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Author: Jenn Manes

Something to Watch: Tropical Storm Erin

Jenn Manes
According to the Windy app, the strongest winds will arrive Sunday morning. This information is current as of 11am Thursday morning.

Well folks, it’s that time of year, unfortunately. Tropical Storm Erin is about 1,000 miles to our east. As of 11 a.m. on Thursday, the forecasted track keeps the center north of us, thankfully. That being said, we will still feel some of its effects in the US Virgin Islands.

According to the National Hurricane Center, St. John and St. Thomas may receive heavy rainfall, heavy surf, rip tides and tropical force winds over the weekend. Tropical force winds are sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour. Sure it’s no Irma, but it’s also nothing to sleep on. Seventy mile per hour winds can clearly do some damage and knock out power. Should we panic? No. Should we be smart about this? Yes.

Will the ferries stop running? Will the airport close?

I am seeing your questions online about flights and port closures, and Mike has gotten more than he can count while working at High Tide this week. As of now, Thursday at 11 a.m., the ports are not closing. That decision has not been made yet. So if someone has told you that the ports are closing later this week, it’s simply not true… as of now. The ports will close if we receive “sustained gale force winds” of 39 to 54 miles per hour. So is it possible that the ports can possibly close this weekend? Yes, it is. Has that decision been made yet? No, it has not.

The current port condition, as of 8 p.m. on Thursday, is Yankee. Ports officially close when the port condition is set to Zulu, which is the next step should that occur. We usually get a heads up when this is going to happen. When the ports closed for Ernesto last August, we had more than eight hours to prepare from what I recall.

*August 15th 8 p.m. Update: We are now port condition Yankee. 

The Virgin Islands Port Authority will update their Facebook page if the ports and/or airport are closed/reopened. They will also provide updates on airport delays and cancellations. Click here to view the Virgin Islands Port Authority’s Facebook page.

The US Coast Guard will post a news release if port condition change due to a tropical storm or hurricane. Click here to view the US Coast Guard’s News Release page.

If the ports do close and the ferries are unable to run, there is no way for you to travel between St. John and St. Thomas. You cannot hire a private boat to bring you from one island to another. When the ports are closed, they are closed.

When will this begin?

According to the National Hurricane Center, the arrival time of wind will be Saturday morning around 8 a.m. (Image below.) According to the Windy app, the strongest winds will arrive around 11 a.m. on Sunday. (Image at top of article.)

Arrival time of winds as of 11 a.m. Thursday

If you are flying out on Saturday or Sunday, check out Flightaware.com. This site allows you to input your flight info and then track the inbound plane. If your plane is not inbound, you likely are not going anywhere.

How Can I Keep an Eye on the Weather & Winds? 

    • Windy app – Download the Windy app to see how strong the winds will be in St. John. You can scroll ahead a few days. You can also view sustained winds and wind gusts.
    • Living Earth app – See the weather around the world in real time.
    • Spaghettimodels.com – This is a great site with various weather reports. The spaghetti models indicate where the eye of the storm is expected to track.

How Can I see What’s Happening in St. John? 

I will continue to update you all as the National Hurricane Center releases additional information. Thanks all!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

 

 

Where to Stay If You Do Not Want to Rent a Vehicle

Jenn Manes

One of the top questions I receive is do I have to rent a vehicle when staying on St. John. We do have plenty of taxis, but it isn’t always easy to locate a taxi to pick you up from your accommodation. Therefore, it is best stay directly in Cruz Bay or over at the Westin if you prefer to rely on the taxis rather than renting your own vehicle.

Where Do I find a Taxi? 

The taxis park at the ferry dock in Cruz Bay. They are there morning, noon and night. Simply walk over, and tell them where you’d like to go. It’s that simple. Sometimes you can find a taxi parked in the small lot across from Morgan’s Mango or across from Mongoose Junction, too. They also park at Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay and Maho Bay. Taxis in St. John are cash only.

Where To Stay – The Westin

Let’s start with the Westin. It is located just outside of Cruz Bay. It’s roughly a five or so minute ride from the ferry dock. (I do not recommend walking from the Westin to Cruz Bay due to a steep hill called Jacob’s Ladder.) There are always taxis waiting at the Westin to transport you to Cruz Bay, to the North Shore beaches (as far as Maho Bay) or to the Windmill Bar on Centerline Road (more so late afternoon and evening, as opposed to during the day for the Windmill). It’s tough to get a ride beyond those places. Staying at the Westin is a great choice if you want to rely on taxis, but keep in mind that the taxi fares will add up. It costs $7 per person to ride from the Westin to Cruz Bay. That’s $56 for a family of four to go to Cruz Bay for dinner, for example. Just something to think about…

Where to Stay – Cruz Bay

When you are staying in Cruz Bay, there are a few key things to look out for, specifically the hills. St. John is a very hilly island. There are numerous accommodations that market themselves as being in Cruz Bay and having an “easy walk to town.” What some of these rentals fail to mention is that there are very steep hills that you need to walk up or down during that easy walk to town.

Click here to read Accommodations FYI: Beware of the Easy Walk to Town. 

If you want to stay in Cruz Bay, utilize the taxis, and avoid steep hills, the following places are great options.

