# Just Returned from Westin St. John-WOW! (with video link)



## djdavid79 (May 4, 2014)

We just returned from a trip to WSJ, and we were really impressed. We've been going to Hawaii for a few years now, but thought it was time to try something new. We're both glad we did. I can't say enough about how absolutely nice people are in St. John. They seem genuinely happy, and want you to be having just as good of a time.

We stayed in Bay Vista, room 2531, 2 bedroom. The room was showing a little bit of wear, but overall in relatively good shape. Though there was a missing tile on the bar, and some of the furniture was super scratched up. 

The first two days we did not venture too far from the resort, but we took the Island Tour that they were offering, basically we rode around in an open air taxi for two hours, but we really enjoyed it. It gave us a good understanding of where we wanted to go back, and what we wanted to see more of when we rented a car for the day. 

This being our first trip, I am glad we took the Westin Ferry, and had all of that set up. BUT the next time we go back, we'll certainly rent a jeep and take the ferry. Getting out and about and exploring the island is what made the trip so amazing.

Advice for those that are driving: the map they give you at the resort says that Bordeaux Mountain Road (Rt 108) is a secondary road, it does not tell you that part of it is partially unpaved with HUGE holes and is all mud. At one point we were not sure we were actually on a road, but a local guy came driving the other way. He burst out laughing when we asked if this was a road, and if it went through to Centerline Road (yes, it does). There was a lot of screaming at each other in the Jeep, but thankfully we lived to tell about it. 

We completely get why people are in love with WSJ. I think it probably has more to do with island itself and the people, rather than the resort. The beach at the resort is fine if you just want rest by a beach with your book. It is no where near the nicest beach on the island, but it was the only beach where I got to see a shark. It looked like a nurse shark.

Here's a video I quickly put together showing our room, some of the beaches and the snorkeling we did. Including the sea turtles. Everything was filmed with an iPhone, except the underwater, which was with our GoPro.

http://youtu.be/rKzs4bIUN6g


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## billymach4 (May 4, 2014)

Very nice Video. What model GoPro do you have. I have a GoPro Black 3+ on order for my next trip to STT next Month. Marriotts Frenchman Cove, and the Reef Hotel combo!


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## vistana101 (May 4, 2014)

Glad you had a great time, and awesome video! What did you use to edit?


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## djdavid79 (May 4, 2014)

Thanks! I used a GoPro Hero3+ as well. The battery runs out really quickly, so have backups if you're planning on filming a lot. The 30 shots in one second is really great. I also bought a Wyrd camera pole, so it was easier to move and hold on to, and I had less of a chance of getting my fingers in the shot. The wide angle is REALLY wide.

I used iMovie for the editing and Garage Band for the music. It was my first time really sinking in to either of those programs, and I found them pretty easy to use. iMovie the easier of the two.


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## DavidnRobin (May 4, 2014)

Thanks for the video - excellent. Glad you loved StJ.  Long trip from SF - you can see why we go for 2 weeks.  Taking Rt108 is crazy - glad you didn't get stuck.
I think I am going to get the GoPro 3+ Black for our trip to StJ/WSJ in 32 days (counting down) - it has some great features I'd like to use.
Anyone want to buy a gently used Olympus TG820?


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## djdavid79 (May 4, 2014)

2 weeks is going to be a must for our next trip. I'm glad we broke up the flights and spent a night in Florida each way. STT was crazy when we were leaving, took us an hour and a half to get through baggage tagging, customs, security.

I think we are going to look into chartering a boat for a week and sail around a bit, and spend the other week at WSJ or VRBO a house.


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## taffy19 (May 4, 2014)

What a fantastic video and the music with the snorkeling too.  I want to go there now.   Thank you for sharing.


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## chriskre (May 4, 2014)

Thanks for sharing your vacation video Dennis & Mike.
St. John is so beautiful.
Glad you enjoyed it.


