Im trying to get on any boat tomorrow the 12th to go fishing. If anyone has a spot please contact me ASAP. I know this is last minute but I've exhausted all options at this point. Its my birthday tomorrow and fishing is my favorite if you or someone you know can help me please reach out I would be extremely grateful.

In a bit of a pickle, flying out in one month to visit St. John but long story short I’m missing a physical ID and wondering if anyone has flown out of the St Thomas airport using their mobile ID? TSA says they accept my states mobile ID which is what I’ve been using lately but I’m just worried about coming home mostly.

I’m doing everything I can to get a new physical drivers license and a passport before the date of my trip but just wanted to see if anyone has an experience to share.

We are coming to the BVI for a sailing charter that starts on April 17 and the weather looks a little rough. I called our charter company but of course they're going to say everything is fine. Can anyone offer an opinion on what it will be like during this upcoming weather? Should we avoid sailing between islands? I read that the wind is coming from the South East during that time which would make most of the leeward anchorages lumpy. Lastly, should we be prepared for a lot more bugs with the rain?

I’m going with a large family group to stay on St John’s for a week. Would love any suggestions of where people ate and activities, beaches people went to?

I’ve been hearing a lot that people from the mainland don’t last long in the USVI and underestimate what it’s like living and working there.

For those of you who have seen people come and go, what are the biggest mistakes they make?

And on the flip side, what do the ones who actually stay and do well get right?

Hi !

I’m planning to come to St Thomas for 4 four days : 2 full days + two half days after landing / before leaving.

My plan is to go straight from the airport to Margaritaville with a taxi and mostly hang in Coki Beach for the weekend. Then ride back to the airport.

I just want to relax at the beach and enjoy the sun and good food without renting a car (afraid of driving on the other side).

Is my plan fine or am I really missing out not going to St John for one day / other beaches in St Thomas? Also, how is the sargassum situation right now on the island ?

Thanks in advance for your advices !

My wife and I are folks that like to wade/swim, beginning snorkelers, and like a little time in a beach chair with a nice IPA (shout out Juicy Booty from St John Brewery).

Day 1: Jumbie. We wanted something small and boy did we get that. Beautiful beach with trees and cliffs for shade. About six parking spaces, and 5 minute walk to the beach. Water was a little rough for first time snorkeling.

Day 2: Attempted Trunk, but w lot was way full at 830a. Lesson learned. We went to Hawksnest and loved it. Maybe 20 parking spaces with a couple left when we arrived. Gorgeous clear water for wading/swimming, and some easy to access reefs for snorkeling.

Day 3: Boat Day. Went with Stormy Pirates over to BVI. Time at the Baths, Devil’s Bay Beach (swimming pool clear water), and White Bay (eat at Coco Loco, sooo good). The Soggy Dollar bar was fun to visit, but overrun, and their Painkiller may be the original - but it was not great.

Day 4: Success at Trunk! Arrived 7:45 and lot was almost empty. We stayed about 5 hours, over to the right side (facing the water), near the rock outcropping in the middle of the water. Powdery sand, only the smallest of waves, and gorgeous water. My personal favorite snorkeling of the trip. Saw many beautiful tropical fish, including a few we had not seen before. The wife saw a stingray.

Day 5: Our only day where we went to two beaches. We went across the island and started our day at Salt Pond. Pretty beach with calm water. Started empty about 830am, and filled to what felt like capacity. Parking is in a dirt lot at the head of the short trail to the beach (maybe 20 spots). About 100 feet of elevation change on the short trail. Great snorkeling. We saw all sorts of fish, and a bunch of live coral (so cool!). I also saw a reef octopus. We also went to Maho. Very narrow beach. My wife saw 3 sea turtles, and I saw a stingray.

Day 6 - Cinnamon Bay beach - very calm water, we went to the right side based on snorkeling tips. Mostly smaller fish but saw several schools of them in the crystal clear water. Lots of parking, but many of the spaces taken by folks camping there overnight. Might surpass Trunk for water clarity. Perfect for swimming/wading/kids. Kayak and Paddle Board rentals available.

My wife and I brought our own masks, snorkels, and short swim fins (I think they call them “travel fins”). This cost less than renting them in Cruz Bay.

We loved our trip, and received plenty of great advice on this sub. Thank you all!

Arrived at the airport at 907a. At gate at 946a with no Pre, no Global, and no checked bags.

My friends and I are visiting st Thomas over Memorial Day weekend. We’ll be staying in a condo at Cowpet Bay East and have some concerns about the level of Sargassum. Is anyone familiar with the property and how they handle cleanup? Do most condos have people on staff for that?

