Trying to decide if we have time to get car ferry to STJ

[snorkeler525]

Hi all - planning our first trip to STJ and will be there December 27 to January 3 for a holiday with my parents and my mother in law; total of 7 or 8 of us. We've got the villa but haven't arranged a car yet. I'm thinking we'll rent 2 vehicles so people can go their own direction at times.

Anyway, on to the question. We are scheduled to land at 3:10 and would like to get at least one of the vehicles on STT since we have a very late flight back on the 3rd. Do you experienced travelers think we will have enough time to get the jeep (from Dependable) and get to the ferry before the last one at 6:30? Do you think we would have time to stop at Food Center too or given the busy time of year, are we just better off heading straight to the ferry?

Thanks for all your help. I know it is early but I also figure it is peak season so I need to take care of things early.

[waterguy]

I would say yea no problem as long as your plane is on time and the luggage comes out. The worst that would happen is you would have to leave the cars at red hook take the people ferry over get a cab to your villa and go back and get them in the morning

[Teresa_Rae]

Hmm, that’s a good question. We’ve gotten in at 3:30, stopped at the Food Center, and made the car ferry, but we also do it every year so we have the routine down pat. We also always rent from Budget or Avis at the airport, so renting from Dependable would add some time.

I would have been nervous cutting it close on our first trip without knowing where we were going, etc.

I guess it also kind of depends on the people in your group. Are they the kind of people who like to linger around and take things slowly? Or would they be able to get in and out of the grocery store quickly? Are the people who will be driving confident drivers, especially considering that they’ll be driving on the left? We’ve gotten stuck behind some non-confident drivers before in the USVI, and it’s really hard to pass on many of the windy roads, so even if y’all are confident, you could get stuck behind someone who isn’t.

Also something to remember is that the car ferries don’t necessarily run on time. If the last ferry has a full load 20 minutes early, then it will leave early and you’ll be out of luck.

We also go in the off-season, so I’d expect there to be more traffic on STT in the winter, and the amount of traffic can be the difference between catching and missing a ferry.

I’m just trying to give you an idea of the kinds of things that can slow you down...we definitely have to switch to island time when we get there, but it’s hard to do so when you’re trying to catch the last ferry to STJ

If you want to rent on STT, I’d suggest renting from the airport instead…that way, as some people wait for your luggage, the others can be waiting in line and getting the car ready...and by the time all the luggage has arrived, the others can have the cars waiting to be loaded. Then head to Red Hook to catch the ferry, and stop at the Food Center only if you have time.

[Sun4MySoul]

I have rented from Budget and from Dependable in high season and can honestly say that renting from Dependable did not add any time to our trip. The Budget counter is slow and once I even encountered a huge hold up there - they ran out of cars - and had to wait over an hour to get one.

You can always send someone to Dependable to get the car while the others wait for bags if you are worrying about time. Take the South Shore rd and if you have time to stop at Food Center - do it. Otherwise continue on. Food Center is only about 5 minutes from the ferry, so you should be able to judge by the time you get there.

My flight always lands at 4:20pm and I have never missed a ferry- though I don't always have time for shopping.

[snorkeler525]

Teresa - thanks for the detailed reply. Avis doesn't have any AWD vehicles available during our dates and I have heard such bad things about Budget (and good things about Dependable), I didn't want to use them. My husband is a Brit so he is used to driving on the left on some very small, winding roads. I think we will likely chance it and stop if we have time. My parents will arrive before us so I might just send them ahead rather than having them wait for us. They would be the slow, more nervous types anyway so we can just meet them on STJ.

Waterguy - thanks for the tip about just parking if we need to do it.

[Randy in MD]

We've done exactly what you're proposing to do many times and never had a problem. The last ferry isn't until 7. Dependable is as the name implies and you'll be very happy with the quality of the vehicle you get from them. Food and drink provisions are right on the way to Red Hook so you won't have to go out of your way. And December 27th is a Saturday so there will be no rush hour to contend with in the late afternoon. No worries...

[Teresa_Rae]

I would wager that if there are cruise ships in port, you could encounter traffic on a Saturday late afternoon.

This is the info that Anthony has posted:

Car Barge, Red Hook - Cruz Bay: You can take your car (including rental cars) back and forth from St. Thomas and St. John on one of the car barges that make the trip several times daily. As of 12/31/01 you are legally allowed to take a rental car on the barge - although you should definitely check with your rental agent before doing so as some prefer their cars not to leave their repsective islands. The trip takes about 25 minutes on the water, but there is usually a lot of jostling around for position, especially in the mornings and late afternoons in season. Show up early and be patient. Price (this can change rapidly!) about $35, round trip, which includes passengers.

Departing Red Hook, St. Thomas to Cruz Bay, St. John:

Boyson: Daily every hour on the half hour from 6:30 A.M. to 6:30 P.M.
Sunday:
8:30 A.M.
9:30 A.M.
10:30 A.M.
11:30 A.M.
12:30 P.M.
2:30 P.M.
5:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.

Republic: Every two hours from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

Roanoke:
6:15 A.M. (except Sundays)
8:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M.
12:00 P.M.
2:00 P.M.
4:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.