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## DavidnRobin (May 4, 2014)

djdavid79 said:


> 2 weeks is going to be a must for our next trip. I'm glad we broke up the flights and spent a night in Florida each way. STT was crazy when we were leaving, took us an hour and a half to get through baggage tagging, customs, security.
> 
> I think we are going to look into chartering a boat for a week and sail around a bit, and spend the other week at WSJ or VRBO a house.



Yeah, 1-week is way too short.  Almost sold our week, but was able to pickup an adjacent week (of course paid way too much by today's standards, but made up for it by just being there).

We stay in MIA on the way, but tough it on the way back.  This year i picked up 1st class tickets on AA For the way home for just $75pp more (after accounting for luggage fees).

Next time use a Porter at STT - they will make it much smoother - well worth it.

We sailed (bareboat) the BVI for 10 days in 1991 (pre-internet, GPS) - it was quite memoriable - wish we had keyed into StJ back then, but was too much hassle to go back and forth (more so than today).


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## hefleycatz (May 5, 2014)

That's a great video. Thanks.   
We will be in BV also (I'm assuming that we have a loft? Sleeps 10?).   Are there certain buildings that the lofts are in or are they just on the ends of 24,25,26,27 ?   I know I've read somewhere on here how many of each type of room there is, but can't find now.    
Djdavid...was the tour something offered thru the Westin?  I like the idea of scouting places out.  DH thinks we should just get in the jeep and go.  

Lee

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## djdavid79 (May 5, 2014)

I am not sure where the lofts are, but I think your assumption is correct that since it sleeps ten that you will have a loft.

The tour is offered by the westin for $25 per person. I think it was only M-F, 9:30 and 1:30, lasts 2ish hours. We went in the morning, and it was full. They said the afternoons are usually much lighter, sometimes it's just 2 people. I liked the tour because I had an idea of the distances between things, what to expect of the roads, parking, etc. All of the looking down towards a beach shots in the video I posted are from the tour.


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## tomandrobin (May 5, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> That's a great video. Thanks.
> We will be in BV also (I'm assuming that we have a loft? Sleeps 10?).   Are there certain buildings that the lofts are in or are they just on the ends of 24,25,26,27 ?   I know I've read somewhere on here how many of each type of room there is, but can't find now.
> Djdavid...was the tour something offered thru the Westin?  I like the idea of scouting places out.  DH thinks we should just get in the jeep and go.
> 
> ...



Lee

The lofts are one the ends of each building in Bay Vista.....8 in total. 

I recommend just getting a jeep and going. You really can't get lost....much. 

We are staying in a loft for our trip next week. Need any info or pics? 

Tom


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## tomandrobin (May 5, 2014)

Thanks for posting the video.....very nice.


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## tomandrobin (May 5, 2014)

djdavid79 said:


> I think we are going to look into chartering a boat for a week and sail around a bit, and spend the other week at WSJ or VRBO a house.



Friends of mine had a boat for a week, touring the Virgin islands. They said it was the best vacation ever.


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## hefleycatz (May 5, 2014)

Tom, all the info and all the pics you choose to share will be appreciated.  You could give us any heads up for our upcoming trip.   We will have a jeep for the whole week, so might as well just go for it. Watching so many YouTube videos, I've already drove (watched) the whole place.  

If I get an opportunity to request a bldg, are 24 and 27 still the best bets for views.   

Gas prices?  

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## tomandrobin (May 5, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> Tom, all the info and all the pics you choose to share will be appreciated.  You could give us any heads up for our upcoming trip.   We will have a jeep for the whole week, so might as well just go for it. Watching so many YouTube videos, I've already drove (watched) the whole place.
> 
> If I get an opportunity to request a bldg, are 24 and 27 still the best bets for views.
> 
> ...



In Bay Vista section, the furthest building has the best views...





Avoid Trunk Bay when the cruise ships are at St Thomas. 

We try and visit 2-3 beaches per day, starting at the furthest and working our way back.


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## Beaglemom3 (May 5, 2014)

Wow ! Just lovely !

Two paws up !


