I called in the morning and Web quickly organized a private tour for us with Heather. Love her she…read morewas so fun and laid back to hang out with all day. We went snorkeling at two different beaches and then she took us around the island to some beautiful lookout spots. Heather was very knowledgeable of the history of the island and the sea life. The pictures she took are our absolute favorite from the whole trip. The underwater pics are they best!

While at St Thomas and St John we did 6 activities but our family favorite was with Captain Perry…read more Best memories, best photos, best host, best experience. We signed up for snorkel and beyond pleased. Best part Captain Perry takes photos of your party and let me say they are our next Christmas cards. Best choice you would ever make visiting St Thomas. Captain Perry thank you for your professionalism, humor, welcoming, and above all your sweetness. Our family truly adore you. To the point every event they kept on saying Not better then Captain Perry or where is Captain Perry when you need him. St.Thomas Scuba and Snorkel Adventures #1 overall!

It's a perfectly nice beach. Supposedly one of the nicer beaches on the island. It is not the best…read morebeach I've ever seen but it is fine. The water is clear and clean. If you go early you can get a spot under the trees because the sun is intense. The beach gets busy but is not overcrowded. The best part IMO is the beachside bar. I have to check it out and write a review.

Sapphire Beach is stunning! Come for the sunset and you'll definitely end up staying. Soft light,…read moreblue water, with easy, breezy island energy. There's parking right by the beach followed by a beautiful walk through the cabanas that sets such a peaceful tone. The event space is dreamy! Open, airy, and perfectly placed. Once you step onto the sand the water is clear, glowing blue. Simple, stunning, and a really nice place to unwind.

Trunk Bay is an absolute must when you're in the USVI National Park! Took the Red Hook Car Ferry…read moreover to St. John. Talk about a wildly stunning ride! Trunk Bay is home to the only underwater snorkeling trail in the U.S. national park system. The beach is pristine, tucked into the park with soft white sand and crystal blue water. The marine life is incredible! Full of depth, color, and light. Totally dreamy, super chill, and the perfect spot to soak up the sun. Out of all the beaches in VI National Park, this is my favorite. A radiant, sun soaked escape!

absolutely heaven on earth!!…read more clear blue waters, soft sand, snorkeling (lots of fishes and saw a permit fish almost a yard big!!), showers & restrooms, bar with alcohol, food & dessert shacks (get the shrimp burger), rentals (for chairs, canopy, snorkel gear), $5 admission I do appreciate how they don't give out plastic!! Please protect the oceans and be green :) recycle + reusable metal straws

Our resort (Margaritaville) had a free shuttle to Coki Beach which was nice! It was a short drive…read moreover and when you get off, be prepared for the tourist trap. A guy met us right off the shuttle to sell chairs and an umbrella. I think both together was under $20. While you're on the beach, there's people selling drinks, food, jewelry, etc. We were approached by a woman who took our order for one fried snapper, a couple of sides and two beverages (one alcoholic, one mocktail). We paid $99 for this. Make sure you have cash because it's easier to pay for things on the beach. We didn't have enough cash to pay so I had to get the establishments Cash App and pay that way. Or you can go to an ATM on site. Now... we had a great time relaxing on the beach, the view is absolutely beautiful plus the clear water BUT if you want something less crowded, I would say to find another beach. There were water activities like snorkeling, taking photos on a clear kayak, and so on so that was nice. There are also surrounding vendors to get ice cream, food, souvenirs, water, etc. Since we took a shuttle, we made sure we caught the last one of the day back to our resort. All in all, it was a beautiful beach day!

Parking is difficult and it's insanely crowded here. This is definitely a tourist trap. They charge…read more$7 per chair and $12 for an umbrella, which is fine if they want to, but then they are very rude when you turn them down. One of the men kept telling us to move so he could put more chairs right where we were and told us we were "in his way." It's a public beach and I should be able to lay on my towel where I'm not in anyone's way and not get this treatment. This behavior also extended to others that didn't pay for chairs. The snorkeling isn't even impressive here. We snorkeled nearly every day for over a week at different beaches and this was bottom of the list. Glad we weren't planning on staying long anyways. I literally enjoyed this place soo little, that I forgot to take pictures of it. Drinks were weak, but the fish we got was tasty and fresh.

I call Magen's Bay paradise! One of my favorite Caribbean…read morebeaches and my mother's favorite beach in the world. We have visited several times while cruising. We usually take the group transport offered from port and pay the entrance free. The rest is a day to enjoy the calm waters and a day of relaxation.

