Good to Know

Below is some info that's good to know before venturing to the US Virgin Islands and St John:

•  Once you fly into St Thomas, you must then take a ferry over to St John (Kendall, this ones for you).

• Driving is on the left. Cars are the same as here in the US, you just drive on the left side of the road. 
• If you're renting a car at the St Thomas airport, you will take the Car Barge Ferry at Red Hook to St John, this was ours when we went:

•  Most places accept major credit cards but some accept only cash.
• Downtown Cruz Bay is easily explored by foot. Mongoose Junction has lots of shops and restaurants. 

• The best time to eat & drink on St John is between 3-6pm as most bars and restaurants have Happy Hour specials
• For great sangria and fish tacos: go to La Blancha during happy hour
• Drink the local beer - it's delicious and costs 1/2 as much! 
• If you want to see sea turtles: go to Maho Bay, which actually happens to be a turtle nesting ground
• You'll need a passport if you want to visit the British Virgin Islands. We will be taking a BVI tour on Monday so if you plan to join us please ensure your passport is updated. 
• There are no open container laws in the USVI's, so you walking around and even driving with a drink is legal, but please always use your best judgement 
•  It's ok to stop for a brief moment while driving to say hello, or take photos of the wild donkeys. Try not to have road rage if this happens. 

•  The wild donkeys do bite sometimes. But mostly they're just friendly and inquisitive. 
• There are no nude beaches on St John. 
• ALL beaches in the Virgin Islands are public. So even if you're not staying at a certain resort or villa, by law you're allowed access to their beach. (this is also true for Necker Island, Richard Bransons personal island)

• It's important to conserve water as it is mostly collected from rain.
• 75% of the island is preserved National Park, so there are over 20 miles of Hiking Trails
• Violent crime is extremely rare on St John but petty theft does exist. As with any time you travel, it's always a good idea to keep your wits about you. 
• There are many overlooks you can stop while driving around the island and enjoy the views.
   
• Trunk Bay is one of the most famous and beautiful beaches on the island, but it does charge a $4 entrance fee so bring cash. It's worth the $4, promise.

And last, but certainly not least:

•  Shark attacks are almost nonexistent!

American Airlines Wedding Discount

American Airlines has provided us with a Discount Code our guests can use to receive a 5% discount on their flight to St Thomas.

Authorization #  2543BX

Guests can book online at www.aa.com or by calling 800-433-1790 and asking for the Rivera/Stucky Wedding Group Discount

Flights are still a tad expensive so we're going to hold off until after the New Year to book, in hopes they will go down some. I also have an alert set up to notify me of any fare sales, if anything comes up I will let you all know! 

Getting There

Hopefully by now, many of you have at least put a reservation on a room (hint hint), so now you'll want to know how to actually get to St John once you fly into St Thomas. 

p.s. We're holding off on booking our flights until closer to the date. I have an AirFare Watchdog alert set up so when there's a fare sale for flights from BWI, DCA, IAD I will notify everyone :)

From the airport

Once at the airport, there are taxies waiting to pick you up just outside the luggage pick up area. They work very much like shuttles as opposed to normal taxies. They charge per person, for extra luggage and they love to fill them up. They can also take their time to get to their destination but it's a good way to meet other people. If you're looking for a private taxi, it can get quite expensive.

There are two major ferry ports from where you can catch the ferry to St John.

Charlotte Amalie- In down town St Thomas is the closest to the airport and the farthest from Cruz Bay as it has to go all the way around St Thomas but it's a great boat ride, aprox 45 mins. This ferry also runs less frequently so be sure and check the time you're arriving with ferry departure times.

Red Hook- This is the main ferry terminal, located on the other side of St Thomas, which can give you a chance to see more of the island. It is a straight shot to St John from here, aprox 15-20min ferry ride. This is also the only location where you can take a car barge to St John, so if you plan to rent a car on St Thomas you must ferry over from Red Hook. 

Ferry Rates & Schedule

The ferries to and from Red Hook, (St Thomas) and Cruz Bay, (St John) leave every hour on the hour.
Red Hook Ferry: $7 per person, $2 additional baggage charge
Red Hook Car Barge: $50 round trip - no charge for extra people or luggage

Charlotte Amalie Ferry (down town St Thomas): $8 plus $2 additional baggage charge

Cruz Bay Ferry (to STT): First boat leaves at 6:00 am, last boat leaves at 11pm
Red Hook Ferry (to STJ): First boat leaves at 5:30 am, last boat leaves at 12pm

Charlotte Amalie Ferry:
First boat leaves STJ to STT at 7:15am, last boat leaves at 3:45pm
First boat leaves STT to STJ at 9am, last boat leaves at 5:30pm

Leaves Cruz Bay St John	Leaves Charlotte Amalie St. Thomas
7:15 am	9:00 am
9:15 am	11:00 am
11:15 am	1:00 pm
1:15 pm	3:00 pm
2:15 pm	4:00 pm
3:45 pm	5:30 pm

Car Barge

Located at the Red Hook terminal.
Monday thru Sat- 6:15 am until 7:00 pm from each port.
With the exception of the first ferry, they run every hour on the hour.
Schedules can vary so make sure to call before hand or check the back of your ticket.