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## OKPACIFIC (May 5, 2014)

*Fabulously captured*

Fabulous video!!! We just returned from a 2 week stay at Westin St. John, can't believe our paths didn't cross. We met up twice with Tuggers Mike and Donna from CA, fun time. 

We were in the Hillside Villas, 1 bedroom loft, unit 3327. The villa was older and showed signs of its age like sheetrock seams splitting on the walls and watermarks on the vaulted ceiling.  The tile and carpet seemed to be aging gracefully but tge walls and ceilings are still "popcorn". We were told these units were remodeled/renovated in 2008. The view of the bay made up for the age. There is a small pool between each of the hilside units. The advantage, you can park your car out side your unit, we didnt have a car. The disadvantage, you have to use the shuttles/golfcarts to get up to your unit, they expect a tip each time. We were, however, told buy HS owners that the shuttle is part of the ownership. We only tipped from that point if they went above and beyond. Taxis are only allowed in HS if you callfor one or dropping you off.

We also went on an island tour with James "Penn". We did not stop at the beaches, just paused from the cliff to take pictures. It was 2+ hours at $25 a person plus tip. A must do for newcomers to the island. The tours are 9 am and 1:30.

More to come from our trip, we own three 2Bdr units  in Hawaii, but fell in love with St. John.


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## DavidnRobin (May 5, 2014)

tomandrobin said:


> Avoid Trunk Bay when the cruise ships are at St Thomas.
> 
> We try and visit 2-3 beaches per day, starting at the furthest and working our way back.



vinow.com has the cruise boat schedule.
important for more than Trunk Bay - luckily this time of year has low number of cruise boats. It is a sad circus at times (almost had to save one kid from drowning while at Honeymoon).  We plan our vacation around the cruise ships.

We are a 1 beach/day folks - and generally based on weather and time of day (and bug potential).  It is easy to move around the north-side beaches, but a drive to Coral Bay and you are committed. (e.g. Salt Pond is ~50 mins away from WSJ)

Trunk at 4pm is a great time to go (free, no people, sunset - best to have car) - but be very wary of noseeums.
For Honeymoon/Salomon (calm days only) - pay the fee to get in thru Caneel - and get fee refunded by purchasing something.

If a couple are looking for an interesting villa to stay at (esp if you are into cooking/food) - take a look at Ted Robinson's place (Ted's Supper Club). We have Ted come to our villa and cook for us during our stay - always a highlight.  Reserve ahead of time.


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## tomandrobin (May 5, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


> Trunk at 4pm is a great time to go (free, no people, sunset - best to have car) - but be very wary of noseeums.



For "bug" repellent, I highly recommend Ben's repellent. 

wipes 30 DEET
http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Bens-12-count-Travel-Wipes/dp/B001GAOIME/ref=pd_rhf_pe_p_d_1

spray 100 DEET 
http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Med...qid=1399315352&sr=8-8&keywords=bens+repellent



DavidnRobin said:


> If a couple are looking for an interesting villa to stay at (esp if you are into cooking/food) - take a look at Ted Robinson's place (Ted's Supper Club). We have Ted come to our villa and cook for us during our stay - always a highlight.  Reserve ahead of time.



Do note....Ted can not cook in the Bay Vista villas, only the Hillside units.


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## DavidnRobin (May 5, 2014)

tomandrobin said:


> For "bug" repellent, I highly recommend Ben's repellent.
> 
> wipes 30 DEET
> http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Bens-12-count-Travel-Wipes/dp/B001GAOIME/ref=pd_rhf_pe_p_d_1
> ...



Thanks for the info on the bug repellent - my bites mainly come from when I am BBQing

No Ted at BV? Yikes! Another reason to own Hillside (VGV).


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## hefleycatz (May 5, 2014)

that's not fair he can't cook at BV.  
That would have been neat.  

Thanks for the bug spray info...will order tomorrow.



Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## tomandrobin (May 6, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> that's not fair he can't cook at BV.
> That would have been neat.



Ted needs a full oven. BV units do not have a full oven.


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## hefleycatz (May 6, 2014)

Oh...that would make sense.  

