usvi-on-line
Islands getting busier??? Thoughts???
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Berlingirl
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- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:09 pm
- Location: New England
Islands getting busier??? Thoughts???
Thanks to Flip flop and BillVT for the recent trip report installments. They are great. It's been mentioned several times how busy it is down there...Do you think it is now busier than it ever was? It seems to us and we've been going for the better part of a the last decade that every year it's busier and more crowded. We have been in off season and now usually go in April, but I remember when B girl was a toddler that there were many times that we would be the only ones on Maho for example. Now it's a rare day we can find a place to park and we ususally just have a compact car. This year we'll have something bigger. Even though we leave fairly early AM it seems like all the beach lots are full earlier on now too. I swear one day last year Trunk looked like Cooney Island...
Where we like to stay on STT is now harder (and much more expensive) to book. Wondering if the same is true for STX and the BVI?
Where we like to stay on STT is now harder (and much more expensive) to book. Wondering if the same is true for STX and the BVI?
Hoping for a USVI ticker in 2013!
I agree and had the same problems with "crowded" beaches. Whereas it used to be we were sometimes the only people on the beach, we found that to not be the case anymore. I can't complain though, since everybody I talk to I tell them that STJ is the most amazing place in the world. So the word has spread and it's inevitable that it would get more crowded. It still beats going to any other vacation spot - at least in my opinion.
A mind is like a parachute. It only works when it's open.
I can only speak for myself but I think it is due to a few factors.
1 - Previously I had only been in May, June, August or November. PERIOD. Never In-Season. I expected in-season to be busier and from past trip reports from others I don't think it was probably significantly worse than any other March. Just new to me!
2 - March is the height of Spring Break and we were there during the Blues Festival. These two converged for more people is my assumption.n
3 - The economy. While not all that much better, I think those who put off their normal December/January/February trips were like ohhhhh screw it let's go.
Still, a busy week on STJ is better than a slow week anywhere else for me!
Even Jost was hopping on the day we were there.
Really the worst part was that the people seemed less pleasant. I am amazed that any local in any business doesn't hate all tourists based on some of the insanity I witnessed.
Just a couple of examples - guy yelling at the ferry guy who was trying to expedite the line for those who had no bags, guy yelling at the gate attendent to stop making announcements about our flight that was boarding, the guy in the taxi telling the taxi guy where Red Hook was (that made me LOL for real), the woman completely freaking out that she would miss the ferry, the 11 am ferry mind you, while the rest of us were in line for the 10 am ferry (yes our ferry was about 10 minutes behind schedule and full, but if you are in line they will do their damnest to get you on), the people stopped on the wrong side of the road on a curve.
Fun times!
1 - Previously I had only been in May, June, August or November. PERIOD. Never In-Season. I expected in-season to be busier and from past trip reports from others I don't think it was probably significantly worse than any other March. Just new to me!
2 - March is the height of Spring Break and we were there during the Blues Festival. These two converged for more people is my assumption.n
3 - The economy. While not all that much better, I think those who put off their normal December/January/February trips were like ohhhhh screw it let's go.
Still, a busy week on STJ is better than a slow week anywhere else for me!
Even Jost was hopping on the day we were there.
Really the worst part was that the people seemed less pleasant. I am amazed that any local in any business doesn't hate all tourists based on some of the insanity I witnessed.
Just a couple of examples - guy yelling at the ferry guy who was trying to expedite the line for those who had no bags, guy yelling at the gate attendent to stop making announcements about our flight that was boarding, the guy in the taxi telling the taxi guy where Red Hook was (that made me LOL for real), the woman completely freaking out that she would miss the ferry, the 11 am ferry mind you, while the rest of us were in line for the 10 am ferry (yes our ferry was about 10 minutes behind schedule and full, but if you are in line they will do their damnest to get you on), the people stopped on the wrong side of the road on a curve.
Fun times!
I have noticed that it is busier. John and I are coming in three weeks and got the last Wrangler from STJ Car Rental when we reserved back in January.
The nice thing is that there are so many places to go! If a beach looks too busy we just keep going to the next one. Another trick is to walk down to the fathest end of the beach you are visiting. Most people are too lazy to walk all the way down.
The one time we went down in "on season" we ended up doing a lot of exploring rather than just visiting the usual North Shore beaches. We found some interesting "new to us" places that we had all to ourselves.
The nice thing is that there are so many places to go! If a beach looks too busy we just keep going to the next one. Another trick is to walk down to the fathest end of the beach you are visiting. Most people are too lazy to walk all the way down.
