usvi-on-line
What is wrong with St. Thomas
Like any user content generated source, information generates interest which generates more content which brings more visitors, a sort of internet momentum. I am interested in St. John, this forum provides a lot of information, so I stick with it and add information myself.
This user "momentum" can be a blessing or a curse. In the VIOL case, it certainly has been a blessing for STJ visitors...
This user "momentum" can be a blessing or a curse. In the VIOL case, it certainly has been a blessing for STJ visitors...
We spent some time on STT at the beginning of our June/July trip -California Girl wrote:I think a lot of people have stayed on STT, but for some reason we just never hear about it!
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... ht=#203116
We had fun (except for the dinosaur from hell!) and would do it again.
We know several people from our town that are STT "people" and visit at least 2x per year. They all cite ease of travel and things to do as the reason they prefer STT. As my dad used to say "thats why there is chocolate and vanilla ice cream."
My aunt has a friend from STX (she is West Indian, not a transplanted mainlander) that lives up the street from us and we see her regularly. She cannot understand why we go to STJ because in her opinion, STX is the FAR superior island
She returns regularly (she left only because of economics, she came to PA to attend college and get a job) and wants us to travel there together some day, which we hope to do.STX lady wrote:PA girl.....
Smart lady....your Aunt's neighbor! Then again, it might have to do with living here, not just vaca'. All the surrounding island are a great place to visit.
That's a good question CG. Let me answer it, if I can, without sounding defensive or too much like I've just been picked on.California Girl wrote:Jim, you are a good example, please forgive me for picking on you and singling you out.
You say you've stayed on St. Thomas, shopped, been to Drake's Seat, Magen's Bay, etc. So how come you've never written a St. Thomas trip report about all these great restaurants, etc.? I'd love to know what different restaurants there are to choose from. I know of only 4 or 5, and that's because Deb & Jay go to them and post pictures on Facebook.
I think a lot of people have stayed on STT, but for some reason we just never hear about it!
We went to STT before we discovered VIOL! During our last trip of many to STT in 2007 we stayed for 7 days/6 nights in Emerald Beach. It was always our habit to spend at least one day in STJ. We loved it there from the first day and always wanted to stay there. One day was spent on STJ and another was spent with New Horizons II on the trip to the BVI. I discovered this forum either while on the trip or soon after returning home. With that, we discovered that we could stay on STJ for the same money we spent at the hotel that year.
Being new to the forum, it took us some time to realize that we could and even should post a report.
We made a Powerpoint video of that trip. I don't know how to post it in a way that will bring the audio as well as the video to the Forumites. If anyone can tell me how to do that, please PM me and I'll try.
JIM
PS I don't really feel picked on. It was a good question and a good opportunity to ask it.
Man it's like some dream we live down here....
Now I'm going to feel defensive 
)
About trip reports. Two things I thought about before posting today is maybe I did post a report, maybe I didn't. I'm surely involved in this forum and answer whatever I can about STT.
If I didn't write a trip report, I don't think it's a requirement on this forum. I'm sure there's alot of people who go to STJ that don't write a trip report either.
)About trip reports. Two things I thought about before posting today is maybe I did post a report, maybe I didn't. I'm surely involved in this forum and answer whatever I can about STT.
If I didn't write a trip report, I don't think it's a requirement on this forum. I'm sure there's alot of people who go to STJ that don't write a trip report either.
"Paradise...it's a state of mine"
OK, haven’t really been here for a while but this is an interesting thread. We’ve spent a lot of time on all 3 islands and enjoy each in its own way. If you’re a traveler that just wants some help then forums set up more for getting assistance have their place if you don’t care to get involved in a community. To me, this is more of a community of people who want to talk about one island and share very targeted info. That’s neither wrong or right – it just is what it is. Newbies planning for STJ get some facts and a lot of opinions and maybe, if they like the island, they have a place to go to keep the experience alive between visits.
Regarding the other islands: I’m not going to give the STX point of view although that is our island of choice right now, based on our wanting a change a few years ago and getting pretty hooked on the big island. I wrote a really long trip report on STX and posted it here – lots of pix. Got a few responses. After our next trip I started another trip report here. Pretty much got the same people responding. Purposely didn’t post the last segment. Did anyone miss it? No. As I had suspected, there was no real need for the STX experience on this forum. Did anyone PM me about STX or find me on another forum (I use the same name)? Actually, some did, new visitors who did not feel comfortable posting here about STX or those who had posted and didn’t get much in the way of help. Got most of my contacts after a poster here characterized the best thing about STX as being the ferry dock to get back to STJ. That poster had never even been to STX, as it turned out. Ouch - no call for island thrashing. Everything's subjective - one man's hell's acres is another man's favorite villa. Some who contacted me mentioned their discomfort with this “VI” forum being so narrowly focused. Well, they got their help over on TA or directly from me and a couple of STX residents that also post around. And, there’s always a search engine if folks are willing to work a bit harder for their info.
