Westin St John review with Pics

[tomandrobin]

Last year Bad Kitty was $135+$20pp - I agree it is a great charter. You said there were some minor issues - what were they?

The two issues were the food served on Cooper Island was not really up to par. That is not The Bad Kitty's problem, but that is the only stop for lunch. Wosse meal of the whole trip. All of the food tasted pretty blah, no flavor and small portions....very small. I rather would of had a cold cut sandwhich. Everyone in our group was disappointed.

The second issue was the continental breakfast. It was a bit sparse. Having some cut up pineapple and a sweet bread is not what I would call or advertise Continental Breakfast.

But they were easily over looked. The crew was great and made sure that we all had a great time.

 

[tomandrobin]

I float well also - big, but heavy - and even more buoyant with the water/sun shirt (as shown in photo of me floating w/ pelican - lol) - Robin got a water/sun shirt also because she gets cold. I like the comfort the vest gives me (and Robin) in case something happens as it can/will in the ocean. Besides - I have heard too many horror stories from dive instructors and lifeguards about how things that seem calm can go bad quickly.

...back to the regularily scheduled trip report - I am really enjoying Tom's - they did have a different trip than ours.

Those snorkel vests are nice. I don't own one, but don't mind using them. Besides the safety factor, it allows you to take your time...easier. On those long snorkels (Waterlemon) the vest would be great.

Like I said, besides a couple of overlaps, you wouldn't know we stayed at the same resort, on the same 20 square mile island.

 

[tomandrobin]

Out in front of the Beach, the Westin has a trampoline in the water. The kids were on it every day we were down at the resort pool.

Can you tell they are a bunch of hams for the camera!

 

[DavidnRobin]

Agree - but we made good use of the open bar on the BK. We used New Horizons II one year - and they took us to Pusser's on another island (and a different snorkel spot) - BK was a much better charter. If you ever have 6 people or less - consider hiring a private 'captain'. There are many people there with a '6-Pac' license - that allows them to take parties of up to 6 people.

I hear that the charter company's have an 'agreement' (aka kickback) with the restaurants on the islands.

 

[tomandrobin]

This pretty much went on for the next twp days. On the second day, we had two iguana incidents. First thing in the morning we had an iguana jump in the pool and swim across to the island. It looked like a torpedo coming at us and scared the heck out of all the kids and women. At lunch time, a woman sitting below us was eating her salad for lunch and an iguana decided to join her for lunch.

Here are just a couple random pictures from the resort pool area.

Monday afternoon we pick up our rental cars so we can explore St John the next few days. We also go to the "Owners Update" at the resort. The resort is offering four tickets to their Caribbean BBQ held on Tuesday night, if we do the tour...I mean update. So we all sacrifice 90 minutes to get our "free" tickets. Its an inexpensive way to feed 13, 8 of which are between the ages of 16-23.

 

[tomandrobin]

Our 90 minute update tour was not bad. I was able to quickly establish that i knew more about their resort and system then our guide. I let them know of my displeasure of Starwood canceling Aruba. The couple people I talked to their were also disappointed with the "postponement" of the resort. They all felt Aruba will one day happen, but gave no time tables.

We did the tour of the two bedroom loft, since we already own the three bedroom, I wanted to see the other unit and layout. We bought our three bedroom sight unseen and at the time had a hard time deciding which to choose. In the end, we went for the three bedroom unit to have more sleeping privacy for family and friends. We were also told that the Bay Vista units did not have a view, so it didn't matter which unit you bought.

Well, this looked like a view to me....

Anyway, we really liked the two bedroom loft unit. The square footage is very close to the three bedroom unit. The layout is much better and spacious then the Hillside loft units. Where this unit takes the biggest hit, is the living room/dining room area.

So let the tour begin....Starting with the entry hall as you enter.

This is the bathroom just past the entry area on the left. It is a full bath with a shower, no tub.

The kitchen is on the right as you enter, the dining table is on your left. I took the picture facing the other way to get a better look.

The Living room is beyond them both with a balcony outside. With the nice view you saw above.

Looking up at Loft area.

 

[tomandrobin]

The stairs leading to the second level is to the left as you first walk into the unit. At the top of the stairs is the loft (office) area, that is open to below.

The second bedroom with its own full bath is to the left as you get to the top of the stairs.

The Master Bedroom is really a Master Suite...Very Nice! I liked this very much, more so then the view. The Suite is located at the end of the loft, all the way to the right. You first enter into the sitting room, that has a sleeper couch, 37" lcd TV, and its own refrigerator.....no sharing with the kids or guests!

This is looking out of the master suite into the loft and second bedroom beyond.

Looking out the window from the sitting area of the Master Suite.

Looking into the Master Bedroom, with the Master Bath beyond, from the sitting room.

 

[tomandrobin]

The Master Bedroom bed.

Master Bathroom pictures.

And looking out of the Master Bath towards the sitting room.

