USVI-On-Line

Is it worth the extra money to arrange private transfers?

I think it depends on your travel group. If it were just me and my husband, no. Not worth it. The cost is high and the saved trouble is not that significant. However, when traveling with myself, hubby, my mom, and two little kids (5 and under) it is definitely worth it to me. The risk of losing a bag because we are distracted or worse losing a kid justifies the cost in my mind.

Also, anyone with little kids knows waiting around is often the kiss of death. So knowing that I will be met, taken to Redhook and loaded onto the water taxi with essentially no waiting is worth it to me. Don't have to worry about missing a ferry and having to entertain the little ones for a hour. Not a long time to a grown up with rum drinks...an eternity to a mom with 2 little ones to entertain who have been up and traveling since 4 or 5 am!

Depends on your group size and how you would define "worth it"

We have used one the past three trips with a group ranging from 4 adults to 6 adults plus and infant toddler.

For us, the convenience on being on our own schedule, having someone to help with the baggage (no per bag fees), cracking a beer, etc is worth it. We use Christopher in conjunction with Dohms. Last year, they called the rental agent to tell them we would be late even before our plane landed.

Because of our group size, it ends up being just a couple bucks more than the public ferry, less than we would spend on a round of drinks at the Beach Bar

If it was just hubs and me – no, I don’t think it would be worth it because we would be traveling lighter.

Flip Flop, Do you know about how much the private taxis are? We will be a party of 4 adults and a 14 year old. Our day will start at 3am and end in STT about 4pm.

The private taxi (Christophers) is $75 for minimum of 5 people. The private water taxi (Dohms) is $100 for minimum of 5 people from Red Hook to Cruz Bay.

Works out to $35 pp if you have a group of 5. Even cheaper with more. You pay for 5 weather you have 5 or not.

They have been super easy and friendly to work with.

Thanks flip flop...we will consider those. Is it much of a hassle to get luggage on and off the ferry (Red Hook) on a Saturday?

Saturdays are tough. It can be very busy. We've always had good luck with the regular ferries, but lately I have heard some things that make me even happier to have booked the private water taxi option.

We never realized how crazy Saturday was until we arrived on a Thursday and there were only 5 other people on the 6pm ferry out of CA. This was 2 years ago though.

Then the horror of the luggage belt breaking at the airport. I don't know it really just depends on the travel gods!

Okie doke...thanks again. I will pray to the travel gods every day til we get there!

Flip Flop has me in the travel-planner mode with her last post - I checked my email file from Feb and found an email to our travelling companions outlining the private cost of $35 per person versus the estimated public cost, with our mountain of baby luggage, at $26 per person.

I am thinking its worth the $9 per person. To me anyway. We'll have to cut off the baby's rum drinks early

Our family of 10 is doing the same as you this August flip-flop. Caneel charges $45/pp one way. Even though Caneel takes passengers to their ferry , I am still ahead with our own water and land taxi. Plus, we don't have to wait around for anyone.

We did Dohm's in April and LOVED it. It was just hubby and I but thanks to this forum we met up with others coming in around the same time and shared a private taxi and water taxi. I couldn't have been better!!! Well worth it in my book

XOXO
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