Tortola - What and Why?

[LizGirl]

Thank you all for your replies. I did see Disney's offerings. And I did take a look at the Gorda Baths via You Tube and Trip Advisor. I guess besides Gorda Baths and JVD what else is there to do at Tortola? So also feeding into this conversation is the fact that the cost is ~$80 per person (there are 4 of us) and there is a ~40 min boat ride before and after. And while in St Thomas we are going to Maegens Bay (a beach) and then CC. So is there something else in Tortola that isn't a beach? What else would I get off the boat for? For example during the Western itin we get off at Jamaica and walk around the little shopping area and then spend the rest of the day on the boat. Is there a comparable area like this in Tortola?

We regularly do not do Disney excursions while on the Western itineraries. So going off the beaten path is no problem. But I really don't want to pay more than $100 per person for an excursion, regardless of either Disney or private company.

Thank you!
Joe

I've been emailing the staff at Speedy's to verify the ferries to Virgin Gorda are running. They offer a package deal - $38 includes an adult round trip ferry ticket and taxi ride to/from the Baths. I believe there is separate small entrance fee to get into the Baths themselves. We are going this route to have a little freedom, attempt to beat the excursion crowds, and save a little money. They tell me that you don't need to reserve in advance. You just show up to the ferry dock and buy your ticket. It's a little walk from the cruise dock. Check Google Maps to see more detail.

The posters on this thread shared some photos of the walk to the ferry and details about the trip: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2448130&highlight=baths

 

[J2Rick]

We are traveling to Tortola in early December but aren't interested on a boating excursion, as we are traveling with two babies! Are there any travelers knowledgeable of private excursions involving land tours of the Tortola area? I think these would be easier to navigate with two little ones. I'd appreciate any insight.

 

[stacaka4321]

Spending the day at Cane Garden Bay was my absolute favorite thing we did on both the cruises we went on. I did hear it got hit pretty bad by the hurricane so hopefully it's cleaned up. We just took a taxi and hung out all day. It was amazing.

 

[lizzyb]

We are planning to take Speedy's ferry over to Virgin Gorda to tour the Baths. I'm sure there are nice beaches to visit on Tortola but I've not researched them for myself.

In my experience, the Disney excursions don't leave you much time to enjoy the destination. BVI is safe so we are going it on our own to have more time.

We took the ferry and went to the Baths on our own. Very easy to do and we all love it. This was 2 years ago though, prior to the hurricane.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

We also went to The Baths -- in '16. We did the Disney excursion and quite honestly, we were there for quite a while - I think 5 hours? The Baths were beautiful and we didn't feel rushed at all!