Midnight Sun Charters – 37ft OBSIDIAN

The best island days leave room for surprises. Midnight Sun Charters gives your group a private 37-foot boat, a captain, and a flexible route through the US and British Virgin Islands. I like the one-boat privacy and the freedom to shape the day around beaches, snorkeling, lunch, or a famous Painkiller at Soggy Dollar Bar. I also like that the boat carries bottled water with ice, a small but welcome comfort under the Caribbean sun.

The main catch is cost. At $2,000 for up to six people, plus fuel and BVI customs or entrance fees, this makes the most sense for a full group that values space and control. The advertised five-to-eight-hour length also means you will need to choose your stops carefully rather than expect a relaxed visit at every place listed.

Key points to know before booking

• Private 37-foot OBSIDIAN: Your group has the boat to itself, with a captain guiding the day.
• Custom route: You can focus on beaches, snorkeling, lunch, or island bars instead of following a fixed schedule.
• British Virgin Islands access: Stops can include The Baths, Norman Island, The Indians, Cooper Island, and Jost Van Dyke.
• Strong captain reports: Adam, Justin, Sam, and Colin are praised for flexibility, rapport, and making good use of limited time.
• Cruise-ship friendly with planning: Ship name, docking time, disembarkation time, and re-boarding time are required at booking.
• Extra costs matter: Fuel and BVI customs or entrance fees are not included in the $2,000 rate.

Why a private boat changes the St. Thomas day

A standard group cruise gives you a route and a clock. This charter gives you a conversation with your captain. You can say that snorkeling matters most, ask for a beach stop, linger over lunch, or shift the plan as the day develops.

That flexibility is especially useful around the British Virgin Islands, where the appeal lies in variety. One stop offers giant granite formations and a swimming beach. Another offers turtles and rays. A third is simply a small island where you can stretch out in the sun.

The boat is the 37-foot OBSIDIAN, and the private setup is limited to your own party, up to six people. That is a good size for a family, two or three couples, or a small group of friends who want room to talk and move around without sharing the day with strangers.

The captain is part guide, part boat handler, and part schedule manager. The strongest reports single out Adam, Justin, Sam, and Colin. Adam helped a cruise-ship group make the most of its time and dropped them near their ship. Sam was praised for adjusting the day to suit the group. Colin connected well with a family that included teenagers. Those details matter because a flexible charter is only as good as the person making the decisions with you.

The real value of $2,000 for six people

The headline price is $2,000 per group, not per person. With six people aboard, that works out to about $333 per person before fuel and BVI customs or entrance fees. With four people, the price rises to $500 each, and with two people it becomes a very expensive private outing.

That arithmetic tells you who should book. If you can fill the boat, the cost buys privacy, a custom plan, and a full day on the water. You are not paying only for transport from one island to another. You are paying to decide how your time is used.

The value is weaker if your group is small and mainly wants one beach plus lunch. In that case, a less expensive shared boat or land-based excursion may be a better fit. This charter earns its price when your party wants several types of stops, a private captain, and the freedom to change the order.

Fuel is extra, and so are BVI customs or entrance fees. Ask about those costs before you commit to the total budget. The included bottled water with ice is useful, but you should not mistake it for a full food and drink package. Lunch is mentioned at places such as Norman Island, Cooper Island, and the Pizza Boat, but the cost of meals and drinks is not included in the information provided.

Magens Bay starts the day with an easy win

Magens Bay Beach is listed as the first stop, with about an hour set aside. It is known as one of the world’s top-rated beaches, so this is a sensible opening if you want a broad sweep of pale sand, open water, and time to swim or sunbathe.

The advantage of starting here is simplicity. You do not need a complicated plan to enjoy a beach hour. It can also help your group settle into the pace of the boat before the day becomes more active.

The drawback is time. An hour is enough for a taste, not a long beach day. If The Baths, Norman Island, and Jost Van Dyke are priorities, you may decide to shorten or skip Magens Bay. That is exactly where the private format helps: tell the captain which experience matters most.

The Baths and Devil’s Bay bring the biggest scenery

Virgin Gorda’s The Baths is the signature stop on this route. The plan allows about two hours to explore the huge granite formations and swim at Devil’s Bay, with admission included.