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## DavidnRobin (May 6, 2014)

tomandrobin said:


> Ted needs a full oven. BV units do not have a full oven.



and even more of a reason to own VGV... 

Ted can't make his delicious Parmesan/Tomato Focaccia (using a cast-iron skillet) that keeps us fed for a couple of days.


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## djdavid79 (May 6, 2014)

That looks delicious!


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## Vacationfuntips (May 6, 2014)

I enjoyed watching your video!  What a wonderful vacation you had! 

I think I am going to put St. John on my list of places to visit!  I wish I could make videos as good as yours.  Mine always look a bit shaky.  I liked how you put it together with the music and labels too!

Thanks for sharing, and I hope you enjoy many more wonderful vacations!

Cynthia T.


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## DavidnRobin (May 6, 2014)

I will eventually link this thread to the WSJ thread, but thinking of starting a new WSJ thread as people seem to be having difficulty accessing (may have become too unweilding) - it has broken TUG!!!  - but 1st will need to check with *The GodMother*.


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## Miss Marty (May 6, 2014)

*Weston St John*

Enjoyed watching your 
beautiful youtube video.


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## djdavid79 (May 6, 2014)

Thank you all for the nice compliments. I'm glad I was able to share some of the beauty of St. John. Even with two days back at work I'm still feeling its glow.

The iPhone has a stabilizer built in to the camera, so it helped with my normally shaky hands. iMovie and Garage Band did most of the work on the video. I'm really amazed at how easy it was to put together.


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## mjm1 (May 7, 2014)

Very nice job on the video. I snorkel, but my DW doesn't, so I will definitely show your video to her.

We were there as well for the first time and really enjoyed the island- the beaches, the resort feel even with the construction going on, and especially the new friends we made during the trip. We met John and Nancy from Oklahoma and had a great time with them. So much in common it was incredible.

I do need to find a better flying route the next time, but either way it was a very long trip from CA. Definitely worth it.


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## djdavid79 (May 7, 2014)

mjm1 said:


> I do need to find a better flying route the next time, but either way it was a very long trip from CA.



We spent a night in Florida each way. MIA on the way there and FLL on the way back. Our flights were SFO to FLL on Virgin America, and MIA to STT on American. I arranged for a driver to meet us at the airport when we arrived in FLL to go to MIA and then MIA to FLL to take us to our hotel for those nights. It went really smoothly. It ended up being cheaper for us to do it this way, even with the driver. We used points for the hotel stays.  

The flights just didn't make sense to us to try and do it all in one day. I'm glad we split it up. When we arrived at WSJ we were rested and ready to go. Plus, we were able to get back to SFO by 11:30 Sunday morning, and get everything settled before heading in to work the next day.


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## hefleycatz (May 7, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


> vinow.com has the cruise boat schedule.
> important for more than Trunk Bay - luckily this time of year has low number of cruise boats.
> Trunk at 4pm is a great time to go (free, no people, sunset - best to have car) - but be very wary of noseeums.
> For Honeymoon/Salomon (calm days only) - pay the fee to get in thru Caneel - and get fee refunded by purchasing something..



Looks like there are hardly any in the area for the end of May.  
As for Trunk at sunset?  Approximately what time would that be?  And are there any problems traveling back to the resort after sunset.  Any areas to stay away from at night?  

For Honeymoon/Salomon- calm days only?  Meaning not much wind.  Is that something you just have to decide when you get there?  

Thanks,

lee


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## DavidnRobin (May 7, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> Looks like there are hardly any in the area for the end of May.
> As for Trunk at sunset?  Approximately what time would that be?  And are there any problems traveling back to the resort after sunset.  Any areas to stay away from at night?
> 
> For Honeymoon/Salomon- calm days only?  Meaning not much wind.  Is that something you just have to decide when you get there?
> ...



Hi Lee -
We have gotten there about 4pm after the NPS Rangers and Lifeguards are gone - so we can get some snorkeling in, and then hang out until sunset (you will have to check what time sunset is at the latitude).

