USVI-On-Line

OK.... Now I am confused. Is the CA ferry running or not? I am a newbie but have been trying to do my research (thanks everybody!). My rental agent told me to get a private taxi for 75 bucks plus tip (there are only 2 of us) from STT airport to avoid the hassles of STT which sounded good to me IF we are going all the way to Red Hook. BUT, if CA ferry is running is it really that big of a deal? 9 days out and counting

The CA ferry is running, I just took it today. I don't think taking the downtown ferry is a big hassle at all...save yourself some money and go for it!

When we arrived on STT on April 23, we knew we could not make it to Red Hook in time for the 3pm ferry so we had our taxi driver take us to the CA ferry for the 3pm ride. It was a short drive from the airport. There were just a handful of people on the ferry and the ticket purchase process and loading was easy and low-key. I don't know if this was normal and its always low ridership or it was a slow day. The ride to STJ was just a little longer, but I love to be on a boat so it was fine with me. I would definitely plan to take the CA ferry next time if the schedule works out.
On our way back, we took the ferry to Red Hook because we weren't sure if there would be taxis in the area where the CA ferry lands. We drove by the ferry area on our way from Red Hook to airport and there were several taxis across the street from the ferry dock, so it would probably have been ok.

$75????? OMG. Sorry, but so not worth it IMHO. The taxi ride to CA should only run you $20 for two and that includes the baggage tip.

JUst figure out when you're going to arrive and figure out which ferry you want to take depending on the time when you get in a taxi. CA is only a 10 minute drive, RH is 20 - 30 depending on traffic. Honestly the taxi captain can tell you what you can make if you ask nice.

Personally, we always use the CA ferry if we can. We love the long boat ride.

As long as you're making it to STJ by 6pm you'll have no probs getting your car etc.

Just MHO. Save the extra $50 for drinks at the beach bar or lunch at Skinny's!

I agree with the others that $75 for private taxi is way too high. We had booked one to go to Red Hook for $30 for the 2 of us. We ended up going to CA due to the schedule. I really like the longer boat ride too.
On our way back to airport, the taxi driver took the mountain route and it took almost 40 minutes to get from Red Hook to airport. Sounds like this may have been longer than normal.
We talked to a number of STJ residents about the ferry situation and every one of them said that if you ask which ferry to use, STT taxi drivers will tell you Red Hook since they make more money. They believe that's why the CA ferry is usually so empty. It was interesting because it was a somewhat touchy topic because they felt it was a concerted effort by the taxi assoc to take people to Red Hook and make more money. People reacted quite strongly about it. When we asked our driver about CA ferry, he pushed hard for going to Red Hook, even though we only had 25 minutes before the Red Hook ferry left. We insisted on going to CA and we got there in a short time and had plenty of time to spare before the ferry left. But you would have to check if the CA ferry is running on a schedule that would suit you.

Oh and even if we get to CA with plenty of time to spare we usually go grab a bite at this little spot across the street and upstairs (I can't remember the name of the place, but they do good breakfast sandwiches and lunch) you can also send someone to grab some liquor.

Honestly the only time we have ever used RH is when we needed to do something in RH or to go to Duffy's Love Shack.

Of course, like you, if the CA ferry ain't running you ain't got much of a choice.

If you want to hook up with someone on the forum to share a private water taxi to get you to STJ, that might be worthwhile. But it's never going to be as cheap as if you use the regular ferry.

I wonder why the rental agent would suggest this option, unless he/she was suggesting a specific private service in which case I would bet some serious money that there's some kickback involved. I guess folks have to make money somehow

Sorry to sound so suspicious, but when the costs you are quoted are that high, I get upset because I don't like newbies being taken advantage of. Again, just MHO.

Like others said $75 is steep for a private taxi. We are using Christophers & Dohms in November but we are going to have 5 (maybe 6 people). The rate is $75 for up to 5 so that's $15 a person which includes luggage etc. I think that is worth it to me. I have heard great things about Christophers.

The water taxi is $100 also for 5 people or $20/pp. Worth it to me again but ONLY to avoid chaos and confusion when trying to keep track of a baby, a 5 year old and gramma The biggie I am paying for is NO WAITING. We show up and we leave. It's not cheap but for the peace of mind I'll happily pay.

Now, if it were just my husband and I, I would come out of the airport with my luggage and get in the first taxi to CA. Often if they guys are around at the ferry (if you are early) they will take your bags and you can wonder off and shop or eat until its time for the ferry to roll. When my husband and I came with our then 3 year old, the ferry guys took great pity on us watching our things so we could wander around for the hour or so wait. If they hadn't done that we'd either have been trying to lug stuff all around or more likely just stuck waiting in the blazing hot sun with a tired and hungry kid.