We like day trippers. Were you once one?
A lot of people who discover St. John do so on a day trip from a cruise ship, or a daylong visit from St. Thomas, and they often return for a longer visit.
We like day trippers. So do restaurants and shops. And so should villas and hotels. Some of them are future guests of yours.
Also, day trippers that come to St. John are adventurers. It takes some extra effort to choose a visit to St. John over a day of St. Thomas shopping or cruise ship hanging. They come to discover.
Tell us how you discovered St. John and what your first impressions were.
January 31st, 2013 06:22
We visited STT on a 7 day cruise and took a daysail with Captain Sherry on the Dancing Dolphin. While everyone else was snorkeling, we swam to shore and walked around and took it all in. It was love at first sight and we did not want to return to the cruise ship (not our thing). We returned 3 months later for our first 10 day trip.
January 31st, 2013 07:01
Our first trip was a week with someone who found St John on a day trip. We fell in love immediately!!!! The laid back life is what vacations are all about. We’ve been back every year since, with almost every trip longer than the last. We’ve paid if forward by bringing friends and family who also will be back again. We’ve been there for Carnival and also in the Fall. (The days are too short in November) This year…see you in June!!!
January 31st, 2013 07:58
We did a day trip to Cinnamon Bay from the Disney Cruise 11 years ago and the minute we rode the open air taxi, stopped at all the overlooks and walked out to the entrance of Cinnamon… SOLD! We’ve never cruised again and have vacationed on St. John every year since and have made great STJ forum and facebook friends! Thank you to this great blog that keeps a little piece of St. John with me at all times!
January 31st, 2013 08:00
My first daytrip was while we were staying on St Thomas. My first impression of the beaches,nature environment,and small community was “heaven”. I have been back several times since and always need to have a trip booked out. My first impression held true for me!
January 31st, 2013 08:13
We won a trip to St. Thomas in 1994 and it was our 10th anniversary! We took a day trip to St. John, rented a Jeep and explored the entire island and vowed to come back and we did in 2004 (our 20th anniversary!) and we have gone every year since.
January 31st, 2013 08:26
Nearly 35 years ago, my wife and I took a honeymoon cruise on one of the only three Carnival cruise ships and took a side excursion to Trunk Bay where our group of about 8 snorkelers and about 4 other couple were the only ones on the beach most of the day. As we boarded the ferry back to St. Thomas, we promised each other we’d come back. In 2004 we finally fulfilled that promise, bringing our two daughters with us. And we came back again last year and are now on our way home
after two great weeks on island with some friends we convinced to come with. No doubt, we’ll be back.
January 31st, 2013 08:33
My first day trip to STJ was from a cruise ship 15 years ago and I fell in love with the entire feeling of the island. I was sitting on Trunk Bay and thought to myself, this is where I want to be, always. So I have been visiting twice a year (sometimes 3 times) ever since. When I’m finish paying my daughters college tuition ….. who knows, I might visit and make STJ my home. (a girl can always dream)
January 31st, 2013 08:51
I was staying on STT with my Mom and Step Dad (1985) and they told me I was going to go crazy when I got to see STJ. We ferried over went to Caneel and hiked over to Honeymoon. I was blown away!! It was my first experience seeing a sting ray and it startled me so that I tried to drag my Step Dad up onto the beach to “save” him. We laughed often about that day. I had one other trip to STT and realized that would be my last. It was STJ that won my heart and soul like no other. Back in 65 days and I cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31st, 2013 10:17
We were day trippers from St Thomas in 1989 and after that first visit it was like “OK, well we know where we’re coming back to from now on”. We connected with the place immediately and to this day always look forward to our next visit. One of our biggest pleasures is introducing family and friends to St John. The looks on their faces when they first experience the beauty of the island are priceless.
January 31st, 2013 10:20
I worked as a nanny when I was an undergrad. I had the option of going to Europe for a week with my family or to nanny in St. John for a week. My family thought I was nuts.
I remember standing on the deck at Donald Schnell’s Gifft Hill property and thinking that the view was the most incredible view I had ever seen and I was afraid I would never be able to return. That was 1999.
I finally returned to St. John for my first wedding anniversary last February. My husband and I were instantly hooked. We returned with our family for ten days over Christmas and I just booked a return trip for May.
I absolutely adore St. John. It is truly my happy place.
January 31st, 2013 10:21
Thanks for this post! I see a lot of day-tripper bashing on certain forums and message boards, and I think it is kind of sad. While I personally don’t care for cruises or crowds, St. John is not an exclusive club. It is for all to enjoy.
