St. Thomas shore excursions

Two piers a short ride from duty-free Charlotte Amalie, with Magens Bay, Coki Beach and a ferry to St. John all within a day.

Photo: Karl Callwood / Unsplash

Typical call

8:00 am→4:30 pm

Docking to all aboard · about 8 h 30 min ashore

Getting ashore

2 cruise piers

Check which one your ship uses

Money

US dollar

US dollars widely accepted

Time zone

Atlantic Standard Time

Keep your watch on ship's time

Tours that fit your day in St. Thomas

Enter the times from your cruise line's itinerary. We add time to walk off the ship, the drive to each tour's start point and back, and your safety margin.

Ship docks8:00 amAll aboard4:30 pm

Safety margin before all aboard

Ship in portGetting ashore (20 min)Safety margin (1 h)All aboard 4:30 pm

8 h 30 min in port83 fit with time to spare11 cutting it close6 too long

Fits your day
Tree Limin' Extreme Zipline
2 h 30 min 4.9 (2,200)
Back by 11:30 am · 4 h sparefrom $155
Fits your day
Two-Tank Dive for Certified Diving in St Thomas
3 h 30 min 5.0 (529)
Back by 12:30 pm · 3 h sparefrom $192
Fits your day
Night Kayak Tour St. Thomas - Westin Frenchman's Reef
1 h 4.9 (3,088)Free cancellation
Back by 10:00 am · 5 h 30 min sparefrom $79
Fits your day
Afternoon Snorkel, Pizza & Sunset Tour departing from St. Thomas & St. John
5 h 30 min 4.9 (1,873)Free cancellation
Back by 2:30 pm · 1 h sparefrom $120
Fits your day
St John & Surrounding Cays - Full-Day Sail/Snorkel, 6 Guests Max
6 h 30 min 4.9 (705)Free cancellation
Back by 3:30 pm · 0 min sparefrom $245
Fits your day
Snorkel St. John Tour from Sapphire and Margaritaville
6 h 4.9 (2,066)Free cancellation
Back by 3:00 pm · 30 min sparefrom $165
Fits your dayLikely to sell out
National Park Snorkeling Excursion
3 h 30 min 4.9 (691)Free cancellation
Back by 12:30 pm · 3 h sparefrom $90
Fits your dayLikely to sell out
Half Day Luxury Catamaran Turtle Snorkel And Beach
4 h 4.9 (850)Free cancellation
Back by 1:00 pm · 2 h 30 min sparefrom $159
Fits your day
Sail/Snorkel Adventure from Sapphire Marina,STT NO CROWDS~ 6 GUEST MAX
3 h 5.0 (258)Free cancellation
Back by 12:00 pm · 3 h 30 min sparefrom $159
Fits your day
Best of Mangrove Lagoon Kayak, Hike and Snorkel Adventure with Picnic Lunch
5 h 4.9 (347)Free cancellation
Back by 2:00 pm · 1 h 30 min sparefrom $159
Fits your day
Snorkel Cat All Inclusive Adventure
5 h 4.9 (1,045)Free cancellation
Back by 2:00 pm · 1 h 30 min sparefrom $150
Fits your day
Private Open-Air Jeep Tour to Hidden Beaches in St. Thomas
4 h 5.0 (200)Free cancellation
Back by 1:00 pm · 2 h 30 min sparefrom $385

Return times are estimates from the tour length, travel from the pier and time to get ashore. Always check your ship's all-aboard time.

Port guide

St. Thomas cruise port guide

St. Thomas is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean. Charlotte Amalie sees roughly 1.5 million cruise passengers a year, and up to eleven ships can be in on a peak day, though about five is typical. Ships use two docks: Havensight (the West Indian Company dock), which has a mall at the gate and is the more central of the two, and Crown Bay, which handles overflow on busy days and is farther from town. Charlotte Amalie's historic waterfront, with Fort Christian, the oldest standing structure in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is a taxi ride or, from Havensight, a 20-25 minute walk away. Most passengers pick one of three days: a beach (Magens Bay on the north shore, or Coki Beach next to Coral World Ocean Park), a view-and-shopping day built around the Skyride to Paradise Point and the town, or a trip to St. John by taxi and ferry from Red Hook. Taxis charge fixed per-person fares set by the V.I. Taxicab Commission, ride-hailing apps are not available, and traffic drives on the left even though cars are left-hand drive. Roads are steep and winding, so distances in kilometres understate the time. The St. John trip is the one that most often goes wrong on timing, so allow a generous margin before all-aboard.

