Westin St. John [Master Thread]

[Henry M.]

Thanks for the responses.

Are there any second story studios? I know I have a 1 BR right now, but could use the extra Starotions I'd save for another vacation later in the year.

We are beach people too and would rather be there than in the room. I know a lot of the beaches in St. John are a ways from the resort. Is renting a car in St. Thomas and brining over on the ferry the best way to get around, or are there reasonable local transportation options to get back to the hotel from these beaches?

I'm really looking forward to the trip. My wife called yesterday to check on vacation possibilities in the near term and St John had all kinds of rooms available for his week in April. We just grabbed something and made our arrangements to go within the last 24 hours.

 

[jarta]

Thanks for the responses.

Are there any second story studios? I know I have a 1 BR right now, but could use the extra Starotions I'd save for another vacation later in the year.

We are beach people too and would rather be there than in the room. I know a lot of the beaches in St. John are a ways from the resort. Is renting a car in St. Thomas and brining over on the ferry the best way to get around, or are there reasonable local transportation options to get back to the hotel from these beaches?

I'm really looking forward to the trip. My wife called yesterday to check on vacation possibilities in the near term and St John had all kinds of rooms available for his week in April. We just grabbed something and made our arrangements to go within the last 24 hours.

I don't know about 2nd story studios in VG.

Around the end of January and the beginning of February is the time of the year when Starwood starts locking out owners who have not paid their 2013 MF. Most people do not realize this is a very good time to find a StarOption reservation. Availability opens up, but just for awhile. It quickly closes as reservations are snapped up.

There is open air truck taxi service on WSJ. It's OK for getting to shopping and restaurants in Cruz Bay (about 10 min. away) because free parking is quite limited in Cruz Bay.

I rent a car when I am at WSJ. IMO, exploring the island and its north shore beaches is worth the car rental cost. However, driving on St. John can be a unique experience. Many rental cars have worn tires, there are plenty of hills and fairly steep switchbacks that can be slippery after a rain and you drive on the "wrong" side of the road.

Enjoy your stay at WSJ! Salty

 

[Henry M.]

Do you rent a car in St. Thomas and bring it over, or do you prefer to get a jeep in St. John? Are the latter readily available or do you need a reservation well ahead of when you want it?

It doesn't sound like there's a practical way to get to all the beaches unless you rent a car. Is a four wheel drive vehicle preferable for the roads there? I think those are better rented on St. John, right?

I guess people there would argue that you drive on the "right" side of the road, regardless of whether it is right or wrong for us.

 

[siesta]

Do you rent a car in St. Thomas and bring it over, or do you prefer to get a jeep in St. John? Are the latter readily available or do you need a reservation well ahead of when you want it?

It doesn't sound like there's a practical way to get to all the beaches unless you rent a car. Is a four wheel drive vehicle preferable for the roads there? I think those are better rented on St. John, right?

I guess people there would argue that you drive on the "right" side of the road, regardless of whether it is right or wrong for us.

Some rental car companies will not permit you to rent a car and take it to st john via the ferry, Definitely go w a 4WD vehicle.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Do you rent a car in St. Thomas and bring it over, or do you prefer to get a jeep in St. John? Are the latter readily available or do you need a reservation well ahead of when you want it?

It doesn't sound like there's a practical way to get to all the beaches unless you rent a car. Is a four wheel drive vehicle preferable for the roads there? I think those are better rented on St. John, right?

I guess people there would argue that you drive on the "right" side of the road, regardless of whether it is right or wrong for us.

A lot has been written about StJ, WSJ, cars, food, activities, beaches, etc...

YMMV, but IMO...
We rent on StT and take car barge - but others rent on StJ for the entire time or short time, or depend on taxis. It really depends on what your needs are. If you plan to spend most of your time out and about (at beaches etc) then renting a 4WD is probably best. Also, the USVI Gov't is allowing StJ rental companies to increase their fleets - so this may impact ease/cost of renting on StJ.

We rent from Amalie on StT - have found this to be best. A bit more costly but worth it. IMO

There are no upper floor studios - if it is a matter of SO use - then studios are less, but if it was just Robin and me - I would go with the 1 Bd mainly for the space, light, and like having a Bedroom and eating/living space that are separate.

We spend little time at the resort or the resort beach - but that us and our vacation style.