STJ was my first ever Caribbean trip. I first visited in college when my then boyfriend’s family took us there for a Christmas vacation. And even though I’ve been lucky enough to visit many other beautiful islands around the world, my heart belongs to STJ. We try to visit annually.
January 31st, 2013 10:21
In ’89 we were on our honeymoon staying at Point Pleasant on St. Thomas. From our balcony we had a clear view St. John (once the blazing morning sun got a little higher in the sky). The resort next door was home for a trimaran the “Coconut” we took a day sail around St. John and by Tortola. We snorkeled at Hawksnest (where they filmed The four Seasons with Alan Alda) almost screamed like a little girl when a sting ray flew by my knees.
We read in the condo’s guest book that we could take the ferry to St. John (it’s also how we found out about The Coconut) so we went to Red Hook took the ferry, missing all the coral reefs….took a tour of the island in an open taxi, had lunch, did some souvenir shopping… we actually stayed away from the beaches because we had been swimming all week so it was more of a rest day. I thought it was a wonderful place, quiet, clean and a place to get away from all the activity and urban-ness of Charlotte Amalie. Definitely not Indiana and that was exactly what I was hoping for! I was also glad to not see a single chain restaurant or chain store…I also remember the roads being very STEEP!
January 31st, 2013 10:29
I came to St. John as a Maho Bay Camps volunteer in 2006. I stayed for three months! The experience taught me much about myself, because every other day I woke up with only my personal interests to lead me around the island. I still wear my hook bracelet every day to remind me of this independence.
January 31st, 2013 10:44
Oops…I forgot to say that I clearly chose St. John over Europe!
January 31st, 2013 11:30
We were staying in St Thomas and an iguana died below our room in a pipe and it could not be retrieved before it stunk up the hotel. It was high season and there was not a room to be had in St Thomas. The hotel found and paid for a room at the Gallow’s in Cruz Bay. We rented a yellow dingy and visited every beach we could. We knew we discovered something very special. Now we divide our time between St Thomas (because we have friends there) and St John (can’t wait for 8 tuff miles!). Guess that technically it may not be “daytripping”, but if it were not for that visit, where we did arrive at the passenger ferry dock, we never would have experienced all the wonderful things about St John and determined that our life goal would be to buy our own place!
January 31st, 2013 11:44
When I first started at a new job, I noticed a beautiful picture on my co-workers office wall. Intrigued, I asked. She told me all about St. John, where she stayed in Chocolate Hole and Caribbean Villas. Having done only a few trips to Playa del Carmen in Mexico (and in love with the blue water and powdery sand), I was skeptical, but took the plunge and my next trip was to St. John. We stayed above Cinnamon and have been back every year since. It exceeded all my expectations. We just returned from our 6th trip and when people ask why we don’t go elsewhere, I tell them that there may be beaches just as beautiful, but likely not more beautiful. We love exploring and having so many options. I love it there and I love this blog. It keeps me sane when I am in New York! Thanks guys!!
January 31st, 2013 16:38
Worked as a Corp Travel Agent and had free tickets on UA anywhere, so I chose STJ for our Thanksgiving trip…had never been. Boy did I pick a beauty! That was 15 years ago. We stayed at what was then the Hyatt (Westin) and honestly hardly ventured away from there. We were idiots what can I say, but none the less, the island made such an impression on me, that we have come back every year, but now its every January. Loved it then and love it now and will never go anywhere else.
January 31st, 2013 16:39
PS…we dont stay at the Westin….we rent a villa, so much nicer. =)
January 31st, 2013 23:10
We were day trippers in 1995. Our travel agent (remember travel agents) suggested STT to us. She said that while we were there we needed to take the ferry over to STJ. We arrived like everyone else and took a taxi to Trunk. We were sitting on the beach to the right side when the taxi drivers came through announcing that the cruise ship would be leaving soon and the cruisers needed to leave soon to make it back in time. Although we never had much interest in cruising, that convinced us that we would never do that. We also knew we would be back on STJ as soon as we could.
We came back the next year with another couple and rented a jeep for the day. We visited several beaches including Salt Pond. In 2008 we made our first trip where we stayed on STJ. That was the first of four trips to the island. We are coming back next May.
February 1st, 2013 07:09
Hope it’s okay to post even though I’ve never been a day tripper.
