USVI-On-Line

I really didn't take notes and I won't try to remember every rum induced moment, but here goes...

FF flyer miles are good. Even if you have to make 3 billion phone calls to get a decent date or time to fly. We flew US Air and we had to check only 1 thing!! Our beach chairs. We figured if we're going to be running around STT and STJ, we'd rather be comfortable. I checked before we left and the condo unit did not have any chairs. When we left we were going to leave them at the condo, but we left them with our friends son instead.

We also brought with us a small collapsible cooler with bacon, porkroll, chicken and my husbands obsession of black licorice and little packets of ketchup,mayo, and mustard.

We stayed on Sapphire Beach in the B building. This is our third time at Sapphire. Condo was no big deal. Inexpensive, convenient to Red Hook, right smack dab on the beach and with a kitchen.

Sapphire Beach....this beach is gorgeous. It's clean, there's good snorkeling, it's large, there's alot of shadeand we absolutely love it. The first day (Monday) we decided to head out to the left side to the sea grass and within 5 minutes we were swimming with 2 turtles. That was really cool. There's also good snorkeling over to the right and out by Honeymoon Point.

Honeymoon Point is a piece of land/rocks that jutts out into the water. It is framed on both sides by palm trees and is absolutely hands down a beautiful place to get married. Two nights we sat out there with our beach chairs and just gazed at the stars, drank our beers and talked. These were good moments.

Sapphire is going through some infighting/lawyering, so the main restaurant on the beach is not open and neither is the pool bar. We didn't care. We had our own beer and we're pretty crafty at making lunches or snacks (husband starts to have a melt-down if he can't invision a meal coming within an hour).

They do have a couple people who will come around and ask you if you want anything to eat. They have a grill set up between B and C building that serves burgers/mahi sandwiches, they have the Grapevile Grille up on the hill that you can order from and they also have Senior Pizza who will deliver for you. Believe me, I've never starved on STT and I don't think anyone else will.

Back to the snorkeling and what we like to call nipplegate. We were lazy and decided to get a raft from the beach shack (10.00 whole day). We didn't put on our fins or vests, only our mask and snorkel. We figure, take it easy, get the dog bones out, lay there and feet the fish. I don't know the name of every fish, but these fish were silver and had black tip fins (no, not the shark). Soon as we put that dog bone in the water, they're circling us...around and around and around. Milk bone gets wet, they start feeding (all I could think of was JB's "Fins". The milk bone starts crumbling and these fish are in our face going crazy. All of a sudden I hear husband scream JC, scared me!! What's wrong? One of the fish had bit his left nipple thinking it was a piece of a dog bone. We still laugh about this. Not funny when it happened and it hurt pretty good, but another memory.

Men AND women...do not ever do this without something covering your nipples or you'll be sorry.

Boss is coming, so I'll continue a little later.

The last time we stayed on STT, May 2006, we spent a day at Saphire. The hamburgers were pretty good. The snorkling was excellent. No, we didn't get bit.

Thanks for the report.

JIM

OUCH Great start! Thanks for sharing about your STT adventure.

Thanks for taking the time to post a STT report - the island certainly does get a somewhat distorted description sometimes on this Forum.
Feeding the fish dog food does make them aggressive as you found out - it is also not healthy for the fish or the reef in general since it upsets the natural feeding habits. If it becomes a standard practice - like at Coki - it is noticeable in both the species change and algae growth. Please don't espouse the feeding of fish - it is illegal in the National Park for example.
Sapphire is spectacular and the loss of the beach bars and restaurants have actually made it even more pleasant since there are less cruise ship groups in the previous large numbers.
The point you mentioned is named Prettyclip Point - but maybe the hotel / condo management feels calling it Honeymoon is more marketable.

Exit...I just knew somebody was going to bring up the business about the dog bones.

If that's true, what you say, then you should tell all the natives at Coki Beach that they're doing the same wrong thing. They sell them and make money off of doing it at the same time.

At Sapphire they sell cat/duck food.

I even saw a video recently (won't mention names) because I didn't care at all of someone feeding the fish a roll.

What I'm totally annoyed are the idiots that stand on the coral like it's no big deal when there's TWO huge signs on Sapphire. Or the kids who were throwing around a starfish like it isn't a living organism...that's what gets me.

I mentioned Coki Beach and "Please don't espouse feeding the fish" seemed like a polite and reasonable statement. Sorry you felt it was critical.

Connie-
Did you stay in the Crystal Cove condos on Sapphire Beach? We will be there for 2 nights after our week on STJ (in only 10 days!!! woo hoo!). When you talk about building A, B and C, it sounds like Crystal Cove. We are in the A building and are really looking forward to having a couple days right on the beach and also exploring STT a bit. Do you have any thoughts on Coral World? Our daughter would like to visit.
Thanks,
Lisa

lisak428, I have conversed with Connie since her return and know that they stayed in Bldg.-B at Sappihre Beach Resort. The buildings are letter with A being closest to the lobby/pavilon area. I don't know how Crystal Coves are lettered as which is closest to the Beach. All are on Sapphire Beach but the beach area nearest the closest beach blding at Crystal Cove is/has been called Pelican Beach. Pristine and Gorgeous. A view from a Bldg-B (SBR)second floor unit.
<a href="http://s98.photobucket.com/albums/l260/ ... C00001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l260/ ... C00001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Thanks Bobcside! I do know that the Bldg A at Crystal Cove is closest to the beach. It comes highly recommended over on another forum, but haven't really seen much about it here. Your picture is gorgeous!!!! We can't wait!
Lisa

Wow, thanks for that info Pia...but I won't do it again, neither will Glenn, I'm sure

Bob, I think that Lisa is confused about how Sapphire and Crystal Cove are set up.

Lisa, Crystal Cove is not Sapphire Beach, it's just on the same beach. If you look out onto the water Crystal Cove is to the left of Sapphire.

Bob, that's just about the view that we had. Gorgeous isn't it?

Pinch myself every morning. It's always the first decision of the day, whether to have breakfast on that balcony or on the beach. Decisions, Decisons... Be there in a couple months..... I'm going to try and find a shot of Crystal Cove I took and post it for Lisa. There is that one building at the Cove that is right next to the Beach. I'm sure I have a photo if I can only find it. Got sooo many, ya know.

Thank you Bob, I would appreciate it. Connie- I did realize that they were two different resorts on the same beach. I'm assuming they are pretty close?? I'll know for myself pretty soon. I would love to see the photo if you can find it!!!
Thanks,
Lisa