Parking right outside of the villa for the VG section is a big plus (for us) - and can get from villa to Trunk Bay (for example) in 17 mins.

 

[jarta]

Do you rent a car in St. Thomas and bring it over, or do you prefer to get a jeep in St. John? Are the latter readily available or do you need a reservation well ahead of when you want it?

It doesn't sound like there's a practical way to get to all the beaches unless you rent a car. Is a four wheel drive vehicle preferable for the roads there? I think those are better rented on St. John, right?

I guess people there would argue that you drive on the "right" side of the road, regardless of whether it is right or wrong for us.

All rental cars on St. John by law are supposed to have 4-wheel drive. There is a reason for this. You'll appreciate why it's that way shortly after you leave WSJ and the Cruz Bay area.

I have always rented at the resort. O'Connor Car Rental. You can start their reservation process by going to the web site. Make sure to mention you want a car with good tires. Quite a few St. John rental cars have pretty bald tires which are underinflated to compensate for the lack of tread.

Many owners use O'Connor (just because it's convenient and easy, not because there are people there who treat you very well) and it seems a lot of fixed week owners make a reservation for the next year as they leave the resort. The earlier you make a reservation, the better.

http://www.oconnorcarrental.com/

BTW, rates are around $500 per week and you will be charged extra if you have much sand in the car when it's returned.

As a first time visitor to St. John, I'd recommend using O'Connor. Reason? KISS. Enjoy your first visit to WSJ. Salty

 

[Henry M.]

Thanks David and Jim. I think I'll go for the FWD on the island. Maybe take it day by day, since there's not a whole lot of savings renting for the whole week.

 

[LisaRex]

Thanks David and Jim. I think I'll go for the FWD on the island. Maybe take it day by day, since there's not a whole lot of savings renting for the whole week.

The downside to renting day by day is the paperwork. And they have limited hours, so you have to work around that. Oh, and you have to catch the employees at their desk. The posted hours are merely a suggestion.

 

[Henry M.]

Good to know, Lisa.

 

[DavidnRobin]

I agree to the KISS approach generally, but it really is not that hard to rent on StT and take the car barge (lesson learned over the years) - as long as you know where you are going and how to get there. Google Maps, Google Earth helps with this. I have the directions stored on my iPhone that I got a while back from vinow.com that includes stopping to shop on StT. I posted these somewhere on this thread as well as extensive trip reports by me and others to give you a flare of what to expect and what to do. I have also posted links to photos and videos.

We have taken about every method (except for private water taxi that I will leave up to the millionaires amoung us...) to get from STT to WSJ. Our travel party's favorite way to go now is to use Amalie Car Rental on StT. They meet you with the vehicle with everything ready to go outside of STT (and great people as well). Their 4WDs are almost brand new, and the they make it very easy departing and arriving (using the KISS principle). It is about 45min to RedHook to catch the car barge across to StJ which are constantly coming/going to/from StT/StJ. About $35 per car each way. It is about 5min from the StJ drop-off to WSJ. Once you do this - you will ask yourself (like we did) why didn't I do this before?

Note: we do not shop on StT anymore... not worth the savings as there are plenty of grocery stores on StJ - unless you need to pickup things that are hard to find or too expensive on StJ - such as beach chairs, beach towels, beach umbrella, water toys, snorkel/mask, fins, etc.

Snorkel/masks and fins are really expensive to rent on StJ (and often trashed).
We bring our own snorkel/mask - plus we have travel fins that can be purchased cheaply on line. I also wear a snorkel vest for safety reasons (for us both) - even though it can be geeky - because I do not want to be 'that guy'. btw, someone drowned at Waterlemon last week
Be careful, conditions can change (and do) and sh*t can happen (and does).
If you are strong swimmer and snorkler - snorkle from Salt Pond beach out to the Blue Cobblestone beach/Rams Head area. LisaRex's husband goes further out to Booby Rock, but I think that is crazy/dangerous - especially alone.

Also - bring plenty of sun shirts (the good kind with UVA/B blockage that dry out quickly) - I wear 2 of these - one that is loose fitting on the outside. As a very fair-skinned person these have proved to be a life saver, and I can hang in the sun and water all day. They are also somewhat bouyant and give protection from the water temp (it can get could after an hour in the water) and scrapes from coral/rock (that should never happen, but...)

