Private Tour

Private Power Catamaran. Secluded Beaches, Snorkeling, Turtles for Full/Half Day

Overview

Available languages

English

6 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

This full or half day private charter will offer you a great introduction to the beautiful Virgin Islands National Park. Our captains live locally and love sharing the beauty of the place they call home with visitors. Our boat, Shady Lady, is a 32' power catamaran that is the perfect boat for the waters of the USVI. She's wide and very stable and nearly 2/3 of the deck is shaded. Not to worry, though, as there is plenty of seating in the sun. We will take you on a comfortable cruise pointing out landmarks and giving you some historical context to the places you will see. We will do some snorkeling on some of the most beautiful, vibrant coral reefs you'll ever see. You will swim with turtles in crystal clear, warm water consisting of a myriad of shades of blue. There will also be plenty of time to relax and listen to our awesome sound system and sip on a cold drink. For full day charters, we can also plan a stop for lunch. Your private charter will be the best day of your vacation!

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Bottled water

Use of Snorkelling equipment

Captain (and a mate for larger groups)

Ice in our built in coolers

Gratuities

Fuel

Lunch

Alcoholic beverages are not included, but we can get them for you for an additional charge

What To Expect

On your private charter with Shades of Blue Charters, you will only be with your family/friends and the captain. The boat, Island Girl, is yours for the day and you call the shots. The captain can certainly guide you in creating your day's itinerary if you would like. There are lots of things we can do, among them: snorkeling vibrant coral reefs, beach hopping from one beautiful beach to another (many of them secluded), swimming with turtles, or just floating on noodles in the beautiful warm water with a nice cold drink. If you choose the full day private charter, you will have time for a lunch stop. (The captain can help you with the various options.) Your captain will take you from place to place on your chosen itinerary all while listening to our awesome 2000 watt stereo system. By the end of your day on the water, you will have a new friend in your captain and lots of great memories of what is likely to be the best day of your vacation.

Options

Half Day Charter - Morning

Morning Charter (3.5 hours)

Full Day Private Charter

Full Day Charter (6.5 hours)

Half Day Charter - Afternoon

Afternoon Charter (3.5 hours)

Reviews

5.00

13 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Shades of Blue private charter
dianepJ7177SS,
Feb 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Shades of Blue Captain Mike is AMAZING! We had a total of 8 people and let him pick the day and was totally in awe of the entire day! We stayed at Sapphire Village and this is booked directly out of the marina there. I would do this every visit again and again!
Amazing day with the crew from Shades of Blue!
orrororr,
Oct 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We enjoyed a wonderful day on Shades of Blue Charters. Captain Aaron, Mike & Deb were very friendly, and made sure all of our needs were met. They were able to show us the best spots for snorkeling and sight seeing, and were familiar enough with the area that they could improvise and take us to alternative locations depending on weather, which changes frequently on the islands. The immaculate boat rides very smoothly and the snorkeling equipment is clean and good repair. A bonus is that they have really cool merch with the logo! 10/10 recommend!
Shades of Blue saved the day!
Seaside00627363854,
Aug 7, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We were scheduled for a private boat charter to the BVI's on Friday, July 25 with another company for our family of 11. They called the morning of and cancelled the trip due to mechanical issues with the boat. We quickly looked for another boat since we really wanted to take this trip with the whole family. We contacted Shades of Blue and they told us they could book us a trip for the next day. Things turned out even better because we were staying at Sapphire Beach Resort and that's where the boat was docked. We were greeted by Captain Aaron and we boarded the boat about 10:00 am. We headed out to Jost Van Dyke where we checked in with customs. From there, we headed to Sandy Spit. Next, we headed back to White Bay where we spent the rest of the afternoon eating conch fritters and drinking painkillers. About 4:00 pm, we boarded the boat and headed to St. John for customs. From there, we headed back to Sapphire Beach. The boat was very nice and Captain Aaron was very responsive to our requests. Shades of Blue stepped up and saved our family trip to the BVI's!!
Best day in St Thomas
afergvip1,
Jul 22, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
If I could give them 10 stars I would!! From the very first moment I reached out to Mike about this trip he was very responsive and answered all my questions. I’m sure he was tired of hearing from me before this trip even began. He went above and beyond to help me make this day very special for my husband who has been diagnosed with ALS. He made sure we could get him in the boat, stored his chair and sent me videos pre trip to make sure the dock was wide enough etc. They made sure this was a special day for us and made it so easy. I can’t thank them enough or highly recommended them enough!! Absolute best day!! Don’t hesitate to book with Shades of Blue!! Top notch service and quality. We went over to St John, snorkeled with turtles and fish, picked up pizza on the water, cruised around and just enjoyed a relaxing day on the water. My husband said this was the best day of his trip!!
Great Charter!
BCxyz1234,
Mar 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Had two great charters with shades of blue. Capt Tim and Capt Mike were great! Kept my teenage boys entertained all day. Thoroughly enjoyed both charters and wouldn’t hesitate to use Shades of Blue again!
Shades of Blue full Day powercat tour in St. Thomas
22larryr,
Dec 30, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great experience. Aaron was our captain and took us wherever we wanted to go. We went snorkeling and hit cool beaches and a floating pizza place. Just sailing around the islands was great but the stops made it even better. These guys did a great job!! You can thank me later.
A perfect day on the water!
janelA665XN,
Jun 28, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I highly recommend Shades of Blue and captain Aaron. It was one of the best days of our trip. Aaron took us sightseeing around the island and brought us to some amazing spots for snorkeling. The perfect end to our day was when Aaron brought us to @pizzapivi for delicious pizza and a beautiful sunset. A great day all around…can’t wait to go back!
Shades of Blue Blew Us Away
smccr48,
Jun 21, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our Sunset cruise with Shades of Blue was fantastic in every way! Captain Aaron was terrific! He was super efficient, friendly, knowledgeable, and so good with our seven year old grandson. Every action he took was focused on giving us the best experience possible. The snorkeling in two spots was wonderful. The pizza was delicious. The sunset was so beautiful. Having great sound system for our playlists was a plus. The rum punch was a hit! The Island Girl was very clean and well provisioned, providing good space for family time. We all absolutely loved everything about it and it exceeded our expectations by a lot!
Perfect Afternoon!
Stay770222,
May 31, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Wow! We were cruising with our 4 kids (18-22 years old) and they all said this was the highlight! Aaron was great and provided information and could not have been more helpful to our crew from Tennessee! Worth every dime for this experience!
Beyond expectations.
jenniferfO7508DH,
May 1, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a great experience with the 3 hour tour. Captain Kirk made sure we saw lots of amazing things and had great stories. We were originally booked on a different day but got rained out. We were so appreciative of Shades of Blue’s efforts to find another time so that we could still get this activity in. We had adults and teenagers in our group and everyone thought this was one of the best things we did on our trip.