usvi-on-line
Newbie Report PT 1
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Greenskeeper
- Posts: 390
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: Cape Cod, MA
Newbie Report PT 1
Trip Report: Attempt # 2
I had a quite lengthy trip report almost done and POOF, it was gone! This is round 2, somewhat condensed.
We flew out of Boston on Thursday, February 12. We always use a car service to get to Logan. Door to door service that is not much more $ than leaving the car at an airport lot for the week. Add that to the cost of a stolen catalytic converter (big rash of those around here) and it’s a no brainer. We were surprised by how quiet the airport was for a school vacation week. We did carry on only so we did not have to wait in any lines- even though the airport was quiet, there were still lines at check in.
We stayed in Atlanta overnight and then went onto STT in the morning. It was a good plan as we gave ourselves some breathing room in case of flight delays. We saw many fellow passengers running to get connections and many in heated conversation with customer service reps as their flights had already departed. Direct flights would’ve been great but at $1600 PP it was cost prohibitive. This worked. Atlanta was pretty busy on Friday morning so again, we were thrilled to have pre-printed boarding passes and carry on luggage.
We landed in STT by 2:00 and were greeted by a smiling gregarious Rachel. What a lovely welcome! She greeted us with a big hug and the offer of a tour to Red Hook. We rode to Red Hook with mouths agape taking in the views around ST. Rachel shared with us much of the history and information about flora and fauna that we saw along the way. She was such a wonderful ambassador for the VI’s. If you have the time, booking transportation with Rachel is a great way to get introduced to the island.
We pulled up to Red Hook and were pleasantly surprised that my sister had been able to take a little time off from the charter she is on. It was wonderful. I had only seen photos of the schooner she is on so we were able to see it as we left ST harbor. It’s a beautiful sight. And even more beautiful, the water. We’ve been to many island destinations but the water in the Virgin Islands is just such a gorgeous shade of blue. Breathtaking. My sister lived on her boat in the VI’s for a number of years. Previously, she had sailed competitively in the area so she knows it well and has wonderful stories of the islands from 20+ years ago. We pulled into Cruz Bay and were met by Nancy and Ernie of Love City Villas. They took our luggage and we walked up to Conrad Sutton’s to pick up our jeep. Along the way, my sister pointed out places that held memories for her and my niece. The church where my niece had her first recital, the school where she attended 4th grade and the harbor wher e she earned money selling coconuts to tourists and later zipping around in her Zodiac picking up trash from boat to boat. Pretty cool to make that connection. Conrad Sutton and his wife were very nice. We got the jeep very quickly and were on our way. We headed up to Calypso del Sol to start our adventure.
We booked Calypso del Sol based on photos online, recommendations and the good feeling we got in speaking to the owner at time of booking. Still, we were worried that our expectations would not be met. Fortunately, they were exceeded. The villa was gorgeous. The décor and setting were magnificent. It was comfortable but island elegant. All the rooms were beautifully appointed and laid out. There was plenty of furniture on the patios and pool deck. Looking at the bay was a wonderful way to start the day with a cup of coffee, and start the evening with a glass of sangria watching the sun set. At night, we just sat out listening to the waves and looking at the stars. It was truly a magical, relaxing oasis. A very practical and important notation: this villa has a pull thru driveway. Someone mentioned it to me here when we were booking. I didn’t realize the significance. NEWBIE TIP: if a villa description says a driveway is challenging LISTEN. We drove by some driveways and could not believe someone could navigate them.
I had a quite lengthy trip report almost done and POOF, it was gone! This is round 2, somewhat condensed.
We flew out of Boston on Thursday, February 12. We always use a car service to get to Logan. Door to door service that is not much more $ than leaving the car at an airport lot for the week. Add that to the cost of a stolen catalytic converter (big rash of those around here) and it’s a no brainer. We were surprised by how quiet the airport was for a school vacation week. We did carry on only so we did not have to wait in any lines- even though the airport was quiet, there were still lines at check in.
We stayed in Atlanta overnight and then went onto STT in the morning. It was a good plan as we gave ourselves some breathing room in case of flight delays. We saw many fellow passengers running to get connections and many in heated conversation with customer service reps as their flights had already departed. Direct flights would’ve been great but at $1600 PP it was cost prohibitive. This worked. Atlanta was pretty busy on Friday morning so again, we were thrilled to have pre-printed boarding passes and carry on luggage.
