Jost Van Dyke Island BVI Belle Vue, UK Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands

555 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Crystal Cruises (19 Cruises)

Emerald Waterways (39 Cruises)

Emerald Kaia.

Emerald Kaia

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Ponant (17 Cruises)

Seabourn Cruise Line (88 Cruises)

Seabourn Ovation.

Seabourn Ovation

40350 tons
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SeaDream Yacht Club (114 Cruises)

Seadream I

Seadream I

207 Passengers
4333 tons
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Seadream II

Seadream II

207 Passengers
4333 tons
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Silversea Cruises (38 Cruises)

Cruise SIL Silversea Cruises Silver Shadow ship

Silver Shadow

690 Passengers
28258 tons
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Star Clippers (44 Cruises)

Star Flyer.

Star Flyer

238 Passengers
2298 tons
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Windstar Cruises (184 Cruises)

Star Legend.

Star Legend

502 Passengers
12995 tons
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Star Pride.

Star Pride

502 Passengers
12995 tons
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Wind Surf

Wind Surf

552 Passengers
14745 tons
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2 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
2 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
2 January 7 days Round-trip 7 Night Beach Fun and Sun A Remote Caribbean Getaway Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
2 January 8 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
9 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
9 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 7 days Round-trip 7 Night Beach Fun and Sun A Remote Caribbean Getaway Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 8 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
23 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
23 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 8 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 7 days Round-trip 7 Night Beach Fun and Sun A Remote Caribbean Getaway Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
3 January 14 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
3 January 6 days Round-trip 6 Night Beach Fun and Sun A Remote Caribbean Getaway Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
3 January 13 days Round-trip 13 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
3 January 7 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
9 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
9 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 8 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
16 January 7 days Round-trip 7 Night Beach Fun and Sun A Remote Caribbean Getaway Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
23 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
23 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 15 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 7 days Round-trip 7 Night Beach Fun and Sun A Remote Caribbean Getaway Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 14 days Round-trip 14 Night Star Collector Caribbean Explorations Cruise
450-628-6241 Call us
30 January 8 days Round-trip from Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands
450-628-6241 Call us

Port of Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands | Cruise Port Guide

The anchor drops into a bay fringed with green hills, facing a handful of tin roofs and shaded terraces. This is Great Harbour, the home port of Jost Van Dyke: eight square kilometres, a few hundred residents, and a reputation that far outstrips its size. The tender drops passengers at a small dock; ten steps further on, the main street is made of sand. The island is said to take its name from a seventeenth-century Dutch pirate, Joost van Dyk; the story here is told more often than it's proven, and no one seems to mind.

Great Harbour, a Miniature Capital

A full loop of the hamlet takes a quarter of an hour: a Methodist church, cottages with colourful shutters, tables set facing the sea, and, at the far end of the shore, Foxy's, an institution founded in the late 1960s by Foxy Callwood, a calypso singer who still sometimes improvises verses about the day's visitors. Sailors from across the archipelago gather here for barbecues and the year-end parties that have become legendary in the Caribbean sailing world. Between one terrace and the next, chickens stroll calmly across the sandy road: the local pace asserts itself on its own, and watches quickly lose their usefulness.

Over the Hill to White Bay

Heading west, a steep road climbs over the ridge: a solid half-hour walk, or a few minutes in an open-air taxi. From the top, the view stretches all the way to St. John and St. Thomas, the nearby American islands, before dropping down to the day's reward: White Bay, a crescent of immaculate sand sheltered by a reef that softens the swell. The clear water is perfect for snorkelling along the coral patches, just metres from the beach towels. Turtles and rays make regular appearances, much to the delight of mask-wearing kids.

The Soggy Dollar Bar

It was on this very shore that the Soggy Dollar Bar earned its name: sailors anchored in the bay would swim to the counter, soaked bills in their pockets. The bar also claims to have invented the Painkiller, a blend of rum, coconut cream, pineapple, and orange topped with freshly grated nutmeg. It's sipped with your toes in the sand, watching the tenders and sailboats share the anchorage.

The Bubbly Pool

At the other end of the island, near the eastern hamlet, the sea surges between two rock walls and fills a natural basin with foam: the Bubbly Pool, a sort of spa sculpted by the waves. It's reached by taxi followed by a short walk through the mangroves. The effect depends entirely on the day's swell; in calm seas, it becomes nothing more than a quiet pool, while in a heavy swell, it turns too rough to approach. Ask the drivers for advice before heading there. On the way back, some make a detour past the sandbanks of Sandy Cay, a protected islet that rises offshore of the east coast, which boat excursions skirt right along the clear water.

By the end of the day, everyone heads back to the dock with salt on their skin and that particular feeling of having spent a few hours among friends rather than at a stop on an itinerary. Jost Van Dyke isn't really visited: it's adopted, and many are already jotting down its name for a future sailing trip.

Practical Notes

  • Anchoring and tender transfer to Great Harbour or directly to White Bay, depending on the company.
  • The US dollar is the official currency of the British Virgin Islands.
  • Left-hand driving; open-air taxis wait at the dock on ship days.
  • Few ATMs: bring cash in small denominations.
  • The climb to White Bay is steep: in high heat, the taxi is the better option over walking.

Frequently Asked Questions

The ship anchors offshore and tenders land passengers at a small pier, at Great Harbour or straight to White Bay depending on the line. Ten paces further, the main street is sand.
The hamlet takes fifteen minutes to walk: a Methodist church, cottages with coloured shutters, tables facing the sea and, at the end of the shore, Foxy's, an institution founded in the late 1960s by calypso singer Foxy Callwood.
By a steep road over the ridge: a brisk half-hour walk, or a few minutes in an open taxi. The climb is sharp and, in real heat, the taxi is far the better choice.
A crescent of flawless sand protected by a reef that softens the swell. The clear water suits snorkelling along the coral heads, just metres from the towels; turtles and rays turn up regularly.
White Bay easily fills most of the day: swimming, snorkelling and lingering. Great Harbour takes fifteen minutes on arrival or on the way back, which leaves time for both without rushing.
A bar at White Bay named for the sailors anchored in the bay who swam ashore to the counter with soaked bills in their pockets. The house also claims the invention of the Painkiller, a mix of rum, coconut cream, pineapple and orange topped with freshly grated nutmeg.
A natural basin near the eastern hamlet where the sea forces its way between two rock walls and fills with foam. You reach it by taxi and a short walk through the mangroves. The effect depends entirely on the swell: flat seas leave a quiet pool, heavy swell makes it too violent. Ask the drivers before setting out.
The US dollar, official currency of the British Virgin Islands. ATMs are scarce on the island, so bring cash in small bills.
The left, as throughout the British territory. Open taxis wait at the pier on ship days; that is the transport to use, since the island is small but hilly.
Yes. White Bay is reef-protected, the water stays calm and children with a mask can watch turtles and rays. The only obstacle is the climb from Great Harbour, best solved with a taxi.