On Sundays

First ferry is at 6:15 am From Cruz Bay and the last one is at 6:15 pm.
The first ferry from Red Hook is at 7:00 am and the last one is at 7:00 pm.
With the exception of the first and last ferries from Cruz Bay, they run every two hours on the hour.

Accommodations

For those of you still looking to book your stay, I have provided contact information and websites for two very helpful people on St. John below. The first is our wedding coordinator, Laurie Crandall, and the second is a gentlemen who runs a website that congregates villas and condos available for rent on the island, Gerry Hills. 

Laurie Crandall

Tel: 340-779-1804
Cell: 340-227-6688 or 6699
Crandall Property Management

www.crandallonstjohn.com

Laurie and her husband offer a variety of services along with helping find rental properties. If you were looking to do any activities, recommendations on restaurants, shopping suggestions, etc. they have lived on STJ for over 15 years and are happy to find something within any budget you provide. 

Gerry Hills

340-642-3360

stjohncaptain@aol.com

www.stjohnvillarental.com

This site and Gerry himself are a very helpful resource for checking out places to rent and their locations. I would recommend staying in or near Cruz Bay or Great Cruz Bay, which is the downtown area. Please feel free to call or email him with any specific questions or requests, like "1br villa with privacy so I can sunbathe in my birthday suit" or "walking distance to the best beach bar on the island" or "what's the cheapest spot you've got".

Coconut Coast is the location we currently have a group rate and have suggested people book as it offers 7 condos in the same location so y'all can stay together. They're not holding the rooms, only the group rate, so book now or forever hold your peace. 

Coconut Coast: http://www.coconutcoast.com/

$230/night

*price includes 10% tax

Happy booking!

Car Rental

The following are some suggestions for car rental agencies on St John & St Thomas. 

Having your own transportation is not required, as safari buses/taxi's are readily available in Cruz Bay, however it would make exploring the islands National Parks and beaches a little easier. Please feel free to shop around, although we've found that renting at the airport on St Thomas provides the most competitive prices.   

If you do rent a car on St Thomas, you will then take the car barge/ferry at Red Hook over to St John. If you chose to rent your car directly on St John, you will take a taxi to Red Hook and take the commuter ferry to St John.  

St Thomas Rentals:
Airport Rental Cars

St John Rentals:
Courtesy Car Rental
Cool Breeze Car Rental
L&L Jeep Rental

St. John Dining Guide

Gotta Eat!

While food will be provided Fri & Sat nights at the Welcome Party & Wedding, you have many options for dining out or purchasing groceries for the rest of your stay.   

Groceries: 
     STJ: There is a grocery store in Cruz Bay called Starfish Market, where you can gather provisions for your stay. I'd recommend getting items for breakfast and packed lunches/snacks for beach days. Like most island groceries, be prepared to pay a premium for some items. 

     STT: If you are renting a car on St Thomas and taking the car barge to STJ, you have the option to purchase provisions cheaper at the Kmart or Cost-U-Less before hoping on the ferry to STJ. 

Restaurants: For a complete listing of restaurants on STJ from the official website please click here: http://www.stjohnusvi.com/restaur.html

The only restaurant Dave & I went to on STJ was Skinny Legs, on the way to Coral Bay, who's motto is "a pretty OK place". And we'd agree, it was just OK. 

A guy from South Carolina recently created this St. John Bar & Restaurant Map that is very comprehensive and helpful.  Zoom in to Cruz Bay on the Southwestern corner of the island – this is where all the action is.  Or for a cool day trip, head out to relaxed Coral Bay on the East side.  Check out the map HERE.

List of restaurants on STJ from Frommers:

	Price	Name	Cuisine Type
		Asolare	French
		Café Roma	Italian
		Caneel Beach Terrace	International
		Chloe & Bernard's	American
		Equator	Caribbean
		La Tapa	International
		Le Château de Bordeaux	Continental
		Miss Lucy's	Caribbean
		Morgan's Mango	Caribbean
		Paradiso	American
		Rhumb Lines	Caribbean
		Shipwreck Landing	Seafood
		Sun Dog Café	International
		Sweet Plantains Restaurant & Rum Bar	Caribbean
		The Fish Trap	Seafood
		The Lime Inn	Seafood
		The Quiet Mon	American
		Vie's Snack Shack	Caribbean
		Woody's Seafood Saloon	Seafood
		Zozo's Ristorante	Italian

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/stjohnusvi/96_inddin.html#ixzz1yX18situ