Westin St John Master Thread - Part 3 [Dec. 2017 and forward]

[tomandrobin]

We plan to be there for 2 weeks in Oct. Has anyone been to Waterlemon Cay (Leinster Bay) recently? Has it changed. How about Haulover Bay North (my favorite snorkeling spot)? Little Lameshur? Soloman?

We were there over Thanksgiving in 2018, so 1.5 years ago. After the hurricane, everything was changed. But time heals all and I see on other forums that the island is looking good!

 

[Gatorfan]

We just left the resort. Hillside was great although they are tearing up portions of the road pavers on the way up the road and toward buildings 31 & 32 and higher up near 33 & 34. Freecycle is closed due to COVID19. Main resort looked good and check in was fairly easy. It's weird not having the main lobby building anymore. Island and resort were fairly crowded. When we first arrived the parking area near O'Connor's and tennis courts was mostly empty. This morning it was packed. Island in general looks good. Not a lot of shade still on most beaches. All stores and restaurants required masks, spaced out tables and were at reduced capacity, including Snorkles. When out in town there were lots of people not wearing masks or social distancing on the streets. At the pool it was a bit of a mixed bag with some giving more distance than others. Most surprising was the amount of people violating National Park rules at the beaches (amplified music, smoking, standing on corals, etc.).

While we were there the USVI Governor implemented new policies regarding travel including pre-trip testing/testing on arrival from certain states and potential quarantine. Lots of details and policies are very fluid, so check Virgin Islands Government House website before you go to get it all.

 

[Carolyn]

We sold 2 of our 4 WSJ weeks and the new owner has use of the 2020 weeks. Unfortunately I received the tax bills for all 4 weeks. The new owner is not happy about this and wants me to get the names changed on the bills so he can deduct them on his taxes. We had a timeshare closing company I could contact but wanted to know if Vistana can help with this. Could he pay by snail mail and just mark out our names on the bill? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Theiggy]

We sold 2 of our 4 WSJ weeks and the new owner has use of the 2020 weeks. Unfortunately I received the tax bills for all 4 weeks. The new owner is not happy about this and wants me to get the names changed on the bills so he can deduct them on his taxes. We had a timeshare closing company I could contact but wanted to know if Vistana can help with this. Could he pay by snail mail and just mark out our names on the bill? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I’m following bc I am having a similar issue as a buyer of a St. Thomas week. I never received my tax bill and when I search by parcel on the VI site, the previous owners names still show. I contacted my closing agent and she said to contact the VI tax dept. I guess that’s what I’ll do bc I don’t know what to do otherwise.


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[carpie99]

There is no reason he couldn't pay the taxes regardless of the name on the bill and file their taxes. On the slim chance he is audited the paper trail from his closing should be rock solid evidence.

 

[DavidnRobin]

July 2020

Dear Fellow Virgin Grand Villas Owner:

As your owner-elected representatives on the Board of Directors, we recently participated in a conference call meeting of the Board. The agenda for this meeting was fairly short, so this is a relatively short report.

State of resort operations following the COVID-19 shutdown

During a period this spring of rising numbers of COVID-19 cases nationally, including a few in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibited new arrivals at hotels and timeshares during parts of April, May, and June. The Governor’s restrictions have partially ended, and the Westin St. John is again accepting guests, with 90% occupancy expected during the July 4 week.

The resort associates, led by General Manager Eugene Martin, are taking many precautions to prevent an outbreak of the virus at the resort. As of June 22, there have been no instances of virus at the resort, and the precautions in place include:
limitation on the number of people who can ride each ferry, to maintain social distancing
limitation on the number of tables and the number of people at each table, at Snorkels, which is now serving dine-in as well as take-out meals
closing off for use every other machine in the fitness center to promote social distancing
requirement that staff members wear masks in all public buildings and areas of the resort
thorough and enhanced cleaning of every unit after each occupancy, reduced housekeeping during periods of occupancy, and more frequent cleaning of equipment and common areas such as exercise machines and restrooms
closing of some of the grills to maintain social distancing of users
reduced number of lounge chairs at the pool
suspension of certain activities such as spa services and fitness classes
The resort report, prepared by Mr. Martin, shows the precautions being taken at the resort.

