USVI-On-Line

My original post asked about rental cars. great responses - thank you all SO much.

I sent them on to family group as a heads up, this is something we might want to think about ahead of time. Well ... I learned a couple things about planning a trip for a large family group.

- This is a very different trip from all of us staying on a ranch for a week or going to Bermuda via a cruise
- Staying at the Westin in 4 villas creates a different dynamic. A family unit with 2 young boys might be less inclined to packing up each day to explore.
- Not all have the time or interest to fully immerse themselves ahead of time into St. John books, maps, forums, etc. to realize how awesome it will be to explore the beaches, snorkeling, etc etc etc. They will arrive and take it from there. This is not my approach - I love researching and learning all the options. Not because I would ever try to see or do it all. That's impossible in a one week trip. But understanding the options for exploring (or not) is part of pre-trip anticpation and excitement for me.

So here are my questions based on feedback received:
1. It will be off season. We will only be renting one car, maybe 2. Is it really necessary to reserve ahead of time?
2. In reading through Feet, Fins & Four Wheel Drive, I got the impression that cabs won't necessarily take you wherever you want to go. But in looking at the cab info and rates to different locations, it seems like they might.
3. Has anyone ever done this- rented villas at the Westin, a large diverse family group? Do some simply relax and enjoy what the Westin has to offer, especially those with young kids? What about teenage boy and college age girls? Maybe I am approaching this as if we are staying in a villa high on a bluff somewhere. In that situation it would be a given that one explores the island.

maybe I am just thinking too much. It will all fall into place. We are on vacation. Take it a day at a time, go with the flow, don't worry about trying to move the troops.

While I can't imagine it myself, there are people who would be perfectly content to sit by a resort pool for an entire vacation. If part of your family is that type, let them sit by the pool and go off on your own to enjoy.

I love researching too and know exactly what you are talking about. I am reading now in anticipation of our upcoming trip and it will be our 9 or 10th!

I hope a local will correct me if I am wrong but I think while cabs are suppose to take you anywhere on the rate sheet, that doesn't mean they will. Back and forth to town won't be a problem but I seem to remember reading that cabs don't want to go over to Coral Bay or on dirt roads.

1 or possibly 2 cars? 16 people? For me, that would be issue #1....No one likes to be stranded..even though they may think that they want to hang out at the villa while others are out exploring in the vehicle, a few hours into that, they may change their mind and want to get out...or you may all want to head out and explore together..

And.....as someone who has done group trips....let me add this...
Don't assume it will all "fall into place"...
I think a pre meeting would be great talk about expectations and to avoid any issues once you are on island...we had huge conflict on our last trip..and man did I learn alot the hard way...

Things to consider are...
1. Does everyone expect to hang out together the whole time..or are they ok with not spending a day together if some want to explore and some just want to hang out?
2. Are there any "must do's?"

I don't know the dynamics of your group or the ages/families, etc but again think you should have a meeting to discuss ideas, expectations.

1. It will be off season. We will only be renting one car, maybe 2. Is it really necessary to reserve ahead of time?

YES! Seriously consider 2 cars minimum. Not everyone will want to do the same thing at the same time.

2. In reading through Feet, Fins & Four Wheel Drive, I got the impression that cabs won't necessarily take you wherever you want to go. But in looking at the cab info and rates to different locations, it seems like they might.

No they won't. They list rates but they won't necessarily go where you might want to go. Expect that they will take you to and from the Westin into town and to the major beaches. After that it is hit and miss.

3. Has anyone ever done this- rented villas at the Westin, a large diverse family group? Do some simply relax and enjoy what the Westin has to offer, especially those with young kids? What about teenage boy and college age girls?

I have not stayed at the Westin nor have I arranged for a group of 16. I have arranged for a group of 4 adults and even in that small group there were 4 different opinions of what each wanted to do. I do know that the Westin does not offer what you will find on the rest of the island. St John is SO much more than what you will find at the Westin.

One set of our travelling friends is of the let it fall into place variety.

They simple don't care and don't worry and are perfectly happy to be told which beach we are visiting today, where we are eating and so on. They offer no opinions, no complaints, never. They just come along and enjoy the ride, so to speak.

If your family is like that, I wouldn't worry too much.

The vehicle situation would worry me a bit. Get one for your family and make sure the rest of them know how much it will cost them to taxi around and leave it at that.

Will they have a problem spending $$$ on taxis? Some people don't. We will be doing a no-jeep trip in 5 weeks and we know that we will be spending $X each night to go to town and thats ok with us.

