usvi-on-line
day trip to bvi
day trip to bvi
I have read many great reviews of the New Horizon II to get the family of 6 to the bvi. I like the idea of seeing alittle bit of what the islands have to share, and New Horizon II can do that for us. But would there be a power boat w/captain on st. john where we can just plan our own day. Sometimes I just think that the 4 twenty-something kids would like a more leisurly day. I know that they would like to spend more than one hour at the Soggy Dollar.
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
Last year we rented from Naughty Nymph at the Westin. The boat was a 28' I believe (no cutty cabin). We opted for a Captain and she was wonderful, GREAT decision on our part.
She asked us what WE wanted then helped us plan the day. We cleared customs in West End, snorkeled the Indians, went to Foxy's Taboo for lunch, Sandy Cay, White Bay then back to STJ.
I don't have a link handy or I'd post it, but I'm sure there's info somewhere. I think the whole day with fuel, customs, and a nice tip ran about $600. It was just the 3 of us, the boat could hold a lot more.
Good luck, happy planning.
Jan (aka Charlie)
She asked us what WE wanted then helped us plan the day. We cleared customs in West End, snorkeled the Indians, went to Foxy's Taboo for lunch, Sandy Cay, White Bay then back to STJ.
I don't have a link handy or I'd post it, but I'm sure there's info somewhere. I think the whole day with fuel, customs, and a nice tip ran about $600. It was just the 3 of us, the boat could hold a lot more.
Good luck, happy planning.
Jan (aka Charlie)
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Jumbiegirl
- Posts: 301
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:30 pm
- Location: Holland, MI
We always use Ocean Runners on the beach below Low Key. They'll take you anywhere you want and you plan the day!
http://www.oceanrunner.vi/
http://www.oceanrunner.vi/
NH II vs. Smaller Power Boat
We've done a lot of different BVI trips. The New Horizon II was fun last year. One nice thing, over a power boat rental with a captain, is that NH II has a smooth and fast ride and covers a lot of territory. The power boats tend to do a good bit of up and down - and you don't want to spill that Mimosa! We liked Dave, the captain on NH II the day we went out.
Personally, I prefer a sailing trip as do my kids. More snorkeling is good, and having your own boat with captain can certainly facilitate that.
Here's a blurb about NH II from my October 2004 trip report:
We normally do a BVI day sail. This year we decided to cover more territory and opted for a high speed tour on the New Horizons II. We meet the boat at the Cruz Bay national park dock at 7:30. It’s a nice boat, but slightly cramped since every seat was taken. Capt. Dave, Ivy and Eliza have mimosas in our hands as we get settled. Breakfast is fresh fruit and fruit and chocolate quick breads/cakes. The itinerary takes us to Virgin Gorda, the Baths, Marina Cay for lunch, Diamond Reef for snorkeling, Jost Van Dyke’s White Bay for happy hour and back to Cruz Bayfor immigration.
I enjoyed the New Horizons cruise. It was a long day and a big crowd. Reviews from our group ranged from not enough snorkeling to blissed out smiles. Personally, I like the comfort of a big day sailing catamaran. But, I really enjoyed being able to cover a lot of territory quickly.
Cheers, RickG
Personally, I prefer a sailing trip as do my kids. More snorkeling is good, and having your own boat with captain can certainly facilitate that.
Here's a blurb about NH II from my October 2004 trip report:
We normally do a BVI day sail. This year we decided to cover more territory and opted for a high speed tour on the New Horizons II. We meet the boat at the Cruz Bay national park dock at 7:30. It’s a nice boat, but slightly cramped since every seat was taken. Capt. Dave, Ivy and Eliza have mimosas in our hands as we get settled. Breakfast is fresh fruit and fruit and chocolate quick breads/cakes. The itinerary takes us to Virgin Gorda, the Baths, Marina Cay for lunch, Diamond Reef for snorkeling, Jost Van Dyke’s White Bay for happy hour and back to Cruz Bayfor immigration.
I enjoyed the New Horizons cruise. It was a long day and a big crowd. Reviews from our group ranged from not enough snorkeling to blissed out smiles. Personally, I like the comfort of a big day sailing catamaran. But, I really enjoyed being able to cover a lot of territory quickly.
Cheers, RickG
We always use Ocean Runners, have for years. We do at least one boat rental per trip, sometimes two because it is just so much fun. The business is individually owned and they really care about their boats, etc. Good captains if you need one. Leave early in the morning and you can get a lot in in one day.
BVI Day Trip
Hello from a fellow Iowan! While I'm sure New Horizons is nice, I prefer to rent our own boat (with Captain) from Ocean Runners. The price for 4 of you will probably be less and you get to do exactly what you want. Your kids may enjoy the Willie T as well as Soggy Dollar, plus Sandy Cay, or lots of other spots. The people at Ocean Runners are great to work with. Nauti Nymph is OK too, but they come over from St. Thomas to pick you up---Ocean Runners is located in St. John (right down from Beach Bar). Enjoy!!
---Jim
day trip to bvi
we always take Fly Away Charters out of coral bay. they will come and pick you up in cruz bay. capt. george and capt. truman are both great. doesn't matter who you get. you will get the boat and captain for the day and they will take you wherever you want to go. it is wonderful. they are very knowledgable about the area. they know the sir frances drake channel and all the islands in between from head to toe. you won't be sorry.