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Help a Brother out
Help a Brother out
We're booking our 30th anniversary trip. We honeymooned on St. thomas and liked it a lot. This time we are booking a villa on St. John...La Bella near Coral Bay. It looks nice, but apparently it is not air conditioned. Any feedback on this villa? Also, help me on logistics. We fly in to STT. Is it best to take a taxi to the ferry? Should we take the ferry from Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook? Should we rent our vehicle on St. Thomas or St. John? We are not experienced tourists so your advice is appreciated! Thanks.
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John LMBZ06
- Posts: 286
- Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:52 am
- Location: Frisco, TX
You will get different answers on some of these questions. What time of the year are you going? I have stayed with no A/C one time and will never do it again. If it is December through February, it may not be that big of a deal.
Right now, there are only 3 ferry times from downtown, so you would need to see what time your flight arrives to take that ferry. The Red Hook ferry will leave every hour if downtown does not work. The downtown ferry is a longer ride to St. John, but much shorter and cheaper cab ride.
If you rent a car on St. Thomas, just make sure that they allow you to take it over to St. John. Not all of them do.
I recommend you look at a couple of web sites that have good information, like this one:
http://seestjohn.com/
Right now, there are only 3 ferry times from downtown, so you would need to see what time your flight arrives to take that ferry. The Red Hook ferry will leave every hour if downtown does not work. The downtown ferry is a longer ride to St. John, but much shorter and cheaper cab ride.
If you rent a car on St. Thomas, just make sure that they allow you to take it over to St. John. Not all of them do.
I recommend you look at a couple of web sites that have good information, like this one:
http://seestjohn.com/
AC will depend on what time of year you are going. If you are planning a summer trip, you would probably want AC at least in the bedrooms. I can't tell from the pictures on their website how high up the house is.
For transport to St. John, I would recommend that you just go to Red Hook. Yes, it is a longer taxi ride, but there are so few town ferries now. Red Hook has a brand new terminal with a couple of shops, restrooms, and a bar where you can wait for the next ferry.
I personally prefer to rent my car on St. John because if you have any maintenance issues the STT folks won't come and help you fix it. You might also want to inquire whether you need 4WD to get to the house you rented.
For transport to St. John, I would recommend that you just go to Red Hook. Yes, it is a longer taxi ride, but there are so few town ferries now. Red Hook has a brand new terminal with a couple of shops, restrooms, and a bar where you can wait for the next ferry.
I personally prefer to rent my car on St. John because if you have any maintenance issues the STT folks won't come and help you fix it. You might also want to inquire whether you need 4WD to get to the house you rented.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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John LMBZ06
- Posts: 286
- Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:52 am
- Location: Frisco, TX
Since it sounds as though you have already rented the villa, there is no point in commenting on A/C. I think this villa is up the hill (mountain) some so there should be good breezes.
I would agree with liamsaunt and plan on catching a cab to Red Hook since the chance of catching the ferry from downtown is not good. Cabs are outside the terminal and someone will direct you to one going to Red Hook. These are generally 12 passenger vans and will fill up before they leave. I would rent a vehicle, preferably a jeep, in Cruz Bay for several reasons: such as the car ferry, having a place to park in Cruz Bay, and why not support the local economy on St John. There are a number of car rental places close to the ferry landing in Cruz Bay, so don't worry about dragging your luggage too far, roughly a block or two. Everyone has their favorite car rental place. You can do a search on the forum and see various comments about the different ones.
Congrats on hanging in there for 30 years!
I would agree with liamsaunt and plan on catching a cab to Red Hook since the chance of catching the ferry from downtown is not good. Cabs are outside the terminal and someone will direct you to one going to Red Hook. These are generally 12 passenger vans and will fill up before they leave. I would rent a vehicle, preferably a jeep, in Cruz Bay for several reasons: such as the car ferry, having a place to park in Cruz Bay, and why not support the local economy on St John. There are a number of car rental places close to the ferry landing in Cruz Bay, so don't worry about dragging your luggage too far, roughly a block or two. Everyone has their favorite car rental place. You can do a search on the forum and see various comments about the different ones.
Congrats on hanging in there for 30 years!
First, congrats on 30 years! That is quite an accomplishment! My wife wanted to throw me out after 30 days - and that would've been completely understandable.