First of all I really don't think you are thinking too much.

The reality is that large groups require coordination and some advance planning can avoid some major hiccups in the long run.

Everyone likes to think that "everything will just fall into place" but the reality is that sometimes that doesn't happen naturally and what seems to be natural on the outside really requires a great deal of work on the front end so that everything goes smoothly on the back end.

My BFF Flip Flop and I have organized several large group/family trips down over the years and there's one thing we've learned and swear by: Have some sort of master plan in place. Know what's open and when, what you can do and when and plug it in. Give everyone a copy. Whetehr they decide to follow it or not is up to them, but at least they have an idea of what you can do, ratehr than just sitting around and staring at one another saying, "What do you wnat to do?" "I dunnno, what do you want to do?"

If you you decide not to go to or do (insert activity here) then that's OK, but in the meantime you won't waste everyone's time trekking out to Vie's for lunch on Monday only to find out she's closed. Or you won't plan on that day trip to STT for shopping when 7 cruise ships are in.

My experience is that those folks who are like, "Oh we just want to hang by the pool" will all of a sudden decide that they want to go with you to X location and you're going to be playing taxi.

That being said, I think you've made a brave effort to address the issue in advance and they will just have to live and learn. But you should definitely go ahead and plan on renting a vehicle and exploring STJ the way that YOU want to even if they don't.

So, you asked (my answers are in bold):

1. It will be off season. We will only be renting one car, maybe 2. Is it really necessary to reserve ahead of time?

Yes. Do not wait to reserve your vehicle. By law STJ car rental co's can only have so many vehicles registered on island. It's better to reserve sooner rather than later, especially if you want a Jeep Wrangler - as they are generally more popular - or a larger vehicle as they are not as commonly available.

We've been renting from STJ car rental for 12 years. Others have their faves, but they are mine.

2. In reading through Feet, Fins & Four Wheel Drive, I got the impression that cabs won't necessarily take you wherever you want to go. But in looking at the cab info and rates to different locations, it seems like they might.

Here's the thing. Cabs will generally take you to most of the popular places and since you will be a larger group, you may be able to arrange in advance to have them return to pick you up at a designated time. That would be the way to go. Again, depending on the number of poeple these costs will add up quickly and you may find that a car rental would have been cheaper.

All cabs are the open air style safari cabs with benches lengthwise or horizontally (depending on the cab) in the back of the truck. There is just a roof, no sides. This freaks some people out. So be aware.


3. Has anyone ever done this- rented villas at the Westin, a large diverse family group? Do some simply relax and enjoy what the Westin has to offer, especially those with young kids? What about teenage boy and college age girls? Maybe I am approaching this as if we are staying in a villa high on a bluff somewhere. In that situation it would be a given that one explores the island.

We have always rented a villa and never stayed at the Westin. We started by renting in Cruz Bay with walking distance to restaurants; then in Chocolate Hole (near the Westin) and now we prefer Coral Bay (on the other side of the island).

You are not approaching this the wrong way. It's just that when the average person looks at a map of STJ and sees the Westin is what-- a half mile or so to Cruz Bay -- they think, "hey I can walk that-- that's not far."

What they don't understand or appreciate are the HILLS and the fact that there are virtually no sidewalks anywhere. And no one- I mean no one- wants to walk up Jacobs Ladder unless they are being chased by someone with a machete. What looks like a five minute walk is actually much more involved.

Now if they plan on parking it at the Westin and having a resort-type experience that's perfectly fine, I just think that many of us would say that they are missing out on a lot of what STJ has to offer. That's just MHO. Part of the fun of the island for many (not all of us) is the exploration, snorkeling, secluded beaches etc.

Unfortunately, getting to some of these cool spots requires a vehicle and in some cases a 4wd will make it easier.

It's hard to appreciate STJ until you've been there and when you get there a lot of the advice you've received will make more sense for all involved. I think folks are generally trying to be helpful based on our own collective experiences.

Believe me when I say, I've learned lessons the hard way and traveled with people who were too cheap to rent a car and ended up playing taxi driver cause I didn't want to say no. So I ended up paying for a car only to chauffeur them around. They never even bothered to pay for gas or part of the rental.

Also, you don't want to waste your vacation time waiting around for someone to pull it together. It's frustrating. Building in flexibility with multiple vehicle allows folks to move at their own pace without resentment.

Obviously you know your group better than we do.

Someone provided a link to Rick G's advice for moving with a herd (a term used with great affection) on another thread and he gives excellent advice. You should take some time to review that info.

We're just trying to help you have a great trip. So please don't take any of this the wrong way. We are tuly trying to help!!

I say follow your instincts, rent a car for you to use and do your own thing.

Good luck!!

Once again, I am amazed at the wisdom and wonderful suggestions. Thanks to all who reply for affirming my approach and providing good "insider" info.

Gromit - how could anyone take your reply with its wealth of info and advice the wrong way??? I truly appreciate it!!

I am lucky to have the time to tend to my "obsession" of research prior to this trip. But the downside is that I am not the "planner" in charge this year and most of our group do not have time to consider much in advance simply because of life's demands at the moment. Which leads me to my next "aha" moment: who to include on St. John info/planning email list. I think it best to keep it simple. Essential folks are my dad and his offspring and spouses. They can speak for their families. Not that specifics are required for this topic but maybe if I put it out there again, it might shed new light on the matter.
- My dad, age 84
- myself,& husband. 2 kids. Daughter 19, son 16
- My older brother and wife. 3 daughters, all in their 20's. 2 are married.
- My younger bother & wife. 2 boys. Ages 5 and almost 7

Definitely RENT your cars ahead. We stay at the Westin every year and have rented from http://www.oconnorcarrental.com/ which is on the property. The advantage would be that you could rent additional cars for just a few days in the middle of the trip and be more flexible with your plans since you won't have to go somewhere else to pick up the car!

We always see many people who never seem to leave the property except to go out for dinner so some of your group may choose that!

When I travel with my extened family (4 couples - no children) I end up being "tour" guide...I come up with a few possible activities (snorkeling charter, sunset cruise, photography class, eco tour), a list of restaurants - then send an email and a deaadline to opt in and rank meal choices. Then I make the reservations and create a calendar.

Be sure to leave a couple of "veg" days and time to fit in the things you might not have thought of!

Good luck!

Another thought -

We had a set of newbies along on our last trip and the layout and "style" of a STJ vacation shocked them.

They were both used to renting an Outer Banks beach house or self-contained or all-inclusive resorts where they didn't need to travel too far from bed to beach to food and back again.

When planning the trip, we talked about going to the beach, packing coolers for the day, going into town at night and so on but they didn't understand.

They loved STJ but said "we didn't realize how much time we needed to spend in the Jeep, couldn't we have stayed closer to the beaches?"

Yes and no kids, yes and no......(they were in their mid 20s, fresh out of school)

I am really concerned about not having cars for everyone. I have stayed at the Westin years ago with the kids & yes they loved the pool but they will never foreget driving in the jeep & stopping and checking out each more beautiful beach around every bend. The beach at the Westin was not a beach anyone would set foot in...hope it is better now. You will miss the real charm of STJ if you just hang at the hotel. Just My opinion

PA Girl,
Exactly, STJ is not a dream vacation for many. Many want to walk out their door & plop on the beach. Packing up for the day & dragging everything to the jeep, beach & back is mor than some people care to do. I always make this VERY Clear. If you are going to go just to hang at the Westin pool, beach...save money & go to Orlando..lots of fake beaches & cool pools for less money. For us the thrill is rounding that bend and seeing another beautiful beach & checking it out and of course you can't snorkle in a fake beach.

wow, not to be rude, but I can't believe this conversation is still going on. This is the time for what I call "tough love". This means, you rent a car for yourself and direct family immediately, tell the others what they need to do and then let them do what they want. If they don't rent a car now, they will regret it and you can always say you told them to rent. You will not want to waste a minute of your vacation on STJ trying to organize rides to the various spectacular beaches on the north and south shores.

Honestly on an island like STJ, I can't imagine staying at the Westin and I know alot of people like this...but it's much cheaper to go to Dominican Republic if an inclusive resort is what people want. STJ is a totally different experience, one where you need to get out and explore. For those in the group wanting to hang at the Westin....well I suppose to each his own, its just hard for me to understand.

I am the OP
It's not so much that the conversation is still going on, it's just that more forum folks have taken the
time to provide their thoughts based on experience.

THANK YOU ALL.

Pia - thanks for the extensive list of rental car companies and telephone numbers.

Thank you Gromit for your extensive & thoughtful reply and for making me laugh from the best line of all - what it takes to get someone to walk up Jacob's Ladder.


As far as the actual issue at hand, we will be renting cars. The replies to my post confirmed what I sense of St John and how to experience all that it is.

thank you!!!