In 2018, We went via open air bus around 10:30 AM, got to Magens Bay around 11 am and stayed til 4. Spent $8 pp for the open air bus. Spent $20 for my son and I to get to the beach. We had an amazing time. But we loved the water, the peace and the view.
I will be going on my first cruise (April 2022) on the Harmony of the Seas and one of the stops is at St. Thomas. I've booked the beach quickie getaway to Magen's Bay. I chose this one for price and the length of the tour. Total tour time is 4 hrs. They offer another tour that is 6 hrs., but the shorter tour is more to my liking. It's a trade-off on these excursions bec you get so little actual beach time. You either go the safety route and you are guaranteed not to miss the boat, or you go it alone and risk the broken down taxi or bus. Thanks for the video, I hope the weather is nice for my trip. (a rainy day would truly suck)
Definitely venture to do St Thomas outside of the ship excursion. Do a local tour. I highly recommend Brenda n Frankos fun tours. We have toured with the twice and you will have friends in St Thomas you will want to see again after the tour, and get a ton of great culture and history, plus a little beach time for about $40 per person. Beaches, I have done Coki, Emerald Beach and Magens Bay. Our last trip we just got off the ship and caught the first safari truck headed to Magens. Did the same coming back. We prefered both Magens and Emerald Beach to Coki, but Magens was our favorite and will likely go back next year. Coki was nice but small and has the best snorkeling if that's your thing. Also had good local food. Liked the facilities and cleaner beach at Magens and Emerald. Emerald had some great chicken wings and nachos. Didn't eat at Magens but loved the calm waters and diving pelicans and room to walk down the beach and find a little more privacy and quiet away from the main entrance.
This is my third time going but first for my husband. I was having an issue figuring out what to do but i think I will take a tour with them. Seems all inclusive. And I ben to Magens and coki before but they list two other beaches I havent been too! Thanks
We have lots of Great hotels and private Villas..Five hours in St Thomas is nothing..You need at least a week too fully enjoy visiting the Virgin Islands..Go on a catamaran...Dining out...Visit the Tropical gardens..Zip line..So much to do...Five hours is nothing...Come on back and stay a while....I've lived here 22 year...Amazing place and great people...
Peter Lamere I was there for 8 days and I still feel like it was not long enough spent 2 days in St. John. Literally went to a different beach every day.
We were just there no too long ago. We did the Sonny Liston tour again and it was great. I have some drone footage from Magens I still need to edit. :)
Just spent a week at St Thomas and boy did we have fun Megan’s bay is a beautiful beach to relax now to party go to Coki beach you won’t regret it promise you sorry Jenny but a cruse 🛥 doesn’t sound fun only 5 hours NooooOooo you need more time your on island time now babyyyyyy… 👌🏽
We'll be on Symphony of the Seas in May(my 15th cruise) We love the beach so we never purchase the excursions. The excursions are way too short. Pre-Covid this was not a problem, but since cruising has restarted many of the islands only approved excursions outings. They would not let you explore on your own. Im hoping by May all the restrictions will have been lifted. The beach looks great. Thanks for the Video....
@@jordanmt007 It went great. Keep in mind we did not purchase an excursion, we got off the ship and found a taxi. The taxi stand is a short walk from the cruise ship. Taxi's are plentiful. We rode in an open air taxi with 10-12 other people. The ride was about 15-20 minutes. The ride takes you though the mountains because the beach is on the other side of the island. The taxi is $10.00 per person. There is an entry fee to the beach at $5.00 per person. Try to get there early because sometimes there are multiple ships in port and the beach gets crowded. Remember this beach is very popular. Once you get to the beach we rented two lounge chairs and umbrella for $35.00, plus a depost of $30.00. (you'll get the deposit back at the end of the day.) You pay for the rentals in the gift shop which is right next to the bar/snack shack. The clerk will give you a receipt, then you give the receipt to the guys on the beach and they'll give you chair and umbrella. Keep the receipt so you can get your deposit back. ***side note: You have to set your own chairs but if you're not capable the guys at the beach will set up your chairs anywhere on the beach just make sure and give them tip, other wise you are responsible for returning the chairs and umbrella***
Sounds to me like a big money grab no matter where you go on that island. So you're saying there is no public access to the beach, it's all commercialized and cost money?