The operational situation at the resort may change from time-to-time in accordance with risk factors associated with the pandemic and directions from the USVI government.

To stay up-to-date on COVID-19 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit: https://usviupdate.com/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-updates/

To stay up to date on the operational status of the resort, please visit: https://hub.vacationclub.com/resort-updates/

Remediation project

Contractors have continued to work to remediate the buildings/units that experienced or were at risk of experiencing microbial damage after the new HVAC equipment was installed. Chilled water pipes are being insulated, attics are being insulated to prevent condensation on the pipes, and temperature and humidity sensors are being installed in the attics. Signs are being posted in all units to remind owners to leave all doors and windows closed and to leave the air conditioning system running at all times. It may be counterintuitive to use electrical energy on air conditioning rather than to allow outside air into the units, but this is essential to keep the humidity at low enough levels to prevent the growth of mold in the units. So once again we add our own request that you not leave patio doors open, as this turns off the air conditioner and lets tropical moisture into the rooms.

Land parcel up the hill from Virgin Grand

At the March Annual and Board meetings, it was noted that Westin St. John Hotel Company, Inc. (“WSJHC”) was seeking a buyer for a parcel of land above Virgin Grand on which four luxury homes could be built. An issue was raised about road access to those homes, because Virgin Grand has historically been opposed to increased traffic through the Virgin Grand property. WSJHC has informed us that the current land parcel does have easements rights to the road through Virgin Grand but that it is looking for options where access to that property would not be via the existing road.

Also in March, an owner pointed out that the map showing the property that WSJHC wanted to sell included a few square yards of the access road, at the hairpin turn, to buildings 33 and 34, and that a new owner of property that included those few square yards could cut off access to those buildings. The Management Company assured us that if those square yards were to be included in the property sold, an easement for access to our buildings would be retained.

Developer purchase of unit-weeks that owners no longer desire

Last September, Marriott Vacations Worldwide (“MVW”) officials informed us that MVW was considering a possible program to purchase some unit-weeks that owners no longer desire. However, the pandemic suspended sales of timeshare properties and of consideration of the plan. MVW hopes to present an update this fall.

Foreclosure process

At present, when an owner is delinquent in maintenance fee payments, the owner is locked out, the unit-week is liened, and the owner is subject to foreclosure litigation. The Association refers the matter to an attorney who handles the litigation. When the unit-week has been foreclosed upon, it becomes Association-owned inventory and we annually offer it to MVW. If MVW declines to purchase it in bulk, we then offer it to current owners at extremely low prices.

In September, we proposed to MVW that, instead, we should assign our foreclosure rights to MVW, which would bring the foreclosure actions at its expense and would own the unit-weeks when the foreclosures were completed. MVW has now rejected that proposal but indicated that it was considering a proposal of its own and might suggest it to us at a future meeting.

Owner access to Board of Directors meetings

Board of Directors meetings are open to owners to observe, but only if they are present in person at the meeting. In March, in the interest of transparency, we moved that a recording of the March meeting be made available to all owners so that those not personally in attendance could hear what was discussed. This proposal was unanimously approved, but management reports that the quality of the recording of the meeting was too poor for it to be distributed. Since the June meeting was virtual, there were no quality issues, and we again proposed that a recording be made available. This recording is available for your listening purposes.

Larry Pelletier
larrypelletierx@gmail.com
Philip G. Schrag
phil.schrag@gmail.com


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[CPNY]

Any insight on that phase I’m booking or how to tell would be great. I may be booking a 2 bedroom In August either week 33 or 34 The unit is 95,700 SO for the two bedroom so according to the chart it could be any phase in a “2 bedroom”. If I book week 33 i know based on the SO it’s Virgin Grand. If I book week 34 for the same SO it could be anything it feels like.

How can I difference between the townhouse and the premier? Is it luck of the draw? How do I tell when I book? Which is better? Also, the 25 bucks a night I assume is a timeshare tax on the island? Ah the good ole U.S. of A.

