USVI-On-Line

OK nobody is used to $50+ gas fill ups yet, grocery and utility bills larger, real estate and stock market still not turned around, and with AA cutbacks and baggage charges, plus other airlines bleeding money, $500+ may become the new benchmark for flights to VIs, plus prices on island no doubt gonna go from high to higher.

How does all this impact your travel plans?
i.e. how do you think you'll adjust?
- go less frequently (if at all); go only in off season; go somewhere else cheaper / closer / no fly; downsize villa; become a "cooler person"; eat only cheese sandwiches...what's the thinking out there?

I'm going to try very hard to use frequent flier miles. No success on that so far for STT and it will probably get tougher, but I know others who have been able to. Our flights for last Dec/Jan were over $500 each (maybe even over $600, I must be blocking it out!) which gets painful when multiplied by 4.

I don't need a luxury villa so I'd look for more affordable options and I try to eat reasonably cheap on vacation, with some at "home" meals and a few dinners out. But looking forward, it's a big question mark. DH owns his own business and I work for a very small company, so the economy affects our businesses alot.

I'm tracking flight costs with Kayak and Yapta, but right now that's mostly wishful thinking!

Hey jmq,

For hubs and I we will probably take more cruises in the future. We have the USVI in a few days and then again in Feb 2009, and cuz I'm obsessed w/ vacation I'm presently thinking about the 9-day Southern Carib itinerary w/ NCL for Nov/DEC 2009.

I would rather fly and stay but we love NCL and manage to have a GREAT time cruising even though we're not big partyers anymore...well hubs isn't anymore

Not having to fly to the departure port is a huge savings as well as your room/suite, entertainment and food all inclusive. The times they are a changing AND getting tougher

Enjoy!

Kathy

I might have to be a little less greedy and go for 1 week to one island instead of two weeks to two!

Down cost the villa a little.

Become a "cooler" person and cook in more.

Do one charter instead of 2 or 3 or 4.

I've been figuring vacation costs for the last hour or so and we could definitely do it quite a bit cheaper!

The less frequent option is not an option for me. It's been two heinously (is that a word?) long years since I last laid my eyes on the islands and I am WAY overdue!

More working trips I hope. LOL

Hmmm.... good question and one I've been pondering. St John is our only vacation all year. We go in off season already. We are cooler people. Those two are for preference not really money. This year we are sharing a villa with two other couples so that helps. If I have to give up the spiffy villa, then I don't know about that. I can't do a tent. All compared for us anyway a trip to Florida would cost as much if staying at a hotel and dining out and it just isn't the same.
We own a small business that suffers considerably anytime the economy falters. I have taken a new job and I also work independent assignments for extra income. My attitude in life which translates to my attitude about getting to St John is that you do whatever you have to do to make ends meet. Too many people are willing to settle or are above doing this or that to earn money. I'd rather not settle.

The way I see it, St. John is way the heck cheaper than therapy, institutionalization, or divorce. My husband has always been of the every other year variety, not necessarily for financial reasons but more for the sake of seeing other places. I used to agree but after the 3rd trip I just couldn't face more than 12 months between trips. I blame RickG for this as I see it is possible to have multiple trips planned at one time

Finally I have convinced him that annual trips are necessary. We are very lucky to not live at the margin. We both have good jobs, good incomes and bought our house at the right time before the market in DC went nuts, so the disposable income is there. Still, we can't just drop everything and go without making sacrifices in other places.

I hoard and covet my ff miles putting everything I possibly can on my amex and getting double and triple miles whenever possible. I am not talking about frivilous shopping trips (though those occasionally happen) but gas and groceries where you always get 2x miles. I don't know about anyone else but we are putting about $600 worth of gas in our cars a month. 2 cars, both take only premium, commuting in DC, you do the math. It adds up fast.

I book my flights first and then find a house. That alone saves us anywhere from $1200-$2000 on flights for the 4 of us. I also try to book the house a year out (when I know I am going - this august trip was a total fluke) so that I pay 1/2 up front and then 1/2 a month out, spreading out the hit. Then when I hit the island all I have to worry about is food and the car rental and the occasional souvenir.

We try to travel with friends as that helps cut the cost of the house dramatically.

I have certain nonnegotiables in life...STJ is one of them. Sure life could change drastically and STJ could be out of reach, but as long as I am able I'll be there ... once a year. Even if it involves CAMPING! (I can't believe I said that)! Where there is a will there is a way.

We carry no credit card debt, have a fairly low mortgage, work hard ... I think we deserve to play hard too!

DELETED

Just remember guy's there are affordable,beautiful places to stay in between villas and camping

Check out the following links - maybe no pool but beautiful, clean and affordable

Pia

http://www.sailviewstjohn.com/
http://www.vrbo.com/152272
http://stjwintermoon.com/default.aspx

We're not. We're driving to Aspen. Not flying, boycotting airlines, enjoying the our local environment. Sitting low. Enjoying things we haven't spent time enjoying. Prices in Aspen are less... maybe they're trying to attract tourists this summer. What's wrong with enjoying a bit of your local environment? It's a good break from airline travel hassles.

On another note...when we do plan a trip to the islands, we have two hidden wooden boxes in our desk at home. My husband is left handed and his box is the left box, mine the right. We go into deep competition hiding as much cash as we can for the island trip. By the beginning of the trip, we usually have it covered. For me, it means less Starbucks and going out to lunch. For husband, it means less lunches and less tools. It leads up to the trip and gives us extra spending cash.

At this point, I'm thinking it might be just as economical to move there, except the 15-year-old daughter doesn't see it that way. I don't think I can give up my STJ fix, so maybe I can eat cheese sandwiches supplemented with extra rum drinks. I'll splurge and throw a piece of bacon on it.

1. I travel in the off season. I live in GA and it doesn't get that cold here. I go to the Caribbean to snorkel and experience a different place, not to escape bad weather at home, so it doesn't really matter if I go in June or February.

2. If we go with others, we get a mid range villa. For example, we're renting a villa this October and its $1200 a couple. If it's just us, we go "budget" or look for a deal. Last year I paid $79 a night at the Westin thanks to a Hotwire deal. I've stayed in $400 a night places and $125 a night places -- and it has NO impact on how fun my trip is. Thus, I choose to save $$.

3. I save FF miles and book our tickets with them, or I buy at a sale (usually Spirit or AA). I ALWAYS book air before hotel. I typically find FF availability and work around that. I book about 300 days out.

4. It's just me and the hubby, so that obviously saves money. Kids are expensive, you guys!

5. We have good jobs and fortunately haven't been impacted yet by the economic slowdown. It could happen, since I'm in real estate, so that's the reason for all the corner cutting.

6. Going to the Caribbean at least yearly is good for my soul. I work it into the budget as a necessity.