On your own

Things to do in St. Thomas

Taxi times are from Havensight unless noted. Hover a place to find it on the map; open Details for costs, tips and your time budget.

Numbers match the list; colours show the type of place. Anchor = where ships dock.

Charlotte Amalie historic downtown (Fort Christian, waterfront shopping)
Town 7 min from the pier 2-3 hours
Danish-era streets and warehouses converted to duty-free shops, plus Fort Christian (built 1672-1680, the oldest standing structure in the U.S. Virgin Islands) now housing the St. Thomas Museum.
Fits your day
Skyride to Paradise Point
Attraction 1-1.5 hours
A cable car of about 3.5 minutes up to a terrace bar and viewpoint over Charlotte Amalie harbour and the ships; it starts a few minutes' walk from Havensight.
Magens Bay
Beach 20–25 min from the pier 3-4 hours
A protected white-sand beach nearly three quarters of a mile long with usually calm water, lifeguards, chair and umbrella rental, a beach bar and restaurant, and a taxi stand for the ride back. Snorkelling is possible but the sandy bottom means less to see.
Fits your day
Mountain Top and Drake's Seat
Attraction ~13 min from the pier 1-1.5 hours
A viewpoint about 1,500 ft above Magens Bay with a large duty-free shop and bar, known for its banana daiquiri; Drake's Seat is a quick lower photo stop on the way.
Fits your day
Coral World Ocean Park
Attraction 25–26 min from the pier 2-3 hours
A marine park with an underwater observation tower, a large fish tank, sea turtles, stingrays and sea lions, plus paid animal encounters and snuba. It sits beside Coki Beach.
Fits your day
Coki Beach
Snorkel & dive 25–26 min from the pier 2-3 hours
A busy white-sand beach next to Coral World that is considered one of the island's best shore-snorkelling spots, with a boardwalk, bathhouse and a dive shop renting gear.
Fits your day
Sapphire Beach
Beach 25–30 min from the pier 3 hours
An east-end beach with reef snorkelling and watersports hire at the resort; a longer ride than Magens or Coki.
Fits your day
Secret Harbour Beach
Beach 3 hours
A small calm beach on the southeast coast known for easy snorkelling at the resort. Drive time and distance from the port were not found in a source.
Red Hook ferry terminal (to Cruz Bay, St. John)
Attraction 15–30 min from the pier Full day
The usual route to St. John: taxi to Red Hook, then about a 20-minute ferry to Cruz Bay. Guides disagree on the taxi ride, from about 15 minutes to about 30 minutes.
Won't make all aboard
Trunk Bay, St. John
Beach Full day
A white-sand beach with an underwater snorkel trail around Trunk Cay, lifeguard, showers and a snack bar. It requires taxi, ferry and a taxi or safari from Cruz Bay, so no single drive time exists.
Honeymoon Beach, Water Island
Beach 3-4 hours
Water Island's main beach in Druif Bay, reached by a ferry of about 10 minutes from Crown Bay to Phillips Landing; a quieter option than Magens Bay.

On your own or a cruise-line tour?

Charlotte Amalie, the Skyride and the Havensight mall are easy to do alone, as are Magens Bay and Coki Beach by fixed-fare taxi. The difficult day is St. John: it takes a taxi to Red Hook, a ferry, and then another taxi or safari to the beach, and guides disagree on how long the first leg takes. The Crown Bay and Charlotte Amalie waterfront ferries to Cruz Bay run only a few times a day, so they rarely fit a ship day. If you want Trunk Bay or Honeymoon Beach on St. John, a ship-guaranteed excursion is worth the extra cost because the ship waits for it. Shared taxis wait to fill and drop at central points, so a private driver or a booked tour is better when you have a fixed pickup time.