The one time we went down in "on season" we ended up doing a lot of exploring rather than just visiting the usual North Shore beaches. We found some interesting "new to us" places that we had all to ourselves.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
There has to be a name for this phenomenon because it is real. I am talking about the fact that many in the tourism industry (and I have seen this my whole life, from the Jersey shore, to the VI, to here) really end up despising their clientele - who of course they couldn't survive without! I don't know - maybe it is just work in general - you are at work and everyone else is on vacation - I know the tourists here drive me crazy some daysflip-flop wrote:I am amazed that any local in any business doesn't hate all tourists based on some of the insanity I witnessed.
(Meaning the hordes of people who won't even let you get to your front door sometimes, etc.)
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
I think it's busier, and especially in the last couple years. Spring Break, in my opinion, is a monster all it's own (perhaps only rivaled on President's Day week in Feb.).
Alternately, I didn't think Jost was busier than usual (in season). However, it has been busier my last 3 trips than in my first 3, by far. I remember the first day I counted 35 boats in White Bay and almost had a heart attack. And that includes trips in season, and all of that only in the last 5 years.
Some of the things I witnessed on just the ferry alone would lead me to believe that the Spring Breakers are just a unique crowd that picked the USVI this year for their trip. No repeat/experienced visitor would argue with a ferry guy for 10 minutes that she just HAD to bring her beer on the ferry. I finally looked at her and said "Look, lady, they don't care if you get on the ferry or not, so choose: beer or ferry." She didn't like me, but the ferry guys didn't seem to mind my stepping in. There is only so much crap you can let someone give people on "your island."
Alternately, I didn't think Jost was busier than usual (in season). However, it has been busier my last 3 trips than in my first 3, by far. I remember the first day I counted 35 boats in White Bay and almost had a heart attack. And that includes trips in season, and all of that only in the last 5 years.
Some of the things I witnessed on just the ferry alone would lead me to believe that the Spring Breakers are just a unique crowd that picked the USVI this year for their trip. No repeat/experienced visitor would argue with a ferry guy for 10 minutes that she just HAD to bring her beer on the ferry. I finally looked at her and said "Look, lady, they don't care if you get on the ferry or not, so choose: beer or ferry." She didn't like me, but the ferry guys didn't seem to mind my stepping in. There is only so much crap you can let someone give people on "your island."
Haven't been to STJ enough to comment on the increase in visitors, but one thing my wife and I noticed last time we were on the island was the disregard for personal space by a lot of tourists there.
One example: We got to Gibney early one morning last June and were the second couple to arrive. We saw where the first couple had camped and went on down the beach a good distance before dropping our stuff.
About 30 minutes later, a group showed up in their Dinghy and decided to not only park their dinghy right in front of us (with tons of beach in either direction to do so), but leave all their crap strewn about (like a yard sale) and then leave it to go to another part of the beach to snorkel and whatever. I mean we're talking right in front of us, maybe 10, 15 yards away.
Well not long after, the tide started to come in and they hadn't pulled their dinghy up onto the beach far enough, nor their crap, and my wife and I are sitting there thinking, "well, do they see what's happening, should we do something to help them out."
I actually wanted to let their stuff float out to sea, but my wife insisted we help them out. When they returned, they looked at their stuff, looked at us, and then just left without saying a thing.
It's not like we're unfriendly or think we own the place, but if there is such a thing as beach etiquette on STJ, this seems to fly in the face of it.
One example: We got to Gibney early one morning last June and were the second couple to arrive. We saw where the first couple had camped and went on down the beach a good distance before dropping our stuff.
About 30 minutes later, a group showed up in their Dinghy and decided to not only park their dinghy right in front of us (with tons of beach in either direction to do so), but leave all their crap strewn about (like a yard sale) and then leave it to go to another part of the beach to snorkel and whatever. I mean we're talking right in front of us, maybe 10, 15 yards away.
Well not long after, the tide started to come in and they hadn't pulled their dinghy up onto the beach far enough, nor their crap, and my wife and I are sitting there thinking, "well, do they see what's happening, should we do something to help them out."
I actually wanted to let their stuff float out to sea, but my wife insisted we help them out. When they returned, they looked at their stuff, looked at us, and then just left without saying a thing.
It's not like we're unfriendly or think we own the place, but if there is such a thing as beach etiquette on STJ, this seems to fly in the face of it.
It’s not about yesterday or tomorrow...It’s about today, for come what may – Sun, rain, or hurricane – we've only time for a smile, and none for sorrow
Good for you for stepping in. I can't contain myself when I see that kind of behavious either. You'd like to think that maybe these people might get that they are being a PITA but in reality they don't understand anything beyond the end of their own noses. I avoid the island during high season but we were there last year the end of Feb and beginning of March and the crowds were larger than I thought they would be given the financial situation for many. Another reason it seems more crowded is when the swells are up on the northshore all those people have fewer beaches to go to so Maho, Frances, Vie's, Salt Pond and Lameshur get more crowded than normal.LMG wrote:I think it's busier, and especially in the last couple years. Spring Break, in my opinion, is a monster all it's own (perhaps only rivaled on President's Day week in Feb.).
