usvi-on-line
Ist time to St. Johns and have a few questions
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momto3boys
- Posts: 157
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:14 pm
- Location: Missouri
Ist time to St. Johns and have a few questions
We will be going to St. John's for our 25th anniversary next year. Want to make this a very special trip and hope that you can help.
Villa is booked. We will be on the Coral Bay side.
Jeep booked through L&L jeep rental
We are thinking of having our villa provisioned before we get there but the prices are very high. Plus we want tropical fruits and are not seeing those on the list.
1.Wondering if we are better off shopping for ourselves. Is there someplace nice to shop on the Coral Bay side? Can you get tropical type of fruits. Something different than we can get at home easily?
2. One option we have is booking a Marriott hotel on points for one night on St. Thomas. This would allow us time to shop the next morning before going to our Villa. Otherwise we would be getting to St. Johns at about 5pm. Has anyone done this? Any hotels on St. Thomas that offer shuttles from the airport?
3. Who or what do you use for transportation to the ferry if you do not rent a car on St. Thomas?
4. For our Anniversary dinner we have thought of having some come and cook for us. Have you done this and who would you recommend if you have? If not, where would you suggest we go for a great meal?
5. For those that stay at their villa most of the time for meals and such what do you eat? Do you cook alot? Is there anything on the island that is something that we should not miss trying? I know that we don't want to spend alot of time cooking but we want to have great food as well. We also want to spend alot of time at the villa itself relaxing.
Is there anything that we are not thinking of that we should?
Thanks for any help that you can give us!
Villa is booked. We will be on the Coral Bay side.
Jeep booked through L&L jeep rental
We are thinking of having our villa provisioned before we get there but the prices are very high. Plus we want tropical fruits and are not seeing those on the list.
1.Wondering if we are better off shopping for ourselves. Is there someplace nice to shop on the Coral Bay side? Can you get tropical type of fruits. Something different than we can get at home easily?
2. One option we have is booking a Marriott hotel on points for one night on St. Thomas. This would allow us time to shop the next morning before going to our Villa. Otherwise we would be getting to St. Johns at about 5pm. Has anyone done this? Any hotels on St. Thomas that offer shuttles from the airport?
3. Who or what do you use for transportation to the ferry if you do not rent a car on St. Thomas?
4. For our Anniversary dinner we have thought of having some come and cook for us. Have you done this and who would you recommend if you have? If not, where would you suggest we go for a great meal?
5. For those that stay at their villa most of the time for meals and such what do you eat? Do you cook alot? Is there anything on the island that is something that we should not miss trying? I know that we don't want to spend alot of time cooking but we want to have great food as well. We also want to spend alot of time at the villa itself relaxing.
Is there anything that we are not thinking of that we should?
Thanks for any help that you can give us!
1. We provision every trip because I am lazy. I want to get to the villa and relax. I hate grocery shopping at home and don't want to do it on vacation. You will pay for the convenience. The options are somewhat limited. We have used Katilady in the past and ordered a welcome basket and added drinks, wine, water and soda to get us through the first day or two. We hit the grocery store on the way home from the beach that first or second full day on the island. This year we will use Christy's because she is supplying some rental items for us.
I don't know where you live but I have yet to find a fruit in a STJ store that I can't get at my local PA grocery store. Granted, fresh picked stuff on STJ is going to far surpass what I buy at home.
2. A night on STT prior to going over to STJ is a great way to start your vacation. Unless you plan on renting a jeep on STT, I would think taxi fees to the store and back again will eat into any savings on groceries.
3. Taxis are plentiful. There are a number of people on the forum (including me) that like to reserve a private, direct taxi ride to the ferry dock.
4. Every trip I look into having a chef come to the villa and every year I decide it is too much money for me to eat at home. I have no doubt the meals are fantastic and worth the cost, it is just that I eat at home all the time, on vacation I rather go out. There are a number of chefs that get rave reviews.
I don't know where you live but I have yet to find a fruit in a STJ store that I can't get at my local PA grocery store. Granted, fresh picked stuff on STJ is going to far surpass what I buy at home.
2. A night on STT prior to going over to STJ is a great way to start your vacation. Unless you plan on renting a jeep on STT, I would think taxi fees to the store and back again will eat into any savings on groceries.
3. Taxis are plentiful. There are a number of people on the forum (including me) that like to reserve a private, direct taxi ride to the ferry dock.
4. Every trip I look into having a chef come to the villa and every year I decide it is too much money for me to eat at home. I have no doubt the meals are fantastic and worth the cost, it is just that I eat at home all the time, on vacation I rather go out. There are a number of chefs that get rave reviews.
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momto3boys
- Posts: 157
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:14 pm
- Location: Missouri
Christy's is who we were looking at. But unless I am reading her prices wrong her package fees are really high when coupled with the delivery fee and 20% upcharge. Maybe I need to call and make sure we are pricing it right though.PA Girl wrote:1. We provision every trip because I am lazy. I want to get to the villa and relax. I hate grocery shopping at home and don't want to do it on vacation. You will pay for the convenience. The options are somewhat limited. We have used Katilady in the past and ordered a welcome basket and added drinks, wine, water and soda to get us through the first day or two. We hit the grocery store on the way home from the beach that first or second full day on the island. This year we will use Christy's because she is supplying some rental items for us.
