Looking for tips for tourists visiting the Carnival festivities on St Thomas next week. We are staying on STJ, so need to know how transport works best, too. Safe for group of ladies at reasonable hours / all events?

The ferry runs every hour. If you are not in a hurry, you can take a safari bus for $2 to waterfront.

http://www.vicarnivalschedule.com/stthomas/

a great event to visit is the Food Fair/cultural fair on Wed. during the day, The Stadium events run late but the Steel Pan show is really impressive 4/24 and you could combine it with a walk in the Village, you will never see a parade as long, loud, hot and amazing as the adult Parade on saturday - it is a great event!

There may be late ferries back to STJ - check at the ferry dock -- a $2 safari is ok on the way into town but they don't run after sunset so you will have to take a taxi - maybe set that up ahead of time.

Great music, foods and a drinking crowd late but plenty of families in the earlier evenings at the village.
I surely do not recommend J'ouvert.

Ditto for Food Fair! Food, handmade goodies, fruits/veggies/food products, music. I actually like the Children's Parade better than the Adult's, but both are long and usually hot. I haven't stayed for an entire parade in a long while! The Village is fun for the early evening, but when the bands crank up, I'm outta there.

If you take a regular taxi to town, ask if they will come back and get you at a certain time. The $2 safari would only work during the day.

I love to stay on St John during the St Thomas carnival. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't like crowds or noise. You have received good information already.

LOL. After 20 years, I can only take a tiny bit of Carnival. The first year I did everything from Brass-O-Rama to J'ouvert to both parades, etc. I still think there are fun parts if you have never been, and I have friends who are die-hard-Don't-Stop-the-Carnival partiers! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" />

RAIN ain't stop no Carnival!! The Village opened last night -Friday - and will be open until next Sat. night - some booths do open for lunch but overall it gets started each night about 5-6 pm with music every night!

The boat races are in the harbor on Sunday too.

I took my sailing crew to the Adult Parade last year and we all really enjoyed it. The parade moves very, very slowly with the gaps between groups getting wider as the day goes on. The lead group got to the post office at about noon. We then slowly walked Dronningens Gade against the flow of the parade until we got to the cemetery. We headed back to the boat 4 pm with our ears RINGING! It is very loud but lots of fun.