Would splitting the forum help? Help with what? People who need help with other islands? There ARE other resources. Help with the revenue stream of this site? Maybe, but this forum has a rep for being so STJ-centric I think it would take time to build up the STT & STX followings. I doubt either forum would attract even 25% of the STJ folks here now because they are more of a community than a help forum as people check in, share their lives both on-island and off. Takes a long time to develop that. Would it be worth lining up some additional advertisers for STT and STX. Tough call for Anthony – if you build it they might not come – at least not for a long while.
My suggestion is to just re-name the forum and call it what it is – THE STJ forum because it is the best place to communicate about that island. It isn’t a situation where if it isn’t broke why fix it – imo its only problem is that by its name it is purporting to have a broader base than it really does. There are other forums out there that already fill the void on help for STT and STX for people who want quick hit help. If people want to communicate more directly on STX they have other avenues – for one, they can find resources on Facebook (like me) where I have lots of links to STX fan pages, resources, and other people who are happy to be helpful about STX. I’m sure there are a quite a few people who can do the same for STT. It’s more productive than posting here and having the thread buried in about half a minute.
If the goal is to try to get a broader base and more ad revenue, then split the forum but be prepared for a very long intro period while people give this forum another chance to be a broader based VI forum. And, try to line up some destination experts to get things moving and make sure that posts get answers.
Don’t weep, STX Lady – I’ll talk STX with you any old time on TA or on FB .
Regarding the other islands: I’m not going to give the STX point of view although that is our island of choice right now, based on our wanting a change a few years ago and getting pretty hooked on the big island. I wrote a really long trip report on STX and posted it here – lots of pix. Got a few responses. After our next trip I started another trip report here. Pretty much got the same people responding. Purposely didn’t post the last segment. Did anyone miss it? No. As I had suspected, there was no real need for the STX experience on this forum. Did anyone PM me about STX or find me on another forum (I use the same name)? Actually, some did, new visitors who did not feel comfortable posting here about STX or those who had posted and didn’t get much in the way of help. Got most of my contacts after a poster here characterized the best thing about STX as being the ferry dock to get back to STJ. That poster had never even been to STX, as it turned out. Ouch - no call for island thrashing. Everything's subjective - one man's hell's acres is another man's favorite villa. Some who contacted me mentioned their discomfort with this “VI” forum being so narrowly focused. Well, they got their help over on TA or directly from me and a couple of STX residents that also post around. And, there’s always a search engine if folks are willing to work a bit harder for their info.
Would splitting the forum help? Help with what? People who need help with other islands? There ARE other resources. Help with the revenue stream of this site? Maybe, but this forum has a rep for being so STJ-centric I think it would take time to build up the STT & STX followings. I doubt either forum would attract even 25% of the STJ folks here now because they are more of a community than a help forum as people check in, share their lives both on-island and off. Takes a long time to develop that. Would it be worth lining up some additional advertisers for STT and STX. Tough call for Anthony – if you build it they might not come – at least not for a long while.
My suggestion is to just re-name the forum and call it what it is – THE STJ forum because it is the best place to communicate about that island. It isn’t a situation where if it isn’t broke why fix it – imo its only problem is that by its name it is purporting to have a broader base than it really does. There are other forums out there that already fill the void on help for STT and STX for people who want quick hit help. If people want to communicate more directly on STX they have other avenues – for one, they can find resources on Facebook (like me) where I have lots of links to STX fan pages, resources, and other people who are happy to be helpful about STX. I’m sure there are a quite a few people who can do the same for STT. It’s more productive than posting here and having the thread buried in about half a minute.
If the goal is to try to get a broader base and more ad revenue, then split the forum but be prepared for a very long intro period while people give this forum another chance to be a broader based VI forum. And, try to line up some destination experts to get things moving and make sure that posts get answers.
Don’t weep, STX Lady – I’ll talk STX with you any old time on TA or on FB .