We landed in STT by 2:00 and were greeted by a smiling gregarious Rachel. What a lovely welcome! She greeted us with a big hug and the offer of a tour to Red Hook. We rode to Red Hook with mouths agape taking in the views around ST. Rachel shared with us much of the history and information about flora and fauna that we saw along the way. She was such a wonderful ambassador for the VI’s. If you have the time, booking transportation with Rachel is a great way to get introduced to the island.
We pulled up to Red Hook and were pleasantly surprised that my sister had been able to take a little time off from the charter she is on. It was wonderful. I had only seen photos of the schooner she is on so we were able to see it as we left ST harbor. It’s a beautiful sight. And even more beautiful, the water. We’ve been to many island destinations but the water in the Virgin Islands is just such a gorgeous shade of blue. Breathtaking. My sister lived on her boat in the VI’s for a number of years. Previously, she had sailed competitively in the area so she knows it well and has wonderful stories of the islands from 20+ years ago. We pulled into Cruz Bay and were met by Nancy and Ernie of Love City Villas. They took our luggage and we walked up to Conrad Sutton’s to pick up our jeep. Along the way, my sister pointed out places that held memories for her and my niece. The church where my niece had her first recital, the school where she attended 4th grade and the harbor wher e she earned money selling coconuts to tourists and later zipping around in her Zodiac picking up trash from boat to boat. Pretty cool to make that connection. Conrad Sutton and his wife were very nice. We got the jeep very quickly and were on our way. We headed up to Calypso del Sol to start our adventure.
We booked Calypso del Sol based on photos online, recommendations and the good feeling we got in speaking to the owner at time of booking. Still, we were worried that our expectations would not be met. Fortunately, they were exceeded. The villa was gorgeous. The décor and setting were magnificent. It was comfortable but island elegant. All the rooms were beautifully appointed and laid out. There was plenty of furniture on the patios and pool deck. Looking at the bay was a wonderful way to start the day with a cup of coffee, and start the evening with a glass of sangria watching the sun set. At night, we just sat out listening to the waves and looking at the stars. It was truly a magical, relaxing oasis. A very practical and important notation: this villa has a pull thru driveway. Someone mentioned it to me here when we were booking. I didn’t realize the significance. NEWBIE TIP: if a villa description says a driveway is challenging LISTEN. We drove by some driveways and could not believe someone could navigate them.
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Greenskeeper
- Posts: 390
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: Cape Cod, MA
PART 2
Something I was very happy we did was book the villa for an extra night. We found no matter how we planned it, we could not get into the villa until late afternoon. We felt if we flew in in Friday, we could get settled, and then enjoy 8 full days of vacation. I’m glad we made that choice. It was nice to get up Saturday with the knowledge that we could take off and go.
We spent the week like many other people do. We explored Coral Bay one day and learned where the term: up hill both ways came from. HOLY SWITCHBACK BATMAN! NOTE TO OTHER NEWBIES: plan your driving trips wisely. We saw jeeps sliding backwards down one particular hill after a minor rain storm. The roads get slick. Driving is interesting to say the least. We would pull off to the side whenever possible to let more experienced drivers pass us. We were in no rush to get anywhere and by midweek, were very comfortable with driving. We spent the week just hitting various beaches. My husband and sons are recreational snorkelers just starting out. They were in their glory. They say too many fish to name but of course my boys were most thrilled to see a barracuda and 2 small sharks. There was a north shore swell toward the end of the week so we hit Maho on 2 days which was very calm. What struck us about these beaches vs. most others we’ve been to is the shade that can be found. We’re beach bums so we could go for 8 hours and not get baked. The beaches are truly magnificent. When we went to STJ, we only had one plan- relax. We just went with the flow and took each day as it came. That’s how we roll. One thing I highly recommend for anyone who is in STJ during President’s Week in the future is to attend the Folk Festival at Annaberg Plantation. It was a wonderful event. Historians, storytellers and musicians educate hundreds of local students and the public about the history of the Virgin Islands. Also available are dozens of vendors of handcrafted items and purveyors of local cuisine. It was a wonderful way to connect with local people who were celebrating their heritage. We did do a “villa day” where we just enjoyed the pool and spa and the sights throughout the day in the villa.
DINING/FOOD SHOPPING: So much is made of this subject, I thought it deserved it’s own entry. As a first timer, I too was intimidated by the idea of grocery shopping, shipping vs. not shipping and restaurant cuisine and pricing. My husband finally put much of it in perspective: how much would we save if we shipped some crackers ahead when we’re only staying for 9 days. He was right. First of all, grocery shopping is not a major deal and we didn’t spend that much time in the store. The markets are small and on the occasions we were there, we never waited in line. Starfish Gourmet is a jewel. They have a fine selection of coffees, cheeses, pate's and cured meats. We had wonderful cheese platters and fruit each evening during sunset. Like the rest of our trip, I had no plan for meals. We knew we would eat out quite a bit so we only bought meats for one nights’ dinner. The plan was a good one because we held to our established dining habits which is 1 daytime meal, a snack and then a big dinner. We ended up eating dinner out every night but one and honestly, if I had not bought the meat we probably would’ve eating out for all of them. The great thing about STJ restaurants is there is something for everyone- no matter taste or budget. You can go high end or cheap eats. Because it is such a small island and there is so much competition, I don't think a bad restaurant could make it on STJ. We did not have a bad meal anywhere.
PACKING: We commited ourselves to cutting back on luggage and going carry on only. I’m so glad we did it. Even with 1 bag, I still had clothes I never wore. I did laundry midweek for the kids-I know some people loathe work on vacation but hey, it’s not like I had to go beat it on a rock, our villa had a washer and dryer. Besides the point, I’m a great multitasker. I can load the washer and not spill a drop of sangria while doing it. Because we opted not to ship ahead either, I took advantage of any extra suitcase space. I took tips from the board and brought along anything that I had around the house in bulk: Splenda Packets, ziplock bags , granola bars, individual snacks etc. I’m glad we did that as again, for 9 days I didn’t need a full box of any one thing and it gave the kids some variety. When we left STJ, we heard many people talking to each other about how they had done a great job packing less but still brought more than they needed.
FINAL THOUGHTS: STJ was the best, most relaxing vacation we have ever taken. The people are wonderful. We met and conversed with native people and transplants. Everyone has a story but they all have one thing in common. They love the lifestyle they’ve chosen and want to share it with anyone who’s willing to slow down for long enough to listen.
Something I was very happy we did was book the villa for an extra night. We found no matter how we planned it, we could not get into the villa until late afternoon. We felt if we flew in in Friday, we could get settled, and then enjoy 8 full days of vacation. I’m glad we made that choice. It was nice to get up Saturday with the knowledge that we could take off and go.
We spent the week like many other people do. We explored Coral Bay one day and learned where the term: up hill both ways came from. HOLY SWITCHBACK BATMAN! NOTE TO OTHER NEWBIES: plan your driving trips wisely. We saw jeeps sliding backwards down one particular hill after a minor rain storm. The roads get slick. Driving is interesting to say the least. We would pull off to the side whenever possible to let more experienced drivers pass us. We were in no rush to get anywhere and by midweek, were very comfortable with driving. We spent the week just hitting various beaches. My husband and sons are recreational snorkelers just starting out. They were in their glory. They say too many fish to name but of course my boys were most thrilled to see a barracuda and 2 small sharks. There was a north shore swell toward the end of the week so we hit Maho on 2 days which was very calm. What struck us about these beaches vs. most others we’ve been to is the shade that can be found. We’re beach bums so we could go for 8 hours and not get baked. The beaches are truly magnificent. When we went to STJ, we only had one plan- relax. We just went with the flow and took each day as it came. That’s how we roll. One thing I highly recommend for anyone who is in STJ during President’s Week in the future is to attend the Folk Festival at Annaberg Plantation. It was a wonderful event. Historians, storytellers and musicians educate hundreds of local students and the public about the history of the Virgin Islands. Also available are dozens of vendors of handcrafted items and purveyors of local cuisine. It was a wonderful way to connect with local people who were celebrating their heritage. We did do a “villa day” where we just enjoyed the pool and spa and the sights throughout the day in the villa.
DINING/FOOD SHOPPING: So much is made of this subject, I thought it deserved it’s own entry. As a first timer, I too was intimidated by the idea of grocery shopping, shipping vs. not shipping and restaurant cuisine and pricing. My husband finally put much of it in perspective: how much would we save if we shipped some crackers ahead when we’re only staying for 9 days. He was right. First of all, grocery shopping is not a major deal and we didn’t spend that much time in the store. The markets are small and on the occasions we were there, we never waited in line. Starfish Gourmet is a jewel. They have a fine selection of coffees, cheeses, pate's and cured meats. We had wonderful cheese platters and fruit each evening during sunset. Like the rest of our trip, I had no plan for meals. We knew we would eat out quite a bit so we only bought meats for one nights’ dinner. The plan was a good one because we held to our established dining habits which is 1 daytime meal, a snack and then a big dinner. We ended up eating dinner out every night but one and honestly, if I had not bought the meat we probably would’ve eating out for all of them. The great thing about STJ restaurants is there is something for everyone- no matter taste or budget. You can go high end or cheap eats. Because it is such a small island and there is so much competition, I don't think a bad restaurant could make it on STJ. We did not have a bad meal anywhere.
PACKING: We commited ourselves to cutting back on luggage and going carry on only. I’m so glad we did it. Even with 1 bag, I still had clothes I never wore. I did laundry midweek for the kids-I know some people loathe work on vacation but hey, it’s not like I had to go beat it on a rock, our villa had a washer and dryer. Besides the point, I’m a great multitasker. I can load the washer and not spill a drop of sangria while doing it. Because we opted not to ship ahead either, I took advantage of any extra suitcase space. I took tips from the board and brought along anything that I had around the house in bulk: Splenda Packets, ziplock bags , granola bars, individual snacks etc. I’m glad we did that as again, for 9 days I didn’t need a full box of any one thing and it gave the kids some variety. When we left STJ, we heard many people talking to each other about how they had done a great job packing less but still brought more than they needed.
FINAL THOUGHTS: STJ was the best, most relaxing vacation we have ever taken. The people are wonderful. We met and conversed with native people and transplants. Everyone has a story but they all have one thing in common. They love the lifestyle they’ve chosen and want to share it with anyone who’s willing to slow down for long enough to listen.
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smilesfromMN
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2007 10:19 am
- Location: MN
)-
Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
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Greenskeeper
- Posts: 390
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: Cape Cod, MA
Photos to follow. Actually I wanted to to include and forgot- WE LEFT OUR CAMERA IN THE JEEP. We called Conrad Sutton's when we realized it and they are going to ship it back to us. I was in tears when they said they had it we have lots of photos on it. Good, honest people.
I did restaurant reviews and posted them. In a time when everyone is watching their dollars and restaurant staff are working so hard to earn, I did those ASAP.
If things go as planned we'll head back next February vacation. I'd love to do an off season trip some day and see all of your forumites at the Beach Bar but right now, I love escaping the cold of February in Massachusetts.
Dominica- did you see the post about Rachel. She's loving being an internet star!
I did restaurant reviews and posted them. In a time when everyone is watching their dollars and restaurant staff are working so hard to earn, I did those ASAP.
If things go as planned we'll head back next February vacation. I'd love to do an off season trip some day and see all of your forumites at the Beach Bar but right now, I love escaping the cold of February in Massachusetts.
Dominica- did you see the post about Rachel. She's loving being an internet star!
Thanks for the report! Great job!
Since you only did carry on and didn't ship ahead, what did you do about things like sunscreen, shampoo, etc.? 3 oz. just won't cut it for a week. That's the only reason I'm considering shipping ahead. But now I realized that Connections closes on Sat. at 1:30 and we won't be there by then so now I don't know what I'm gonna do. I just love to only have carry-ons!!!
Since you only did carry on and didn't ship ahead, what did you do about things like sunscreen, shampoo, etc.? 3 oz. just won't cut it for a week. That's the only reason I'm considering shipping ahead. But now I realized that Connections closes on Sat. at 1:30 and we won't be there by then so now I don't know what I'm gonna do. I just love to only have carry-ons!!!
MCDomzal
With the cost of postage - $10 approx for a flat rate box - if you buy sunblock etc here, you will still probably save money as it is only a couple of $$ more (if that) per bottle of sunblock - shampoo is more expensive, but if you use Johnsons Baby Shampoo which is pretty mild you can also use it (50% JBS with 50% water) in a spray bottle as a defogger for your snorkel mask and much cheaper than the $9.00 per tiny bottle of the "professional" defogger 
Also, if you are concerned about facial products - cleansers etc, and you don't think 3oz will work, remember all people in your party can have a ziplock (quart) bag to go through security so make hubby carry one as well - 6oz should do you for the week
Pia
Also, if you are concerned about facial products - cleansers etc, and you don't think 3oz will work, remember all people in your party can have a ziplock (quart) bag to go through security so make hubby carry one as well - 6oz should do you for the week
Pia