Is there a super market on the island?

 

[keepgoing]

Any insight on that phase I’m booking or how to tell would be great. I may be booking a 2 bedroom In August either week 33 or 34 The unit is 95,700 SO for the two bedroom so according to the chart it could be any phase in a “2 bedroom”. If I book week 33 i know based on the SO it’s Virgin Grand. If I book week 34 for the same SO it could be anything it feels like.

How can I difference between the townhouse and the premier? Is it luck of the draw? How do I tell when I book? Which is better? Also, the 25 bucks a night I assume is a timeshare tax on the island? Ah the good ole U.S. of A.

Is there a super market on the island?

@CPNY, you already get the bulk of the trick to id phases by SO. I also use the MAX occupancy to distinguish a 2 bdrm to a 2 bdrm loft as well which they consume the same amount of SO. Other than these two parameters, I have no way of telling. When in such situation that multiple phase fit in the SO and Max OCC value, I called in the resort after making the reservation and request to put in a specific phase. Their standard response is they can't guarantee the request will be filled. It did get honored that one time I had requested it. So I am not sure the odd of that.

You are correct that $25 per day is the tax.

There is a supermarket walkable from the resort called Star Fish Market. Quite expensive but good to have it (and very well stocked) just in case. Many people usually stock up in St Thomas before driving (and hop on a car barge) over to St John.

 

[CPNY]

@CPNY, you already get the bulk of the trick to id phases by SO. I also use the MAX occupancy to distinguish a 2 bdrm to a 2 bdrm loft as well which they consume the same amount of SO. Other than these two parameters, I have no way of telling. When in such situation that multiple phase fit in the SO and Max OCC value, I called in the resort after making the reservation and request to put in a specific phase. Their standard response is they can't guarantee the request will be filled. It did get honored that one time I had requested it. So I am not sure the odd of that.

You are correct that $25 per day is the tax.

There is a supermarket walkable from the resort called Star Fish Market. Quite expensive but good to have it (and very well stocked) just in case. Many people usually stock up in St Thomas before driving (and hop on a car barge) over to St John.

Thank you! Any phases better than others? Do all have W/D? I didn’t see them on some of the floor plans in a few phases. That’s a deal breaker.
This would be my first St. John trip so I’m hoping it works out. Nothing much to do there right? It’s kind of remote? Friends want Cancun but Mexico in pandemic isn’t ideal for me. I’m thinking take the advantage of not missing out on nightlife since most things everywhere are shut down. Take the opportunity to unplug.

car barge..... That brings me to my next question, so rent a car at the airport?

 

[keepgoing]

@CPNY , I have tried all three phases except the Sunset bay which is kind of beach front. All phases has W/D in unit. I just looked at the Sunset bay amenities list and floor plan and they do have W/D in unit. So I believe you are good to go in any phase in terms of W/D. The best villa I think is the Virgin Grand three bedroom pool villa (125000 SO in summer). It is not close to the beach of the resort, but you have your own private courtyard and dipping pool (quite big), this is very helpful especially in this time when you need social distancing. These unit shows up more often now because of the pandemic. The next choice I like is the 2 bdrm Loft unit (Bay Vista) which is huge. If you want to be close to the beach, then the New sunset bay, but they are kind of small. Overall, Virgin Grand is the phase you have your car parked close by. Other phases use a common parking lot which is quite a distance from our villa, and you can ask the golf cart (buggee) to drive you to your car. So If you mostly want to venture out, Virgin Grand (3 bdrm even better) is better choice. If you plan to stay in the resort and use its beach and common pool, Sunset Bay is the closest, then Coral Vista, then Bay Vista.
St John is the least of nightlife compare to other Vistana resorts. It is remote and just beautiful calm beaches, very rustic. Beaches (many of them) are small and never crowded. Many beaches don't have facilities like bathrooms or food stand, etc, but they are the best for privacy and felt like a private beach for myself. Most of the beaches are just step away from parking. Only two or three require a little bit of hike after parking.
There are many car rentals including AVIS (cheapest booking thru costco) and other very good local rental agencies where you just pick them up at the airport. Just don't use Hertz since they do not allow you to take car over to St John. Car Barge is about $50 roundtrip or $30 one way.
If you only plan to use a car one day or two and stay in the resort most of the time, you can choose to rent a car the day you need at the Westin Resorts. Then you need to use the Westin Ferry service for roundtrip transportation to the resort (~$130 per person, never use them before, so price may have changed).

 

[CPNY]

@CPNY , I have tried all three phases except the Sunset bay which is kind of beach front. All phases has W/D in unit. I just looked at the Sunset bay amenities list and floor plan and they do have W/D in unit. So I believe you are good to go in any phase in terms of W/D. The best villa I think is the Virgin Grand three bedroom pool villa (125000 SO in summer). It is not close to the beach of the resort, but you have your own private courtyard and dipping pool (quite big), this is very helpful especially in this time when you need social distancing. These unit shows up more often now because of the pandemic. The next choice I like is the 2 bdrm Loft unit (Bay Vista) which is huge. If you want to be close to the beach, then the New sunset bay, but they are kind of small. Overall, Virgin Grand is the phase you have your car parked close by. Other phases use a common parking lot which is quite a distance from our villa, and you can ask the golf cart (buggee) to drive you to your car. So If you mostly want to venture out, Virgin Grand (3 bdrm even better) is better choice. If you plan to stay in the resort and use its beach and common pool, Sunset Bay is the closest, then Coral Vista, then Bay Vista.
St John is the least of nightlife compare to other Vistana resorts. It is remote and just beautiful calm beaches, very rustic. Beaches (many of them) are small and never crowded. Many beaches don't have facilities like bathrooms or food stand, etc, but they are the best for privacy and felt like a private beach for myself. Most of the beaches are just step away from parking. Only two or three require a little bit of hike after parking.
There are many car rentals including AVIS (cheapest booking thru costco) and other very good local rental agencies where you just pick them up at the airport. Just don't use Hertz since they do not allow you to take car over to St John. Car Barge is about $50 roundtrip or $30 one way.
If you only plan to use a car one day or two and stay in the resort most of the time, you can choose to rent a car the day you need at the Westin Resorts. Then you need to use the Westin Ferry service for roundtrip transportation to the resort (~$130 per person, never use them before, so price may have changed).

Awesome, this helps so much. I hear the beach at the Westin isn’t the greatest on the island so I’ll probably spent one or two days there. It would be great to go remote, pack a lunch and drinks in a cooler and explore different beaches and snorkel. Having the car close to the room is ideal so Virgin grand may the the best. I think that’s the one in week 33 for 95,700. Thanks for your help, I’ll look into Avis at Costco.

 

[SandyPGravel]

Awesome, this helps so much. I hear the beach at the Westin isn’t the greatest on the island so I’ll probably spent one or two days there. It would be great to go remote, pack a lunch and drinks in a cooler and explore different beaches and snorkel. Having the car close to the room is ideal so Virgin grand may the the best. I think that’s the one in week 33 for 95,700. Thanks for your help, I’ll look into Avis at Costco.

We rent through Amalie on STT. You will be greeted at the airport and taken to your vehicle. You will then load up, leave the airport and drive to the car ferry. If you have more than two people travelling you will save money by taking the car ferry. $35 each way for the car ferry. Taxi will be $20/person to the passenger ferry plus $8/person for the ferry plus a charge for each bag on the ferry, plus the cost of a taxi from the dock in St. John to the Westin. The other advantage of renting on St. Thomas is you can stop at Cost u less or k mart or Walgreens on St Thomas to pick up supplies. We went to Cost U less for the first time this year and I was impressed. (Looks like a Costco, but isn't.) Another advanatage of Amalie is they do not charge if you get sand in their vehicle. You return the vehicle to the airport just like when you received it. Easy-peasy. You will need to know if your flight arrives so you can catch the last car ferry to St John. I think the last car ferry is at 6 pm-ish. You will be required to back onto the ferry, but the people loading the ferry will guide you through if you need help. We have been very happy since we started renting from Amalie, even with a delay last year because of a shortage of car ferry space due to a horse race on Tortolla.

In almost 10 years, I have never set foot in the water at the Westin beach. WAY too many awesome beaches on the rest of the island to consider. We have used the paddle boards and kayaks at the beach, but you must stay in the bay and there are a lot of vessels to navigate around.

If your reservation says 6 people in a two bedroom you will be in the Virgin Grand section.
Look for a book called St. John Off The Beaten Track: Gerald Singer if you are looking for some information to guide your plans for exploring the island. I have several copies of this book and share it with the guests we bring along so they can choose what they would like to see.

Enjoy your stay!!

 

[CPNY]

We rent through Amalie on STT. You will be greeted at the airport and taken to your vehicle. You will then load up, leave the airport and drive to the car ferry. If you have more than two people travelling you will save money by taking the car ferry. $35 each way for the car ferry. Taxi will be $20/person to the passenger ferry plus $8/person for the ferry plus a charge for each bag on the ferry, plus the cost of a taxi from the dock in St. John to the Westin. The other advantage of renting on St. Thomas is you can stop at Cost u less or k mart or Walgreens on St Thomas to pick up supplies. We went to Cost U less for the first time this year and I was impressed. (Looks like a Costco, but isn't.) Another advanatage of Amalie is they do not charge if you get sand in their vehicle. You return the vehicle to the airport just like when you received it. Easy-peasy. You will need to know if your flight arrives so you can catch the last car ferry to St John. I think the last car ferry is at 6 pm-ish. You will be required to back onto the ferry, but the people loading the ferry will guide you through if you need help. We have been very happy since we started renting from Amalie, even with a delay last year because of a shortage of car ferry space due to a horse race on Tortolla.

In almost 10 years, I have never set foot in the water at the Westin beach. WAY too many awesome beaches on the rest of the island to consider. We have used the paddle boards and kayaks at the beach, but you must stay in the bay and there are a lot of vessels to navigate around.

If your reservation says 6 people in a two bedroom you will be in the Virgin Grand section.
Look for a book called St. John Off The Beaten Track: Gerald Singer if you are looking for some information to guide your plans for exploring the island. I have several copies of this book and share it with the guests we bring along so they can choose what they would like to see.

Enjoy your stay!!

This is great thank you! The bay vista is available so I may book it and go. How long does it take to get from the airport to the hotel, Average time?

 

[keepgoing]

@CPNY The trip from Airport to hotel via car barge (~40mins boat ride) in your rental car should take an hour and a half to two hours, providing you did not miss the car barge. Check the ship schedule for your day of arrival, they usually have one every two hours.

 

[CPNY]

@CPNY The trip from Airport to hotel via car barge (~40mins boat ride) in your rental car should take an hour and a half to two hours, providing you did not miss the car barge. Check the ship schedule for your day of arrival, they usually have one every two hours.

Perfect. I will check the schedule. I’m still torn. I’ve never been so confused as to planning a trip ever. Thanks COVID!

 

[bobpark56]

Renting a vehicle from Amalie on St Thomas works for some. We prefer to rent on St J, as (a) we don't need to rent until day 2 or 3 and we can turn the car in a day before we leave...saving mucho $, and (b) renting from an in-town business usually gets us a place to park (Courtesy Car Rentals, for example), which often solves a significant problem when going to town to dine. Then there is the fact that Courtesy gives a 6% discount for paying in cash...if you ask. They also provide shuttle service when picking up and returning your vehicle. Oh...and they offer a 10% discount for off-season rentals, like in Oct.

