usvi-on-line
First timers going to Cruz Bay villa next week.....
We just returned from STJ last week. I also find most of the cashiers at Starfish to be extremely rude but we do most of our shopping there for the convenience. Chicken was $3.99 per pound; milk was $7 per gallon; Corona was $27 per case; case of water $11.99. The market by the Westin is nice but they do not have a meat selection at all. You can buy fresh fish at the Fish Trap in Cruz Bay - good selection. The Deli Grotto in Mongoose Junction has excellent sandwiches that you can pick up for the beach. They run about $8 and are really good.
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StJohnRuth
- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:42 pm
- Location: St. John, VI
The new St. John Market (on the left just before the Westin) does have very nice produce and fruit. The meat and chicken selection is limited at present and the deli and prepared foods sections are not yet operational, but they have everything else that people might need, including wine and beer. I can't honestly say how the prices compare overall. Some things that I notice seem lower and then I buy some stuff just because Starfish doesn't have it and I don't care what it costs. There are some brands that I haven't seen here before, especially some organic brands.Diana2 wrote: The new market by the Westin is very nice as well, though smaller than Starfish. The one thing that impressed me there was that their produce is beautiful and their staff very friendly.
I have been going there several times a week since they opened and the staff is VERY friendly, all the time. I was there this evening and I told the two young cashiers "People are talking about you on the internet."
With big wide eyes: "Really?"
I told them that everyone is talking about how friendly they are. They loved it. Every time I have been in there it has been a very pleasant experience.
- Ruth
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bubblybrenda
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:57 pm
- Location: Vancouver, BC
Ruth, I love your post and think it's great that you told the clerks about being talked about on the Internet. We all know a few words of praise go a long way when it comes to good customer service.
As a Canadian I know our groceries up here are a lot more than what Americans pay. I still found the groceries pricey on St. John and much more than what I pay at home. I recall paying $1.25 per apple and $1 per grapefruit at Dolphin two years ago. The sunscreen, however, was cheap.
As a Canadian I know our groceries up here are a lot more than what Americans pay. I still found the groceries pricey on St. John and much more than what I pay at home. I recall paying $1.25 per apple and $1 per grapefruit at Dolphin two years ago. The sunscreen, however, was cheap.
~Brenda~
3.99 lb chicken i ca live with, that actually sounds like a normal mainland price. Milk sounds pricey but wont need that much. Beer is another story- has to much cheaper local beer than 27 a case i hope.jaytee wrote:We just returned from STJ last week. I also find most of the cashiers at Starfish to be extremely rude but we do most of our shopping there for the convenience. Chicken was $3.99 per pound; milk was $7 per gallon; Corona was $27 per case; case of water $11.99. The market by the Westin is nice but they do not have a meat selection at all. You can buy fresh fish at the Fish Trap in Cruz Bay - good selection. The Deli Grotto in Mongoose Junction has excellent sandwiches that you can pick up for the beach. They run about $8 and are really good.
have you considered bringing your meats (frozen) & lunch meats on the plane in a soft cooler as a carry-on? It's done by many posters here and works fine for them. We're going to do it for our trip. Also going to send down non-perishables etc ahead of time to Connections to hold for us. Go out to dinner a couple of nights but want to eat on our deck & enjoy the view & peace some too.
Plus,the more $ we save on food,more we have to have fun with.
Plus,the more $ we save on food,more we have to have fun with.
No ticker anymore. Next vac will prob. be the Fl Keys.
I have thought about it. I had two concerns. What exactly is a "soft cooler" and is that important/ I have a cooler that looks soft, it has a black vinyl covering but inside is a hard insert for the meat, etc. Would that be OK? Can you fly these days with coolers full of frozen meat with ice packs etc? I would have thought not a chance.tipsy wrote:have you considered bringing your meats (frozen) & lunch meats on the plane in a soft cooler as a carry-on? It's done by many posters here and works fine for them. We're going to do it for our trip. Also going to send down non-perishables etc ahead of time to Connections to hold for us. Go out to dinner a couple of nights but want to eat on our deck & enjoy the view & peace some too.