StJ is not really unsafe for tourists except if one is dumb enough to be out walking alone, very late at night and inebriated.  However, at nightfall - getting back from Trunk then a car is best.  The only other choice would be a taxi-bus as it is too far to walk.  I can't speak for a taxi availability as we rent a car - probably they are available - there are a lot of weddings at Trunk at sunset.

Calm days based on wind - you can look at the seas on the north side and tell.  On windy days we head to Maho.


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## hefleycatz (May 7, 2014)

Thanks.  We will have a car for the whole week, don't really drink and go to bed fairly early, so that shouldn't be a problem. .   

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## TUGBrian (May 7, 2014)

hope you post a review and include the link to your video for all to see! =)


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## hefleycatz (May 8, 2014)

mjm1 said:


> Very nice job on the video. I snorkel, but my DW doesn't, so I will definitely show your video to her.



We are opposite I snorkel, DH doesn't.  Does your wife swim, or just doesn't like to snorkel?  Hopefully Hubby will swim and snorkel from beach so i can get him used to the clear water before we do a day trip.  Maybe then, he'll be more willing to go off the boat.   

Lee

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## Karen G (May 8, 2014)

Just watched your video and it was marvelous! Thanks so much for sharing it.  We were on a cruise in March which stopped in St. Maarten. We went on a snorkeling trip to St. John and our snorkeling experience looked just like yours except we didn't see the turtle. Others did, so we may have been in that same area.


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## Weimaraner (May 8, 2014)

I enjoyed the video too. How did you trade into St. John (staroptions, owner trade)? I feel your pain on the long journey. Haven't been to Hawaii in years even though I love the place. It's just such a long trip and the time changes can be difficult to manage. I visited St.John for a day trip during an exchange to the St. Thomas Marriott Frenchman's Cove. Definitely plan to go back!


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## tomandrobin (May 8, 2014)

Weimaraner said:


> I enjoyed the video too. How did you trade into St. John (staroptions, owner trade)? I feel your pain on the long journey. Haven't been to Hawaii in years even though I love the place. It's just such a long trip and the time changes can be difficult to manage. I visited St.John for a day trip during an exchange to the St. Thomas Marriott Frenchman's Cove. Definitely plan to go back!



You should be able to make a direct trade with the resorts I see under your avatar. 

I have traded HRA/WSJ for Maui/Aruba/HRA/WSJ.....you just have to post an exchange wanted listing. 

When I go back to Aruba, I might have to look you up.


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## djdavid79 (May 8, 2014)

I will work on a review, and post the video there too.

I did use StarOptions for the exchange. I called everyday for weeks, multiple times a day with a 3 month window of times we would want to go. Finally, after about three weeks I struck gold and had a reservation. Persistence paid off.


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## Weimaraner (May 8, 2014)

djdavid79 said:


> I will work on a review, and post the video there too.
> 
> I did use StarOptions for the exchange. I called everyday for weeks, multiple times a day with a 3 month window of times we would want to go. Finally, after about three weeks I struck gold and had a reservation. Persistence paid off.



This is why I love TUG! Just when I was beginning to worry that I spend too much of my daily routine in obsessing about future trips, I realize everyone on TUG is like me! Nice work on getting the reservations. I wonder if the Starwood call center staff get to know callers on a first name basis since it seems to take several calls. I'm still trying to figure out the Starwood routine.

And yes Tomand Robin, we're adding 2 x 3 bedrooms to our Aruba collection so I don't mind being looked up. We are Aruba obsessed but I've taken my little girl also to Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, and St Lucia. We do peruse the exchanges on occasion.


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## mjm1 (May 9, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> We are opposite I snorkel, DH doesn't.  Does your wife swim, or just doesn't like to snorkel?  Hopefully Hubby will swim and snorkel from beach so i can get him used to the clear water before we do a day trip.  Maybe then, he'll be more willing to go off the boat.
> 
> Lee
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk



She likes to swim, but only in water where she knows she can stand on ground if needed. That said, I did manage to get her out on a two-sweater kayak at WSJ. That was a major step and we really enjoyed the experience. Baby steps.


