Arrival Guide...

tips for your stay on St. John

           VIVA! Office:  340-779-4250  (9-5 Mon-Fri & most Sat)  Emergency after-hours only:  340-642-4433 or 340-693-7342  (Ask for Corine)

We are pleased you will be staying at one of our island properties! The following information will help you have a relaxing visit. Bring this guide with you. It contains information you will need upon arrival!

Arrival Info - You may pre-arrange a direct taxi to the ferry or a private water taxi to St. John  – contact VIVA! for more information! Otherwise, at the St. Thomas airport:

·         First, retrieve your luggage.

·         Proceed outside to the taxi dispatcher. Rates are posted (approx $13 one-way to Red      Hook,$1 for each piece of luggage).

·         Tell him/her that you are going to the St. John ferry dock (Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook).

·         Follow the Arrival - Greeting Instructions that were mailed to you!

Greeters: If assigned a greeter, please be sure to call them as described and leave a message if needed. Otherwise, they may not be there to meet you. If your flight is delayed or you have to wait for lost luggage, let your Greeter know you will be delayed. You will be given the name and telephone number of your Greeter about a week before your arrival.

A very few homes have no 'Greeter'. In these cases, in your Arrival - Greeting e-mail, you are given specific driving instructions to reach the villa.

St. John Ferries - Ferry staff loads luggage onto the boat; they are required to do this by the ferry company.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas/Cruz Bay, St. John  A 45 minute ride from Charlotte Amalie  to Cruz Bay. One-way, $10/Adults and $3.00/Children ages 2-1. There is a charge of $2/piece for luggage/boxes.  ***During off-season through October 30, scheduled departures are reduced!  Departs Charlotte Amalie at 9am, 1pm and 5:30pm.  Departs Cruz Bay 7:15am, 11:15am and 3:45pm.

Red Hook, St. Thomas /Cruz Bay, St. John  A 30-45 minute taxi ride between airport & Red Hook ferry dock.  The ferry ride is 20 minutes between Cruz Bay  & Red Hook. One-way, $5/Adults and $1.00/Children ages 2-11. Seniors are $1.25 (VI Residents only, 62 years and up, proof of age must be shown). There is a charge of $2/piece for luggage/boxes.

Passenger Ferry Schedules

Barge (Vehicle) Schedules

Barges run regularly but are not as reliable as passenger ferries. There are 3 companies operating – tickets are not interchangeable so we do not recommend buying a round trip ticket. Barges leave once they are full, so be there at least twenty minutes before the departure time to get in line. We suggest only considering a barge if your flight lands before 4PM due to the time spent waiting on luggage, & the drive time to the barge ramp in Red Hook.

Monday – Saturday: 6:30 AM-7 PM approximately every half hour.  Sunday: 7:30 am - every hour on the half until 7:00 PM. Last barge 6 PM. Red Hook, St. Thomas/Cruz Bay, St. John  A thirty minute ride; prices vary by company, ranging from $26 one way to $50  round trip.

Barge Companies: Boyson, Inc. : 776-6294; Love City Car Ferries: 779-4000; Roanoke Barge: 779-1739

Check in is at 3PM and check out is at 10AM sharp.  If your villa has a mid-week maid service, the cleaner in charge of your villa will be there at 10AM.

Car/Jeep Rentals - We highly recommend a jeep rental for all guest stays to fully enjoy our island! Our top four picks are based on the level of service offered, competitive rates, clean/well maintained vehicles & customer feedback. Say that your villa is booked with VIVA! to get an additional 5% off your vehicle rental rate! You must keep your jeep tops on at all times! Driving on St. John is fun and exciting -we drive American vehicles on the left side of the road. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is a must! Remember to bring your drivers license and proof of insurance!

L & L Jeep Rental, Inc. Ferry dock pickups!   Phone 340-776-1120 

www.bookajeep.com 

            4 passenger vehicles

5 passenger vehicles 

Visit website for special low Internet rates. Rent a vehicle for six days and get the seventh day free! Free Express Check In and Check Out: Pick up/drop off at the Cruz Bay ferry dock. Load your luggage into your vehicle & complete paperwork at the dock-no hassles or lines!

St. John Car Rental Across from Wharfside Village Phone 340-776-6103;

www.stjohncarrental.com

5 passenger vehicles

5-7 passenger vehicles

Bougainvillea Leasing Across from St. Ursula’s; Phone 800-253-7107; 340-776-6420

www.stjohnjeeps.com

5 passenger vehicles 

5-7 passenger vehicles 

Cool Breeze Across the street and just a few yards down from the Post Offic; Phone 340-776-6588

http://www.coolbreezecarrental.com/

            4 passenger vehicles

            5-7 passenger vehicles

Under the age of 25? Budget Rent a Car on St. Thomas can help – ask for Tracy if possible, give our L# which is L7794250 & ask for the internet rate. Phone numbers are 1-800-626-4516 and 340-776-5774. 