  • Grande Bay – completely flat
  • Wharfside Hotel – completely flat
  • Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel – completely flat
  • Gallows Point – small hill
  • Lavender Hill – small hill
  • Cruz Bay Apartments (on AirBNB only, I believe) – completely flat
  • Donald Schnell’s Artistic Lofts – very small hill
  • St. John Inn – small hill
  • Tamarind Inn – small hill
  • Love City Lofts – small hill
  • Dolphin Suites – small hill
  • Garden By the Sea – small hill and a bit of a longer walk, but a great place to stay
  • The Saint – small hill

*When I say small hill, it’s one that my seven-year-old walks up and doesn’t even complain that he’s walking uphill. It’s that small. 🙂 

The taxis do not regularly drive out to Coral Bay or beyond. There is a bus that does go to Coral Bay and Salt Pont. (The bus does not go to the North Shore beaches.) We do not have Uber or Lift on St. John.

Click here to view the current taxi rates. 

Explore STJ Island Tours

I’ve been offering island tours since early 2017 (the good ole days!), and I would love to show you the island if you do not rent a vehicle. Or of you are renting a vehicle and want to familiarize yourself with the island, I can do that too. I offer three and five hour tours. You can learn more at www.explorestj.com/tour.

If there is something regarding St. John that you would like to know more about, please email me at jenn@explorestj.com. I am happy to help. I am also a licensed real estate agent with 340 Real Estate if you are looking to purchase a piece of paradise.

New Lunch Offering in Cruz Bay

Jenn Manes

Cafe Roma is getting in on the lunch game, yet again!

Our friends over at Cafe Roma started up lunch service last week. They’re tried it before, and I, personally, loved it, so let’s hope it sticks this time.

Check out the menu:

Cafe Roma is a great little Italian spot in the heart of Cruz Bay. It is located above The Longboard. Cafe Roma is serving lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They are open for dinner daily from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Click here to check out their website. 

 

New Direct Flights from Baltimore; Another Direct from Orlando

Jenn Manes
Another airline is getting you one step closer to your favorite ferry dock.

Last month, we told you that Southwest Airlines was planning to begin nonstop service to St. Thomas. Well today, we’ve learned that those nonstop routes will originate from Baltimore and St. Thomas. These flights are scheduled to begin in February 2025. This will be the first time that a nonstop flight will originate from Baltimore (to my knowledge).

With the addition of Southwest, we will soon have nine airlines that fly direct to St. Thomas. The others are Delta, American Airlines, JetBlue, United, Spirit, Frontier, Sun Country and Cape Air. (Silver Airlines, which flew between St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rio, ceased operations earlier this year.)

We have daily nonstop flights from Atlanta on Delta, from Miami on American and from San Juan on Cape Air. We have seasonal direct flights from the following cities:

  • Boston
  • New York
  • Newark
  • Philadelphia
  • Washington, DC
  • Charlotte
  • Chicago
  • Minneapolis
  • Orlando
  • Ft. Lauderdale
  • Houston
  • Dallas

Visitors to St. John must fly in and out of St. Thomas. The airport code is STT. From the airport, travelers must ferry over to St. Thomas from either Red Hook (30 minute taxi ride), Crown Bay (five-minute taxi ride), or Charlotte Amalie (10-minute taxi ride). The ferry rides take between 15 and 45 minutes depending on the port.

Want to know exactly how to get to St. John? Click here to read a recent article we posted. 

For Sale: Grande Bay St. John Fractional Residences

Jenn Manes
Grande Bay is a popular condo resort located directly across from the beach in Cruz Bay in St. John, US Virgin Islands.

If you vacation in St. John yearly, or hope to one day, you may want to consider purchasing a week through Grande Bay’s fractional residence program. You can choose to use the week yourself or you can rent it out. These fractional residences are long-term leases, not deeded weeks, and they come with full use of all of Grande Bay’s amenities, including pool, spa, gym, concierge, and more.

The following are my listings. There are others available if you are interested.

  1. I have a one-bedroom for sale. This is available for flex weeks 17-23, which is April 25th through June 13th next year. This means that you can choose one available week during that period. All rentals are Saturday to Saturday. The unit has a full kitchen, balcony, and washer and dryer. It also comes with a parking spot. You can purchase the Jeep Club through Grande Bay for an additional $2,500. This comes with full use of all of Grande Bay’s amenities, including the pool, spa, gym and concierge. The list price for this unit is $15,000. The annual fee was $1,288 for 2025. 
  2. I have a large studio for sale. This is available for flex weeks 17-23, which is April 25th through June 13th next year. This means that you can choose one available week during that period. All rentals are Saturday to Saturday. The unit has a kitchenette, balcony, and washer and dryer. This unit does not come with a parking spot. It does, however, come with full use of all of Grande Bay’s amenities, including the pool, spa, gym and concierge. The list price is $9,950. The annual fee was $988 for 2025. 
  3. I have a second large studio for sale. This is available for flex weeks 15-50, which is April 11th through December 19th next year. This means that you can choose one available week during that period. All rentals are Saturday to Saturday. The unit has a kitchenette, balcony, and washer and dryer. This unit does not come with a parking spot. It does, however, come with full use of all of Grande Bay’s amenities, including the pool, spa, gym and concierge. The list price is $8,000. The annual fee was $988 for 2025. 

Please contact me, Jenn Manes, at jenn@explorestj.com or 203-376-3786 for more information. I am a licensed real estate agent with 340 Real Estate Co.