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Jan&Mike's Trip Report - Part THREE
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
Jan&Mike's Trip Report - Part THREE
Are ya still with me folks??? It DOES get better, and we’ll finally give some credit to Caribbean Villas 
Wednesday 11/29
I did not sleep very well last night; the anger is starting to seep in and at some point during the night I decided to talk to Mike in the morning about having us moved. We got up a little later than normal because it was cloudy and there was no bright sunshine to rouse us from our sleep! It turned out to be a little bit rainy and cool (this is NOT helping to dry my clothes – even in an air conditioned room). We decide to turn on the TV to see what’s going on in the rest of the world and it’s all snow……………..NOT the stuff hitting the Midwest, snow on the TV screen as in NO RECEPTION. Being the remote control idiot that I am, there must have been 5 or 6 in the basket; I keep trying them all, but no dice. Mike tries the TV’s in the bedrooms, nothing. THAT’S IT FOLKS…………WE’RE DONE.
I didn’t even have to ask Mike he was over it as well. There is no cable, satellite, or antenna, but they do have a VCR or DVD player if you want to rent a movie, no thanks. So here’s how the whole thing went down.
I called Maine as soon as they opened and talked to Chris. She knows NOTHING about us being stranded at the dock and was in shock, but offered up no explanation. She informed me that they do not advertise a heated pool, nor do they advertise cable or satellite. She also knew that the dryer part was ordered, and that it didn’t work. I explained that we could handle one thing or the other, but every day it was something new falling apart and we were getting more and more frustrated. I ended up talking to the owner, or manager, her name is Diane. She said they would move us but it could not be to a villa that cost more $$, it had to be the same or less. She offered up Tennis Cottage, which I turned down. The villa is small, and has very little view. The conversation was going nowhere so I finally took the bull by the horn, so to speak, and came up with a plan. I told her she could do this one of two ways. I’ll hang up, leave her alone and they find a villa for us that will work then two satisfied customers enjoy their vacation and go home happy. Or we stay at OPH and go home very unhappy. Local office called back 15 minutes later with 2 choices, both of which were good, more money, but with comparable views and furnishings. We were packed and out the door fairly quick……………..didn’t want them to change their minds! No additional charges to us (thank goodness), and a little added bonus!!! We were going to spend our last night on STT at the Crystal Palace because we had to be out of OPH on Sunday. Well Bill & Sandie had offered up one of their bedrooms for Sunday night, which we graciously accepted. But now we could stay at Allesandra Sunday night for the same $$ that we were paying per night at OPH. Since we were losing a bit of the day moving we opted for the extra night. Bill & Sandie understood our desire NOT to move again on Sunday.
The folks on Island got a gal over to clean up the villa, they could not have been any more accommodating to us. The folks at Caribbean Villas have always been good to us and the gang on Island is over the top wonderful. I honestly cannot say that were totally displeased with them, we will use them again. So true to my word, we left as satisfied customers and I’m not going to rip them apart. I will follow up to them with some written communication about the dock issue and not being up front with us about OPH and things not working. I have learned from this experience and wanted to share it with you guys. I don’t know about the rest of you but Mike and I work very hard to pay for these vacations and I do a lot of up front planning. In my opinion Caribbean Villas should have been more up front with us about the dryer and pool.
We slipped by their office turned in the keys and followed Shaun up to Allesandra. We threw the frozen meats in the freezer and cold stuff in the fridge then left the cleaning lady alone. We went to Hawksnest for the afternoon, and we were body surfing! The waves were bigger than I’ve ever seen, crashing to the shore in every direction. We had so much fun playing in the water, riding the waves!
Feeling good and ready to start our vacation!!!! Got back to the villa as the gal was leaving (she did a fantastic job) and as soon as she was gone………………….. splish, splash, we are in the pool!! Yippee, finally, oh it was WONDERFUL!!! 
The water was cool but refreshing, we were like two little kids trying out the floats and the floating chair!!
We kicked back on the deck, watched a pretty sunset, grilled some pork, and let all the stress of the last few days roll down the hill! (I hope it didn’t end up at Bongo Bongo)! The moon is getting bigger each night and we actually watched the sunset and moonrise all at the same time! How cool is that?? So now we’re on the Cruz Bay side up above the Westin and we enjoy the view.
We realize tonight that we have 4 full days left and we are pumped! Oh, and I did get those wet clothes in the dryer (which worked great)!!
Both One Particular Harbor and Allesandra are great villas and highly recommended. I feel bad for the owners at OPH, and I don’t want to give them a bad rap here. I have learned some lessons and will ask a lot more questions with our next villa rental! One thing I did figure out about Caribbean Villas is that with the paperwork they have just the main number to call when you get to STT. Maybe a power failure messed up their answering machine and that’s why it got screwed up. I will always ask for an emergency number in the future.