Plus,the more $ we save on food,more we have to have fun with.
Hi sent you a PM so wouldn't tie up this posting topic too much.thebin wrote:I have thought about it. I had two concerns. What exactly is a "soft cooler" and is that important/ I have a cooler that looks soft, it has a black vinyl covering but inside is a hard insert for the meat, etc. Would that be OK? Can you fly these days with coolers full of frozen meat with ice packs etc? I would have thought not a chance.tipsy wrote:have you considered bringing your meats (frozen) & lunch meats on the plane in a soft cooler as a carry-on? It's done by many posters here and works fine for them. We're going to do it for our trip. Also going to send down non-perishables etc ahead of time to Connections to hold for us. Go out to dinner a couple of nights but want to eat on our deck & enjoy the view & peace some too.
Plus,the more $ we save on food,more we have to have fun with.
No ticker anymore. Next vac will prob. be the Fl Keys.
IMHO, unless you are going for an extended stay or have a large group, it would not be worth the hassle to transport food. When we were newbies, we would stock up at Starfish with the intent of doing a lot of cooking at the villa but found ourselves not doing as much as we first thought. We now just go with the flow and pick up staples for the villa and hit the market on our way home from the beach on those days we feel like grilling.
@thebin,
A few things... if you don't want the fancy layout but want cheap prices (where locals shop) go to Pine Peace market for the bulk of your stuff. If you can't find it there try the other places (Starfish Dolphin etc.).
As for beer one of the cheapest i have found on island is Presidente. It's decent beer at a great price if this is a big consumable for you.
Others are right you really ahve to shop around for the best prices which is something you really don;t want to do with your valuable vacation time. But lets put it this way, on our last trip we stocked up for our group of 7 adults and 2 children for the first half of the week (inlcuding alcohol milk, fruits, veggies, lunchmeat etc) for around $400. It was A LOT of stuff. And we KNOW we would have spent nearly twice as much at Starfish because we checked the prices. Pine peace generally has the cheapest prices on alcohol overall IMHO. But it's just not a fancy place. Don't be deterred the quality of food is good here.
If it's just a couple of you I generally find that it can be almost the same price to eat out as it is to make your own at home especially if you factor in the cost of preparing side dishes, spices and condiments. Check out Island Blues in Coral Bay-- you can go there for PRime Rib night and get a huge slab of meat with all the trimmings for a VERY reasonable price. Skinny Legs is also a great option and there are several others in Cruz BAy like Uncle Joes BBQ and the like. It just might make more sense.
We generally choose to eat out most meals but just do basic burgers and dogs on the grill at the villa if we want to stay in. Minimal ingredients, simple.
Things like microwave popcorn, equal, cold brew iced tea etc. we pack and bring. Anything that's light and can be packed easily is thrown into our suitcase. These items can be generally expensive for what they are (same goes for zip loc bags).
As for day trips... if you want to go to the BVI for a day trip I recommend the ferry to Jost. the cost is reasonable and you just get a taxi from the ferry on Jost and they can drop you off at Soggy Dollar Bar or wherever and arrange to pick you up later in the day to make the return ferry home.
This is by far the least expensive and most flexible way to do it as a first timer. Unless you are an experienced ocean boater I would not recommend renting a power boat on your own. Plus you have the hassle of customs on your own etc. the ferry is just easier. You'll have agood 5 hours on Jost before you have to head back.
A dinghy is great if you want to bounce around the beaches of STJ especially if you want to get to some of the out of the way beaches that are harder to get to on foot.
Hoepfully this answers most of your questions.
A few things... if you don't want the fancy layout but want cheap prices (where locals shop) go to Pine Peace market for the bulk of your stuff. If you can't find it there try the other places (Starfish Dolphin etc.).
As for beer one of the cheapest i have found on island is Presidente. It's decent beer at a great price if this is a big consumable for you.
