal is simple: Royal Caribbean hopes to attract all travelers, instead of just those with a love for cruising.

GoBe is headed up by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chief Destination Officer. Larry Pimentel. He also serves as president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises, “Given our experience in working with tour and attraction operations around the world for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, the launch of a website that can bring this high-demand offering to all travelers was only natural for us."

On GoBe, users enter their destination and scroll through the different excursions, tours, and activities until they find something they like. Each option is accompanied by a full description, including languages spoken, duration and activity level. For an extra cost, customers can even call the GoBe customer care line to have a custom itinerary put together.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and 70 operators are celebrating the completion of a multi-year program aimed at increasing the number of sustainable tours available to the company’s five million annual guests.

Royal Caribbean's Save the Waves program has been an important part of the company's drive to raise awareness among its guests by designating tours whose operators have been verified to have adopted policies that align with international standards for sustainability developed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) for tour operators.

RCL worked with Sustainable Travel International to develop the Sustainable Tourism Education Program’s (STEP) Sustainable Shore Excursion Standard, a subset of criteria and indicators from the GSTC standard selected by STI as being applicable to cruise tourism shore excursions.  The SSE standard is designed to help identify providers who offer high-quality shore excursions that also support local communities and conserve the environment.

Sustainable shore excursions are more than just nature tours – they encompass a broader category that includes tours that responsibly manage environmental impacts, preserve local history and cultures, protect the rights and resources of the local community and have properly trained employees committed to quality service.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) represents a diverse and global membership, including UN agencies, leading travel companies, hotels, country tourism boards, tour operators, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.  

Barefoot Beach on Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee is a private beach that is reserved for suite guests and Pinnacle Crown and Anchor Society members, and it includes a variety of cabanas to compliment a day at this exclusive beach.

In addition to the cabanas at Nellie's Beach, Barefoot Beach cabanas are available for an additional cost for guests to reserve. Guests may reserve cabanas at Barefoot Beach via the Concierge or via the Excursions desk onboard. These cabanas are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are three kinds of cabanas available for rent at Barefoot Beach

• Standard ($295 per cabana)
• Hilltop ($395 per cabana)
• Over the water ($495 per cabana)
• Beachfront ($395 per cabana)

Barefoot beach cabana layout map

Standard cabanas are in the main part of the beach, surrounded by trees and hammocks. They are ideal for guests who desire easy access to the beach and other activities in port of Labadee. These cabanas are wheelchair accessible; guests will need to able to climb 2 steps.

Hilltop cabanas offer breathtaking views of Labadee and the ship, providing excellent picture opportunities and a quiet environment to relax away from the crowd. These are the most private cabanas. They are not wheelchair accessible and guests need to climb a full flight of stairs and walk across uneven surfaces to gain access.

Over the water cabanas are in a premium location above the ocean, with direct access to the water and beach. These cabanas are not wheelchair accessible, and guests will need to walk in the water and up the stairs to get to the cabana.

Beachfront cabanas are next to the beach at the waters edge with full views of the bay. They are not wheelchair accessible, however guests with limited mobility may access them.

Cabana reservations are for the entire day in Labadee, and charges are per cabana and not per person. Each cabana can accommodate a maximum of up to 6 guests and includes a variety of benefits

• Dedicated cabana attendant service
• Complimentary bottled water
• Complimentary snorkel gear
• Complimentary water floating mats
• Upgraded private BBQ buffet access
• golf cart service to anywhere on Labadee

Upgrade buffet available to Barefoot Beach guests only

Barefoot Beach bar