USVI-On-Line

We Are -

Two adult couples comprised of one set of parents and a toddler (us) and grandma and her boyfriend. I have lots of Traveling with a Toddler information that I didn't include but would be happy to pass along if anyone is interested.

Traveled -

US Air from Philly. US Air delayed/cancelled our 7:40 to San Juan. Rebooked on the direct to STT flight, which was fine except our luggage didn't make the transfer. Lost luggage when staying on St. John is not an experience I want to repeat again. Let me just say I was happy when it finally showed up. Hubby will never, ever, ever be allowed to travel without a decently packed carry-on again.

Used Christopher for land, Dohm's for water. We are repeat customers of both, needless to say we like the services.

Return trip home was Cape Air to San Juan, then direct to Philly. For many, many, many reasons, this was not a good experience. In the future, we will avoid this transfer at all costs. (We had traveled through San Juan once before with no problems.)

Our problems basically related to lack of information. There was literally no US Air employee to be found to issue us a boarding pass or answer questions about our connecting flight. Even the pilots and flight crew were standing around and visibly annoyed that no gate agents were available (I asked one a question and he shared his frustration with me.)

We had to exit the gate area, stand in a horrendous, screaming line of people (we were not the ones screaming) in order to get our boarding passes, go back through security and sprint to the gate as the departure boards were flashing boarding for our flight. Once we got to the gate, agents finally appeared to tell us the computers were down and it would take at least an hour to start boarding the plane.

Stayed -

We rented Splendore from Vacation Vistas. I posted a separate villa review. We were very pleased.

Rented -

Rented from St. John Car Rental for the third time. 20,000 mile Liberty that was well used. Personally, I rather had a vehicle with some wear on it so I am not so paranoid about scratches.

Parked -

By the end of the middle of the week, we stopped using their lot at night. I am not a sissy or do not like say not so nice things about an island I love but it seems that a group of men are using the back of St. John Car Rental's lot as a place to conduct their shady business in the off hours. They appeared to be less happy to see us tramping through then we were to see them.

By night four, we decided to park at Slimman, who is probably making a fortune off of tourist parking dollars and good for him. I don't think we met a more friendly business owner on the island in 12 years of visiting.

Ate -

Lime Inn - another good meal. This is a repeat favorite for us.

Ocean Grill - we had an excellent lunch. I was quite surprised at the quality of the food. It was truly a great meal and we eat out a lot for both business and pleasure. Keep reading for a feel-good story about using (or not) a credit card.

La Tapa - Probably the best service we have ever experience on St. John in six trips. The waitress knew the wine and could offer information on each of the courses we ordered. The food was good; I just don't love Mediterranean style cooking.

Morgan's Mango - We go for the frosty drinks and stay for the lobster. We enjoyed both. We always seem to eat here each visit.

Rhumb Lines - We had a good meal. I like the atmosphere of this place.

Candies - the "new" Uncle Joe's. According to our rental agent, there was a split in the BBQ business, which resulted in Candies. Lots of food for the money. I had the fish and some of my mother's chicken, both of which were very good. Order the fish without the bbq sauce. I can't say I like the ribs just because of the quality of the meat.

Shipwreck - We had a nice lunch. This is a sentimental favorite of ours dating back to the honeymoon days.

Inn at Tamarind Court - Again, another sentimental favorite from past trips. Good food at a reasonable price.

Fish Trap - our least favorite of the trip due to poor service, many menu items not available, and the food that we were served being not worth the price. (When I say poor service, I am not talking about the difference between mainland versus island expectations. I am talking about not being able to get a second drink.)


Experienced -

Good jewelry shopping at R & I Patton. If you are looking for a gold hook bracelet, this is the place. The store sells Sonya's bracelets from St. Croix. The weight was noticeably heavier then others I had seen on the island the price was more than $100 less.

An interesting situation relating to using an Amex card. We started the day out with plenty of cash but by the time lunch rolled around, we were getting sort of low on funds. Normally we ask if Amex is accepted but we forgot to inquire when eating at the Ocean Grill.

Time comes to pay the bill and we were a couple bucks short. Very awkward situation when the waiter informs us that they don't accept Amex and we realize we don't have enough money. (wallets and other cards were left at the villa) One of the owners from Patton tells the owner of Ocean Grill that we were just in her shop, purchased a nice piece of jewelry and could he see his way to giving us time to run home for cash. No problem, he says and we all have a good (if uncomfortable) chuckle.