We also bring a 'para-sheet' for laying on the beach - very light, and sand and water resistant (it will rain...).

On the way back from the beach - stop by Woody's ToGo window during Happy Hour and pick-up some Bushwackers to take back to the villa (open containers are allowed on StJ as long as no one is drinking or drunk - of course). Robin usually picks them up while we wait in the car. Yum - I can't wait - soon come June.

 

[Henry M.]

Does the barge fare for the car include the driver an passengers? That would be a lot less expensive than using the Westin transfers. The car cost would be about the same, whether you rent from O'Connor or Amalie. Maybe a little more in StT since there's a surcharge to pick you up. Are the cars from Amalie much better than what you get on StJ?

 

[DavidnRobin]

Does the barge fare for the car include the driver an passengers? That would be a lot less expensive than using the Westin transfers. The car cost would be about the same, whether you rent from O'Connor or Amalie. Maybe a little more in StT since there's a surcharge to pick you up. Are the cars from Amalie much better than what you get on StJ?

The car barge does not charge per passenger, or luggage (the passenger ferries charge per person as well as per bag - as do the taxis...). There is a surcharge of something like $2.50 on the RedHook side when you drive into the boarding area. Also - only pay for 1-way - that way you have more flexibility on the return trip (it is like a $5 difference).
Rates/Details are on vinow.com

http://www.amaliecar.com/
The cars at Amelia are the newest you will find anywhere on the islands - this is a key consideration after renting crappy 4WDs from Conrad Sutton and O'Connor on StJ, and Dependable on StT. iirc - it was Phil Schrag (WSJ-VG BOD member) that turned me onto Amalie. If you use Amalie - tell them DavidnRobin from the Timeshare Users Group referred you - they may waive the 5% charge for STT pick-up and drop-off.

I just sent in the reservation form for Amalie in June ($560/wk for the 4Dr Jeep XLT, the Jeep 2Dr hardtop is $530/wk in April) - things are very laid back on the USVI - so do not expect immediate attention or great internet access (from any of the outfits). For example - if I do not hear from them after a few days - I will call them. They will only accept credit card payments over the phone. Downside is that they do not take AMEX (AMEX is not commonly taken in the USVI). They did not charge me a surcharge to pick-up or drop-off at STT, but we are renting for 2 weeks.

Go Slow.

also - I bring a mini-mini RCA connector for playing music in the car as we always have music playing. I also got a small JamBox (bluetooth speakers) for XMAS that I can't wait to use on vacation (by the pool, at the beach...).

 

[DavidnRobin]

Post with link to trip reports
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1271378&postcount=8

 

[LisaRex]

As far as beach chairs go, we rented chairs from Trunk Bay. The rental was very reasonable, maybe $6/day + a $25 deposit?? In the future, I might just rent one on the first day and then keep it for the week. Well worth $30 to have a beach chair, especially since I do a lot of reading on the beach while my husband tries to kill himself swimming to Booby Rock.

 

[Henry M.]

I just finalized my airline reservations and the room size question took care of itself, as there were no other options anymore when we checked today. We must have hit it just right when we called yesterday.

I've decided this time I will rent a car on St. John. I don't want to deal with a 45 min ride to get to Red Hook and possibly have to wait long for the car ferry. Prices are about the same for O'Connor and Amalie Car. I realize Amalie might have nicer vehicles.

Now I'm starting to look into ferries. The Westin ferry seems the simplest, but at a cost. We may take a cab, stop by a market, and take one of the other ferries. Are cab drivers willing to make a stop like that? Can you trust them enough to leave your luggage in their car to run in and out of the store?

I understand there may be more than one location to take a ferry to Cruz Bay. I'm still not sure how much cheaper it is for 2 people. If a cab is $15 pp on STT, and then another $10 on STJ, plus $10 for the ferry (with 1 bag), that's about $70 round trip. The WSJ ticket is $110, but that includes unlimited travel to STT, and a certain level of convenience getting from and to the airport without having to deal with what are sometimes described as shifty and less than friendly locals. I'll be doing more reading tomorrow.

This trip has come together in a little over 24 hours and somewhat by chance. We had not really done any research when the opportunity to go opened up. I appreciate all the pointers and all the effort from David in the detailed trip reports and videos. I still have a lot more studying to do to plan the beaches we should visit and any other activities we will want to do. We usually end up hiking or spending most of the day in the water, snorkeling and swimming.

