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Taxi Time to Red Hook

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:25 am
by bulldoglover
Hi to all. We are leaving for STJ in 8 days!! :) Our plane lands at 1:23 on Sat. We have a private taxi and are doing carry on only. Do you think it would be possible to make the 2:00 Red Hook ferry or should we just try the 3:00? We are trying to get as much STJ time as possible as we will only be there a couple of days. Thanks for the help.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:30 am
by captainjay
It is possible but not likely. It is a solid 30 minute drive from the airport to Red Hook.
Jay

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:22 am
by cptnkirk
Ya might make it by the skin or your teeth if ya miss it grab some drinks and relax :D

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:21 am
by kirk
I've never made it in under 40 mins. see if there's a 2:00 CA ferry to Cruz Bay.
Kirk

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:35 am
by Pia
I don't think there is anyway unless your plane is early by a good 10 mins or so. By the time they taxi to the gate, pull up the staircase, you deplane and get to the taxi waiting area it will be 1:40pm (ish)

Personally I would cancell the private taxi (save $$$) go to CA for the 3pm ferry, walk around to AHRise and pick up your alcohol (if you drink :wink: ) as the selection is larger than on STJ or even take time at the airport to pick up your liquor, not as big a selection but good prices, grab a cold one for the wait and sit and look out over the ocean.....aaaahhh.

You won't have that long to wait anyway as it will be 2pm or so before you are there, and you will want to be at the ferry by 2:50pm.

You will arrive on STJ about 20 mins later than the 3pm Red Hook but you will be more relaxed and "on island time" quicker and avoided the rush to Red Hook, probably missing the 2pm anyway and spent more $$ on a private taxi that could have been spent elsewhere :)

Just check the 3pm is running - the taxi drivers will know :)

Pia

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:58 pm
by Pickle
Last year on Saturday, when we got on a private taxi, it was 1:35 p.m. (getting our luggage took forever) and the driver told us she would try for the 2 p.m. ferry but didn't think we would make it. Well, we ended up taking the 2 p.m. ferry ONLY because it was running late. We got to RH about 2:10 and were the last ones to get onboard the ferry.

To answer your question... it is possible (you need some luck) but not probable.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:12 pm
by Lex
I don't know. You might make it, but there's a decent chance that you won't. But I would want to avoid rushing, stressing, paying for a private taxi. And all this just to get one more hour on STJ. I'd hop in the van, have a pleasant ride across STT with some other folks who are excited just to be there, get a Carib to sip while I waited in RH and just enjoy the beauty of it all. At the end of the trip I doubt that you'll be thinking "Damn, if we'd only gotten that earlier ferry and had one more hour on STJ." More likely you'll be thinking how glad you are that you were able to slow down and start enjoying your vacation.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:30 pm
by CariBert
I don't know.....I vote for Pia's solution. If you have carry on only, no problem with picking up the CA ferry after you have been aclimated by AH Riise and a wonderfully COLD Carib!

-Bert

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:46 pm
by bulldoglover
Thanks for the advice. We will shoot for the 3:00 ferry. Would much rather relax than rush. Does anyone know the price difference for the taxis to RH vs CA? Also, what is AHRise? Thanks again.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:20 pm
by Lex
Taxi fare to CA is cheaper than to RH, but the ferry costs more. So the costs pretty much even out whichever ferry you take. We usually like the RH ferry, but if the dispatcher tries to steer us to CA for one reason or another, we're happy to go with the flow. Either one gets you to STJ. It's not a crucial decision.

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:11 am
by Pia
The cost works out the same in the end :)

AHRise is a nice duty free (they all are :) ) store on Main Street and they sell liquor, perfume, jewelry, make-up etc

Pia

RH taxi

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:19 am
by va2stj
My group of 4 carried on our luggage and had a private taxi to RH. It costs us $20 a person but did not have to pay $2 per bag like some taxis. It was definitely worth every penny to walk right out of the airport to a taxi, no hassles with other taxis and loading full of people. We got to RH had a beer, got the 3pm to STJ. Also the same taxi met us back at RH when we were leaving and made that very nice!

Danny