Pleasant beer drinking at the Tap Room.

My mom and her friend went to the Baths and Norman Island on Limos Charters (I may not have the spelling correct) It was $110 plus customs which included breakfast, lunch, open bar and fresh water showers. They really enjoyed the trip and thought is was well worth the cost. This comes from a woman who does not part with a penny easily so it must have been a great value.

Thanks for the report PA Girl! I have been seeing lots of lost luggage mentions lately...yuck. I don't see how you can get around checking bags now with the liquid restrictions.

Thank you for your report! I am glad you liked Ocean Grill, We had a great experience there as well!
From one PaGirl to another, if you fly out of Philly on USair take a roll a board suitcase! USAir has lost my luggage so many times I really have lost count and nothing will ruin a trip faster for me! I pack a bathing suit, cover-up, undies, dinner and day outfit and sandals, curling iron, medications, enough of everything to get me through 3 days.

Betty - I am like you, well-prepared! Hubby on the other hand, refuses to carry anything on. Well, until now. I think he know sees my wisdom!

Caribert - Dohm's picks up and drops off at the National Park Docks on both St. Thomas (close to Red Hook) and St. John. They will arrange Christopher Taxi if you wish. They also will call the villa rental agent with your arrival time.

Cost is $20 per person, bags included, with a minimum fare of $100. In other words, you will pay $100 even if you party consists of 4 people. the captain handles the baggage loading and unloading. Cooler of cold water on board. We get Christopher to make a six-pack stop for us to drink on the way to St. John.

The website is www.watertaxi-vi.com

Please share your traveling with toddler info! We're taking a 2-1/2 year old in June. I'd appreciate any hints on airplane tips (ear squeeze problems, keeping them occupied, etc.) or general sunscreen info. Did your toddler have trouble sleeping with all the night sounds?

What's the procedure for reserving a ride with Dohm's?

Thanks for a trip report! Made me hungry... must be getting near lunch time here.

That freaks me out about the lot at St. John Car Rental, though- I usually count on parking there and this trip, I'll be alone half the time. Yikes!

Great report and very informative!

Thanks for the writeup. I'd love to hear about toddler friendly activities. On luggage, we have always carried on 100% of our luggage. Now, with the liquids restrictions, we have to check a bag. It's the sacrifice bag - sunscreen, shampoo, etc. Nothing that can't be replaced on island.

Cheers, RickG

We just returned from the second STJ trip with our son, who is currently 17 months old. I have seen several posts recently about traveling with small children so I thought I would share our experiences/observations.

Hope it helps others in planning a great family vacation!

Air Travel in General

We travel for vacation and family visits quite a bit. In the past, we have flown without purchasing our son a seat. The airlines were always kind in ticketing us next to an empty seat. This trip, I decided to breakdown and purchase him a ticket. Comfort aside, we also needed the baggage allowance.

No matter what they might tell you, do not count to the airlines to have milk, water or food (free or for purchase) available. The families sitting around us had a hard time getting these items. They were told by well-meaning ticket and gate agents that beverages would be available to the children before or shortly after take off. Not so – I witnessed flight attendants refusing to provide liquids until the beverage service started with no exceptions made for children. The airline also did not have enough food available for purchase.

I packed meals and snacks for the each leg of the trip in a small lunch cooler. TSA allows milk for babies/toddlers. I had everything contained within the cooler – no TSA problems at all.

Speaking of TSA – have a plan of action before you get to security. In our family, my husband is responsible for our son, the diaper bag, and his carry-on. I am responsible for the car seat and my carry-on. Knowing what each person is responsible for makes the transition through security much less stressful.

For our return leg of the trip, we had a Cape Air connection in San Juan. Prior to the trip, I called Cape Air directly to inquire about using our FAA-approved car seat and I was told that I could use the seat. Upon boarding, the flight crew would not allow me to use the seat. My concern was not so much safety in the event of a crash but containing a toddler in a small space. Sure enough, he wiggled his was out of the seat belt within a minute. He fell asleep a short-time after take off so there were no problems.

We will try to avoid the San Juan connection in the future, for many reasons relating to the transfer between airlines and the lack of support staff when problems arose with boarding passes, gate changes, etc. There was simply no one available to assist us with basic questions.

We had no experienced ear problems on flights. I do keep a slip-cup of water or liquid handy for take off and landings.