Two glaring things bother me about this unit. First, there were no ceiling fans again....Its the Caribbean...Hello! Second, after wowing me with the Master Suite, they couldn't find a way to enclose the toilet in its own room!

 

[jenniferhu]

Thanks!

Its an Olympus Digital camera that is waterproof and shockproof. Its great for traveling and in the water. Its relatively inexpensive for what it does.

Camera link

I think I paid around $250 for the camera.

I have a much nicer 35mm camera for "better" pictures. But for all around usability, the Olympus gets used more often. Its nice just to be able to slip the camera in my pocket.

Thanks for the info - we returned from a recent trip and developed our underwater pix and they were the usual gray foggy...

 

[Transit]

I love that huge tub.

 

[clsmit]

Thanks to both of the RobinSpouses for all of their information on WSJ this month!!!

I like the 2 beds in the 2nd bedroom. That way each of my kids could have his/her own bed -- no fighting over who gets the pullout couch. Put WSJ on the list of places to try to get to.... (but not to let the DH buy!! He wants WKORV now that we've gone!)

 

[jerseygirl]

.... but not to let the DH buy!! He wants WKORV now that we've gone!)

Then don't let him go! Make it a girls trip or something!

 

[tomandrobin]

Thanks to both of the RobinSpouses for all of their information on WSJ this month!!!

I like the 2 beds in the 2nd bedroom. That way each of my kids could have his/her own bed -- no fighting over who gets the pullout couch. Put WSJ on the list of places to try to get to.... (but not to let the DH buy!! He wants WKORV now that we've gone!)

WKORV....WSJ.....Whats to argue about. I have the solution - Just Buy EOY at each resort, one even and one odd.

 

[DavidnRobin]

WKORV....WSJ.....Whats to argue about. I have the solution - Just Buy EOY at each resort, one even and one odd.

My advice - get 2 weeks at each (esp WSJ) - because a 2 week vacation is way more than twice the vacation value than 1 week.

I am ordering one of the waterproof digital Olympus cameras - top model is $329 on-line
Since we travel with just another adult couple - the 2 Beds in the 2nd Bd of the loft is not desirable.

They gave us an opportunity to have a 2Bd loft for 2 weeks (due to our villa being OOO) - while it has some nice aspects (esp the kitchen and roomy bathroom for Robin, cool furnishings, and more room) the lack of parking is a big issue for us since we spend most of the our time off-resort. Lack of semi-private pool and no ceiling fans are also minuses. Love the big tub, but would prefer Heaveny jaccuzi tub.

 

[tomandrobin]

I am ordering one of the waterproof digital Olympus cameras - top model is $329 on-line

Since we travel with just another adult couple - the 2 Beds in the 2nd Bd of the loft is not desirable.

Sadly, mine was the top model last year, now its third or fourth in line.

The two beds in the second bedroom is the deal breaker for us too. We like having the two Master bedrooms that come with the three bedroom also.

 

[jerseygirl]

Ahhhh ... but that view from the 2-BR loft! That compensates for the 2 beds for me. And, what do I care if my dd and future son-in-law and their 3 future children have to sleep in there?!

Actually, I'm still undecided ... but leaning toward the loft ....

 

[DavidnRobin]

tbh - and I couldn't tell if you were being sarcastic - I prefer the 2Bd hillside villas even with the nicer kitchen and bathrooms of the BV villas. The hillside villas have parking (biggee) - a semi-private pool/patio w/ great views and 2 BBQs, better views from villa, secluded balconies, and is away from the hustle/bustle of the resort.

Perhaps if we were purely resort people then the BV would be better since the resort amenities are close-by - but when we are at the beach all day and come back - it is great to park next to the villa (still wet and sandy), drop off our stuff in the entry and get into the bathtub/shower that is right next to the front door (or jump into the pool) - and not have to trek to a villa that is far away from the parking lot.

I am very glad we have 2 adjacent weeks in the 2Bd Hillside villa - for us - the fixed-week nature (w/ Friday checkin) really worked out well and we consider ourselves fortunate.

Now.. if we can only get thru this special assessment period (thru 2011) and back to reasonable MFs. The cost for Robin and I (including everything - MF/Tax+SA, travel, food, drink) for the 14 days was about $550 per nite (ouch... but I guess not bad when you consider what WSJ charges per nite for our villa)

 

[tomandrobin]

Ahhhh ... but that view from the 2-BR loft! That compensates for the 2 beds for me. And, what do I care if my dd and future son-in-law and their 3 future children have to sleep in there?!

Actually, I'm still undecided ... but leaning toward the loft ....

But you can only get that view from building 24. Which means you will have buy an ultra fix/float week. There are only eight two bedroom lofts.

 

[tomandrobin]

a semi-private pool/patio w/ great views and 2 BBQs, better views from villa, secluded balconies, and is away from the hustle/bustle of the resort.

