Check with your rental agency if they will allow you to ferry across. Budget does but you need to ask what support, if any they will provide if you have problems on STJ.
Also consider parking can be an issue in Cruz Bay. Many of the STJ rentals allow you to park on their lot in Cruz and that could be a deal maker depending on how much time you plan to spend there.
I just taking ferry across to vivit major beaches, I would rent on STT.

Our favorite snorkeling was at Cinnamon, Francis and Waterlemon. Lameshur bays are also nice but you need a 4WD to reach them.

Hi Jim,

If peace of mind is what you're after with a car rental, go with Hertz on St. John. It's a reputable company and the vehicles are in good shape. There are many local places that I'm sure are fine and you can find cheaper rates with... just be careful... check your tires. Make sure the treads are in tact and that there is a spare. Our first trip in '96 we rented from a local company. We got stuck w/ a flat way up on the North Shore Road and didn't realize until then how bald our tires were. Also we had no spare so we had to hitch back to town. We've used Hertz ever since and have never had a problem.

The best snorkling we personally found was at Salt Pond Bay (SE side of the island). We have heard that Waterlemon Cay is the best, but we haven't been there yet. We'll hit that in April on our next trip.

Enjoy every second of your trip! St. John truly is paradise.

Lisa in CT

Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the return. I will take your advice. It seems that you need to book a car early which makes sense on such a small island.

Although I've spent a lot of time on the leewards it'll be the first visit to the US Virgins. Looking forward to something new and will be glad to get out of this NE weather.

Thanks again,
Jim, also in Ct.