To keep him occupied we bring one “new” toy or book for each hour of the trip. Often theses are just favorites that I hide two weeks prior to traveling. Forbidden items also work well, like Daddy’s cell phone that he is never allowed to play with at home. (Keys locked in the off position of course)

Luggage

Cross-pack. We split our son’s clothing and gear between our bags. Good thing we did as the airline lost half of our bags and we had to wait a full day and a half for their return.

The lost luggage drama is something I would like to forget about but I feel a need to inform others about what happens when one loses a bag flying into St. Thomas and is staying on another island.

US Air tells you that they will call you when the bag turns up. In order to claim your bag, you must be waiting at the ferry dock on St. John to sign for it.

It is the waiting for the call part of the process that is frustrating. If you give the villa phone number and you are not there to receive the call, you are sh_t out of luck because your bag goes back to St. Thomas if no one is there to meet the ferry.

The availability of an answering machine doesn’t help because if you are out all day and miss the message, you are again out of luck. We had a 20-minute window from the time we received the call to the time to we had to be at the dock. It was only by luck that we happened to be at the house when the call came in.

Using a cell phone doesn’t help much either as service is spotty. If the calls go to voice mail, you miss the delivery time.

Here is what we learned:

1. Get the name of the person at the airline baggage service desk AND the local phone number at the St. Thomas airport. US Air’s 1-800 number was absolutely worthless as you cannot speak to a live operator.

2. Get the schedule of incoming flights so you have a general idea about what time you might expect a call.

3. Prior to leaving the airport, check the baggage claim areas of the other airlines. We actually found some of our luggage at a different airline. (several pieces came down on a different flight)

4. Have your contact number available at all times in case you need to provide it after the initial claim is filed. I called to check on our claim from downtown and was asked to provide the villa phone number, which I did not have on me at the time.

Land/Water Transfers

For our family, the benefits of having a pre-arranged taxi at the airport far outweigh the cost. We used Christopher Taxi for three years and his service continues to be top-notch. Knowing that we have the proper amount of time to install the car seat, change a diaper, etc. reducing the stress level all the way around.

We use Dohm’s for water transfer. Again, for us the service is worth the cost but I realize it might not be for other families.

Accommodations

We rented a house that allowed allow mobile children (not all do) and it worked well but it was not child-proofed or particularly kid-friendly. It was decorated with glass topped tables and metal porch furniture that was just waiting to crack a noggin. Also, it had crank-out, floor to ceiling windows inside and out that had sharp corners right at eye level. This actually ended up being more dangerous to the adults – all I can say is ouch!

I took a handful of electrical outlet plugs and two cabinet locks along. They weigh nothing and didn’t take up much room. Cable ties also work very well for securing doors with knobs or levers.

The house we rented had a pool, which we all really enjoyed. There was no safety gate or cover. This was not a big deal for us because we watch our son very closely.

The entire patio was tiled. When wet, this made for a very slippery surface. The patio was essentially the only outdoor area for play.

If a pool cover and kid-friendly design of the house in general is important for your family’s enjoyment and piece of mind, make sure you really question the rental agent on the subject.

I am not criticizing the villa or the rental agent; I am just mentioning issues that other parents of a toddler might find worthwhile to consider prior to selecting accommodations.

Location

We stayed in the Chocolate Hole area. Drive time to the North Shore beaches was 15-25 minutes (going through Cruz Bay) depending on which beach we visited. Hawksnest was the shortest drive. Maho was by far our favorite. Both have parking close to the beach.

We also visited Francis and Jumby. Nice but not very convenient for transporting the boy and his gear. Cinnamon and Trunk have the most facilities and parking. We did not visit either on this trip.

Beach Visits

Most beaches do have some shade but not always “good” shade. Sometimes shade means crawling under bushes (not fun) into areas already occupied by ants or bugs (even less fun).

We took a beach umbrella along in our checked baggage. It was a better quality model with a wind vent and screw anchor; both were absolutely necessary. We didn’t need to use it much but it was definitely one of those “better safe than sorry” pieces of travel gear.

In the past, we used a pop-up travel shade tent. The pop-up was great for an infant but would not have worked for this trip as our son would not have sat in it willingly.

We are fans of the Neat Sheet. It repels water and sand, is reasonably priced, and comfortable to sit upon while in a wet bathing suit.

We had no problem at all with naps on the beach. We packed the cooler full of food and beverages and made a day of it.

Our son is very fair. We found spray-on sunscreen to be great for his head and face. I basically painted him like I was using a can of spray paint. We coated him prior to leaving the house and periodically during the day.