Is there the equivalent of the Hawaii Revealed books available for St. John?

 

[LisaRex]

This is a site that DavidnRobin referred me to. It offers a lot of great information, such as ferry schedules and rates, and taxi schedules.

http://www.vinow.com/

Here's another site that I found. It gives directions to a few grocery stores on St. Thomas.

http://www.best-virgin-islands-guide.com/virgin-islands-groceries.html

The first 2 times I've gone to WSJ, I used the Westin ferry. Pricy, but no regrets because it gave me a stress-free start to my vacation. I didn't have to drive around on my own (on the left, no less) and try to navigate my way to the nearest ferry in unfamiliar territory. If this was my first visit, I'd definitely opt to do this again. The downside is the price.

Depending on your arrival time, you may want to check your bags at the Westin desk at the airport, then head to the grocery store in a taxi. Just be sure to tell the attendant what your plans are so that they can store your luggage should you miss the next ferry.

FYI, the next time I go, I'll rent a vehicle on St. Thomas, drive to Food Center and stock up. Then we'll take the car ferry over to St. John. Since I know my way around the island, this doesn't intimidate me.

 

[bobpark56]

The first 2 times I've gone to WSJ, I used the Westin ferry. Pricy, but no regrets because it gave me a stress-free start to my vacation. I didn't have to drive around on my own (on the left, no less) and try to navigate my way to the nearest ferry in unfamiliar territory. If this was my first visit, I'd definitely opt to do this again. The downside is the price.

Depending on your arrival time, you may want to check your bags at the Westin desk at the airport, then head to the grocery store in a taxi. Just be sure to tell the attendant what your plans are so that they can store your luggage should you miss the next ferry. <snip>

If you are taking the Westin ferry, there is a grocery store at the marina where the ferry picks you up. If you have time between arriving at the marina and boarding the ferry, you can pick up a goodly starter set of groceries (and wine or liquor, if that is on your list)...at a better price than you would pay on St John. You need only carry your grocery bags to to dock. After that, the ferry folks and Westin folks will see that they get to your unit (assuming you have a unit already assigned). We always bring a sturdy bag or 2 for trucking groceries, and that helps a bit here (also helpful for carrying stuff to the beaches).

One advantage of renting a vehicle on St John is that you can save a day or 2 of rental fees. We arrive in the afternoon, spend that day resting, then pick up the vehicle next morning. On return, we drop the vehicle off the day before catching the morning ferry back to St. Thomas.

 

[LisaRex]

If you are taking the Westin ferry, there is a grocery store at the marina where the ferry picks you up. If you have time between arriving at the marina and boarding the ferry, you can pick up a goodly starter set of groceries (and wine or liquor, if that is on your list)...at a better price than you would pay on St John.

We've done this before, after lunching at Tickles, which is right at the dock. However, I thought that the prices here were pretty astronomical. By far the best prices I saw were at the Food Center on St. Thomas.

 

[Henry M.]

Are there several ferry companies that pick up at the same dock as the Westin ferry? I understand that other ferries leave every half hour, while the Westin ferry leaves every hour. The harbor is not far from the airport but the boat ride is longer than if you go to Red Hook. So you either spend time in a car or on the boat, and I prefer the latter.

Can you decide which ferry to take when you get to the airport, or is it better to make a reservation for the Westin ferry well ahead of arrival? I would be comfortable taking a short taxi drive and saving perhaps $40/person while seeing a little bit of St. Thomas. I don't expect I'll have enough time during the week to be making a lot of trips back and forth. If I expected to be going to St. Thomas more, perhaps the Westin shuttle would be a better deal, since it includes unlimited travel between the islands. It would have been nice to go for two weeks, but that was just not in the cards for this trip. Hopefully there will be many more to come.

Have any of you found a good dive shop for a diving trip out of St. Thomas? Any recommendations of destinations with not too deep of a dive and lots of fish and coral life? My wife and I are certified SCUBA divers, but it has been a while since we've dived, and would like to do perhaps one easy dive during this trip.

How does snorkeling in St. John compare to say Belize (the barrier reef near San Pedro in Ambergris Caye)? Any secret beaches to go to with our rental car that have great snorkeling?