 

[CPNY]

@CPNY , I have tried all three phases except the Sunset bay which is kind of beach front. All phases has W/D in unit. I just looked at the Sunset bay amenities list and floor plan and they do have W/D in unit. So I believe you are good to go in any phase in terms of W/D. The best villa I think is the Virgin Grand three bedroom pool villa (125000 SO in summer). It is not close to the beach of the resort, but you have your own private courtyard and dipping pool (quite big), this is very helpful especially in this time when you need social distancing. These unit shows up more often now because of the pandemic. The next choice I like is the 2 bdrm Loft unit (Bay Vista) which is huge. If you want to be close to the beach, then the New sunset bay, but they are kind of small. Overall, Virgin Grand is the phase you have your car parked close by. Other phases use a common parking lot which is quite a distance from our villa, and you can ask the golf cart (buggee) to drive you to your car. So If you mostly want to venture out, Virgin Grand (3 bdrm even better) is better choice. If you plan to stay in the resort and use its beach and common pool, Sunset Bay is the closest, then Coral Vista, then Bay Vista.
St John is the least of nightlife compare to other Vistana resorts. It is remote and just beautiful calm beaches, very rustic. Beaches (many of them) are small and never crowded. Many beaches don't have facilities like bathrooms or food stand, etc, but they are the best for privacy and felt like a private beach for myself. Most of the beaches are just step away from parking. Only two or three require a little bit of hike after parking.
There are many car rentals including AVIS (cheapest booking thru costco) and other very good local rental agencies where you just pick them up at the airport. Just don't use Hertz since they do not allow you to take car over to St John. Car Barge is about $50 roundtrip or $30 one way.
If you only plan to use a car one day or two and stay in the resort most of the time, you can choose to rent a car the day you need at the Westin Resorts. Then you need to use the Westin Ferry service for roundtrip transportation to the resort (~$130 per person, never use them before, so price may have changed).

Going with the Bay Vista, it seems closer than the Virgin Grand for the day or two I want to stay at the resort. I’m sure at the end of August things will be slow there so maybe I can request a change of something with a view if need be. Just hope i can still travel there by end of August.

 

[tomandrobin]

Renting a vehicle from Amalie on St Thomas works for some. We prefer to rent on St J, as (a) we don't need to rent until day 2 or 3 and we can turn the car in a day before we leave...saving mucho $, and (b) renting from an in-town business usually gets us a place to park (Courtesy Car Rentals, for example), which often solves a significant problem when going to town to dine. Then there is the fact that Courtesy gives a 6% discount for paying in cash...if you ask. They also provide shuttle service when picking up and returning your vehicle. Oh...and they offer a 10% discount for off-season rentals, like in Oct.

We have been visiting St John since 2003. We have rented every which I think you can while visiting. It really boils down to how long you will be there, how much time you spend at the resort, if you visit St Thomas on a day trip, if you eat in or dine out for your meals, etc. This past trip we used the Westin Ferry and rented a safari truck from Sunshine. We had a large group and the truck holds a lot of people and a lot of stuff. Getting free parking in town was a big plus. They delivered and picked up the truck at the Westin, which also was a plus. We have done trips with no rentals and just used the taxis to get around town and to the beaches.....but only cost effective with a 2 people and multiple resort days.

 

[tomandrobin]

Going with the Bay Vista, it seems closer than the Virgin Grand for the day or two I want to stay at the resort. I’m sure at the end of August things will be slow there so maybe I can request a change of something with a view if need be. Just hope i can still travel there by end of August.

We just got back Saturday night after spending two weeks at the resort. The last week we left, we were told the resort occupancy was 30% with many people canceling because of the new testing requirements by USVI government. We stayed in the Bay Vista section.

 

[CPNY]

We just got back Saturday night after spending two weeks at the resort. The last week we left, we were told the resort occupancy was 30% with many people canceling because of the new testing requirements by USVI government. We stayed in the Bay Vista section.

I actually requested coral vista. How was bay vista? I see the new requirements are no test if you come from a state with a less than 10% positive rate in testing.

 

[tomandrobin]

I actually requested coral vista. How was bay vista? I see the new requirements are no test if you come from a state with a less than 10% positive rate in testing.

