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O2B@Cagain

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Posts posted by O2B@Cagain

  1. Skeptical person here...

    1. How do they know that everyone was vaccinated if the card is as easy to forge as they say it is and there is no national/digital database?

    2. If the incubation period for Covid is up to 14 days, how does testing 72 hours ahead help? The pair tested negative 3 days (?) before departure and tested positive 8 days later(check my math, but I think it's within the 14 days). Am I missing something?

  2. Currently there aren't any large "resorts" (hotels) on St Thomas. Frenchman's Reef/MorningStar and Sugar Bay are still not open post Irma. Even before Irma, there weren't any day passes. Most of the beachside facilities are condo associations that have differing rules. Emerald Beach, Sapphire, Magens Bay, Coki Point Beach will rent you lounge chairs, have bathrooms, and have food and drink available.

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  3. I'm not sure if the excursion requirement is for Windstar guests or for the local population. Some destinations would like to limit contact between their people and outsiders. Look at the hoops the BVI currently require one to jump through. The vaccination rate is not great in many places.

  4. Local foods include: boiled or fried (whole) fish. Stewed or curried chicken, mutton, conch. Caribbean lobster (no claws). Oxtail.Souse. Soups- chicken, red pea, kallaloo. Saltfish. Side dishes include: plantain, fungi, macaroni and cheese, peas and rice, potato stuffing. Johnny cake.

     

    Jerk chicken is not a Virgin Islands dish.

     

    I know I forgot some, but that's at least a start.😉

  5. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but just because Windstar requires a vaccine, that doesn't mean your destination is going to allow you free access. It's all speculation at this point.

  6. 12 hours ago, Sun and Fun said:

     Just wondering for planning purposes if when we cruise we can go out on our own and not on a ship excursion.

    If you are asking about COVID restrictions, I don't think they are clear yet. There was a big brouhaha early on when a tour operator proposed closing off a section of Magens Bay beach for cruise ship passengers They were to be taken from the ship directly to the cordoned off area and were to have no contact with locals. St Thomians were not pleased... Since there haven't been any ships since last year, who knows what will occur when they return.

  7. Nate: The day sail business has boomed over the past several years. And currently, because the BVI have been closed, they are really in demand. Do you want a sail or power boat? You can Google "day sail St Thomas" and get an idea of the kinds of boats available. There are small boats like https://crewzenvi.com/,  larger ones like https://stormypirates.com. Then there are sail boats like https://www.sailingvirginislands.net/.

     

  8. I hope by next December you won't be limited to cruise ship excursions. It is easy to get around St. Thomas and visit a couple of beaches on your own. For food, from your list: Magens and Sapphire have food and drink available. "Secret Sands", actually named Linqvist or Smith Bay Beach, may have food by then. Magens is a long stretch of beach, great for walking. It has a gentle sandy entrance for bobbing in the water. Sapphire would be a good place to snorkel. The others are on St. John, so you either will have a boat or ferry to get there. Well, Christmas Cove is off of St. Thomas, but is probably a stop on the way to Honeymoon on St. John.

  9. Dear TTEllis: I hate to tell you, but snorkeling is not a static activity. You might not have seen a darn thing at Trunk Bay on Monday, but on Tuesday, I might see all sorts of flora and fauna. The time of year, the time of day, the weather conditions, etc. all play a role in "snorkelability." Another thing is to slow down. If you stop and watch a small area of a reef, you will be rewarded.

  10. Imurex: Have you been keeping up with the tourism site? https://usviupdate.com/

    Re-opening day is September 19th at this point. Check thewebsite for testing requirements, etc.

    Point Pleasant is on the east end, close to Margaritaville and Coki Point. Red Hook is not far away for plenty of dining choices, although there are two restaurants on site. Save your extra bags, travel light. Swim suits, cover-ups, casual clothes are all you need. It's hard to know what shopping will be available, but there are stores in Red Hook, Havensight, and downtown. I hope you are renting a car, as you will want to get around the island, like mitsygirly did.

  11. I'm not sure if anyone has told you, but you couldn't go to Morning Star anyway. It is closed due to ongoing construction at Marriott Frenchman's Reef (since 2017), which is now stopped. So you made a good choice there. 😉

     

    There are many good restaurants in Cruz Bay. If you had gone to Mongoose Junction, Greengo's for Mexican is great. Also Sun Dog Cafe. There are shops there and in the area around the people ferry that have the tchotchkes you were looking for. Also, in Red Hook, Chelsea Drugstore has lots of tourist goodies (and is run by wonderful people).

     

    LOL. McDonalds in the VI is famous for slow service and grouchy workers. 🤣

     

    I know this doesn't help you, but for someone else who visits. It looks like it will be a long while before cruising starts up again.

  12. The old hotel on Lindbergh was the Island Beachcomber. It was an iconic place- you would stop for  drink on arrival and before you left the island. Yes, it was destroyed in Hurricane Irma. Very sadly, the VI government owns the land and has not seen fit to do anything (kinda their day to day m.o.).

     

    I'm glad you enjoyed John Brewer's. It is actually part of the University of the Virgin Islands- you can see some of the research and teaching boats in the background of one of your pictures. They have a fine marine biology program, in case your kiddos are interested in the future. 😉

     

    P.S. Emerald Beach Hotel caters to cruise ship passengers. I'm not sure if it is because everything is so empty right now, but it isn't that much of a hell hole...

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