Relatives from three different branches of my family have close ties to St. John, but I didn’t visit until 2009! In the early ’60s, my step-siblings wintered on St. Thomas (and I was insanely jealous). The youngest stepbrother, Michael, later lived on St.John for a couple of years, describing it as an unspoiled paradise. When I married, late in life, I discovered that my husband’s niece had also lived on St. John for a couple of years, and when I saw her pictures, I understood what Michael was on about. A few years later, my closest cousin said she’d been visiting St. John almost every year – 6 trips at that point – and invited me to accompany her! We stayed at Maho Bay Camps for 10 days, beach-hopping and getting around by taxi or a rented Jeep. I’ll never be the same.:-) I returned last October and spent another blissful 10 days with my cousin at Maho (sniff!). I only talk about St. John with my favorite people; I want to send business – but not idiots – to the island.
February 1st, 2013 14:00
Our first trip to STJ was in november of 1994, it was our 10th wedding anniversary. Stayed at the Westin and well, had november weather. We were there for Thanksgiving driving around in our open air falling apart jeep and the skies opened up. Torrential rain in the dark on top of Bourdeaux when we stumbled upon Chateau Bordeaux. We were drenched to the bone and walked in to candle light and the coziest little place we’ve ever seen. So many people had canceled due to the weather that we were able to have one of the most memorable dinners we’ve ever had. We traveled around after that year but have been vacationing on STJ for the last 9 years, renting a villa. I could go on but I won’t. April can’t come soon enough.
February 1st, 2013 15:53
First discoverd St John on day trip from St Thomas back in 1991? It was our 1st trip to the VI. An acquaintence from work relocated to St Thomas and offered a spare bedroom for adventersome souls. We accepted to save some money and had a good time on St Thomas, but were blown away by St John! Our first experience off the ferry was a taxi to Trunk, then walked over the switchbacks (in flip-flops, in May rainy season) to Cinammon. We loved it so much, we managed to score a couple of nights at the Hyatt, so said goodbye to our hosts on St Thomas and relocated to St John for the remainder of our trip. We were so borke, we ate at Wendy’s for every meal. That was fine for our first trip, but we discovered Gallows Point while exploring the island and have booked there exclusively for our subsequent 10 trips. We’ve only known her for a little over 20 years, but already feel sad at some of the “progress” – much like those that proceeded us – but certainly enjoy the better maintained roads and grocery options now. We’ve brought many friends and family for their first trips, and each in turn gets hooked!
February 2nd, 2013 07:11
We stayed at Sandcastle on JVD for 4 years, staring out to STJ. We finally decided it was time to check out the island that was so close to us. Glad we did!. This year will be our 4th trip to St John.
We still get a day trip over to JVD every time, but our family loves STJ.
February 2nd, 2013 13:09
Saw a Sierra Club book about the Caribbean and thought, “Sierra Club?? Caribbean??” We’re hiking, camping, backpacking types and when we plan a vacation it’s usually “Which Natiobnal Park are we going to visit?” So when I read about a campground in the Virgin Islands, we booked a trip without any idea what we were getting into. Of course, it was way better than we imagined, and we’ve been back many times.
February 3rd, 2013 20:58
We were just on a cruise and STT was our last port. I knew I wouldn’t day trip over to STJ. It would never satisfy me at this point. So we visited a friend on STT and just laid low for our last day.
We do not cruise much any more but every once in a while it’s ok for a change. This trip came cheap and it was nice to get away in winter for a change. However, we visited 4 other islands before getting to STT and I am not interested in returning to any of them for a land vacation. STJ is where it’s at for me. Glad to be returning for 2 weeks in late September.
February 4th, 2013 13:02
I spent a week on STT and came for a day trip on the car ferry, which was an experience in itself. As my jeep approached the Trunk Bay overlook, my breath escaped me, and I fell in love. There were donkeys on the way to Trunk Bay which added to the excitement. I really envied the “yuppies” in their jeeps, and I thought how wealthy the average St John tourist must be. Then I discovered rental villas and became one of those “yuppies” I envied so much. I have been back several times, the most recent with my family. I am definitely hooked.
February 4th, 2013 14:49
We spent a week on St. Thomas, and decided to take the Car Ferry over to st. John one day. OK, the Car ferry is more an adventure then almost anything else! We spent the Day Driving around St. John and loved it. Ended up at Salt pond, great snorkeling, and just relaxing. We came back a few day’s later and did a snorkel trip with Low Key. We loved both St. John and St. Thomas we are working on paying off our bills and moving down to join you full time!
February 5th, 2013 13:40
First came to ST John in Sep 2005 to do the 4 hour worker volunteer program at Maho Eco Camp 2 days after Hurricane Katrina had flooded my home town of New Orleans. Made a lot of friends at Maho and in Coral Bay and have been coming back every year since! My daughter is now working at Maho for their last season. So sad to see it go.