I ordered a book called "St. John Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive" that was recommended to me. Perhaps it will answer some of these questions. I should have it in a couple of days.

David mentioned many car companies don't take AmEx. O'Connor did offer AmEx as an option when I made my reservation. I also have an insurance plan on the Starwood card I used that includes rental car insurance for something like $24.95/rental, not per day. I plan to use that. Rental car companies usually charge a lot more for insurance. I decided to rent on St. John as the price for a 4WD Jeep vehicle was about $85-$90/day on either island.

The trip is still 2 months away, but we're already excited about being there.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Your info regarding ferries is incorrect.
The Westin ferry is a private ferry - it does not run every hour. The Westin ferry is close to STT (Crown Bay Marina). Westin has their own taxi to take you to Crown Bay and is only about 10 mins away. It is quick and easy - and Westin will deal with your luggage at the satellite office that is at STT. And it drops off at the Westin dock where you are picked up by the WSJ shuttles (golf carts called Iguana's) and your bags will be delivered to your villa separately.
I haven't checked for a while, but last time I did it was $110pp RT for Owners. For us, party of 4, that is $440 (almost the cost of a 1 week 4WD rental!)

If you plan to go back/forth to/from StJ to StT, then the Westin ferry is the way to go as you get unlimited trips, BUT I am not sure why anyone would want to do this (other than for jewelry shopping). IMO, StT sucks - you will see what I mean when you get to see both islands.

The RedHook ferries (car and passenger) are on other side of StT from STT. About a 45min drive from STT. The taxis that take you there are likely to pickup and drop off other passengers along the way as they are open buses and not taxis in the traditional sense. There is also a passenger ferry out of Charlotte Amalie which is about 15 mins from STT. It has a shorter taxi ride, and longer ferry ride, but has restrictive times. RedHook has the shortest ferry ride, Westin ferry has the longest. I agree that I would rather spend more time on ferry, but that is not the only consideration.
Taxis charge per person and also per piece of luggage. Details of taxis and public ferries are on vinow.com - they also list cruise ships which you will want to pay attention to for Honeymoon, Trunk, and Cinnamon Bay beaches. (Advice - stay away from these beaches from mid-morning to mid-afternoon on these days)
iirc - the last time Robin and I took a taxi to RedHook, it costs up ~$40 one-way, but I gave a good tip because 'Torch' gave us a private tour of StT and comedy act... It probably costs around $30 (2 passengers, 2 pieces of luggage) 1-way from STT to RedHook.

I did not say rental agencies did not take AMEX - I said Amalie (my fav) does not. I do not know about the others on STT. I used Dependable once (never again), but do not recall if they took AMEX. What I did say that many USVI businesses do not take AMEX - so make sure you also have a VISA/MC card as backup. I also use the AMEX coverage for rentals - so I wish Amalie took it, but they don't and I still use them (this may become apparent if you get to see the differences).

As mentioned - I have done almost every type transit of method except using taxis exclusively on StJ. I do not understand why one would spend all the time, money, and effort to go to StJ and depend on taxis to get around unless you rarely plan to leave WSJ.

 

[LisaRex]

Here is a text of the document that the Westin concierge sent me prior to our 2012 trip. Note that ferry times might have changed since then, so be sure to ask for the most current schedule.

"Thank you for choosing The Westin St. John Resort & Villas! Below you will find a brief summary of our customized transportation service. Soon you will be arriving at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas to rejuvenate and relax. We want to provide you with a smooth arrival process, so you may begin to relax and unwind as soon as possible.

Upon your arrival at the Cyril E. King Airport, please claim your luggage and proceed towards The Westin Airport Lounge, located near the baggage claim area. Our welcome desk staff will provide you a warm welcome, register you, collect your luggage, and provide you with your ferry pass for the Westin Breeze ferry transportation (the transfer charges will be added to your room bill). Taxis depart regularly from the airport to our docking location at Crown Bay Marina for your final transfer to the Westin St. John resort.

All inclusive Roundtrip transfer includes the taxi ride to Crown Bay Marina (St. Thomas docking location) following with the ferry to The Westin St. John Resort and on your departure, the return ferry and the taxi ride to the airport. Also includes all luggage handling and unlimited shopping trips to St. Thomas (Crown Bay Marina Only) to explore and shop for you and your
loved ones.