It’s a wrap for this installment; I’m having trouble concentrating. Had to go back to work today and my minds all cluttered up with that stuff!!
More later……………oh yeah and the big CRASH in the middle of the night at Allesandra. No one got hurt.
Jan (akaCharlie)
Wednesday 11/29
I did not sleep very well last night; the anger is starting to seep in and at some point during the night I decided to talk to Mike in the morning about having us moved. We got up a little later than normal because it was cloudy and there was no bright sunshine to rouse us from our sleep! It turned out to be a little bit rainy and cool (this is NOT helping to dry my clothes – even in an air conditioned room). We decide to turn on the TV to see what’s going on in the rest of the world and it’s all snow……………..NOT the stuff hitting the Midwest, snow on the TV screen as in NO RECEPTION. Being the remote control idiot that I am, there must have been 5 or 6 in the basket; I keep trying them all, but no dice. Mike tries the TV’s in the bedrooms, nothing. THAT’S IT FOLKS…………WE’RE DONE.
I didn’t even have to ask Mike he was over it as well. There is no cable, satellite, or antenna, but they do have a VCR or DVD player if you want to rent a movie, no thanks. So here’s how the whole thing went down.I called Maine as soon as they opened and talked to Chris. She knows NOTHING about us being stranded at the dock and was in shock, but offered up no explanation. She informed me that they do not advertise a heated pool, nor do they advertise cable or satellite. She also knew that the dryer part was ordered, and that it didn’t work. I explained that we could handle one thing or the other, but every day it was something new falling apart and we were getting more and more frustrated. I ended up talking to the owner, or manager, her name is Diane. She said they would move us but it could not be to a villa that cost more $$, it had to be the same or less. She offered up Tennis Cottage, which I turned down. The villa is small, and has very little view. The conversation was going nowhere so I finally took the bull by the horn, so to speak, and came up with a plan. I told her she could do this one of two ways. I’ll hang up, leave her alone and they find a villa for us that will work then two satisfied customers enjoy their vacation and go home happy. Or we stay at OPH and go home very unhappy. Local office called back 15 minutes later with 2 choices, both of which were good, more money, but with comparable views and furnishings. We were packed and out the door fairly quick……………..didn’t want them to change their minds! No additional charges to us (thank goodness), and a little added bonus!!! We were going to spend our last night on STT at the Crystal Palace because we had to be out of OPH on Sunday. Well Bill & Sandie had offered up one of their bedrooms for Sunday night, which we graciously accepted. But now we could stay at Allesandra Sunday night for the same $$ that we were paying per night at OPH. Since we were losing a bit of the day moving we opted for the extra night. Bill & Sandie understood our desire NOT to move again on Sunday.
The folks on Island got a gal over to clean up the villa, they could not have been any more accommodating to us. The folks at Caribbean Villas have always been good to us and the gang on Island is over the top wonderful. I honestly cannot say that were totally displeased with them, we will use them again. So true to my word, we left as satisfied customers and I’m not going to rip them apart. I will follow up to them with some written communication about the dock issue and not being up front with us about OPH and things not working. I have learned from this experience and wanted to share it with you guys. I don’t know about the rest of you but Mike and I work very hard to pay for these vacations and I do a lot of up front planning. In my opinion Caribbean Villas should have been more up front with us about the dryer and pool.
We slipped by their office turned in the keys and followed Shaun up to Allesandra. We threw the frozen meats in the freezer and cold stuff in the fridge then left the cleaning lady alone. We went to Hawksnest for the afternoon, and we were body surfing! The waves were bigger than I’ve ever seen, crashing to the shore in every direction. We had so much fun playing in the water, riding the waves!
Feeling good and ready to start our vacation!!!! Got back to the villa as the gal was leaving (she did a fantastic job) and as soon as she was gone………………….. splish, splash, we are in the pool!! Yippee, finally, oh it was WONDERFUL!!! The water was cool but refreshing, we were like two little kids trying out the floats and the floating chair!!We kicked back on the deck, watched a pretty sunset, grilled some pork, and let all the stress of the last few days roll down the hill! (I hope it didn’t end up at Bongo Bongo)! The moon is getting bigger each night and we actually watched the sunset and moonrise all at the same time! How cool is that?? So now we’re on the Cruz Bay side up above the Westin and we enjoy the view.
We realize tonight that we have 4 full days left and we are pumped! Oh, and I did get those wet clothes in the dryer (which worked great)!!