This is the stop that rewards giving yourself real time. You are not simply stepping off the boat for a quick photograph. The appeal is walking among the rock formations, finding your way through the Baths, and reaching the beach and water at Devil’s Bay.

Two hours is a useful amount of time, but it can pass quickly. Wear practical footwear for moving through the Baths, though the supplied information does not specify what equipment is provided for this section. If your group includes people who want an unhurried beach visit, tell the captain before the route is set.

The Baths also creates a scheduling choice. It is one of the more involved stops, while snorkeling locations such as The Indians and Francis Bay require their own time in the water. You can likely see more places by keeping each visit short, but you cannot give every stop the same attention during a five-hour outing.

Sandy Cay offers a smaller, quieter break

Sandy Cay is a small island in the British Virgin Islands, with about an hour planned for snorkeling or sunbathing. It is a good counterpoint to The Baths. After a major attraction, a small island stop can feel refreshingly direct: water, sand, and time outside.

This is the kind of place that suits a group with different priorities. Some people can snorkel while others relax in the sun. You are not locked into one activity for everyone.

The limitation is that one hour leaves little room for a slow stop if boat travel takes up part of the day. Sandy Cay may be an ideal choice on a route built around several short visits, but it may be less important than The Baths or Norman Island if you have only five hours.

Francis Bay is the turtle and ray stop

Francis Bay is planned for about an hour and is described as a strong snorkeling location with turtles and sea rays. For many people, this is the most appealing kind of stop because the reward comes from being in the water rather than simply looking at a view.

Bring your attention to the captain’s timing and instructions. Marine life is never a guaranteed performance, but the bay is selected for the possibility of seeing turtles and rays. The stop is best for people who want active water time and are comfortable making snorkeling a central part of the day.

An hour is a compact visit. It may be enough for a focused swim, but not for a long snorkel followed by a leisurely beach break. If wildlife is high on your list, consider protecting this stop when you and the captain shape the route.

Norman Island Caves combine snorkeling and lunch

Norman Island Caves receives up to two hours, making it one of the more substantial stops. The area is described as a snorkeling site and is associated with Crusoe’s Treasure Island. It is also a good place for lunch.

That combination makes Norman Island practical. You can use one stop for water time and a meal, rather than spending extra time moving between locations. If your group wants a relaxed middle-of-the-day pause, this may be a stronger choice than trying to squeeze in every short snorkeling stop.

The phrase Crusoe’s Treasure Island adds a little atmosphere, but the important point for planning is time. Two hours gives you more breathing room than the one-hour stops. Even so, lunch can use a large part of that window, so decide in advance if your priority is eating, snorkeling, or an equal mix of both.

The Indians are for a focused snorkeling session

Near Norman Island, The Indians is another snorkeling spot, with about an hour allotted. Its location makes it a natural companion to Norman Island Caves if the water is your main goal.

The benefit is variety. You can visit two nearby snorkeling areas rather than relying on one spot for the entire day. The challenge is that adding both can reduce time at beaches, lunch stops, or Jost Van Dyke.

I would choose The Indians for a group that wants several water stops and is happy with shorter visits. If some people in your party prefer sunbathing or sightseeing, you may get more value from one snorkeling location and a longer beach or meal stop.

Cooper Island gives lunch a proper place in the plan

Cooper Island is listed as a good lunch stop, with about two hours. That longer window makes sense for a meal and a break from constant movement.

Lunch stops are easy to undervalue when planning a boat day. A packed route can look impressive on paper, but people need time to eat, talk, and get back aboard without feeling hurried. Cooper Island may be the right choice if your group wants a calmer rhythm.

The tradeoff is clear. Two hours here may mean dropping another one-hour stop. Since the charter lasts approximately five to eight hours, you should ask the captain to help match the route to your priorities. You can have a great day with fewer stops if the stops you choose fit your group.

Soggy Dollar Bar adds a famous final drink

The route can include an island hop to Jost Van Dyke and Soggy Dollar Bar, where you can order the famous Painkiller. About two hours are allowed, and admission is included.

This is a fun choice for adults who want the day to finish with a well-known island bar rather than another swim. The Painkiller gives the stop a clear purpose, and the island hop itself adds another change of scenery.

Keep the extra costs in mind. The information confirms that fuel and BVI customs or entrance fees are not included, while drinks are not listed as included. If your group is not interested in a bar stop, those two hours could be better spent at The Baths, Norman Island, or a snorkeling bay.

What the captain adds to the experience

The captain is not a minor detail here. On a private charter, you depend on that person to balance travel time, water conditions, group energy, and your wish list.

Adam is specifically praised for providing pool noodles and snorkel gear and for dropping a cruise-ship group close to its ship to help them use their time well. The supplied details do not state that every captain provides the same equipment, so ask what will be available for your date.

Justin is associated with a Virgin Gorda visit to The Baths, lunch at Norman Island, and drinks at the Pizza Boat on the return. That example shows how a day can include a major sight, a meal, and a casual stop without feeling tied to one kind of activity.

Sam is praised for a strong tour around the US Virgin Islands and for adapting the route to what the group wanted to see and do. Colin is praised for making the day memorable for a family with teenagers and building rapport across the group.

The overall lesson is simple: tell your captain your top two or three goals early. Do not arrive with eight equal priorities. A private boat gives you choices, but it does not create extra hours.

Timing, passports, and cruise-ship planning

The experience lasts approximately five to eight hours. That range is important because the shorter version cannot comfortably include every stop listed with the full suggested time. Treat the locations as a menu of possibilities and work with the captain to set a realistic plan.

All participants need a current valid passport on the day of travel. At booking, passport name, number, expiry date, and country are required for everyone. BVI customs or entrance fees are extra.

Cruise-ship passengers need to provide the ship name, docking time, disembarkation time, and re-boarding time when booking. Do not cut the return close to your ship’s departure. The company does not refund a missed tour caused by a cruise ship arriving late or failing to arrive.

The experience is near public transportation, but hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. Confirmation is sent within 48 hours, subject to availability. The ticket is mobile, so you can keep the booking on your phone.

Most people can participate, but the supplied details do not provide a more specific accessibility description. If anyone in your group has mobility or medical concerns, ask the provider before booking.

Who will enjoy this charter most

I would recommend Midnight Sun Charters to a group of up to six that wants control over the day. It is particularly suited to people who already know their priorities and can agree on a route.

It also works well for a mixed group. Strong swimmers can choose Francis Bay or The Indians, while other people can favor Magens Bay, Sandy Cay, lunch at Cooper Island, or the beach at Devil’s Bay.

Families may appreciate the private setting, especially since Colin received praise for connecting with teenagers. Couples and friends may prefer the ability to combine snorkeling with a bar or lunch stop without sharing their boat with a larger crowd.

I would hesitate if your party has only one or two people, dislikes boat travel, or wants a fully priced package with food, drinks, fuel, and border costs already covered. The charter is also not ideal for anyone who wants a fixed schedule with no decisions to make.

Should you book the 37-foot OBSIDIAN?

Book it if you can fill most of the six seats and care more about a private, custom day than the lowest possible price. The combination of The Baths, Norman Island, snorkeling bays, Cooper Island, and Soggy Dollar Bar gives you plenty of choice, while captain flexibility lets you cut the route to fit your group.

Before paying, confirm the extra fuel and BVI fees, agree on your top stops, and give the captain accurate cruise-ship timing if you are arriving by ship. Cancel at least 24 hours before the start time if plans change, since cancellations inside that window are not refundable. Poor weather may result in a different date or a full refund.

For a full group that wants a personal day on the water, this is a strong St. Thomas splurge. For a small party on a tight budget, it is harder to justify. The current 4.9 rating from 135 reviews and 99 percent recommendation support the idea that the experience usually delivers, but your best result will come from setting a realistic route before you leave the dock.

FAQ

How much does the private charter cost?

The price is $2,000 per group for up to six people. Fuel and BVI customs or entrance fees are not included.

How long does the experience last?

The charter lasts approximately five to eight hours.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates, with a maximum of six people.

What is included?

The private tour, a captain, and bottled water with ice are included.

Are hotel pickup and drop-off included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. The experience is near public transportation.

Do I need a passport?

Yes. Every participant must have a current valid passport on the day of travel. Passport name, number, expiry, and country are required when booking.

What information must cruise-ship passengers provide?

Cruise-ship passengers must provide the ship name, docking time, disembarkation time, and re-boarding time when booking.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded or accepted. If poor weather causes the company to cancel, you will be offered another date or a full refund.