I don't know where you live but I have yet to find a fruit in a STJ store that I can't get at my local PA grocery store. Granted, fresh picked stuff on STJ is going to far surpass what I buy at home.
2. A night on STT prior to going over to STJ is a great way to start your vacation. Unless you plan on renting a jeep on STT, I would think taxi fees to the store and back again will eat into any savings on groceries.
3. Taxis are plentiful. There are a number of people on the forum (including me) that like to reserve a private, direct taxi ride to the ferry dock.
4. Every trip I look into having a chef come to the villa and every year I decide it is too much money for me to eat at home. I have no doubt the meals are fantastic and worth the cost, it is just that I eat at home all the time, on vacation I rather go out. There are a number of chefs that get rave reviews.
Where do you arrange the private taxi at? Is there a link or phone # to do that?
Thanks again for your help!
You probably aren't reading it wrong, I think the delivery fee and upcharge are $$$$ but she does allow for a more customize list than Katilady. Ali from Villa Food gets good reviews too.
We use a van service that Dohm's arranges for us but I don't have the guy's number handy.
Rachel is a favorite on this board and you can probably find her phone number with a little searching, I know there was a recent post about her.
We use a van service that Dohm's arranges for us but I don't have the guy's number handy.
Rachel is a favorite on this board and you can probably find her phone number with a little searching, I know there was a recent post about her.
We haven't found any unique tropical fruit on the island, but residents may know of some place. We bought whatever fruit looked the best and freshest at Starfish and Dolphin markets. We shopped at Lily's in Coral Bay, but the produce at that time was very limited and didn't appear to be fresh. Your best bet is probably to shop in Cruz Bay.
I have to agree with PA Girl about hiring a chef to come in. Every time I check on it, I find it a bit too expensive. I think it would be great fun to have someone come in and fix dinner.
We don't like to cook on vacation, but we do enjoy afternoons/evenings hanging out at the villa. So we get carry-out from Sogo's in Cruz Bay. Its West Indian food and we love it. Husband gets curried goat and I get shrimp creole. If you are going through Cruz Bay, you could pick up some food and take it back to your villa and reheat it when you are ready to eat. Its kind of far to go get it from Coral Bay.
Happy planning!
I have to agree with PA Girl about hiring a chef to come in. Every time I check on it, I find it a bit too expensive. I think it would be great fun to have someone come in and fix dinner.
We don't like to cook on vacation, but we do enjoy afternoons/evenings hanging out at the villa. So we get carry-out from Sogo's in Cruz Bay. Its West Indian food and we love it. Husband gets curried goat and I get shrimp creole. If you are going through Cruz Bay, you could pick up some food and take it back to your villa and reheat it when you are ready to eat. Its kind of far to go get it from Coral Bay.
Happy planning!
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momto3boys
- Posts: 157
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:14 pm
- Location: Missouri
Hi There,
I'm not sure of the seasonal timeframes but genips, soursop, tamarind, sea grapes, breadfruit, banana figs and passionfruit are all "out of the ordinary" fruits to be found on St John.
There's a good list including these and others here.
http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/flora_fauna/fruit.php
Have fun.
I'm not sure of the seasonal timeframes but genips, soursop, tamarind, sea grapes, breadfruit, banana figs and passionfruit are all "out of the ordinary" fruits to be found on St John.
There's a good list including these and others here.
http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/flora_fauna/fruit.php
Have fun.
Kathy Henion
We use www.virginislandswatertaxi.com for private water taxi transport to St. John and they arrange the land taxi from the airport (Christopher's) to their dock. We use www.villafoodvi.com and get the Breakfast#1 and the Lunch Package. It's so wonderful to get to your villa after a long travel day and have the frig stocked. Waking up in the morning knowing you have coffee and breakfast and you are in relaxation mode, no grocery shopping!!! (I hate it at home too!!!) We also bring a cooler with frozen meats, etc and we travel with 2 other couples so each of us fix 2 meals at the villa and we go out for the rest of our dinners! We always stay in Coral Bay and I have found everything we ever needed at Lily's or Love City Mini Market (and don't let the exterior fool you - it is packed with just about everything and the folks are super nice!!) (FYI no "s" on St. John) ENJOY YOUR ANNIVERSARY trip! 
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toes in the sand
- Posts: 994
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:21 pm
Since you have your jeep rented from L&L on StJ you will not want to buy groceries on STT. You will have to haul them onto the passenfer ferry and you are charged for each bag on the ferry. There are a few markets on StJ both in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay. You will find everything you need at these markets.
"got a drink in my hand and my toes in the sand"
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VI_on_my_mind
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- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:12 am
- Location: Boston MA
In June I surprised my wife with a trip to St. John for our 25th. It was fantastic and we can't wait to go back. I would have your villa provisioned because after you travel all day and get to a villa all you want to do is open a drink and jump in the pool. The last thing I wanted to do was go find my way around the island in the dark and pick a restaurant for dinner.