Both One Particular Harbor and Allesandra are great villas and highly recommended. I feel bad for the owners at OPH, and I don’t want to give them a bad rap here. I have learned some lessons and will ask a lot more questions with our next villa rental! One thing I did figure out about Caribbean Villas is that with the paperwork they have just the main number to call when you get to STT. Maybe a power failure messed up their answering machine and that’s why it got screwed up. I will always ask for an emergency number in the future.
It’s a wrap for this installment; I’m having trouble concentrating. Had to go back to work today and my minds all cluttered up with that stuff!!
More later……………oh yeah and the big CRASH in the middle of the night at Allesandra. No one got hurt.
Jan (akaCharlie)
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California Girl
Whew! What an odyssey! I'm so glad that Caribbean Villas got you situated in a place that was acceptable. As to asking more questions, who would EVER think to ask "is the pool heated?" Does anyone build a pool without a heater in these modern times? I think you have been more than kind in your words about CV, I don't know if I would be as gracious! We also work very hard to afford this kind of trip and I would be sorely disappointed (not to mention SORE!) if I had the same problems!
Rock on Jan!
Rock on Jan!
So glad to hear that everything turned out okay in the end. And that CV did what was Right!! Man, what a fiasco and kudo's to you for handling it all with class.
My fingers are crossed for my soon to be Arrival time on STJ and that all goes well for meeting at the dock and for the villa we have rented. I'll crack if it's not. Ha-ha!!
Take care, and have fun planning your next adventure to Paradise!!
My fingers are crossed for my soon to be Arrival time on STJ and that all goes well for meeting at the dock and for the villa we have rented. I'll crack if it's not. Ha-ha!!
Take care, and have fun planning your next adventure to Paradise!!
Coden
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Kentuckygirl
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Kentucky
Well, I am glad that the theme of your vacation seems to be moving towards the positive side! Hopefully CV will look at what happened to you and think about ways they could better satisfy future customers.
I agree so much that we all work hard and plan, plan, plan to go on these trips. Sometimes, it's the little things that make the vacation go smoother. I don't know about you, but if it was me, and I had gotten a call in advance about the dryer, the TV, or the pool, I probably would have been OK with it, because I could have planned for it!
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your report when John and I get back from a short vacation (Not to St. John, unfortunately.)
I agree so much that we all work hard and plan, plan, plan to go on these trips. Sometimes, it's the little things that make the vacation go smoother. I don't know about you, but if it was me, and I had gotten a call in advance about the dryer, the TV, or the pool, I probably would have been OK with it, because I could have planned for it!
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your report when John and I get back from a short vacation (Not to St. John, unfortunately.)
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
Coden - I'll give you my cel number. If you get stranded just give me a call.............. I KNOW people now!!! 
You'll be fine, although I guarantee I'll call before I head down next time!
CalifGirl - Oh yes my toes were in the sand, that pretty white sugar sand......... it was WONDERFUL!!
Jorge - I really had to work on keeping my temper under control, but glad I did. DON'T take your group to One Particular Harbor......... that pool is WAY TOO COLD for all the nekkidness!!
Jan (akaCharlie)
You'll be fine, although I guarantee I'll call before I head down next time!CalifGirl - Oh yes my toes were in the sand, that pretty white sugar sand......... it was WONDERFUL!!
Jorge - I really had to work on keeping my temper under control, but glad I did. DON'T take your group to One Particular Harbor......... that pool is WAY TOO COLD for all the nekkidness!!
Jan (akaCharlie)
Episode 3 of “As the Island Turns” was great.
As we left Jan & Mike – OPH was falling apart all around them. As the Bushwackers and Painkillers were wearing off – the reality of the situation became apparent. Snow on a tropical island (thou it was on the TV) was the final straw. Jan calls the villa company from one snowy place (OPH) to another snowy place (Maine) to get satisfaction.
The villa company comes through and moves Jan & Mike to a more tropical setting. The question is – will Jan & Mike like the new place? Is the move worth it? What hidden adventures await them now?
Stay tuned to Jan’s - “As the Island Turns” to find out.
Thanks so much for writing your reports. Bring on the next Episode.
As we left Jan & Mike – OPH was falling apart all around them. As the Bushwackers and Painkillers were wearing off – the reality of the situation became apparent. Snow on a tropical island (thou it was on the TV) was the final straw. Jan calls the villa company from one snowy place (OPH) to another snowy place (Maine) to get satisfaction.
The villa company comes through and moves Jan & Mike to a more tropical setting. The question is – will Jan & Mike like the new place? Is the move worth it? What hidden adventures await them now?
Stay tuned to Jan’s - “As the Island Turns” to find out.
Thanks so much for writing your reports. Bring on the next Episode.
FlaGeorge
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay