USVI-On-Line

I am in the preliminary stages of planning our trip for next year and would love some suggestions/advice

We will go after high season ends but unsure of dates as we travel to Maine the week before Memorial Day, so we need to plan to accomodate work.

We would like to spend 2 nights at the Sandcastle/Soggy Dollar. Would love opinions on when, during the trip? Beginning, Middle, End?

On STJ we are looking for a very reasonable priced rental, a pool is a MUST have. Other than that we can be flexible. We prefer the Cruz Bay side.

And we will only have a week on island. I would love to make it 10 days or even 2 weeks, but Chip can not be away from work for that long.

Any thoughts?

Hmmmmmm.....I thought you said no planning this trip....but ok, here is my two cents--Unless you want to double rent i would do Jost at the beginning (or the end depending upon your flights and the ferry schedule--) I can't offer assistance on rentals--(we usually do the other side) but have been perusing a number and have found several affordabel properties in the frank bay and fish bay area.--we have had good luck with searching on VRBO.

This is for the next trip!
December is all set with no planning involved!

X- I've gotten the impression from posters on the "other" forum that reservations at Sandcastle are difficult to get-- as in they are often booked up. I've never looked at staying there so I have no clue. But that me be the driver for a stay on Jost-- whether or not they have availability.

I would also opt to do that at the beginning of a longer trip.

I struggled with how to go about this for our December trip and it seemed the most logical esp since we are flying thru STT. I'd hate to be dependent on the BVI ferry at the end and breaking up a trip in the middle (unless you are OK with double paying) didn't really make sense.

If sandacastle doesn't work there's Ivans cabin or his guest house which are reasonably priced and of course a handful of other options on Jost.

Keep in mind too that if you are going straight there from STT the ferry schedule may require an overnight stay on STT or STJ.

IOW our flight gets in to late from DC (all flights in fact) to make the Jost or Tortola ferry. So we're using points to stay one night on STT.

You just need to factor that in. Another alternative would be to head straight to STJ and stay overnight at the STJ inn or one of the other spots and then catch the ferry the next day.

Good luck!

I am not too worried about availability, we are pretty flexible with dates. We will stay at the Sandcastle next year, so when we can do that will drive the rest of the trip.

I was thinking at the beginning as well, but with late flights and only a week, that may be an issue. I guess there is always a crazy expensive water taxi

I believe Sandcastle has a 3 night minimum. The only place I could find for less than 3 nights was Ivan's.

We typically veer to the Coral Bay side now for accommodations but if I were staying nearer to Cruz Bay, Hale Lani was AWESOME. Not sure what the price is like now but it was very reasonable when we went.

Sandcastle let us do ony 2 nights...but it's sort of last-minuteish so maybe that's why? Anyway, it never hurts to ask.