Others are right you really ahve to shop around for the best prices which is something you really don;t want to do with your valuable vacation time. But lets put it this way, on our last trip we stocked up for our group of 7 adults and 2 children for the first half of the week (inlcuding alcohol milk, fruits, veggies, lunchmeat etc) for around $400. It was A LOT of stuff. And we KNOW we would have spent nearly twice as much at Starfish because we checked the prices. Pine peace generally has the cheapest prices on alcohol overall IMHO. But it's just not a fancy place. Don't be deterred the quality of food is good here.
If it's just a couple of you I generally find that it can be almost the same price to eat out as it is to make your own at home especially if you factor in the cost of preparing side dishes, spices and condiments. Check out Island Blues in Coral Bay-- you can go there for PRime Rib night and get a huge slab of meat with all the trimmings for a VERY reasonable price. Skinny Legs is also a great option and there are several others in Cruz BAy like Uncle Joes BBQ and the like. It just might make more sense.
We generally choose to eat out most meals but just do basic burgers and dogs on the grill at the villa if we want to stay in. Minimal ingredients, simple.
Things like microwave popcorn, equal, cold brew iced tea etc. we pack and bring. Anything that's light and can be packed easily is thrown into our suitcase. These items can be generally expensive for what they are (same goes for zip loc bags).
As for day trips... if you want to go to the BVI for a day trip I recommend the ferry to Jost. the cost is reasonable and you just get a taxi from the ferry on Jost and they can drop you off at Soggy Dollar Bar or wherever and arrange to pick you up later in the day to make the return ferry home.
This is by far the least expensive and most flexible way to do it as a first timer. Unless you are an experienced ocean boater I would not recommend renting a power boat on your own. Plus you have the hassle of customs on your own etc. the ferry is just easier. You'll have agood 5 hours on Jost before you have to head back.
A dinghy is great if you want to bounce around the beaches of STJ especially if you want to get to some of the out of the way beaches that are harder to get to on foot.
Hoepfully this answers most of your questions.
Last edited by Gromit on Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
*Another fine scatterbrained production
Thanks again
Great tips there...I love Presidente beer, my last trip down there was to the DR. I'll have to buy a few cases Thursday. Much obliged....
thebin I second Pine Peace for the cheapest stuff and I love the local feel of the place.
Presedente is about the cheapest beer on island.
Booze is cheap but the mixers make up for it. We just bring lots of different flavors of Crystal light with us and buy vodka which mixes good with about anything.
If ya go the bring your own meat route, we just throw it in a cheap hot cold bag totally frozen and throw it in a back pack as carryon. Frozen 10 hours later when ya arrive. Your from Cali so the prices might not seem that bad. But here in Ohio it is major sticker shock your first trip. If ya need any more ways to save just ask cause I'm probably the biggest cheapa$$ on the board
Since it was brought up, what the heck is up with the Starfish checkout people. Do they intentionally hire the most rude people on island or what. Never have had that at all the other markets and yes the new market by the Westin had an awesomely nice checkout person.
Presedente is about the cheapest beer on island.
Booze is cheap but the mixers make up for it. We just bring lots of different flavors of Crystal light with us and buy vodka which mixes good with about anything.
If ya go the bring your own meat route, we just throw it in a cheap hot cold bag totally frozen and throw it in a back pack as carryon. Frozen 10 hours later when ya arrive. Your from Cali so the prices might not seem that bad. But here in Ohio it is major sticker shock your first trip. If ya need any more ways to save just ask cause I'm probably the biggest cheapa$$ on the board
Since it was brought up, what the heck is up with the Starfish checkout people. Do they intentionally hire the most rude people on island or what. Never have had that at all the other markets and yes the new market by the Westin had an awesomely nice checkout person.
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Marcia (Mrs. Pete)
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:40 pm
- Location: Madison Area, Wisconsin
We always purchase gallons of water (cheaper than getting the bottles) and use it for everything, including coffee. As well, we purchase ice to supplement what the ice machine offers at the villa. We've never risked drinking water straight from the tap. But, on the other hand, we've never gotten sick from using the ice from the ice maker, either.thebin wrote:Anyone have any thoughts on drinking the water/ice from the villas/restaurants? Has anyone got sick doing this?
Enjoy your trip!
Marcia (Mrs. Pete)
Missing St. John. As always.
Missing St. John. As always.