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## DavidnRobin (May 9, 2014)

Most of the beaches on the north side have sandy entrances and are shallow.  Plus the water is crystal clear.


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## djdavid79 (May 9, 2014)

The turtles in the video were maybe 30-40 feet from shore at Maho Beach. It was very shallow where we were and the water was so warm.


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## czar (May 9, 2014)

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to get back mid August  we absolutely love St. John.


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## hefleycatz (May 9, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


> Most of the beaches on the north side have sandy entrances and are shallow.  Plus the water is crystal clear.



This is why I think if I get him in...he will love it.  

Lee

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## DavidnRobin (May 9, 2014)

djdavid79 said:


> The turtles in the video were maybe 30-40 feet from shore at Maho Beach. It was very shallow where we were and the water was so warm.



That is exactly where a got this shot.
Sea turtles hang out in sea grass - not exciting to snorkel around, but then a surprise may appear with some patience.


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## taffy19 (May 9, 2014)

What a great and amazing shot and so colorful too.


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## djdavid79 (May 9, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


>



This is spectacular. The reflection is so fantastic.


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## mpizza (May 9, 2014)

Awesome video!   Thanks for sharing!  I'm so excited for my trip in August!

Maria


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## hefleycatz (May 10, 2014)

That is such a cool shot!   Fingers crossed I can see one.   (And get a picture of one!) 

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## hefleycatz (May 13, 2014)

Has anyone been to the Barefoot Cowboy lounge to eat? 

Any new recommendations for a nice dinner? This is our 30th wedding anniversary "trip", so someplace scenic /romantic ...

Thanks

Lee

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## Henry M. (May 13, 2014)

Congratulations on your anniversary, Lee. Our 30th is this fall. Still planning where we're going.


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## tomandrobin (May 13, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> Has anyone been to the Barefoot Cowboy lounge to eat?
> 
> Any new recommendations for a nice dinner? This is our 30th wedding anniversary "trip", so someplace scenic /romantic ...
> 
> ...



Without a doubt you have to go to Zozo's for dinner.


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## steve1000 (May 13, 2014)

I agree with Zozos. Another special romantic restaurant (but pricey) is the Turtle Bay Estate House at Caneel Bay.  We love it. You would need to make sure it is open - as I believe it closes after high season.


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## hefleycatz (May 14, 2014)

emuyshondt said:


> Congratulations on your anniversary, Lee. Our 30th is this fall. Still planning where we're going.



Thanks, you too.  The actual date is Sunday Sept 7,  so this is an early celebration trip.   Also, DH is getting us tickets for a Pittsburgh Steeler game that day!   (I'm a lifelong fan and have never been to Heinz Field).  So I'm very excited about both trips!  

Lee

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## Henry M. (May 14, 2014)

Maybe we'll see you in St. John. Can't wait to get there on Sunday. I'm in Germany this week, so jet lag might be an issue . My daughter graduated from the university last week and just called to tell me she got her acceptance to grad school. We'll be in St. John to celebrate her accomplishment. My anniversary is November 24, but we'll probably celebrate on another big trip in September.

Henry


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## hefleycatz (May 20, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


> Next time use a Porter at STT - they will make it much smoother - well worth it.
> .



Is this suggestion for both arriving and departing?  Do you get them by luggage carousel?  

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## tomandrobin (May 20, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> Is this suggestion for both arriving and departing?  Do you get them by luggage carousel?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk



You won't need the porter for arriving, but use for departing. 

You tip them $15-$20.

They will bypass some of the lines....get you thru customs, then up the the luggage drop-off just prior to TSA screening.


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## Henry M. (May 20, 2014)

We only have carry-on luggage. The airport here is small, and it took less than 5 minutes from the time we walked down the stairs brought to the airplane, to the time we were meeting the car rental representative at the curb. 

When we left last year, there were lots of people all over, but it didn't take very long to make it through immigration and the security line. It looked chaotic, but actually everything moved fairly well. I'm not sure how a porter would have helped since we didn't have much luggage to contend with.