If we take a local transport can we stay longer than 2 hours? We would love to give 100% to the local economy, we have just never tried and don’t know where to catch them and how to arrange transport back. TIA for any help or companies to look for to get us there☺️
Yes, there were lots of taxis at the pier and if you got off the ship right after it docked you would definitely have more than a couple of hours at the beach. Any of the taxis would be happy to take you to Magens Bay. There were also the same taxis waiting to take passengers back to the ship. Not sure of any specific companies, but there were lots of options right there when we disembarked the ship. Hope that helps!
Local bus is just 2.00 each way from cruise ship to bay per person. Unfortunately cruise ship come to St Thomas as they are obnoxious filled with hordes of tourists that ruin everything. Foolish people who pay for these overpriced tours
The grassy area between the beach and the parking lot had quite a few trees that provided shade. I saw a few people sitting back there either at the picnic tables or on beach towels, but I suppose you could take a beach chair up there as well. Hope that helps!
With all of your worrying about time restrictions, it sounds like it would be better off just flying to an island and spending 7 days rather than taking a cruise.
Next time get up early enough to not complain about your two hours stay. Magens Bay is a nice beach however Cokie Point Bay is the best beach in St Thomas.
Thanks for the comment about Cokie Point. I'll have to check it out next time I'm in St Thomas. To your other point, I was on an excursion purchased through the ship, so I did not have any control over how long we stayed at the beach - no matter what time I had woken up.
Good video. I just moved to STT and I'm going to be working on some more videos about things to do for Cruisers as well as general beach tips. So check out my channel.
In 2018, We went via open air bus around 10:30 AM, got to Magens Bay around 11 am and stayed til 4. Spent $8 pp for the open air bus. Spent $20 for my son and I to get to the beach. We had an amazing time. But we loved the water, the peace and the view.
Yes it was $8:00 for an open air bus.....it works great with regular times leaving every 35 min from Megan's Bay back to the ship....
I will be going on my first cruise (April 2022) on the Harmony of the Seas and one of the stops is at St. Thomas. I've booked the beach quickie getaway to Magen's Bay. I chose this one for price and the length of the tour. Total tour time is 4 hrs. They offer another tour that is 6 hrs., but the shorter tour is more to my liking. It's a trade-off on these excursions bec you get so little actual beach time. You either go the safety route and you are guaranteed not to miss the boat, or you go it alone and risk the broken down taxi or bus. Thanks for the video, I hope the weather is nice for my trip. (a rainy day would truly suck)
Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great time on your cruise!
was there in 95 and I recommend to bring your snorkel gear, you won't regret it
Definitely venture to do St Thomas outside of the ship excursion. Do a local tour. I highly recommend Brenda n Frankos fun tours. We have toured with the twice and you will have friends in St Thomas you will want to see again after the tour, and get a ton of great culture and history, plus a little beach time for about $40 per person.
Beaches, I have done Coki, Emerald Beach and Magens Bay. Our last trip we just got off the ship and caught the first safari truck headed to Magens. Did the same coming back. We prefered both Magens and Emerald Beach to Coki, but Magens was our favorite and will likely go back next year.
Coki was nice but small and has the best snorkeling if that's your thing. Also had good local food. Liked the facilities and cleaner beach at Magens and Emerald. Emerald had some great chicken wings and nachos. Didn't eat at Magens but loved the calm waters and diving pelicans and room to walk down the beach and find a little more privacy and quiet away from the main entrance.
Wow! Great information! Thanks so much!!
This is my third time going but first for my husband. I was having an issue figuring out what to do but i think I will take a tour with them. Seems all inclusive. And I ben to Magens and coki before but they list two other beaches I havent been too! Thanks
We have lots of Great hotels and private Villas..Five hours in St Thomas is nothing..You need at least a week too fully enjoy visiting the Virgin Islands..Go on a catamaran...Dining out...Visit the Tropical gardens..Zip line..So much to do...Five hours is nothing...Come on back and stay a while....I've lived here 22 year...Amazing place and great people...
Peter Lamere I was there for 8 days and I still feel like it was not long enough spent 2 days in St. John. Literally went to a different beach every day.
Safari =open air bus
Thanks for visiting my home
Good to know❤
Thanks Jenny! Great video!
I agree with you that 2 hours is not enough. I could stay there for 5 hours.
We all learn as we travel through life!
We were just there no too long ago. We did the Sonny Liston tour again and it was great. I have some drone footage from Magens I still need to edit. :)
I’ll have to look into the Sonny Liston tour next time we go! I’d love to see some drone footage from there. I bet it’s beautiful! 😀
thank you 👍
Dropping that cruise knowledge!