For our anniversary I had in villa massages and then we had Ted from Ted's supper club cook for us in the villa. My wife wants to go back just for his cooking. Without a doubt one of the best decisions we made. He is reasonable in cost, works with you to make one of the finest meals you will ever have and his conversation and stories are fantastic.
After a few hours of impeccable service he leaves with all the dishes gone and we relaxed on the deck with another bottle of wine.
He will be first on my list to contact when I book my next villa!
For our anniversary I had in villa massages and then we had Ted from Ted's supper club cook for us in the villa. My wife wants to go back just for his cooking. Without a doubt one of the best decisions we made. He is reasonable in cost, works with you to make one of the finest meals you will ever have and his conversation and stories are fantastic.
After a few hours of impeccable service he leaves with all the dishes gone and we relaxed on the deck with another bottle of wine.
He will be first on my list to contact when I book my next villa!
I would also recommend Ted! We used him last year to cook in our villa for our last night on the island. His food was excellent!! I would definitely use him again.
http://www.tedssupperclub.com/Teds_Supp ... lcome.html
http://www.tedssupperclub.com/Teds_Supp ... lcome.html
I have also heard great things from Ted's supper club although I have yet to try it out.
We usually set up a private taxi too. Our villa company usually sets it up for us but taxi's are plentiful and if you are staying somewhere on STT before I'm sure concierge could set up the ride to Red Hook for you.
We tend to cook alot in the villa. Last time we brought meat down with us. We brought steaks and a roast and hamburger and ribs. I like things that are easy and alot of times we will put a Roast on or a chicken with veggies and let it cook while we go to the beaches and then come home to dinner waiting. Also we usually do steaks on the grill or hamburgers.
Next time we go we are going to check out Sam And Jack's Deli and they have to go dinners that you can pick up and take back to your villa.
I am not familiar with the markets in Coral Bay and we usually stay near Cruz bay and use Starfish or the new Market by the Westin which we realy like(can't think of the name of it though).
We have used Katilady and Christy's of St John. We preferred Christy's of St John. We had the Breakfast casserole and also had them bring Uncle's Joes BBQ in which was wonderful. We also had rum punch and a sweet tray that was soooo good!! We had them paint some Tervis Tumblers for everyone which was a great gift and had our names on them along with St John and the year on the bottom. It was a nice souvenir and we bring them back every trip and when we use them at home it always brings back the memories. They also do other glasses too so you may want to look at something like that for your anniversary.
Congrats on your anniversary and have a great time!
We usually set up a private taxi too. Our villa company usually sets it up for us but taxi's are plentiful and if you are staying somewhere on STT before I'm sure concierge could set up the ride to Red Hook for you.
We tend to cook alot in the villa. Last time we brought meat down with us. We brought steaks and a roast and hamburger and ribs. I like things that are easy and alot of times we will put a Roast on or a chicken with veggies and let it cook while we go to the beaches and then come home to dinner waiting. Also we usually do steaks on the grill or hamburgers.
Next time we go we are going to check out Sam And Jack's Deli and they have to go dinners that you can pick up and take back to your villa.
I am not familiar with the markets in Coral Bay and we usually stay near Cruz bay and use Starfish or the new Market by the Westin which we realy like(can't think of the name of it though).
We have used Katilady and Christy's of St John. We preferred Christy's of St John. We had the Breakfast casserole and also had them bring Uncle's Joes BBQ in which was wonderful. We also had rum punch and a sweet tray that was soooo good!! We had them paint some Tervis Tumblers for everyone which was a great gift and had our names on them along with St John and the year on the bottom. It was a nice souvenir and we bring them back every trip and when we use them at home it always brings back the memories. They also do other glasses too so you may want to look at something like that for your anniversary.
Congrats on your anniversary and have a great time!
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momto3boys
- Posts: 157
- Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:14 pm
- Location: Missouri
Tam-MO wrote:
We have used Katilady and Christy's of St John. We preferred Christy's of St John. We had the Breakfast casserole and also had them bring Uncle's Joes BBQ in which was wonderful. We also had rum punch and a sweet tray that was soooo good!! We had them paint some Tervis Tumblers for everyone which was a great gift and had our names on them along with St John and the year on the bottom. It was a nice souvenir and we bring them back every trip and when we use them at home it always brings back the memories. They also do other glasses too so you may want to look at something like that for your anniversary.
This helps alot. If we go with her now I know what to order. We may go ahead and order enough for one night and morning from Christy's and then go shopping on our own.
I will ask our Villa owner if they set up the taxi for us or not. I don't think that they do.
Thanks again everyone!
Congrats on your anniversary and have a great time!
What and Where to Eat and Do on St John
You'll have a wonderful time I'm sure. On my blog are pictures of things to do and places to eat. We usually eat out most of the time while on the island. Uncle Joes is our favorite..
http://sunshinelobster.blogspot.com
enjoy!
~dan
http://sunshinelobster.blogspot.com
enjoy!
~dan