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## LisaRex (May 20, 2014)

Ah, porters.  I've learned the hard way that there are two ways of exiting a Caribbean island on a busy travel day: With the aid of a porter (quick) or without the aid of a porter (slower than a poke).

True story:  When we arrived at the airport in St. Maarten, there appeared to be two options for checking-in:  1) Airline agent-assisted check-in via a very long and slow line;  or 2) Self-check-in via a kiosk.  

We attempted self-check-in before realizing that it was a myth.  Here's how the system really works: 

Anyone who approaches the departure area is greeted by a super friendly porter and asked if you require assistance.  If you demur and choose the very long line, they leave you to your misery.  If, on the other hand, you demur and attempt to key in the information unassisted, you'll find that the machines are very tempermental. One will be out of service, another will be re-booting, and yet another will just freeze up in the middle of typing in your passport number.  Each time this happens, a friendly porter will appear and ask again if you require assistance. 

Now, depending on your level of naivete, you will try your luck with anywhere from 1 to 5 impotent machines before it finally dawns on you that the machine is NEVER going to spit out your boarding pass without assistance.

And sure enough, after two unsuccessful attempts using my fingers, under the magic fingers of the porter, the machine purred like a kitten!  In 3 minutes flat, I had boarding passes in hand, along with the required exit forms and a pen, compliments of my newly hired porter. She continued to hover and offer up her invaluable assistance, such as pointing out where on the form I should write my name. (Hint: It's on the line next to where it says "Name.")    

After completing the form, she personally escorted us to the "baggage check-in" line.  As if we were honored dignitaries, she cut right in front of another  passenger in line,* and directed us to an agent, who took our luggage without weighing it.  With a big smile, our porter asked if there was any other way that she could assist us as we fumbled for her gratuity. 

...And then we had to sit around and wait 45 minutes for our friends, who'd opted for the long line.  Idiots!

People who travel with just carry-ons have no idea how they're stifling the local economy.  

*This passenger had made the egregious error of checking herself in on-line and printing out her boarding pass at her hotel.  Since there was no need to check-in again, she stupidly walked to the "baggage check-in" line... without a porter!  Despite being at the front of the line, she was systematically ignored in favor of the porter-escorted passengers. No one would even acknowledge her presence, let alone answer her question.  "Excuse me.  I printed out my boarding pass at the hotel and it says to go directly to Baggage Drop-Off.  Am I in the right line?"


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## DavidnRobin (May 20, 2014)

^^^^ good story and advice - I found the same in Antigua ^^^^

I have no idea how we would only have carry-on for StJ (even if it were me alone) - and not just because we stay for 2 weeks.  Of course if you saw my packing list in an old WSJ trip report - you would know why...

I am thinking about getting a GoPro 3+ (black)... anyone wanna to buy an Olympus StylusTough TG-820 (used only for 1 trip)?
Now that I have a MacPro - the iMovie app is easy to learn and work with....


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## hefleycatz (May 22, 2014)

!!!!!!!! 48 hours till we leave!!!!!!   

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## hefleycatz (May 25, 2014)

We're here!!!  Peekaboo view from the balcony and from the upstairs bedroom. I'm in heaven (ly) beds. Lol


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## djdavid79 (May 25, 2014)

Great view! I wish we were there again. Enjoy your trip!


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## steve1000 (May 25, 2014)

What unit did you end up getting? Enjoy St. John and have a great trip!


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## hefleycatz (May 25, 2014)

We're in #2632 and it is huge!    


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## Henry M. (May 25, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


> I have no idea how we would only have carry-on for StJ (even if it were me alone) - and not just because we stay for 2 weeks.  Of course if you saw my packing list in an old WSJ trip report - you would know why...



I didn't even use everything I brought this time! Other than a few tee shirts and a couple of bathing suits, we don't need much. There's also a washer and dryer in the room. We spend most of the day exploring around the island and at the various beaches. We're not big on eating out, but most of the restaurants here are pretty laid back anyhow. We even do three weeks in Hawaii with just one carry-on per person, but we do sometimes check one bag with larger items.


