usvi-on-line
Ever hear of anyone who DID NOT love St John?
-
Jo Ann - VA
- Posts: 756
- Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:56 am
- Location: Virginia
Ever hear of anyone who DID NOT love St John?
Hey Guys,
I read the posts on this forum quite often but don't post much.
My question is:
Have you ever heard of anyone going to St John and not liking it?
Having asked that, I gotta tell you, we will be back on St John two months from tomorrow and I am so excited!
Jo Ann
I read the posts on this forum quite often but don't post much.
My question is:
Have you ever heard of anyone going to St John and not liking it?
Having asked that, I gotta tell you, we will be back on St John two months from tomorrow and I am so excited!
Jo Ann
Jo Ann
Always planning the next vacation...
Always planning the next vacation...
-
Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
YES
Our friends had a good time on vacation but will not go back to STJ. They are resort people that like to walk along the beach and go from hotel to hotel and shop and get their hair braided and have drinks at swim up bars. They like beach bbq's and vendors selling seashell necklaces.
I am thankful that not everyone loves it like we do!
Our friends had a good time on vacation but will not go back to STJ. They are resort people that like to walk along the beach and go from hotel to hotel and shop and get their hair braided and have drinks at swim up bars. They like beach bbq's and vendors selling seashell necklaces.
I am thankful that not everyone loves it like we do!
Yes, believe it or not! 
Back in 1998 we went with several friends of my husband's. His best friend, who is normally pretty easy going, complained about being too hot almost the entire time. Granted, it was July and we did not have AC (stayed at Estate Concordia), but it didn't bother anyone else nearly as much. He is prone to motion sickness (who knew?), so the driving didn't bode well for him (imagine a long night in Cruz Bay followed by the ride back to Concordia). After a night out, the morning-after accompanied by the heat didn't help to gear him up for much in the way of physical activity. Even snorkeling was too much for him with the wave motion and all. The only thing he seemed to be able to manage was the next night out, which set him up for the same scenario the next day.
We've invited him to come with us every trip since then, but he has always declined
Back in 1998 we went with several friends of my husband's. His best friend, who is normally pretty easy going, complained about being too hot almost the entire time. Granted, it was July and we did not have AC (stayed at Estate Concordia), but it didn't bother anyone else nearly as much. He is prone to motion sickness (who knew?), so the driving didn't bode well for him (imagine a long night in Cruz Bay followed by the ride back to Concordia). After a night out, the morning-after accompanied by the heat didn't help to gear him up for much in the way of physical activity. Even snorkeling was too much for him with the wave motion and all. The only thing he seemed to be able to manage was the next night out, which set him up for the same scenario the next day.
We've invited him to come with us every trip since then, but he has always declined
Last edited by ccasebolt on Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
cypressgirl
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:42 pm
- Location: houston
I think some folks find STJ kind of boring---not much night life, no casinos, no ziplines, limited shopping. Other folks are disappointed that there isn't more beachfront accomodation or by the lack of AI resorts. And some folks are really looking for a nice orderly, efficiently managed mainland sort of vacation rather than a Caribbean experience.
Personally, we still like STJ, but are saddened by a lot of the changes that have taken place since we first started going there. Popularity and money have greatly changed the face and the flavor of the island.
Personally, we still like STJ, but are saddened by a lot of the changes that have taken place since we first started going there. Popularity and money have greatly changed the face and the flavor of the island.
John and I actually found a video on youtube called "Bored on St. John." It's some kid taking video of himself in different areas of the island looking really bored. We alternated between laughing and thinking that he was one spoiled kid! (or else a decent actor)
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Yes---read the reviews on TripAdvisor from time to time (not the Forum---the reviews)---it gives you a little perspective. Here are a few of my favorite excerpts:
About Battery Hill:
The location is good if you want to walk into town, but the town isn't very nice and doesn't feel very safe. There is no meaningful beach to walk to. This is not a scenic place by any means
About Caneel:
It's a waste of a vacation. terrible service, horrible rooms that have missing doors, no ac, bugs galore, basically a pit. the food in the restaurants are horrilbe. we usually go into town before dinner and get something to eat so we don't have to suffer through their menu. i really don't know what the appeal is. we live in the country so i'm not that enthusiastic about all the wild life. most of the wildlife at caneel bay, to me, consists of mosquitos, which means you spend your entire vacation with bug welts all over your body. i'd be thrilled if i never go to this place again.
And this about the Westin:
My husband and I decided to spend our honeymoon at the Westin Because of all the wonderful reviews we read about and all the false advertising about the resort in carribbean magazines. As we landed inst Thomas we were greeted by a Westin rep which was great, we landed at 1pm, and sat around for 45 min for the westin taxi to take us to the crown bay marina where we had to sweat and wait TWO HOURS for the 3:45 ferry to take us back we arrived an hour later totally exhausted and soaked from the rough ferry ride,. Our room was a total dissapointment, on ground level in the 11 block we had huge quantaties of mold growing on the walls, our toilet was not clean urine stains covered the seat, and mildew covered the shower walls. The room had a musty odor, and our blankets had little black mold spots on them.
Housekeeping came every day to clean at 4pm which I think is too late and never vacuumed or sanitized any thing the whole ten days we were there, streaks stayed on the mirrors and crumbs stayed on the floor for ten days.
We felt that the food was poor in quality and selection and everything is spicy which was bad because every thing we ate made us sick. I found that the childrens menu had the best food and ate that all week often skipping many meals. All dining is outdoors so you will sweat into your food while you eat and it gets very humid at night there. Chloe and Bernards is the all time joke, you need not follow the dress code unless you dont mind the sweat stains on your new Gucci shirt, a speedo and birkenstocks is the dress code for the entire resort.
