Port: St. Thomas
Cruise Line: Carnival
Price: $51.99 (13+) / $39.99 (<12)
Activity Level: Moderate
Age Limit: No Minimum Age
Length: 5 hours
Review - 5/5
This tour is jam packed with plenty of things to do - you won't have time to get bored! You board an open air vehicle and weave thru the windy roads of St. Thomas. You get opportunities to take breathtaking pictures before relaxing for 2 hours at Magen's Bay. It's truly a beautiful beach with calm, crystal clear water! It's a state park and kept very clean! There's food and drinks available for purchase at Magen's Bay.
After Magen's Bay, you truly go back in time when you visit Blackbeard's Castle (a National Historic Landmark) and Britannia House built in 1847 which showcases a wide array of West Indian furniture from throughout the Caribbean and represents one of the few remaining wooden residences from the period. The case iron railings of the veranda were imported from New Orleans in the 19th century - many families in St. Thomas had connections in New Orleans that came about through the immigration from the French Revolution in San Dominique (Haiti). You'll also visit Haagensen House which has five period exhibit rooms that display West Indian antiques of the era giving you a sense of how well the merchant class of St. Thomas lived in the prosperous 1800's. This is also where you'll find the largest amber waterfall in the world! The Caribbean World Amber Waterfall contains over 12,000 stones procured from various parts of the world with the stones ranging in age from 25,000 to 90 million years old!
Afterwards, you'll find yourself downtown where you have free time to explore prior to going back to your ship. We went to Magic Ice and wandered around the streets. We returned by sea and were dropped off by the shops of the Yacht Club. From there, it's a short walk back to the ship. This tour showed us around St. Thomas so well that on future visits, we felt comfortable enough to venture off on our own without an organized tour as we felt we knew our way around!
Description from Carnival:
Everything you'd want to, and should, experience in St. Thomas all conveniently packed into one complete tour – a cornucopia of beaches, spectacular down island views, historical locations and ultimate shopping experiences encompassing all the best highlights of the U.S. Virgin Islands' most popular island. This tour provides all the elements for a perfect day in paradise.
Begin with a scenic ride along Skyline Drive offering breathtaking views of Charlotte Amalie Harbour, the Caribbean Sea, the British Virgin Islands and Magen's Bay, rated by many travel magazines as one of the top ten beaches in the world. You'll arrive at Mountain Top, St. Thomas's highest peak, where you can gaze at the spectacular Atlantic coastal views dotted with small islands and cays, overlooking heart-shaped Magen's Bay, as well as the distant British Virgin Islands. Then you'll drive along the scenic artery of St. Thomas with its splendid panoramic views continuing down to the white sands and crystalline waters at Magen's Bay for two hours of sun, swimming and fun. Continue on to historic downtown, located in the heart of the Kongens Quarter, and step back into the age of seafaring trade at the Danish West Indian port town of Charlotte Amalie.
Envision the island's past global traders, Caribbean pirates, the impacts of slavery, and life in a vibrant West Indian port city as you walk among historic landmarks dating back to the late 1600's. Indulge in your passion for the great recommended shopping in St. Thomas. When you're finished with your free time of shopping, head back to the ship via your pre-arranged return transportation.
NOTES:
Your tour includes transportation from/to the ship and includes Main Street for recommended shopping.
When you're finished with your free time of shopping, head back to the ship via your pre-arranged return transportation.
Return transportation to the ship will be via land or sea.
Tour duration is approximately 4 to 6 hours depending upon your personal touring and shopping time. Wear a swimsuit and bring a towel.
For Sunday calls the shopping component on the tour will be limited.