FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need a PASSPORT or PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP?
According to The US Customs and Border Patrol of Homeland
Security, territories are a part of the United States. U.S.
citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not
considered to have left the U.S. and do not need to present a
passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto
Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island and
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. If the traveler also visited non-U.S. territories, (BVI)
he/she is required to present a passport.
You will need a passport if you intend on visiting
the BVI during your stay here in the USVI
PASSPORT INFORMATION at CPB.GOV
Although U.S. citizens are not required to
present a passport upon departure from the U.S. territories,
travelers are encouraged to travel with a passport or
other proof of citizenship, as they will be asked
questions about citizenship and any goods they will be bringing to
the U.S. mainland upon their departure from U.S.
territories.
Additionally, although not required to present a
passport, travelers departing the U.S. territories for
the U.S. mainland are subject to customs and agriculture
restrictions. Travelers are entitled to a $1,200
duty-free exemption, as long as they remained in the U.S.
territories for 48 hours or longer. After the $1,200 duty-free
exemption, travelers will be required to pay a flat rate of 1.5%
on the next $1,000 worth of goods purchased.
CBP officers may also conduct baggage checks or ask
additional questions as part of standard inspections of
outbound passengers in order to prevent any
non-native species of plants, pests or plant
diseases, which may be present on the
islands from being introduced to the mainland. For example, a
pre-departure examination is performed on all passengers, and cargo
moving from the islands to the mainland U.S. The purpose of this
examination is to prevent movement of fruit flies and fruit fly
host material. For more
information on what agricultural goods can be brought from U.S.
territories and Hawaii, please visit the USDA Web site.
(USDA)
Are there ATM/Cash Machines?There are two ATM machines in
Cruz Bay, at First Bank (near the Ferry Dock) and at Scotia Bank
(near Starfish Market). There are other In-store ATM’s
around the island, but are not always reliable.
Currency
The American dollar is
the official currency of the US Virgin Islands.
Foreign currency can be exchanged at all major banks on the
island.
What Time Zone is the Virgin Islands in?
St. John USVI lies within Atlantic Standard Time, four hours
behind Greenwich Mean Time. We do not have daylight savings time.
In Summer we are on EST, in winter, we are 1 hour ahead of
EST.
What about RENTING A CAR?See our "Services" page.
Driving
Cars drive on the left-hand side of the road on St. John,
(opposite the US) and steering wheels are on the left (the
same as in
US). Remember to drive "Shoulder to Shoulder"
(Your shoulder to the shoulder of the road). The
speed limit on St. John does not exceed 20 MPH. For
the best driving experience, a 4-wheel drive vehicle
with a high road clearance (Jeep-Suzuki) is
recommended. Less than 30% of the roads are paved,
the hills are steep and the roads curvy.
Always wear your set belt or you
will be ticketed.
What should I bring?First and foremost, an "Island
Attitude!" Then bring along sunscreen, bathing suit, cover-ups
(required in town); personal toiletries, medicine; sunglasses,
camera and film. Pack light! St. John is a very casual island.
Temperatures range from mid-80's during the day, to mid-70's at
night. (Summer/Fall temperatures are a bit higher) See our helpful
packing
list.
Voltage
Outlets on St. John, USVI use the same voltage as the mainland US,
110 volts.
Will I be able to use my CELL PHONE? Is there INTERNET
CONNECTIONS?Your rental home is equipped with a telephone
line, restricted to local calls and INCOMING long distance calls.
You'll need to use a calling card or credit card to make outgoing
long distance calls. (Phone cards are also available in many
places on St. John). Cell phone coverage is hit or miss here, due
to the hilly terrain of our island. Sprint and AT&T (Cingular)
are our main carriers in the USVI. Many of our homes have Wireless
DSL, and if this is an important preference, just let us know!
There are many WiFi ‘hot spots” such as The Beach Bar
and certain areas of Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay and Donkey
Diner in Coral Bay. Places for quick Internet access include
Connections in Cruz Bay ,Grotto Deli in Mongoose Junction, Quiet
Mon Pub (although it’s not too quiet there normally ), and
Connections East (by Skinny’s) in Coral Bay.
NOTE: IT IS AGAINST THE LAW USE A
CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING. YOU WILL BE STOPPED AND
TICKETED.
What about GROCERIES, RESTAURANTS, CATERING?
Cruz Bay has
three grocery stores which we have found will cover most of your
needs. We provide certain incidentals in each villa and we
recommend making your shopping list before you arrive on St. John
so you don’t forget anything.
Starfish Market is the largest market
and is
located in The Marketplace Shopping Center. (This is where the
drug store, bakery, video rental and gourmet store is as well). Other
markets include Dolphin Market and
Pine
Peace Market in Cruz Bay. Love City Mini
Mart and Lilly’s
are located in in
Coral Bay.
St John Restaurants:
Restaurants
vary in price and selection, from casual to elegant, take out to
fine dining. In each villa, there is a three-ring binder filled
with menus for you to review. Choices range from inexpensive BBQ
or burgers to four star menus. All of our high-end restaurants
encourage reservations in advance to assure your dining time. See
link file this page.
Catering and Private Chefs;Private Chefs are popular and
well received by St. John Villa guests who want a personal dining
experience in the luxury of their vacation villa. Consider hiring
a personal chef for a special birthday or holiday experience.
Private chefs are available for a single dining experiences or to prepare
and/or provide meals for your entire stay.
Can I have food DELIVERED before I get there?Villa Provisioning
You may wish to have certain food and drink items in your villa
upon your arrival. Your first day on St. John should be
for relaxing, not running to the grocery store. Both arrival
provisioning and weekly grocery shopping can be arranged. Light
snacks, your favorite cold drinks, wine or cocktail
ingredients may be a welcoming sight
after a long day of traveling. And we wouldn't want you to miss that
first morning sunrise without your cup of tea or coffee
with which to enjoy while taking in your sweeping
ocean views.
See some of our favorite
provisioning and catering services and restaurants. See link file
this page.
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