Wednesday, August 29, 2012

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
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
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




Wednesday, August 8, 2012

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:

Frommer's Favorite Price Name Cuisine Type
Frommer's Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Asolare French
Frommer's Recommended 2 - Moderately Priced Café Roma Italian
Frommer's Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Caneel Beach Terrace International
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Chloe & Bernard's American
Frommer's Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Equator Caribbean
Frommer's Recommended 2 - Moderately Priced La Tapa International
Frommer's Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Le Château de Bordeaux Continental
Frommer's Highly Recommended 2 - Moderately Priced Miss Lucy's Caribbean
Frommer's Recommended 2 - Moderately Priced Morgan's Mango Caribbean
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Paradiso American
Frommer's Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Rhumb Lines Caribbean
Frommer's Recommended 2 - Moderately Priced Shipwreck Landing Seafood
Frommer's Recommended 1 - Inexpensive Sun Dog Café International
Frommer's Highly Recommended 3 - Expensive Sweet Plantains Restaurant & Rum Bar Caribbean
Frommer's Highly Recommended 2 - Moderately Priced The Fish Trap Seafood
Frommer's Recommended 2 - Moderately Priced The Lime Inn Seafood
Frommer's Recommended 1 - Inexpensive The Quiet Mon American
Frommer's Highly Recommended 1 - Inexpensive Vie's Snack Shack Caribbean
Frommer's Recommended 1 - Inexpensive Woody's Seafood Saloon Seafood
Frommer's Recommended 3 - Expensive Zozo's Ristorante Italian

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



Thursday, August 2, 2012

Luxury Camping on St John

Maho Bay eco-Camps

 For those of you looking for a more rustic experience while on St John, The New York Times Travel section ran an article about a really neat “campground” on the north shore of St. John. Maho Bay is a village of eco-tents and Tent Cottages clustered in a village among the trees of the east side of Cinnamon Bay.  The tents are simple, green, and clean, and the views are spectacular.  Cinnamon Bay is the same bay that Kenny Chesney calls home (his villa is a few hundred feet up on the hillside).
Daily accommodation at Maho starts at $145 for 2 people, which is one of the best deals on the island!  Only drawback is that it’s a bit far from the town of Cruz Bay, 20 min drive, so renting a car would ideal but it is along the main taxi route to town so you could get a taxi pretty easily if not. 
Check out the article here if it's something you're interested in – NYT Explorer St. John.

More info here:
Maho Bay Tent Cottages
http://www.concordiaeco-resort.com/unit-types-rates/

Concordia Eco-Resort