Arrival Day
Arriving on Island
There is one very important protocol for meeting, greeting and doing business with people in the Virgin Islands that will ensure your stay is the most enjoyable one.
Go Slow; take time to make eye contact, smile and greet everyone you meet with a "Good Morning," "Good Afternoon" or "Good Evening" before starting to do business. "Island Time" is Slow, Easy and Polite.
Arrival
You will arrive in St Thomas at the Cyril E. King Airport (STT) The airport is on the west end of the island of St. Thomas.
Once you have collected your luggage, exit the building and you will find the Taxis Concierge. Let him know which ferry terminal you wish to go to and he will put you in the appropriate taxi van.
Taxi fares are set to $15pp + extra for large luggage. Taxis are CASH ONLY! It will take 45-50 minutes to get to the ferry terminal at Red Hook.
We recommend carrying cash in small denominations for this portion of your journey to cover taxi shuttle, tips, and ferry ride. Porters are available to help you with your luggage at the ferry docks as well as the airport. It is customary to tip both the taxi driver and the luggage handlers on the dock. **Most of these transactions are CASH ONLY.
Ferry Services from St Thomas to St John
There are now two different passenger ferries running to St John - one from Red Hook Ferry Dock on the East End of St Thomas and now one from Crown Bay Marina on the West End of St Thomas.
*For ease of travel day, we recommend taking the Red Hook route for most of our arriving guests.
We only advise taking the Crown Bay route if your arrival time ensures you will make one of the ONLY TWO departure times (3.30pm and 5.30pm) and if you call ahead to reserve a spot.
Red Hook Ferry Service
The Red Hook Passenger Ferry runs from Red Hook Ferry Dock to the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock. The cost of the Red Hook passenger ferry is around $8pp and $4 per large bags.
Red Hook → Cruz Bay:
5:30 am (not on weekends), 6:30 am, 7:30 am, 8:00 am, then every hour on the hour until Midnight.
Cruz Bay → Red Hook:
6:00 am - 11:00 pm every hour on the hour
The passenger ferry takes about 15 minutes.
Ferry Tip: We recommend allowing at least 1.5 hours between landing time and catching the ferry.
Antares Greeting - Before you arrive at the dock in St John, we will have made arrangements by phone or text as to where we will meet you and how we will show you to your villa. For most villas, check-in time is 4pm.
Crown Bay Ferry Service
The new Crown Bay Ferry Service is operated by Inter-Island Boat Services and leaves and arrives in St John from the “Creek”, which is beside the Virgin Islands Visitor Center. It’s the ferry that has the yellow sun-like image on it. The cost of this new ferry is $20 per person. Bags cost $5. The trip takes roughly 35 minutes.
Crown Bay → Cruz Bay:
3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m
Cruz Bay → Crown Bay:
11:00 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.
**Since the schedule is limited, we advise calling ahead to reserve a spot. 340-776-6597 or 340-201-6311
Car Rental
It is important to consider your on-island transportation needs at the same time you are booking your villa and purchasing your plane tickets. Especially in peak season, but very often all year, it can be difficult to arrange for a rental vehicle last minute. Reserve your vehicle as soon as you commit to your stay.
Note: Most villas require a 4-wheel drive. All vehicles are similar to US cars - driver is operating on the left. However, prepare to drive on the LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD!
VITRAN BUS:
If you don't feel comfortable driving on island you can catch a taxi to your villa and then catch the $1 VITRAN Bus. To find out more about the bus please click here
St Thomas Car Rental:
If you are renting your car from St. Thomas, your experience from the airport will be worked out with the car rental company, and you will be taking the Red Hook car barge dock instead of the passenger ferry. Please be aware that the car barges typically run less frequent and do not run past 6:30 or 7pm. Please confirm times for the day of your arrival.
Island Host Concierge
We offer full concierge services at no extra cost to assist with travel planning, car rentals, boat charters, provisioning, massages, and more! Feel free to contact us directly with any questions or requests. We are here on island to help!