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## DavidnRobin (May 25, 2014)

Considering I bring a Bose SoundDock - you can see it goes downhill from there.
Plus, snorkel and beach gear, etc. 
and do not try to argue with how many shoes and sandals Robin seems to need...
and products...
So - we bring our allotted 50# - looking forward to 1st class on way back.


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## tomandrobin (May 28, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> We're in #2632 and it is huge!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Hey....That's the unit we just had on our stay a few weeks ago!


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## hefleycatz (May 28, 2014)

Too funny.  It's a great unit.  I feel kinda guilty having all this space for just the two if us.   We have made friends with a few of the resort cats.  They know which balcony to hang around.  We are having such a great time.  Just returned from a fabulous meal at ZoZo's.  it's been cloudy all day, but the sunset was still so gorgeous.  The waiter took our picture with it in the background for our Anniversary and it was so good I almost cried.  ;-) 


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## GrayFal (May 28, 2014)

djdavid79 said:


> We just returned from a trip to WSJ, and we were really impressed. We've been going to Hawaii for a few years now, but thought it was time to try something new. We're both glad we did. I can't say enough about how absolutely nice people are in St. John. They seem genuinely happy, and want you to be having just as good of a time.
> 
> We stayed in Bay Vista, room 2531, 2 bedroom. The room was showing a little bit of wear, but overall in relatively good shape. Though there was a missing tile on the bar, and some of the furniture was super scratched up.
> 
> ...


Just watched your video…wow, nothing beats swimming with turtles!


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## tomandrobin (May 29, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> Too funny.  It's a great unit.  I feel kinda guilty having all this space for just the two if us.   We have made friends with a few of the resort cats.  They know which balcony to hang around.  We are having such a great time.  Just returned from a fabulous meal at ZoZo's.  it's been cloudy all day, but the sunset was still so gorgeous.  The waiter took our picture with it in the background for our Anniversary and it was so good I almost cried.  ;-)




We loved all the space......So opposite of home, with 3 adult kids and a grand-baby. 

Glad you are having a great time!


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## hefleycatz (May 30, 2014)

Winner winner chicken dinner!!!!  Won 3 out of 6 rounds of Bingo at the pool today.  The last round was a cover up and I got 2 spins on the wheel. Won a $60 spa certificate  :-( had to just buy an expensive bottle of some fancy face cream since we are leaving tomorrow.  Also won a big bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey which I promptly gave to a group of drinkers poolside that very much wanted it but the best was that I won 5000 SPG points TWICE!   WooHoo!!!! Great way to end our stay. 


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## ksqdomer (Jul 8, 2014)

hefleycatz said:


> Is this suggestion for both arriving and departing?  Do you get them by luggage carousel?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk



My suggestion is to check no bags!! Have not taken anything but carry ons for 8 years now. Shorts, polo shirt and sandals gets you into any restaurant you want. With a washer and dryer it's not worth the hassle of checking bags.
we were on the Rock 6/20 to 6/27. Great week of weather. A little Sahara dust. Someone asked about gas? The new station was $4.65 reg and the other was $4.70 across from Bball courts. also the owner's exchange POD building was just pitiful our week, not a thing inside. Has that been everyone's experience. Also if you are on the hill they have locked up all the TP and shampoo so stock up!!


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## DavidnRobin (Jul 8, 2014)

Congrats - but for some (us) - carry-on is not an option (not even the opportunity to be one of 'those' guys with overloaded carry-ons)

I do not recall any type of issue in arriving (other than a short wait at the luggage carousel), and departing is easy if you are prepared and know the drill. We are (generally) easily thru both ways - but leaving is more challenging because of the potential lines (Check-in, and Customs/Immigration/TSA).  The comment about the STT Porter is for departing and have multiple bags (e.g. 4 bags for 4 adults) - the Porters will make leaving easier if you don't want to deal with them - especially if you are dealing with kids as well.


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