Arrival
Airport Pickup Service and Car Rental Information
We are pleased that you have chosen Crandall with St. John to organize your vacation to St. John, and you will be staying at Grande Bay Resort. The following information will help you have a relaxing visit. Bring this guide with you. It contains information you will need upon arrival.
Crandall on St. John meet and greet our guests at the Ferry Dock on St. John.
Your greeter will meet you at the ferry dock on St. John. We will be in contact with you prior to your departure for St. John regarding your flight and car rental information. Your greeter will call you to arrange your meet and greet at the St. John ferry dock.
Below are some helpful links about St.John that may be of interest to you
CLICK HERE our very own Crandall On St. John Arrival Guide in PDF format.
You May Schedule a Private Taxi Ahead of Time by Contacting
Slimo’s Limo Airport Pick Up http://www.slimoslimo.com/
at +1 (340) 714-7546
or
Chris’ Taxi and Limo Service http://www.christaxiandlimoservice.com/
at +1 (340) 690-1581
Dress Code – It is informal, the islanders wear cotton or lightweight clothing with sandals or sneakers. Away from the beach, swimsuits should 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 dress shorts or slacks are recommended for the gentlemen and sundresses or short outfits for the ladies. Whatever you pack will likely be too much- Pack light!
Insects – We have constant trade winds that normally keep the mosquitoes away, but if they come around, use your favorite insect repellent and keep the screens closed. 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!
Local Customs – Caribbean manners are important! In our West Indian culture, we show respect for others by saying, “Good morning” 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.
Cell Phones – AT&T, Sprint, and Choice are common carriers on the island. Choice communications has inexpensive short-term plans that one can purchase solely for their trip www.choice-wireless.com . The office is located in The Marketplace.Check with your carrier and plan before you leave because too often tourists are thrilled to see they have coverage- only to get hit with a huge roaming bill a month later. There are dead spots on the island and be prepared for dropped calls if you are calling from a moving vehicle. Verizon has great coverage but very often roaming charges are applied. You can text with no additional fees although please be sure to check with your carrier. Whomever your provider, excluding Choice, beware using your phone beyond Caneel Bay on the North Shore Road. The British Virgin Islands have a stronger signal due to the lack of FCC regulations and at most of the more popular beaches your phone will pick up their signal over ours. This can be majorly expensive- international roaming- so just turn your phone OFF at the beach. Even receiving a text will cost money.
Travel Documents – U.S. citizens are not required to have passports or proof of citizenship when ENTERING the U.S. Virgin Islands from a U.S. airport. All arrivals to the U.S. Virgin Islands from foreign airports are required to show proof of citizenship and pass through customs. All persons LEAVING the U.S. Virgin Islands, whether American citizens or not, must be prepared to show proof of citizenship upon leaving the islands to return to the mainland.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 & Packages – The USVI currency is the US dollar. English is spoken in the islands along with a minority of Spanish and island-dialects. Trip Insurance is recommended. You can go to www.Travelguard.com or www.CSATravelProtection.com for more information and pricing. We are in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone so in the Fall Back period we are 1 hour ahead of EST and in the Spring Forward half of the year we are the same as EST. The voltage is the standard 120 that is used in the mainland US, no adapters are needed. Most places accept major credit cards. A lot of restaurants and shops do not accept American Express.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 +1 (340) 779-1804 or email us [email protected] for mailing instructions, so your box will be at your accommodation when you arrive.
When is the best time to come? – The weather is welcome to travelers year round. Christmas through Easter is our busiest tourist period. The winds pick up around this time and there is less chance of a storm.
Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and ends November 30th but the storms are not evenly distributed across this period. September is the least popular month for the island as it has the highest frequency of storm history and many local businesses are closed. Be confident in knowing that just because you booked your trip during “the hurricane season” does not mean you are in for poor weather. There are several reasons you can feel confident:
Ferry Schedule ~ (Passengers)
Red Hook → St. John ~ 20 minute ride
6:30 AM | 7:30 | 8:00 | 9:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | Noon | 1:00 | 2:00 | 3:00 | 4:00 | 5:00 | 6:00 | 7:00 | 8:00 | 9:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | Midnight
St. John → Red Hook ~ 20 minute ride
6:00 AM | 7:00 | 8:00 | 9:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | Noon | 1:00 | 2:00 | 3:00 | 4:00 | 5:00 | 6:00 | 7:00 | 8:00 | 9:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 PM
* VI Residents only, 62 years and up, proof of age required
Charlotte Amalie → Cruz Bay ~ 45 minute ride
10:00 AM | 1:00 | 5:30 PM
Cruz Bay → Charlotte Amalie ~ 45 minute ride
8:45 AM | 11:15 | 3:45 PM
* VI Residents only, 62 years and up, proof of age required
* Times are subject to change
Additional information is available at https://www.vinow.com/travel/virgin-islands-ferry-schedules/stjohn
Barge Schedule ~ (Vehicle)
Barges run regularly but are not as reliable as passenger ferries. There are 3 barge 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.
Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures – Red Hook/Cruz Bay
Adults: $7 o/w
Children 2-11: $1 o/w
Seniors*: $1.50 o/w
Luggage/Boxes: $4/piece
Telephone:
+1 (340) 776-6282
+1 (340) 776-6412
Transportation Services and Varlack Ventures – Charlotte Amalie/St. John
Adults: $13 o/w
Children 2-11: $3.50 o/w
Seniors*: $6 o/w
Luggage/Boxes: $4/piece
Telephone:
+1 (340) 776-6282
+1 (340) 776-6412
Barge Companies:
Boyson Inc. +1 (340) 776-6294
Love City Car Ferries (Captain Vic) +1 (340) 779-4000
Global Marine Barge (Roanoke) +1 (340) 779-1739
* prices vary by company but ranging from $28.00 one way to $52.00 round trip.