Westin St John question and suggestions

[heckp]

Going to WSJ in a few weeks, I have questions regarding ferry from St Thomas to St John. Other than convenience, would someone please let me know how much is the approximate $ difference between taking the Private ferry and the Public ferry (taxis, luggage fees). Is the Private ferry fare for owners extend to adult kids of owners? There will be five of us ( hubby and I and 3 adult kids).
Do I need to pre book our ferry ride private or public? TIA

 

[ocdb8r]

I'll try my best to help based on what I know. I'm assuming you don't have a car.

When we were there this summer, the private ferry was $75/person one way or $130/person round trip. I believe this is the "owner" pricing and will extend to everyone in your party. You should pre-book this with the Westin team.

The public ferries are $15-$20/person (depending on which you take; Crown Bay which is closest to the airport, is $20/person) plus an additional $4-$5 per piece of luggage (again, Crown Bay is $5). You can pre-book the Crown Bay ferry here: https://www.interislandboatservices.com/ferry-trips/crown-bay-to-cruz-bay/

I'll add, the Red Hook ferries are cheaper...but I can't imagine anyone making the trek from the airport all the way to Red Hook without a car to save the few bucks. Now, if you have a car, the Red Hook ferries are the way to go for both price and quickness across the channel.

 

[heckp]

I'll try my best to help based on what I know. I'm assuming you don't have a car.

When we were there this summer, the private ferry was $75/person one way or $130/person round trip. I believe this is the "owner" pricing and will extend to everyone in your party. You should pre-book this with the Westin team.

The public ferries are $15-$20/person (depending on which you take; Crown Bay which is closest to the airport, is $20/person) plus and additional $4-$5 per piece of luggage (again, Crown Bay is $5). You can pre-book the Crown Bay ferry here: https://www.interislandboatservices.com/ferry-trips/crown-bay-to-cruz-bay/

I'll add, the Red Hook ferries are cheaper...but I can't imagine anyone making the trek from the airport all the way to Red Hook without a car to save the few bucks. Now, if you have a car, the Red Hook ferries are the way to go for both price and quickness across the channel.

Thank you! Westin ferry is the way to go for us. We will do a mix of car rental and taxi for the duration of the stay. Any car rental place suggestions in St John?

 

[ljmiii]

Thank you! Westin ferry is the way to go for us. We will do a mix of car rental and taxi for the duration of the stay. Any car rental place suggestions in St John?

Our last trip to the USVI we rented a vehicle in St Thomas from Paradise and then took the car barge over to St John. While rates were less expensive than on St John, we found that on St John we only used our rental for visiting the east side of the island and that on most days taxis were more convenient. And so next year we will be renting from Sunshine's Jeep Rental for just a portion of our stay in St John and visit Coral Bay etc. on those days.

 

[ljmiii]

Going to WSJ in a few weeks, I have questions regarding ferry from St Thomas to St John...

The public ferries are dirt cheap and quite convenient - $6 per person (+$4/bag) from Red Hook to/from Cruz Bay and $12 per person (+$4/bag) from Charlotte Amalie. In addition to the car barge I mentioned previously we took both passenger ferries on day trips between the islands on our last visit to the USVI (we stayed at Frenchman's Cove and the RCC in addition to the WSJ).

We just walked up, bought a ticket, and grabbed a seat. Service to/from Red Hook is basically every hour on the hour (with half hour ferries for the morning commute into St John) and thrice daily to/from Charlotte Amalie.

St. John Ferry Ticketing Company | Ferry to Red Hook & Cruz Bay

St. John Ferry Ticketing Company runs ferries to Red Hook, St. Thomas & Cruz Bay, St. John. Reserve ferry tickets online and travel between the islands!

stjohnticketing.com

 

[Mroze]

We have always rented a car and took the car ferry from Red Hook.
The cost for a car on the ferry is slightly cheaper if you purchase a round-trip ticket.
Was between $40 - $50 for a round-trip.
All passengers in the car are included in the fare and so is the luggage.

 

[ljmiii]

The cost for a car on the ferry is slightly cheaper if you purchase a round-trip ticket...

While I agree, I would note that there are three different companies that operate the car barge service and while the discount for buying a round trip ticket is substantial ($50 one way vs $65 round trip) the return is only good for the same company that sold the ticket on the outbound.

St. John – St. Thomas Car Barge Schedules - Virgin Islands

Traveling between St. Thomas and St. John is possible with your car! A car ferry, or car barge, takes cars between St. Thomas and St. John! The driver and

www.vinow.com

 

[heckp]

Thank you all! If need to pre book the Westin private ferry, which site am I going to book with? Can I just book at the airport? We are going next month, is it a busy month?

 

[tamu_bu]

Thank you all! If need to pre book the Westin private ferry, which site am I going to book with? Can I just book at the airport? We are going next month, is it a busy month?

St. John Beach Vacation Resort | The Westin St. John Resort Villas

Find comfortable and spacious vacation rentals with thoughtful amenities during your trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands at The Westin St. John Resort Villas.

www.marriott.com

I would inquire in advance. Get the skinny. It's pricey but quite convenient. Used to include day trips back to St Thomas and back.

 

[ocdb8r]

Thank you all! If need to pre book the Westin private ferry, which site am I going to book with? Can I just book at the airport? We are going next month, is it a busy month?

It's not strictly required, but I wouldn't risk them having something available (given it's slower season, they could opt not to run a ferry if no passengers). You can email: Pre-Arrival@westinstjohnvillas.com to pre-book and for any other pre-arrival info you might need.

 

[heckp]

It's not strictly required, but I wouldn't risk them having something available (given it's slower season, they could opt not to run a ferry if no passengers). You can email: Pre-Arrival@westinstjohnvillas.com to pre-book and for any other pre-arrival info you might need.

Thank you!

 

[ljmiii]

Thank you all! If need to pre book the Westin private ferry, which site am I going to book with?…

When the WSJ reached out to us in the pre arrival email they asked if we would like to reserve spaces on the Westin ferry. Since we didn’t, I don’t know how the process continues from there.