Magens Bay , a place so beautiful it feels like a Caribbean postcard come to life…read more This famous crescent beach on Saint Thomas stretches nearly three-quarters of a mile, tucked between green hills that naturally block the Atlantic swells. That's why the water is so unbelievably calm and clear the kind of crystal blue where you can watch fish glide beneath you while you float or stretch out in the sun. But there's a little history beneath all that beauty. Centuries ago the Taíno people lived along these shores, and legend says the notorious sea rogue Sir Francis Drake once used this peaceful bay to hide ships while waiting to ambush Spanish treasure fleets sailing through the Caribbean. Today it remains protected as a public park a perfect curve of white sand and glassy turquoise water where travelers come to swim, sunbathe, and for a moment... live the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

We booked the Turtle Bay Sail & Snorkel Adventure in St. Thomas through our cruise and were very…read moredisappointed with our experience on Castaway Girl 4. The biggest issue was the lack of organization from the start. We spent close to an hour waiting between multiple lines--first in the sun to exchange tickets, then again to hand off a second ticket. It felt unnecessarily complicated and poorly managed. Because of the delays, the boat traveled very fast to make up time. The water was choppy, and several guests became seasick on the way to the snorkeling site. There were also multiple issues with communication and expectations. We were not informed in advance that full-face snorkel masks were not allowed, which would have impacted our decision to book. The equipment provided did not feel clean, and we were told there were not enough flippers or beverages for everyone. The excursion description advertised rum punch, soft drinks, and snacks, but no snacks were provided. The rum punch was also very poor quality, and most guests declined more. While the snorkeling location at Buck Island was beautiful and the water was calm, the actual experience in the water was lacking. The guide quickly swam off and was not visible to the group, leaving guests without direction. Our time snorkeling felt short--around an hour. The return trip was slower and more comfortable, which we appreciated. However, overall this was the least enjoyable snorkeling excursion we have experienced. We would not choose this company again and would recommend others consider alternative options.

Castaway Girl is a Carnival Cruise sponsored excursion! I'm reviewing Turtle Cove Sail & Snorkel…read moreWith Open Bar. After about a ten minute walk from the ship, we embarked on our sail to Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge. Once we arrived at Turtle Cove, the crew gave us thorough snorkeling instructions (including: don't touch the turtles), and distributed quality equipment. They were super helpful to anyone in need. My snorkeling PIC and I swam halfway between the boat and a big group of people, and found a beautiful sea turtle having lunch underneath us. We floated with her for about an hour. Unfortunately, tourists from the other boat were trying to touch her. Ew. [$10k fine, by the way] Once we were back on board the bar opened for endless cocktails. We drank tasty rum punch all the way back to port. Overall, an AMAZING three hour excursion, I would definitely book again.

Perry was awesome. Super easy to communicate with him and find him for our tour. He was friendly…read moreand very knowledgeable. We loved the turtle snorkeling and we also saw a stingray. He took us to a private beach too and took same cute photos. Then we toured the island. Would definitely recommend. Our two kids age 5&7 really had a great time too.

Absolutely the best experience!! Heather and Flame were wonderful with our entire group! We saw all…read morekids of fish, sting rays, and sea turtles. The photo package was worth every penny.

From the food to the bar to the view all around awesome experience and special shout out to our…read moreshark tour guide daelen amazing instructions 100% will do it again

such a great experience for kids, especially on a slower day without cruise ship crowds everywhere…read more It's not huge, which honestly made it feel more intimate and enjoyable. You get really close up encounters even without paying extra for one of the add on experiences and just doing general admission. Really fun spot and worth the visit if you're on the island with kids.

Hidden inside Lindquist Beach, part of the peaceful shoreline of Smith Bay Park, is one of those…read morerare places on Saint Thomas where the crowds seem to disappear. The sand stretches out wide and pale, the water sits calm and glassy, and the trade winds drift through the sea grapes like a quiet whisper. It's the sort of beach where time slows down, where you spread out a towel, listen to the gentle surf, and realize you've stumbled into a corner of the Caribbean that still feels wonderfully untouched. I remember being here with my wife somewhere between the warm sun and that impossibly blue water, the day turned quietly romantic. We wandered down the beach laughing, the breeze tugging at her hair, and at one point she reached for my hand and pulled close enough that the world seemed to shrink to just the two of us and the sound of the tide. We lingered there a while, wrapped in the moment, the kind of simple, sun-soaked memory that makes a place feel a little magical long after you've left the sand behind.

So in our cabin on the ship, they kept broadcasting this beach as a place to visit so I added it to…read morethe list to check out on our adventure day in Saint Thomas. We get our rental right off the ship and head on our way. It's early in the day(~10am local time) so with how many folks are on our boat, my expectations were that this beach would be busy but... surprisingly, there were only a few other couples there so we had this absolutely stunning beach pretty much to ourselves. I immediately get my snorkeling gear out and jump in the water. There were schools of baby permit jacks everywhere and they'd swim right up to you and even play with you while your back was turned. It was pretty exciting. There was a local there and he was laughing with us because I simply didn't expect the whole they are touching me experience(that admittedly may have cause me to squeal in excitement). The water was pristine. Almost dream like. I really feel like this beach was one I will dream about for decades. Just a prefect place to spend time. The folks working here were super nice as well. It was $16 to park in the lot and make the 500' walk to the beach. Plenty of shaded areas right off the beach. A few picnic tables and chairs. Even have a lifeguard which would be nice if we had smaller kids.

