Preparing For Your Trip

1. When to Visit

 

DECEMBER – APRIL

St. John’s busiest and most expensive time to visit. There’s no arguing that the weather is lovely and just hot enough this time of year. You may get the occasional drizzle, but any rain is very fleeting. It’s a wonderful time to come and escape winter; the only downside is bigger crowds and higher prices.

MAY – JULY

Prices on flights and lodging decrease quite a bit during this time. You’ll find thinner crowds, but the weather will be toasty. I’d still go in a heartbeat. You can always cool down at the beach with an ice cold beverage.

AUGUST – NOVEMBER

This timeframe largely consists of hurricane season and plenty of rain. This is especially true in September and October. In November, you’re more likely to have good weather and things haven’t gotten too expensive and crowded yet.

2. Planning Your Trip

 

Here are the things you should start thinking about in advance of your St. John trip. Some of the below are the very things that have landed me and my family in a pickle at times.

 
 

NO PASSPORT REQUIRED

The U.S. Virgin Islands are a territory of the United States, so U.S. citizens can travel without a passport. A driver’s license is an acceptable form of ID; however, it will soon  need to comply with the new REAL ID identification requirements (if 18 years or older). I still find it easiest to travel with my passport.

 

BOOK AIRFARE

Book your airfare into St. Thomas Airport.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, there is no airport on St. John. Therefore, you will need to fly into the Cyril E. King Airport on nearby St. Thomas (STT).There are several airlines that fly to St. Thomas. Many major American cities have a direct flight option, although some go through San Juan, Puerto Rico and other connecting cities.

*****If you have the option of taking a non-stop flight out of a more major city, within a 3-hour drive from your home, then I highly recommend it.

 

PROVISIONING THE VILLA

We strongly suggest provisioning. It saves a trip to the grocery store and allows you to settle in and relax, knowing your items are stocked in your kitchen. We allow Dolphin Market and Starfish Market access to our property. Both have websites to order and have it delivered.

There is also a third option, Landlubber Logistics. Landlubbers takes great care of their guests for sure! You can save 10-12% by working directly with the markets but you don’t always get the best service and care. Landlubbers manages the supermarket and the orders. They do a lot of business with stores so they get better service. Landlubbers will also complete your order and go to another store for you if one store is out of something. I personally think they are worth the extra money and less hassle.

Here are some staples you may want to stock:

  • Ice

  • Bottled Water

  • Rum + Juices

  • A couple of Bottles of Wine / Beer

  • Cheese / Crackers / Other Snacks

  • Breakfast Items

  • Dinner for the First Evening

  • Condiments

 

Renting a Jeep is essential if you plan on driving around St. John.

4X4 JEEP

It is essential to have a 4X4 Jeep on St. John. We recommend renting from a company in St. John. If you prefer to rent on St. Thomas, that is fine too, and you can pick up your car right at the airport when you arrive. The pro to this is you won’t need to hire a taxi to take you to catch the ferry.

If you are not comfortable driving on the left side of the road then you can rely on taxis during your stay. Jeep rentals are still tricky to find, especially at the last minute. Therefore, be sure to book your jeep when you book the villa.

Please know Jeep rentals cost approx. $100 / Day.

If driving in St. John does not seem appealing to you, there are also taxi services throughout the island. Aaron/Piper (340) 344-4234 or Kevin (340) 227-6566, or Laz (340) 473-7766. They know where the St. John Great House is located at 15A-2-8 Rendezvous and Ditleff (Rendezvous Heights) which is next door to Deja View.

There are many good Car / Jeep rentals in St. John. Below are just a few you can look into.

Please Note: There have been Jeep shortages so we highly recommend reserving as far in advance as possible.

 

3. Packing

 

This is one destination where you don’t need a lot of luggage.

 

WHAT TO BRING / WEAR / PACK

This is one destination where you don’t need a lot of luggage. Our recommendation would be a carry-on wheeler type bag and a personal item such as a large zippered beach bag or purse. This will easily get you 7-10 days in St. John. We have a washer and dryer in the house as well.

St. John is very casual even at the nicer dining establishments.

Wear comfortable shoes on the plane as you will be departing the aircraft in St. Thomas through stairs directly onto the tarmac.

 

BRING CASH WITH YOU

The ferry, some vendors, and many taxis only take cash. There are ATM’s on St. John (and St. Thomas), but they cannot always be relied upon to be in working order when you need them.

 

CHECKING BAGS

I do not recommend checking any bags at all if you can avoid it. St. Thomas has a small airport, and sometimes things like bags have the tendency to get lost. Not exactly a relaxing way to start a vacation.

4. Covid Related Documentation Requirements

 
 

EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2022, THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO THE TESTING REQUIREMENTS. PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY.

Please be sure to check most current requirements at Visit USVI.

All domestic travelers and international travelers are no longer required to complete the following to travel to the USVI:

  • All travelers are no longer required to complete the USVI Travel Screening Portal or present an approved green QR code to travel to the USVI.

  • All travelers are no longer required to provide a negative COVID test result to travel to the USVI.

  • All travelers are no longer required to provide proof of COVID vaccination to travel to the USVI.

Please refer to the CDC requirements for domestic travel and the CDC requirements for international travel to stay up to date on the current travel requirements for the United States.

 
 

5. Travel Insurance

 
 

WE STRONGLY URGE THAT YOU PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE.

Square Mouth is a great site for comparison and booking insurance. You can opt for Cancel For Any Reason which covers Covid, Hurricane, as well as any other unforeseen reason.

Select the "cancel for any reason" option and read all fine print before purchase to confirm you are insured from anything, including "acts of God" (hurricanes), acts of War, and Pandemics. This is for your own protection. If you choose not to purchase trip insurance, you are assuming all risks and agreeing to our cancellation policies and that if you are unable to use your reservation for ANY other reason, including but not limited to hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics, or any other act of God or War, our published cancellation policy will be in place.  

 

St. John General Information + FAQs

 

VACATION TIPS FOR OUR VILLA GUESTS

In the Virgin Islands, we use US currency and postage. Most St. John shops and restaurants accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express. You may want to bring travelers cheques in small denominations since our local banks will not cash stateside checks. Our banks on St. John are First Bank and Scotia Bank and they both have ATMS.

No inoculations are required for travel to St. John. Passports are not required (but they are convenient) unless you plan to take a day trip to the British or non-US islands. We strongly recommend bringing passports if you possess them. If not, a voter's registration or birth certificate plus photo ID are acceptable for re-entry into the US.

 

CAR RENTAL AND DRIVING LEFT

Driving: We drive on the left, a remnant of our Danish past. You'll be fine, as the maximum speed limit here is about 20 MPH. Just remember STAY LEFT.

 

ELECTRICITY

Electricity on St. John comes via cable from St. Thomas, and is not always as reliable as we'd like it to be. Frequent outages are common. Be prepared by knowing where your flashlights are located, and realize we all have to be patient when the power goes out.

 

YOUR CELLULAR PHONE ON ST JOHN

If you are bringing your cellular phone to the Virgin Islands, your cellular company must have a contractual agreement with Sprint or AT&T Wireless, or be a carrier. Check with your company before you depart. Your villa telephone is for local calls only (St. John, St. Thomas or St. Croix). Be sure and bring a calling card with an 800 number, or you can purchase one here.

 

WHAT TO BRING TO ST JOHN

Things to bring to St. John should be plenty of sunscreen, good insect repellent, and of course a camera. Most items are available here: however, they do cost a little more. This is also true with food, but rest assured you can purchase most everything here. St. John has a number of very good small grocery stores and you can get everything from seafood to steaks, baked goods, produce, etc. If you prefer to eat out, we have a variety of great restaurants to choose from. There are also several catering companies that provide "in-villa" chef services, as well as, "drop off" dinners if arranged in advance.

 

SAFETY

St. John is among the safest islands in the Caribbean, and probably safer than your own home town. However, crime happens everywhere, so mind your belongings and take the same care with security around the house as you would at home.

 

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE!

Fresh water in the islands is as precious as gold. We do not have city water. It comes from 2 sources: rain water collected in gutters and stored in the cistern, and desalinated salt water, which is trucked and delivered to homes and stored in the cistern. All homes have water filtration systems, and the water is safe to drink. Use it to wash and brush your teeth, cook with it, etc. However, when you are parched for a tall glass of water, you may want bottled, because while its safe, the water we have in our home systems is not always that tasty. Don't be surprised when we ask you to conserve, it's the island way… use all the water you need, but please try not to waste it.

INTERNET ACCESS ON ST. JOHN ISLAND

The St. John Great House has high speed internet access. In addition, there are web cafes and hot spots throughout the island. Even our park in the center of town is a hot spot.

 

ST JOHN ISLAND CUSTOMS

St. John is an extremely casual island; however, local custom and law require that cover-ups or t-shirts and shorts be worn over bathing suits except on the beach. The same law says that men cannot appear bare chested in public. Most old time residents take offense at those who do not observe this once unwritten code, so PLEASE cover up.

Local custom also suggests that all conversations begin with a friendly greeting. It is considered rude to start a conversation without an exchange of “Good Morning,” “Good Afternoon” or “Good Night.” Adopt this local courtesy and you will usually be greeted by a smile and good service.

Island life moves at a slower pace than stateside, so relax and be patient. Don't add stress to your vacation.

 

INSECTS

Insects are everywhere in a tropical climate, and while all of our homes are exterminated on a regular basis, you may come face to face with an island critter. You can minimize this by keeping all foods in the refrigerator, and not leaving any food of any kind on the counters or table, this is simply an invitation to these little house invaders!