Touring St. John? 3 important tips!

[I take the Ferry]

We did the St. John guided tour in early May.

You must ride a 30-minute water taxi to get to Cruz Bay. The "Taxi" is a decent sized boat.

Tip 1: DO NOT SIT OUTSIDE ON THE BOAT unless you are okay with getting *soaked*. The boat has to cross open waters between the islands, which are very frequently rough. The bow seems like a scenic place to sit, which is why those seats fill up first. By the end of the trip, 99% of the people that that they had the "best seat in the house" had moved inside. The boat we were on also had seating on a second level, those people looked dry.

Tip 2: Get Seasick? SIT TOWARD THE BACK OF THE WATER TAXI. Same reason, rough water. We sat near the front of the boat, we were thrown into the air multiple times. The guy working on the boat said "this is typical... sometimes it gets worse than this." Many people were starting to look green after 20 minutes of rough seas. The back of the boat will be much more gentle.

Once on St. John, you will board an open-air truck that seats about 24. Think Kilimanjaro Safari.

Tip 3: BUG SPRAY, BUG SPRAY, BUG SPRAY. The northern side of the island has a lot of swampy area, which means mosquitoes. TONS of them. In swarms like I've never seen, and I've lived in Florida for 29 years. Like I said, we went in May... they may not be as bad year-round, but take the spray just in case. Take enough to share... you will be a hero.

K, Slater!
I take the Ferry!

[ElenitaB]

Thanks! Those are really great tips!

[Scar]

I was there once in late March, no bugs.

And yes, we stayed dry out on the top deck.