Now.. if we can only get thru this special assessment period (thru 2011) and back to reasonable MFs. The cost for Robin and I (including everything - MF/Tax+SA, travel, food, drink) for the 14 days was about $550 per nite (ouch... but I guess not bad when you consider what WSJ charges per nite for our villa)

The BBQ areas are nice, but lacks enough tables and seating. Every night there just wasn't enough room for everyone to share the two tables, each table seating four.

That assessment is brutal, but the finished product is worth it.

 

[tomandrobin]

Ok...Where were we....

Day #4 (Tuesday)

Today is our first day of leaving the resort and exploring St John on our own. I gotta tell you, I was a bit nervous getting behind the wheel of the car. In the Virgin Islands, the cars are US oriented, but you drive on the left. In reality, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, but then again...its a small island with not a lot of roads and no red lights (at least not where we drove). We load up our trucks with food, drinks and our snorkel gear and head to Maho Bay, Little Maho Bay and Francis Bay. All three beaches/bays are right next to each other.

We park at Maho Bay, since it sits between the three snorkel spots. Let me tell you, you couldn't ask for a more picture perfect entrance to the beach.

Everyone just drops their gear and gets into the water! The beach and bay and views are just perfect!

 

[tomandrobin]

We snorkel out just off the beach and quickly located some sting rays and turtles. I love snorkeling with the turtles. They are so graceful and just darn right cool to be around.

We leave our new friends and push on towards the point, towards Francis Bay. I pop-up from my underwater adventure to get a few surface shots.

 

[tomandrobin]

We reach the the mid point between Maho and Francis Bay, this is where the best variety of coral and fish was located.

Robin and Dan...Mother/Son moment!

Oh Oh...What is that noise? A storm is approaching with lightning....we all head back to the beach. As a precaution until the clouds pass.

While chilling at the beach, playing along the surf, we had two funny events.
First, when Holly snorkeled back from the point, she had a fish swim with her all the way. Once at the beach, the fish just kept swimming around her legs. It was so funny.

The second was the sand crab incident involving Luke. I am not going to describe it, I'm just going to let the picture talk for it self.

 

[tomandrobin]

After the first storm passed, the kids headed out to Little Maho Bay. The rest of us decide to relax in the surf.

While sitting in the Surf, Luke finds a small conch!

The conch decides to check-out Luke and vice versa.

Time to say goodbye to your new friend Luke.

At this point a second wave of storms roll through and this time we are forced to leave. We had a great day at the beach. Tonight we have the Caribbean Beach BBQ.....that we did the owners update to get the "free" tickets.

 

[jerseygirl]

tbh - and I couldn't tell if you were being sarcastic - I prefer the 2Bd hillside villas even with the nicer kitchen and bathrooms of the BV villas. The hillside villas have parking (biggee) - a semi-private pool/patio w/ great views and 2 BBQs, better views from villa, secluded balconies, and is away from the hustle/bustle of the resort.

No, I'm not being sarcastic -- I love the view from the hillside 2-BR loft (as Tom stated -- not all have them but they told me I only had to fix the unit, not the week).

I too prefer the hillside and pool villas, but I only have an EOY and have decided the float feature is a "must" for my second EOY. Discussed in another thread, but, in a nutshell, my daughter plans to pursue a teaching career and our May week will not work for her if she teaches in the NE (she's a Jersey girl through and through). The ability for her (and those future grandchildren) to come at least EOY outweighs the parking, pool and privacy issues. I'll have the unit I love odd years, and the people I love even years!

 

[DavidnRobin]

No, I'm not being sarcastic -- I love the view from the hillside 2-BR loft (as Tom stated -- not all have them but they told me I only had to fix the unit, not the week).

I too prefer the hillside and pool villas, but I only have an EOY and have decided the float feature is a "must" for my second EOY. Discussed in another thread, but, in a nutshell, my daughter plans to pursue a teaching career and our May week will not work for her if she teaches in the NE (she's a Jersey girl through and through). The ability for her (and those future grandchildren) to come at least EOY outweighs the parking, pool and privacy issues. I'll have the unit I love odd years, and the people I love even years!

Hi -
I do recall the thread.
This is why I used the qualifier "for us"... I do find it ironic that they call these villas 'Bay Vista'. The last group of buildings in BV being built are going to be real sweet (relatively) in regards to resort proximatey and views.

If we had a large travel crowd - we would be in those private pools villas (2nd phase - forget the view...)

The lack of close parking is a deal breaker (for us). We do like our fixed weeks - June is a good time to go - from Calif - no need to escape snow (but can find it close by) and crowds are low, but not overly so - and our fortunate (for now) that we can take this time off in advance. I realize that others have other vacation requirements (ours is easy comparatively)

oops - tangent - back to this great trip report - i think our two reports give a well-rounded perspective of WSJ and STJ.
(i have ordered a waterproof camera - my trip report next year is going to rock!!! )