Alternately, I didn't think Jost was busier than usual (in season). However, it has been busier my last 3 trips than in my first 3, by far. I remember the first day I counted 35 boats in White Bay and almost had a heart attack. And that includes trips in season, and all of that only in the last 5 years.
Some of the things I witnessed on just the ferry alone would lead me to believe that the Spring Breakers are just a unique crowd that picked the USVI this year for their trip. No repeat/experienced visitor would argue with a ferry guy for 10 minutes that she just HAD to bring her beer on the ferry. I finally looked at her and said "Look, lady, they don't care if you get on the ferry or not, so choose: beer or ferry." She didn't like me, but the ferry guys didn't seem to mind my stepping in. There is only so much crap you can let someone give people on "your island."
I thought we were trying to keep "our island" secret. Someone's not doing their part
By my measure, which has mostly to do with the number of rental cars parked in the road, this has been the busiest season ever...and yes, behavior is worse than ever. My friend thinks that visitors are feeling more important because of the economy, they feel more than ever that they're indispensable--so they can act like jerks with impunity.
Honestly, every business person I saw dealing with craziness just took it in stride. I SO COULDN'T DO THAT!
The most upset anyone got, and upset would be a major overstatement, was the ferry guy saying to the crazed loon, "Mellow your tone. You need to mellow your tone." He was saying it so softly I couldn't understand at first what he was saying. His words were "mellow your tone." His face was saying, "I am not listening to you until you talk like a reasonable human!"
Honestly, it cracks me up to see the nuttiness because of the threads I've seen of the "unfriendly" locals. I have yet to encounter one person who lived on St. John who was openly, unnecessarily rude to me. The only thing that occasionally comes close is unbelievably slow service (Aqua Bistro waitress I am looking at you!).
I figure I am trying to counteract all these idiots and always go with a kill them with genuineness attitude. Works everytime so far!
The most upset anyone got, and upset would be a major overstatement, was the ferry guy saying to the crazed loon, "Mellow your tone. You need to mellow your tone." He was saying it so softly I couldn't understand at first what he was saying. His words were "mellow your tone." His face was saying, "I am not listening to you until you talk like a reasonable human!"
Honestly, it cracks me up to see the nuttiness because of the threads I've seen of the "unfriendly" locals. I have yet to encounter one person who lived on St. John who was openly, unnecessarily rude to me. The only thing that occasionally comes close is unbelievably slow service (Aqua Bistro waitress I am looking at you!).
I figure I am trying to counteract all these idiots and always go with a kill them with genuineness attitude. Works everytime so far!
We noticed a lot of spring breakers, which surprised me. I don't know why, maybe I am thinking back to my college days when a package deal to Cancun was the best spring break anyone went on.
We were at a restaurant bar and there was a group from a southern university. The group of at least 8 came down to visit a friend working on the island.
They were pounding back $8 drinks and given the group size, I am guessing they were not all be staying with the friend so they must be renting accomodations somewhere. I went to a high dollar college with lots of kids from very wealthy families and I don't remember anyone doing a STJ type of spring break.
The worst visitor behavior I saw was at Maho. There was a group with a big SUV parked between the road and the beach, jammed into the trees. They left the SUV running the entire time we were on the beach, at least 3 hours. They were there when we arrived and left before we did. It was so annoying. It had the name of some villa painted on the door.
My only odd/rude resident experience was at that market in Coral Bay. Lilly's I think. The guy working the register grabbed a $1 out of my hand and said he didn't have enough change and I should come back later on and he would give me my money back.
We were at a restaurant bar and there was a group from a southern university. The group of at least 8 came down to visit a friend working on the island.
They were pounding back $8 drinks and given the group size, I am guessing they were not all be staying with the friend so they must be renting accomodations somewhere. I went to a high dollar college with lots of kids from very wealthy families and I don't remember anyone doing a STJ type of spring break.
The worst visitor behavior I saw was at Maho. There was a group with a big SUV parked between the road and the beach, jammed into the trees. They left the SUV running the entire time we were on the beach, at least 3 hours. They were there when we arrived and left before we did. It was so annoying. It had the name of some villa painted on the door.
My only odd/rude resident experience was at that market in Coral Bay. Lilly's I think. The guy working the register grabbed a $1 out of my hand and said he didn't have enough change and I should come back later on and he would give me my money back.