NOTE: - Large vehicles can be difficult to park in small driveways and parking spaces in town are hard to come by. We strongly recommend getting two smaller vehicles instead of a single large one whenever you can!

Dress codes - Informal - islanders wear cotton or lightweight clothing with sandals or sneakers. Away from the beach, swimsuits must be covered up. Bring hats and plenty of sunscreen to protect you from the Caribbean sun!  Most restaurants are casual. For upscale restaurants, lightweight shirts and slacks are recommended for the gentlemen and sundresses or shorts outfits for the ladies. Whatever you pack will likely be too much – pack lightly!

Early Check-ins/Late Departures – It is rarely possible to do an early check-in or a late departure because your housekeeping/maintenance team has only a few hours to ready (or turn over) a property in between guests. We ask for your understanding in this matter. If you need assistance with what to do with your luggage, or what to do with extra time before/after flights, just ask our Guest Services Manager for ideas.

Insects - We have constant trade winds which normally keep the mosquitoes away, but if they come
around, use your favorite insect repellent and keep the screens closed or use a mosquito net around
your bed. Be nice to the little island lizards…they eat the mosquitoes! We cannot turn off the tree frogs or the crickets at night – relax and enjoy the chorus!
  

Greeters – See Arrival Information above. Note: Our staff of friendly and hardworking locals want to ensure that you have a wonderful time on St. John. If you feel they have done a great job, tipping is appropriate and greatly appreciated! One Greeter is provided for each villa. Additional greetings may be scheduled in advance & prepaid at $100 per greeting.

Internet Access – Some villas offer high speed internet access and Wi-Fi. Check our website for your villa’s listed amenities. Guests who need assistance in getting their computer to work can follow directions in the villa to find and pay a local technician for assistance. There are several cyber locations on St. John. Remember, if you plan on dial-up Internet, most phones are blocked for 800 calls only, so a long distance dial up number will not go through.

Food - To have your refrigerator stocked (or provisioned) prior to your stay, visit our website www.vivacations.com/Explore_area.aspx .  St. John also has several markets offering fresh produce, meats & seafood. Your Greeter can give you directions if you ask. If you are considering packing foods in your luggage, consider - lost luggage may mean food is unusable!

St. John has many fine restaurants for all budgets and tastes. Check out a listing in our Restaurant Guide.  Too many choices? Contact our Guest Services Manager for more help!

Furnishings - All of our villas are fully furnished and equipped with linens, beach towels, beach chairs, coolers, kitchen cookware and utensils, etc. Rollaway beds, additional tables & chairs and baby furnishings such as cribs, strollers and highchairs are available for rent for most villas. Contact our Guest Services Manager for more information.

Garbage Removal – Unless otherwise noted in the villa, guests are expected to remove their garbage from the villa and take it to the nearest dumpster daily, which your Greeter will point out to you. This is a necessary part of living in the Tropics. Failure to remove garbage upon departure will result in a minimum $50 charge to the guest.

Local Customs - Caribbean manners are important! In our West Indian culture, we show respect for others by saying, “Good Morning,” “Good Afternoon,” and “Good Evening” before anything else! West Indians take pride in this tradition and are appreciative when visitors make the effort to understand the ways of the islands.

 

Office Location - #7 Boulon Center, 3^rd floor-Straight up the hill from the ferry dock. Turn left at just before Dolphin Market. We are on the top corner of the lavender building with teal railings. Look for our sign. Feel free to stop by and say hello! Monday - Friday, 9-5. 

Parking – Parking in Cruz Bay can be difficult to find. Please do not park in any area where no parking signs are posted to avoid fines or booting of your vehicle. For creative parking suggestions, contact our Guest Services Manager.

Planning ahead - There are lots of fun things to do and enjoy on our island. See our website for ideas at www.vivacations.com or contact our Guest Services Manager for assistance and ideas.

Rental Policies – Refer to the VIVA Rental Policies on our website or to the copy e-mailed to you prior to your arrival.  All guests agree to abide by these policies as well as the terms of their rental contract.

Telephone Calls - All local calls in the villas are free. Bring a calling card with an 800-access number for long distance use. Cell phones usually work here, but call your service provider and ask if they service the Virgin Islands and if they have additional roaming charges.

 

Travel Documents – As of this printing:  A U.S. passport is not required to travel to the Virgin Islands. The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.  U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport.  Visit the U.S. Passport office (http://travel.state.gov/) for more information and up to the minute changes.  Please verify boarding requirements with your airline. 

U. S. Currency, Postage and Packages - Most places accept major credit cards. You may want to bring travelers’ checks in small denominations.  Express Mail via the US Postal Service is the quickest way to receive/send important packages. To mail a package to St. John in advance of your arrival, call Connections at 340-776-6922.  The friendly folks there will give you mailing instructions, so your box will be at their office when you arrive. If any packages are mailed directly to the VIVA! Villas Inc. office or if we must pick up your box delivered elsewhere on-island, a $100 charge will be required.