How people miss the ship here

St. John by public ferry: the ride to Red Hook, the ferry and the beach transfers each have waiting time; the Charlotte Amalie ferry has only three departures a day, so a missed one can strand you.
The island does not observe daylight saving time, so island clocks and ship time can differ by an hour; use ship time and ask tour operators which they use.
Shared taxis wait until full before leaving and may drop at a central point, so a beach return can take longer than the quoted drive.
On days with many ships in (up to eleven are possible), taxi queues and beach crowds grow; leave more margin than the fare sheet suggests.

Logistics

Where ships dock and getting around

Havensight (West Indian Company dock, WICO)

Ships dock here 7 min to town Walkable to town

Havensight Mall and restaurants are steps from the ship, with ATMs in the mall area. The Skyride to Paradise Point is about a 6-minute walk. Taxi rates are posted at the stands. Wheelchair accessible with restrooms.

Getting to town: Taxi (about 7 minutes) or a flat 20–25 minute walk along the waterfront, about 2.4 km.

Usually used by: Most large ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Disney, Princess, Holland America and others.

Crown Bay Center (Crown Bay dock)

Ships dock here 10 min to town

A small shopping centre and a welcome centre next to the dock. Cyril E. King Airport is about 5 minutes away by taxi, and the Water Island ferry and the Crown Bay-Cruz Bay ferry leave from Crown Bay Marina next door.

Getting to town: Taxi (about 10 minutes). Walking takes 30–40 minutes along a busy road, so a taxi is the usual choice.

Usually used by: Overflow ships on busy days.

Taxi (per-person fixed fares)

Fares are set per person by destination by the V.I. Taxicab Commission, not by meter, and must be posted in taxis. Shared open-air taxis wait to fill before leaving and may drop you at a central point rather than your exact beach. Agree the fare first.

Havensight (crossroad) to Charlotte Amalie town · 2026	$9 for 1 person; 8 each for 2+
Crown Bay to Charlotte Amalie town · 2026	$8 for 1 person; 6 each for 2+
Havensight (WICO) to Magens Bay · 2026	$15 for 1 person; 12 each for 2+
Crown Bay to Magens Bay · 2026	$18 for 1 person; 15 each for 2+
Cruise port to Coral World / Coki (approximate, single source) · 2026	about 20 per person
Charlotte Amalie to Sapphire Beach · 2022	$21 for 1 person; 15 each for 2+
Cyril E. King Airport to Red Hook ferry · 2026	$23 for 1 person; 17 each for 2+

Safari taxi / open-air taxi

Safari buses are open-air covered pickup trucks with bench seating, usually shared with multiple stops, and the driver may wait until the truck fills. Regular taxis are said to cost about the same as safaris. Larger safari vans can be chartered by the hour at about 83-120 USD per hour for 1-4 passengers (hourly vehicle rates, not per person). Two-hour and three-hour sightseeing tours were set at 38 and 45 USD per person for groups of two or more in an Oct 2022 rate table.

Hourly charter, van/safari (1-4 passengers) · 2026	$83-120 per hour
2-hour sightseeing tour, per person for 2+ · 2022	$38

Walking

From Havensight, downtown Charlotte Amalie is a flat 20-25 minute walk and the Skyride is about 6 minutes. From Crown Bay, town is not a sensible walk.

Dollar rides / VITRAN buses

Local public transport exists (the Dollar Ride shared vans charge about 1 USD on core routes and 2 USD across Raphune Hill; VITRAN buses were raised to 2 USD in June 2024), but they are not practical with a ship deadline.

VITRAN bus fare · 2024

Ferry to St. John and Water Island

See places Red Hook, Trunk Bay and Honeymoon Beach. Ferries are run by private operators and schedules change seasonally.

Red Hook to Cruz Bay, adult one way · 2026

$8.15

Climate

St. Thomas weather by month

Atlantic season runs 1 June - 30 November, peaking Aug-Oct; the wettest months at the station are Sept-Nov (134-154 mm). Itinerary changes are possible in this period.