Trying! 😂🤣😂
@@WheretoNowJenny ;)
great video love the island life and its food
Just spent a week at St Thomas and boy did we have fun Megan’s bay is a beautiful beach to relax now to party go to Coki beach you won’t regret it promise you sorry Jenny but a cruse 🛥 doesn’t sound fun only 5 hours NooooOooo you need more time your on island time now babyyyyyy… 👌🏽
Tháng for all thế helpful tips
You’re welcome!
Great video
We'll be on Symphony of the Seas in May(my 15th cruise) We love the beach so we never purchase the excursions. The excursions are way too short. Pre-Covid this was not a problem, but since cruising has restarted many of the islands only approved excursions outings. They would not let you explore on your own. Im hoping by May all the restrictions will have been lifted. The beach looks great. Thanks for the Video....
Thanks for sharing!
Any update on how the Excursion at Magen's Bay went? We're going on Symphony of the Seas in Oct.
@@jordanmt007 It went great. Keep in mind we did not purchase an excursion, we got off the ship and found a taxi. The taxi stand is a short walk from the cruise ship. Taxi's are plentiful. We rode in an open air taxi with 10-12 other people. The ride was about 15-20 minutes. The ride takes you though the mountains because the beach is on the other side of the island. The taxi is $10.00 per person. There is an entry fee to the beach at $5.00 per person. Try to get there early because sometimes there are multiple ships in port and the beach gets crowded. Remember this beach is very popular. Once you get to the beach we rented two lounge chairs and umbrella for $35.00, plus a depost of $30.00. (you'll get the deposit back at the end of the day.) You pay for the rentals in the gift shop which is right next to the bar/snack shack. The clerk will give you a receipt, then you give the receipt to the guys on the beach and they'll give you chair and umbrella. Keep the receipt so you can get your deposit back.
***side note: You have to set your own chairs but if you're not capable the guys at the beach will set up your chairs anywhere on the beach just make sure and give them tip, other wise you are responsible for returning the chairs and umbrella***
@@deepshotone Cool! Thanks for the detailed experience! Were there any water activities/equipment available for rent?
@@jordanmt007 I recall seeing a couple floaties and inner tubes but I did not see any jet skis or kayaks or paddle boards
Sounds to me like a big money grab no matter where you go on that island. So you're saying there is no public access to the beach, it's all commercialized and cost money?
Were there taxis at Magens bay to bring people back if you choose to leave from the port on a taxi?
I believe so, yes.
Blog is ok
If we take a local transport can we stay longer than 2 hours? We would love to give 100% to the local economy, we have just never tried and don’t know where to catch them and how to arrange transport back. TIA for any help or companies to look for to get us there☺️
Yes, there were lots of taxis at the pier and if you got off the ship right after it docked you would definitely have more than a couple of hours at the beach. Any of the taxis would be happy to take you to Magens Bay. There were also the same taxis waiting to take passengers back to the ship. Not sure of any specific companies, but there were lots of options right there when we disembarked the ship. Hope that helps!
Thank you!
Local bus is just 2.00 each way from cruise ship to bay per person. Unfortunately cruise ship come to St Thomas as they are obnoxious filled with hordes of tourists that ruin everything. Foolish people who pay for these overpriced tours
Thanks for the updated info!
Did you go on the trail in the back of magens bay of the old sugar plantation?
I didn’t but it sounds beautiful! 😍
Did you see any shade for people who are looking to avoid sun?
The grassy area between the beach and the parking lot had quite a few trees that provided shade. I saw a few people sitting back there either at the picnic tables or on beach towels, but I suppose you could take a beach chair up there as well. Hope that helps!
Plenty
They have umbrellas for rent as well.
Is it safe to leave our bags ( with sea pass) unattended while we swim?
With all of your worrying about time restrictions, it sounds like it would be better off just flying to an island and spending 7 days rather than taking a cruise.
Next time get up early enough to not complain about your two hours stay. Magens Bay is a nice beach however Cokie Point Bay is the best beach in St Thomas.
Thanks for the comment about Cokie Point. I'll have to check it out next time I'm in St Thomas. To your other point, I was on an excursion purchased through the ship, so I did not have any control over how long we stayed at the beach - no matter what time I had woken up.
Brewer's is my best beach.
Good video. I just moved to STT and I'm going to be working on some more videos about things to do for Cruisers as well as general beach tips. So check out my channel.