February 5th, 2013 21:53
My husband and I have been day trippers twice on cruises, specifically choosing those cruises because they went to st. Thomas so that we could get to St. John. We are so excited to be staying a week for the first time in March.
February 6th, 2013 13:32
Found out about St.John from a co-worker. The first trip to St. John was Nov 1999. We had planned to get married on island ,but hurricane Lenny blew us back to Illinois. We have been back to St John 8 times since. Most recently Oct 2012. We have tried other Carribean islands, but always return to St.John. We have yet found another island that comes close to what St. John has to offer.
February 8th, 2013 14:23
My husband and I and our best friends were planning a wedding trip in 2003. NONE of us wanted a fluffy expensive wedding. My parents did several sailing trips through the BVI so I started researching the area. I came across St John and loved that there were no airports, fastfood restaurants or movie theaters. We’re getting ready to take our 10 year anniversary trip…the fifth for all of us and the fourth for our daughter. Our best friends are introducing St John to their 2 year old on this trip. Our daughters will both grow up spending summer vacations on St John. We will always be back. Its our families favorite place on the planet.
February 11th, 2013 11:43
In the Fall of 2005 our gang of 10 good friends embarked on a 7-day cruise out of Florida.
We had chartered a schooner the day before in St. Martin so we were actually looking for something relatively inexpensive to do when we arrived in St. Thomas.
It was suggested that we get a cab very early in the morning from the ship to Red Hook and then take the ferry to St. John. So we got up early and were just about the first ones off the ship and on our way.
We got to St. John and because we were a group of 10 we didn’t have to wait for anyone else to fill the truck. Yes I said truck, because on our first visit we didn’t ride in one of the fancy safari cabs…we rode in the back of a pickup with 2 makeshift benches along the sides and a leaky roof… It was great! We were off to Trunk Bay and didn’t really know what to expect. Our driver stopped at the overlook and we knew we were headed for a very special place. When we arrived, we had the place to ourselves. We even arrived before the lifeguards and the admission collectors.
We rented a few chairs and got a few Heinekens and dug-in for the day. We turned into total slugs and just looked at the view for quite awhile before getting up and moving.
After soaking up the view, we got up and did a little snorkeling, swimming, drinking, snorkeling, drinking, swimming, etc… A great morning.
Of course, at some point all of the rest of the ‘tourists’ from our ship and the other ships in port showed up and ruined the view for awhile. After a few hours they left and we had our view back. After eating lunch and relaxing a bit more we decided to leave and head back to Red Hook. We got out to the parking lot and the same truck was waiting for us. We piled onto our minimally padded seats and off we went. You may have noticed that earlier I mentioned the leaky roof on the back of the truck. This was when we found out that it leaked. We drove through one of those rainstorms that you only see on the island. Probably got an inch of rain in about 15 minutes and then the sun came out again. What a great ride back to Cruz Bay. I would do it again in a minute.
Well anyway, over the next few years, we went on a few more cruises and had a great time but we always got up early when we were in Port in St. Thomas and got to Red Hook as soon as we could so we could get to St. John. Finally decided to put the cruise thing on hold for awhile and try spending some time on St. John.
So in the Spring of 2009 my wife and I rented a small apartment in Coral Bay for 10 days. It was a wonderful trip. Truly the best vacation I have ever taken. We drove all over the island, visited 2 or 3 beaches each day, spent time with wonderful people, hiked, ate some great food, and had a few (!) adult beverages.
Leaving after that first island stay was one of the hardest things I have ever done. After most vacations I am ready to go home. Not this time! We both sat and looked out the window in the terminal with tears in our eyes while waiting for the ferry.
So here we are…several years and many trips later with another trip planned in a few months. It never gets old.
February 13th, 2013 20:36
1981 with my mom and there was nothing really but campground,
Came back over the yrs and then moved to island in 2003.
I love day trippers When I worked in Mongoose when Body Deli was there, day trippers were fun.
I also love meeting them on the ferry and giving them suggestions
February 13th, 2013 20:43
there was beautiful beaches in 1981 too, did not mean to sound like nothing but campground.
I love when the day trippers come during carnival
February 20th, 2013 11:44
My first two times to St. John were day trips from cruises. Now, I’ve booked a villa for this coming June and will be on the island for 10 nights – staying in the Coral Bay area. Really looking forward to a calm, quiet, relaxing vacation!