Should you decide to travel by public ferry transportation please see the website below regarding pricing and schedules at http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/interisland_ferry/
If you are interested in exploring our beautiful island by car we recommend our convenient on sight car rental agency, O’Connor Jeep Rental. For further information on car rentals, special amenities, reservations at one of our fabulous restaurants or planning activities please contact or email our Concierge team at Concierge.01098@westin.com or Phone: 340.693.8000 extension 1936.

If you have any questions about this information, we would be happy to provide you with assistance. Please feel free to contact us at 01098.guestrelations@westin.com

FERRY DEPARTURE TIMES
WESTIN DOCK..............CROWN BAY
6:00 AM (Red Hook)......(none)
7:00 AM (Red Hook)......(none)
9:00 AM......................10:00 AM
11:00 AM.....................12:45 AM
1:45 PM*......................3:00 PM
(none)..........................5:30 PM*
(none)..........................7:30 PM (Red Hook)

 

[DavidnRobin]

LR - or anyone? - what are the Westin fees for using the Westin ferry nowadays?

added:
http://www.westinresortstjohn.com/assets/u/Transportation2012.pdf

It now looks as if the price is $120pp RT. Not sure if there is an Owners' discount anymore.

Also - forgot to mention - that sometime (as shown above) the Westin ferry goes to RedHook - not only during the off hours - but also when the weather is bad. One may appreciate the shorter ferry ride when the seas are angry. The car barges have the largest draft, and therefore more stable in rough seas. I have read some funny stories (TripAdvisor) about some people's experiences on the Westin ferry in rough seas (and make it sound like it was WSJ's fault - lol)

 

[DavidnRobin]

Have any of you found a good dive shop for a diving trip out of St. Thomas? Any recommendations of destinations with not too deep of a dive and lots of fish and coral life? My wife and I are certified SCUBA divers, but it has been a while since we've dived, and would like to do perhaps one easy dive during this trip.

How does snorkeling in St. John compare to say Belize (the barrier reef near San Pedro in Ambergris Caye)? Any secret beaches to go to with our rental car that have great snorkeling?

I ordered a book called "St. John Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive" that was recommended to me. Perhaps it will answer some of these questions. I should have it in a couple of days.

Re: Diving - I do not SCUBA anymore, but members of our travel party have. They have been happy with CruzBay watersports at WSJ which takes off from the WSJ dock (big plus) and does a fine job in taking people out, and will make sure all people are comfortable. Of course it is important to make sure they are aware of your comfort level and diving experience. There are no real deep dives off of StJ. There is better diving in the BVIs (IMO) - but you have to hassle with Customs and Immigration.

Last time I dove - it had been a while, so I did a refresher course (in a pool)at a local dive shop. I would recommend this not only for safety reasons, but also not to hamper the other divers in your group.

As to snorkeling - I have never been to Belize, but the snorkeling off of StJ beaches and around the multiple cays of StT/StJ and BVIs are fantastic (IMO).
Westin5Star may be able to give you a better assessment as he is a snorkel maniac (or so I have heard) and travels around more than we do.

As to 'secret' beaches - check out these articles:
http://barnako.typepad.com/news_of_st_john_usvi/2013/01/st-johns-secret-beach.html#comments
http://www.on-stjohn.com/2013/01/30/we-love-trunk-bay/#comments

I am not sure there are any 'secret' beaches - more like ones that are harder to get to.
I would say The Blue Cobblestone beach probably fits that catagory, as well as the area Tektite where the underwater biosphere was located (never been there... but plan to someday)

Also - the book 'StJ Off the Beaten Track' is better than 'Feet Fins and 4WD' IMO YMMV

 

[Henry M.]

I just downloaded the St. John Off the Beaten Track to my iPad. It is a lot newer than the other one I got. Thanks for the tip.

I'll check with the resort for any transportation owner discounts.

 

[LisaRex]

$120 pp + $40 for a "shopping pass" is simply ridiculous. Since we were heading to St. Thomas for a fishing charter, I could somewhat justify the exorbitant charge. $60 per person each way for a taxi, ferry to St. John, and luggage transportation is simply not worth it.

It's even more ridiculous now that they've replaced the "Westin Breeze" with the "Westin Rust Bucket." I don't expect white glove treatment, but I certainly expect the ferry to be clean and freshly painted.

Ah well.