Before you go

Practical information

Currency: US dollar
US dollars: Yes, it is the local currency. Credit cards are widely accepted, but many taxis are cash-only, so carry small bills.
Language: English
Time zone: Atlantic Standard Time (UTC-4), no daylight saving time
Ship time: St. Thomas does not observe daylight saving time, so in the months when the U.S. East Coast is on daylight time the island clock may differ from ship time by an hour depending on the ship's setting. Work from ship time and confirm which time a tour operator uses.
Driving: The USVI drives on the left, although most cars are left-hand drive. Roads are steep, narrow and winding, so a taxi is usually the easier choice.

Questions

St. Thomas cruise port FAQ

Which cruise piers does St. Thomas have?

Havensight (the West Indian Company dock) is the main pier, about 2 km from Charlotte Amalie with a mall at the gate. Crown Bay, on the west side of the harbour, takes overflow ships. Anchoring and tendering is rare. Check your ship's assignment, as no authoritative per-line list was found.

How far is Havensight from Charlotte Amalie, and can I walk?

From Havensight, downtown is about 2 km: a flat 20–25 minute walk or about 7 minutes by taxi. From Crown Bay the walk takes 30–40 minutes along a busy road, so a taxi (about 10 minutes) is the usual choice.

How much is a taxi from the cruise port to Magens Bay?

Taxis charge a fixed per-person fare. From Havensight to Magens Bay it is about US$15 for one passenger and US$12 each for two or more; from Crown Bay about US$18 and US$15. Agree the fare before you get in.

How much does it cost to enter Magens Bay?

Visitors over 12 pay US$7 per person (since 1 October 2023); children under 12 are free. Fees can change, so check with the Magens Bay Authority before you go.

How do I get to St. John from a cruise ship in St. Thomas?

Take a taxi to Red Hook (15–30 minutes), then the roughly 20-minute ferry to Cruz Bay (about $8 adult one way). A ferry from the Charlotte Amalie waterfront runs only three times a day, so it rarely fits a port day.

How much is the Skyride to Paradise Point?

A round-trip ticket was 25 USD for adults and 17 USD for children in a review updated in June 2025. The ride takes about 3.5 minutes each way and the base is a short walk from Havensight, about 6 minutes.

Is there Uber or Lyft in St. Thomas?

No. Ride-hailing apps are not available, and taxis run on fixed per-person fares set by the V.I. Taxicab Commission. Open-air safari taxis are shared and typically wait to fill. Most are cash-based, so carry small US dollar bills.

Which side of the road do they drive on in St. Thomas?

On the left. The U.S. Virgin Islands is the only place under U.S. jurisdiction that drives on the left, a rule inherited from Danish practice, although most cars are left-hand drive. Roads are steep and winding, so most guides recommend taxis over rentals.

Nearby

More Eastern Caribbean ports

All ports

The Bahamas

Nassau

A deep-water port in the middle of town: beaches, forts and Paradise Island are all close, and ships dock without tenders.

~9 h typical call11 places

Sint Maarten

St. Maarten

A walk-off port with a beach town at hand, plus Maho Beach plane-spotting and the French side's beaches by fixed-fare taxi.

~9 h typical call12 places

Dominican Republic

Amber Cove & Puerto Plata

Two piers: Amber Cove is a Carnival-built resort 15-20 minutes from town; Taino Bay puts other lines a short walk from Puerto Plata's old centre.

~9 h typical call11 places

St. Thomas cruise port guide

St. Thomas shore excursions

Tours that fit your day in St. Thomas

St. Thomas cruise port guide

Things to do in St. Thomas

Charlotte Amalie historic downtown (Fort Christian, waterfront shopping)

Skyride to Paradise Point

Magens Bay

Mountain Top and Drake's Seat

Coral World Ocean Park

Coki Beach

Sapphire Beach

Secret Harbour Beach

Red Hook ferry terminal (to Cruz Bay, St. John)

Trunk Bay, St. John