Doing the first coat prior to hitting the beach was a lesson we learned the hard way on day one. As soon as he hit the beach, he raced into the water and became covered with sand. Trying to apply sunscreen to a squirming, sand-covered toddler is not an experience I want to repeat. He would not wear a t-shirt or hat. SPF 45 kept him pasty white!

We kept a jug of fresh water in the back of the rental vehicle to rinse him off after we were finished at the beach. A quick change of clothes and we were on our way in comfort.

Kid Gear

The villa had a serviceable collection of sand toys. Toys were also available at St. John Kids (Wharfside Village) and Chelsea Drug Store (Marketplace).

Last year the villa rental agency provided us with a pack-n-play free of charge. This year, we took a sleeping tent pod (for lack a better term) that completely zips closed. I purchased it from One Step Ahead. It breaks down to a 12” circular bag, very handy for travel and toddler-containment at night.

We also took a travel high chair (purchased from the same source) that came in handy as the furniture in the house wasn’t toddler-friendly for dining. In town, not all restaurants have high chairs.

There is a rental service on island for kid items, ask the villa agent. Because we already had these things from prior trips, we took them along.

The villa we rented was small enough that we had no need for a baby monitor. Our son slept on the floor of our bedroom.

We have yet to take a stroller on vacation. The usability of a stroller on St. John probably depends on whether or not your kid is a “stroller kid.” We use a backpack for foot journeys. It has the added feature of lots of stroller compartments, which eliminates the need for a diaper/gear bag.

Personally, I don’t think the St. John roads or the streets of Cruz Bay are stroller friendly due to the lack of sidewalks in many places and the driving styles of both residents and tourists. That being said, we saw lots and lots of families with strollers during our trip.

Food and Other Stuff

Advance planning really helped in the feeding area. For good or bad, I am the family member responsible for the deciding where, when and what we eat.

I made a menu calendar to plan out meals, which I used to make the shopping list. This was not nearly as uptight as it sounds, I just wanted to have a plan of attract so I could get one with my day. Left to his own devices, it would take my husband an hour to cook a huge breakfast, an hour to clean up and another hour to pack our lunch.

The Starfish Market had a great selection of fruits, veggies, pre-cooked foods, etc. I used the same small airplane cooler for his day trips to the beach. Knowing what to cook for breakfast and what to prepare and pack for the beach saved us valuable time that was better spent enjoying our vacation.

We ate out at a number of restaurants. As I previously mentioned, high chairs were not always available. Our son eats what we eat so dedicated kids’ menus weren’t a concern for us. I did make a point to glance at prices; expect to pay $10 or so for a children’s meal.

We rented a Jeep Liberty for this trip. Having four doors made the in and out of car seat travel much easier than in a Wrangler or similar two-door vehicle.

Sleep has not been a problem on vacation. By nature, he is a good and heavy sleeper so strange noises are an issue. The amount of early morning sun did have him up sooner than normal.

Good Luck!

Jumbiegirl,

Call or email Dohms (see email link above) They require a credit card for a deposit. We always paid cash at the time of service.

I will say that this business knows how to treat customers - late flights? "No problem, we will make sure to have a boat waiting for you". Missing luggage? "No problem, take your time. we will be waiting"

I know private versus public ferry is at times a real hot button issue but it works for our family.

This is the best travel with Toddlers review I have ever read! You will help so many people traveling with toddlers!
Your hint about putting on sun block at the villa before you go to the beach is a good hint for husbands too

PA Girl- Thanks for the trip report. I could tell you a many USAir trip problem out of Philly. If you can afford it , the direct flight is always best (luggage wise also) But if I can't get it I try to go throught Charlotte or Miami (AA) because I have had many problems in San Juan also but mostly on the return flight (over- booking and delays). I also had my son's car seat taken out of my hands while boarding and had to argue that I purchased a seat for my son and that it was safer and more comfortable for him to sit in. I used USAir this past February and was told to be 3 hrs early (international) and stood in line for an hour (under the St. Thomas sign) to be told I was in the wrong line. How come we have to be 3 hrs early but the airline and TSA don't have to be open? It's a good thing that St. John is such a wonderful place or would we all really go through all these travel hassles.

Actually, we had a bit of an ugly carseat incident on our return leg. I am waiting for a response from the airline (a rep from the airline called me within an hour of my email - shocking!) concerning their resolution.

Great reports thank you for sharing