My two cents:
Take the taxi ride over to Red Hook - I always look at that taxi ride as part of the adventure...I actually enjoy seeing St. Thomas for 45 minutes or so via cab...The beautiful vistas, etc...And then I don't need to see it again until we fly home.
We always rent our car on St. John. The island is our favorite place in the world, so we choose to support St. John business. Not to mention the convenience of having the car rental company on island in case you should have a problem.
As for the A/C...Not a chance in heck, whether I am going in February or July, that I am renting a house without A/C. End of story for me. No A/C? No deal. I don't care if the house is at 1,277 feet on Bordeaux Mountain. Would I prefer to leave the windows open and be cooled by the tradewinds...Absolutely. But if it's hot, it's hot. A/C is there if you should need it.
Oh, and the other dealbreaker for us is a pool. There must be a pool.
Have fun!
My two cents:
Take the taxi ride over to Red Hook - I always look at that taxi ride as part of the adventure...I actually enjoy seeing St. Thomas for 45 minutes or so via cab...The beautiful vistas, etc...And then I don't need to see it again until we fly home.
We always rent our car on St. John. The island is our favorite place in the world, so we choose to support St. John business. Not to mention the convenience of having the car rental company on island in case you should have a problem.
As for the A/C...Not a chance in heck, whether I am going in February or July, that I am renting a house without A/C. End of story for me. No A/C? No deal. I don't care if the house is at 1,277 feet on Bordeaux Mountain. Would I prefer to leave the windows open and be cooled by the tradewinds...Absolutely. But if it's hot, it's hot. A/C is there if you should need it.
Oh, and the other dealbreaker for us is a pool. There must be a pool.
Have fun!
July 2003 - Honeymoon at The Westin
July 2004 - Glenmar, Gifft Hill
July 2005 - Arco Iris, Fish Bay
December 2007 - Dreamcatcher, GCB
July 2008 - Ellison Villa, VGE
July 2004 - Glenmar, Gifft Hill
July 2005 - Arco Iris, Fish Bay
December 2007 - Dreamcatcher, GCB
July 2008 - Ellison Villa, VGE
I agree that you should take the Red Hook Ferry because there are more options and also to rent your car on St. John. We love the people at St. John car rental and it has parking right in town that you'll learn to appreciate.
I looked at your villa and it looks beautiful. It appears to be very high up so you'll probably have plenty of breezes to keep you cool. But, it also appears to be set in land which could mean more bugs. I'd call VIVA to ask if other guests have had issues with no AC. I myself can live without it (I live in Philadelphia and live without it) but to some people, it's just a must have.
Congrats on 30 years and many more!
I looked at your villa and it looks beautiful. It appears to be very high up so you'll probably have plenty of breezes to keep you cool. But, it also appears to be set in land which could mean more bugs. I'd call VIVA to ask if other guests have had issues with no AC. I myself can live without it (I live in Philadelphia and live without it) but to some people, it's just a must have.
Congrats on 30 years and many more!
NancyB
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John LMBZ06
- Posts: 286
- Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:52 am
- Location: Frisco, TX
It is up to you with the A/C, but I agree with soxfan22. You would think that I am used to the heat living in Dallas, but I am not. We did not sleep good and felt tired all day long. Also, you would get out of the shower and felt like you were sweating as you were putting you clothing on to go out for the night. We just agreed that we would always have A/C going forward. I wish we did not need it. I would love to just sleep with the breeze, but we just have not had a villa that we felt was cool enough. They must exist since there are villa that do not have it. It is up to you.
If this is the 30th wedding anniversary, I am thinking as a 50 something female & I would go NOWHERE that I couldn't have an AC option at least in the bedroom. Sorry all you young females, you will understand when you have your personal summers 24/7!
We have been there in Dec & it was very hot the whole week and used the air. Kinda have to go with your personal preference. Probably rent the car on STJ since backing onto the car ferry on your first trip may be a little daunting. Saves money usually but not sure if you want that adventure right off the plane. You did say you are not experienced travelers. I am sure the roads in STJ will be enough excitement. Keep left and have a great time.
We have been there in Dec & it was very hot the whole week and used the air. Kinda have to go with your personal preference. Probably rent the car on STJ since backing onto the car ferry on your first trip may be a little daunting. Saves money usually but not sure if you want that adventure right off the plane. You did say you are not experienced travelers. I am sure the roads in STJ will be enough excitement. Keep left and have a great time.