I like Bay Vista. We have a unit in building 26 and 27, third floor.....nice views. We normally will have three pool days during our two week stay. For the first time in 17 years, we had a child with us, our 6 year old grandson. It was nice to be close to the resort amenities with him. The test requirement did not apply to us or our friends, except two who came in from South Carolina.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Hate Tapatalk- keep missing discussions on VSE TUG.
TnR - color me jealous.
CPNY - TnR’s advice is right on.

Leave only footprints.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bobpark56]

@CPNY, you already get the bulk of the trick to id phases by SO. I also use the MAX occupancy to distinguish a 2 bdrm to a 2 bdrm loft as well which they consume the same amount of SO. Other than these two parameters, I have no way of telling. When in such situation that multiple phase fit in the SO and Max OCC value, I called in the resort after making the reservation and request to put in a specific phase. Their standard response is they can't guarantee the request will be filled. It did get honored that one time I had requested it. So I am not sure the odd of that.

You are correct that $25 per day is the tax.

There is a supermarket walkable from the resort called Star Fish Market. Quite expensive but good to have it (and very well stocked) just in case. Many people usually stock up in St Thomas before driving (and hop on a car barge) over to St John.

Do you really walk all the way to the Star Fish Market? I walk to the closer market. It may be a bit smaller, but the prices have been less high.

 

[bobpark56]

We rent through Amalie on STT. You will be greeted at the airport and taken to your vehicle. You will then load up, leave the airport and drive to the car ferry. If you have more than two people travelling you will save money by taking the car ferry. $35 each way for the car ferry. Taxi will be $20/person to the passenger ferry plus $8/person for the ferry plus a charge for each bag on the ferry, plus the cost of a taxi from the dock in St. John to the Westin. The other advantage of renting on St. Thomas is you can stop at Cost u less or k mart or Walgreens on St Thomas to pick up supplies. We went to Cost U less for the first time this year and I was impressed. (Looks like a Costco, but isn't.) Another advanatage of Amalie is they do not charge if you get sand in their vehicle. You return the vehicle to the airport just like when you received it. Easy-peasy. You will need to know if your flight arrives so you can catch the last car ferry to St John. I think the last car ferry is at 6 pm-ish. You will be required to back onto the ferry, but the people loading the ferry will guide you through if you need help. We have been very happy since we started renting from Amalie, even with a delay last year because of a shortage of car ferry space due to a horse race on Tortolla.

In almost 10 years, I have never set foot in the water at the Westin beach. WAY too many awesome beaches on the rest of the island to consider. We have used the paddle boards and kayaks at the beach, but you must stay in the bay and there are a lot of vessels to navigate around.

If your reservation says 6 people in a two bedroom you will be in the Virgin Grand section.
Look for a book called St. John Off The Beaten Track: Gerald Singer if you are looking for some information to guide your plans for exploring the island. I have several copies of this book and share it with the guests we bring along so they can choose what they would like to see.

Enjoy your stay!!

That is useful advice, but there are alternatives that are cheaper and provide free parking in town, where parking can be hard or impossible to find. If you rent on St John, you usually get free parking in their lot. You can also cut at least the first and last day off your rental, saving significant $. If you are renting in low season (Sept - Nov, for example), you can get a 10% discount (see Courtesy Car Rentals for one). And at least one company (Courtesy) will give you a 6% discount for paying in cash if you ask. Most rentals on St John will either pick you up and return you to the resort or deliver the car to you there. So pay your money and take your choice. Amalie is neat, but more expensive, and you do have to meet the car ferry schedules, so less flexibility there. And you don't get in-town parking. Ask the poster above if discounts are available...or look it up Amalie's web page.

 

[keepgoing]

Do you really walk all the way to the Star Fish Market? I walk to the closer market. It may be a bit smaller, but the prices have been less high.

I did it once two years ago. I was not planned to but the item I needed was not available in the closer market (St John Market). Debated whether to go back to Westin to hop on the car to drive to Star Fish Market or just continue walking towards it. Decided to walk. Quite a few locals walking on the roadway as well. St John usually have no sidewalk so people walks on the side of roadway and drivers are used to keeping a distance from pedestrian. Everyone drives slow anyway <25mpg. But I would only do it on a cloudy day and for small and light items.