Such a BEAUTIFUL BEACH - highly recommended beach... also with a gift shop with souvenirs and…read moresnacks and more   - - -   June, 2025 Visit   - - -   Short Review,   Cinnamon Bay Beach...   ... has an island you can swim / snorkel to... many fish to see closer to the island   ... has a view of Great Thatch, British Virgin Islands   ... has indoor facilities... gift shop, snack bar (indoors and outside), campsites   ... not crowded       - - - Additional information: - - -   My wonderful wife planned a relaxing trip for us to St. John's, US Virgin Islands (just east of Puerto Rico), in June, 2025; we had a great time... such a beautiful island!     We snorkeled two beaches on St. John, and we enjoyed them both.   Cinnamon Bay Beach stuns you with its beautiful colors... the beach has light tan sand, helping make the water is a light green-blue color... stunningly beautiful!!     - - - Why Cinnamon Bay Beach - - -   Most of St. John is a National Park and most of the northern part of the island provides a nearly continuous beach... nearly continuous because peninsulas that extend into the water separate each beach from the other.    We looked at the map and read the reviews and picked Hawksnest and Cinnamon Bay beaches  because they looked more likely to have slightly smaller crowds, as cruise ships apparently visit other beaches (at least when we visited).  When we visited we were not alone and it was also not crowded.   Both are within a couple miles of each other, so while they are similar in overall look and feel - similar color of the water and sand, similar plants, etc., they are unique in what you can see underwater when you're snorkeling, and unique in the views from the beach.     - - - Taxis to and from - - -   To get to and from Cinnamon Bay Beach, you can drive or take a taxi.  The taxis on St. John, at least the ones we saw, are all trucks, with the driver in the cab, and the passengers sitting, open air, in the back... on benches with a roof over our heads.  The taxis run all day and will stop at multiple beaches to drop off and pick up passengers along the way.      - - - Cell / Mobile service - - -   Cell phone service is present, but the signal is a bit weak - 1 to 2 bars of signal strength.      - - - The beach - - -   Even if you never get in the water, the scene is beautiful... the water color is such a beautiful shade of blue...   Enya's "Caribbean Blue" (from 1991 album "Shepherd Moons") was playing in our heads, and was surely inspired by waters like these...   The sand is light and soft   Beautiful green trees and plants along the beach.     - - - The view from the beach - - -   Cinnamon Bay Beach is a beautiful beach and view of the British Virgin Islands' (BVI's) Jost Van Dyke in the distance and Great Thatch island closer... both BVI; St. John's Whistling Cay is visible, closer to the left, and Mary Point, closer to the right; Cinnamon Brach curbs east, and out into the water to a point that becomes Maho Bay and we stayed within Cinnamon Cay..     - - - The water... snorkeling - - -   On any given day, the water quality and aquatic life are things you cannot control.  The day we visited water quality and aquatic life were both goo -  the water was so clear and we saw so many fish, especially as we snorkeled out toward the island... which is much closer than it looks.. 5-10 minutes of calm to quicker leg kicking should get you there.     - - - Snorkeling - what we saw - - -   While snorkeling we were blessed to see: ⁃            a stingray swam by right as we started out !! ⁃            many more parrotfish-like blue-green-purplish fish and others ⁃            on the way back in, two squid!!     - - - Back on the beach - - -   We enjoy laying back and relaxing... and taking photos of our feet as they point toward the sand + surf... and we captured another one here on Cinnamon Bay Beach.   What a great afternoon!     - - - The surf, the lack of on St. John - - -   We have been blessed to visit the Caribbean a couple times and have noticed that there is not much surf, not many waves. On an early trip someone explained that the Caribbean is just at a position in the ocean that the rides are not small; brief internet searches suggest the tide only varies a few inches to a foot or so... such small changes don't lead to many waves. You'll likely see and enjoy hearing waves "lapping at the shore," but you're not likely to do much body surfing... if you have a boogie board, while you could bring it on your flight, you'll likely be better off leaving it at home. - - - Gift Shop - t-shirts, hat pins and more - - - - - - Thank you - - - Thank you to all the park team members who maintain Cinnamon Bay Beach, and to the taxi drivers getting us visitors to and from the beach! ----- ----- -----

Full disclosure I didn't actually swim at this beach but I spent an hour or so here because it's…read moreactually a huge beach! The internet says it's one of the most famous ones and I can see why - the water is crystal clear, bright blue (as are most of the other national park beaches lol). It's spacious though, and in addition to the beach itself, there is a snack vendor area where you can buy lunch (like sandwiches and drinks), and a gear rental place for snorkeling etc. They also have a small restaurant adjacent to the campground cafeteria area which does breakfast and dinner (but not lunch). They have pretty clean bathrooms and showers too, and the most parking of all the beaches that I went to. They even had an info booth; the lady there was fairly knowledgeable about the park although I don't think she was an actual ranger (she wasn't in the ranger outfit). There's also a little area right at the entrance to the beach that is part of some ruins, it's a nice photo op spot. Overall this is a great beach! Def recommend.