U.S.V.I's Best Treasure

One of my favorite classes I took at Niagara University in the hospitality program was our Cruise Course.  There was nothing better then spending a fall semester meeting once a week to go over the layout, design, and amenities of a cruise ship.  Oh wait, there is!  It was actually going on a cruise between fall and spring semester.  When I heard about this course my freshmen year I knew I couldn't leave Niagara without those three credits.

While I wasn't a huge fan of cruising (just a little too much time on a boat for me), I did love St. John, and plan on returning to that island (not via a cruise), as soon as possible.  Just like any island in the Caribbean it is surrounded by pristine crystal blue waters.  To me there was something beyond the crystal blue waters that made this island magical to me.

Part of the classes prep work included researching the excursions available on our particular cruise.  My roommate and I decided on an excursion for each of our three ports, but visiting St. John while at port in St. Thomas was what I looked forward to the most, and proved to be well worth the extra money spent.  My research had shared that Trunks Bay in St. John (pictured above) was one of the best beaches in the world, so I had to go!  I was also looking forward to the snorkel option at the beach as all I had ever seen was the bottom of Lake Erie.  The excursion was by far the highlight of my cruise.

For anyone visiting St. Thomas on a cruise I would suggest skipping the market at port and the pushy "sales" people.  You can opt to take a 20-30 minute boat ride to St. John for your day in the USVI's.  The boat ride was a tour in itself with our captain pointing out mansions owned by the rich and famous, as well as islands that were for sale. 

Once we arrived at the island we were transported through the National Park which encompasses a majority of the island.  We stopped to view a former sugar plantation, and then to a lookout point with our final destination below.  We then continued on to Trunks Bay, picked up our snorkel stuff and were in the water as soon as possible.  It was here that I saw my first barracuda, and here where I fell in love with the Caribbean.

So my suggestion to those of you taking a cruise, check the excursions, and get as far away from the port as possible.  Maybe it's just me, but I didn't enjoy the "cattle herding" at the ports.  In order to see what an island really is about it's important to get out and enjoy the excursions!