After touring downtown Charlotte Amalie, Marc and I joined a tour of neighboring island, St. John. Just four miles away from St. Thomas, traveling by ferry seemed to be the only way to go.

The tour we joined was organized by the Carnival Cruise Line and so we didn't really have to do much planning. We just showed up together with other cruise travelers at the designated meeting point on the ship and off we were to our destination.

Upon arrival in St. John, a van and guide were on hand to show us around town and in the end take us to Trunk Bay where we were to spend some time swimming at its beach.

Unlike St. Thomas, St. John seemed more laid back and quieter. To begin with, it had a much smaller population. We were informed that lots of rich people lived there, much more than in the neighboring islands thereby earning the label, the Beverly Hills of the Virgin Islands, for itself.

It was in Trunk Bay where we stopped and swam at its beach. There were corals under water and the small islets close to shore had some spectacular ones. Lifeguards were nearby and I even heard one yell at one teenager telling him not to stand on one. Corals after all take a long time to grow.

I do remember not swimming here for a long time given the cold temperature of the water. I overheard other visitors complain of the same thing. The water though was crystal clear.

There are all sorts of cruise travelers. Some like the days at sea while we like the days spent ashore visiting exotic island nations. To date, we more often than not get board on board when we are not docked somewhere. Shops, casinos, theaters, and restaurants on board just don't seem to be enough to keep us busy and entertained fully.

Next stop, the French island of Martinique.