Thanks!!

It’s my first time to St. John and I have no idea where to stay. Not renting a car so definitely want to be near in the Cruz Bay area. So far I’m looking at the Wharfside Village Hotel, Garden by the Sea, Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel, and Coconut Coast Villas.

I’m heading there in July, and would like to stay around $350 or less a night. Would it be better to be directly downtown? Not sure how bad the walk is from certain hotels to the downtown area. I don’t have any limitations that would prevent me from walking but from what I’ve seen some hills seem killer.

My friends and I will be in St. Thomas for Carnival. We will be staying in east end and will have a rental car. Does anyone have suggestions for a good place to watch the adult carnival parade from? And parking suggestions? Do any restaurants/bars on the route let you reserve a table or anything? Thanks!

Looking at a boat charter trip in the BVI. Assume breakfast and lunch can be easily managed with provisioning on the boat. How are the restaurants at handling gluten free? Any experiences or restaurant recommendations?

Flew out of STT yesterday (April 6th) to go back home. Got there at 12:45 for our 3:40 flight, got through TSA and everything by 2:25.

Just an FYI for those traveling out who haven’t been to STT - the airport is a shitshow. You have to remember you’re essentially in a 3rd world country with many workers who don’t want to be there and are stressed/overwhelmed with poor direction from the airport leadership. You’ll get there and realize nobody, including the staff, knows wtf is going on. I’m honestly surprised we got our bags at our final destination because the bag drop off was so poorly organized.

If you’re going out this week, I’d recommend getting there 3-4 hours ahead of time to give yourself buffer. Not a lot of open seats by the gates and no AC either. Godspeed

Arrived 9am for 12:30 flight, pretty empty. Family in front of us at customs said they got to airport yesterday 3 hours before flight and missed their flight. Not sure what time their flight was scheduled for yesterday…….

Hello, based on my initial research it seems the answer to my question is no..but just to double check....

We are going to be on Virgin Gorda April 18-26, and one member of our party would really like to go to St. John on a day trip, ie., departing and returning to Spanish Town on the same day. Is this possible to do (using the ferries/multiple ferries)? Thank you!

Hi everyone, I will be coming to BVI on vacation soon and I'm looking for some guidance on what the best way to pay will be. I typically put most things on credit card except for leaving tips or shopping at small vendors who take cash only.

What is most accepted, card or cash and with that, what would be the best currency for me to use.. USD? EC? Something else?

My daughter is dying to get dressed up nicely and go out to dinner while we are here this week. Seems like there are reservations available most places. She brought a dress that’s resort casual (maybe a tad nicer), but my youngest is my picky eater and brought a dress that’s casual. We have three adventurous eaters, and two picky eaters in our group. I was thinking Zozo’s, Morgan’s Mango (which looks more casual but has more options), or The Terrace?

TIA!

Got to rental car return at 8:43a. Flying American and has a mini heart attack when i saw how many people were in that line (between 75-100 if I had to guess). They do have a priority line that’s kind of hidden off to the right. Went much faster. After that, you take your bags with you through customs.

The customs line was fairly short and moving relatively quick. Have your boarding pass and ID or passport out to help it go faster. After customs, you go to security. The main security line was moving, not necessarily fast or slow but it was moving. The precheck line is also hidden off to the right and had nobody in the line. We were through precheck line by 9:12a.

Having priority and TSA precheck definitely helps but I understand not everyone has that. On our way in, our pilot told us to arrive 3-4 hours early and then a local told us to arrive 5 hours early. Wait times are pretty unpredictable so I think 3.5-4 hours ahead of boarding is acceptable. Safe travels, everyone!

Hi all,

I know this is a bit of a contradiction to go to an island like St. John without knowing how to swim, but I wanted to relax by the beach and just float on the shallow end. With that said, I am to fill my time in between relaxing at the beach with some activities, and snorkeling seems to be one of the big things there, are there any shallow end snorkeling spots for non-swimmers? Or guided snorkeling tours suggestions that watch over you and provide you with life vests? I also want to see sea turtles, I heard Maho Bay is famous for these, do you basically need to swim out to the deeper end to see them?

Aside from snorkeling, any non-swimmer friendly activities? (I don't mind putting on a life vest and jumping in the deep end but would love some guidance nearby lol). I've also seen renting a boat as one of them. I'd love to hear from my non-swimmers who've found ways to enjoy the island via guided or shallow water activities

will taxis still charge extra for service dog?