For the rest of our trip we stayed in and skipped dinner eating candy and chips for our meal and rented movies since there is no nightlife whatsoever.
The pool is a mess, needing to be resurfaced , there are huge crators on the floor of the pool. Not relaxing at all we had to listen to at least 30+ bratty WASPY children yell and scream and curse all day long and a few nights until 1am the children play and YELL at the pool causing us to lose sleep and call for security to shut them up. To my surpise one night we foud a group of nudists swimming at the pool and prancing around nude like it was ok.
The beach is the biggest letdown, the water is a murky Jersey shore brown color, with some nasty seaweed and algae crap all over the water which tangles aroung your ankles and is really gross.
If you are looking for beautiful water or beach at your resort do not come here! If you have a weak stomach or are a picky eater do not come here. If you are a clean freak, do not come here! If you are on your honeymoon or want to relax do not come here ther is nothing romantic about this place. But if you would like to get ripped off and go home with a million bed bud bug bites and a stomach parasite than this is the place for you.
Sounds like none of those folks just love it. Thats OK--cause I know the folks on this Forum don't want it to get too crowded.
About Battery Hill:
The location is good if you want to walk into town, but the town isn't very nice and doesn't feel very safe. There is no meaningful beach to walk to. This is not a scenic place by any means
About Caneel:
It's a waste of a vacation. terrible service, horrible rooms that have missing doors, no ac, bugs galore, basically a pit. the food in the restaurants are horrilbe. we usually go into town before dinner and get something to eat so we don't have to suffer through their menu. i really don't know what the appeal is. we live in the country so i'm not that enthusiastic about all the wild life. most of the wildlife at caneel bay, to me, consists of mosquitos, which means you spend your entire vacation with bug welts all over your body. i'd be thrilled if i never go to this place again.
And this about the Westin:
My husband and I decided to spend our honeymoon at the Westin Because of all the wonderful reviews we read about and all the false advertising about the resort in carribbean magazines. As we landed inst Thomas we were greeted by a Westin rep which was great, we landed at 1pm, and sat around for 45 min for the westin taxi to take us to the crown bay marina where we had to sweat and wait TWO HOURS for the 3:45 ferry to take us back we arrived an hour later totally exhausted and soaked from the rough ferry ride,. Our room was a total dissapointment, on ground level in the 11 block we had huge quantaties of mold growing on the walls, our toilet was not clean urine stains covered the seat, and mildew covered the shower walls. The room had a musty odor, and our blankets had little black mold spots on them.
Housekeeping came every day to clean at 4pm which I think is too late and never vacuumed or sanitized any thing the whole ten days we were there, streaks stayed on the mirrors and crumbs stayed on the floor for ten days.
We felt that the food was poor in quality and selection and everything is spicy which was bad because every thing we ate made us sick. I found that the childrens menu had the best food and ate that all week often skipping many meals. All dining is outdoors so you will sweat into your food while you eat and it gets very humid at night there. Chloe and Bernards is the all time joke, you need not follow the dress code unless you dont mind the sweat stains on your new Gucci shirt, a speedo and birkenstocks is the dress code for the entire resort.
For the rest of our trip we stayed in and skipped dinner eating candy and chips for our meal and rented movies since there is no nightlife whatsoever.
The pool is a mess, needing to be resurfaced , there are huge crators on the floor of the pool. Not relaxing at all we had to listen to at least 30+ bratty WASPY children yell and scream and curse all day long and a few nights until 1am the children play and YELL at the pool causing us to lose sleep and call for security to shut them up. To my surpise one night we foud a group of nudists swimming at the pool and prancing around nude like it was ok.
The beach is the biggest letdown, the water is a murky Jersey shore brown color, with some nasty seaweed and algae crap all over the water which tangles aroung your ankles and is really gross.
If you are looking for beautiful water or beach at your resort do not come here! If you have a weak stomach or are a picky eater do not come here. If you are a clean freak, do not come here! If you are on your honeymoon or want to relax do not come here ther is nothing romantic about this place. But if you would like to get ripped off and go home with a million bed bud bug bites and a stomach parasite than this is the place for you.
Sounds like none of those folks just love it. Thats OK--cause I know the folks on this Forum don't want it to get too crowded.
---Jim
-
cypressgirl
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:42 pm
- Location: houston
I should clarify that I LOVE St. John----and if you read most of the reviews on TripAdvisor and on other sites they are overwhelmingly positive---but there clearly are a few to whom the island does not appeal. It is generally people who expect the Caribbean to be EXACTLY like the US (but with more palm trees) who don't like it.
A couple of my other favorite complaints about Caneel in a few reviews were: "Lunch takes 2 hours!" (Have they not heard of Island Time?)
And: "My foie gras was not deveined properly." (Glad you really got into the island vibe).
No worries.
A couple of my other favorite complaints about Caneel in a few reviews were: "Lunch takes 2 hours!" (Have they not heard of Island Time?)
And: "My foie gras was not deveined properly." (Glad you really got into the island vibe).
No worries.
---Jim
-
martini girl
- Posts: 329
- Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 4:29 pm
- Location: Pennsylvania
It does, doesn't it? Now that he's married, I keep thinking things might be different if he gave it another chance (his wife would probably love it if nothing else). He's just not interested. Oh well, different strokes, I guess...cypressgirl wrote:ccasebolt........Aren't you glad he keeps declining. It sounds like he needs to stick with Vegas.