I wouldn't take any bets on service resuming at any time in the near future. Even before it ran aground last year the operators were in financial distress. Your options for regularly scheduled flights are Seaborne Airlines (seaplane) and Cape Air.

STT Resident: Thanks for advice...all good things come to an end

Hello STT Resident,
Your info regarding ferry was very helpful, glad I stumbled onto this forum. My husband and I are possibly coming to the island next week, very last minute 50th bday trip. I have been to the island but it was many years ago on a cruise ship stop, basically a shopping day. I did not see much else on the island, can you recommend an area with nice beaches, quiet, but easy access or short distance to dining, music, night life, etc. Are there any areas to avoid (safety). Any info you can provide the rocky mountain couple would be appreciated!

skibum, To answer your question directly:
Secret Harbor (condo) is very nice. Nice beach, great snorkeling and good restaurant on site.
Ritz is great hotel. Very pricey. Not so great beach (by virgin island standards)
Marriott Frenchman's Bay is very nice and has recently been remodeled. Best restaurant on the island (in my opinion -- Havana Blue. Close to town. Beach is just OK.
Some Folks like the Sapphire Beach area. Great beach-but gets very crowded. The Sapphire resort is kinda run down--restaurant boarded-up, etc. Basically just an older condo on the beach with no services or amenities.
Check out Megans Point. I never stayed overnight but like the location high on the hill and away from the crowds. I think it's just been re-done.
Megens is the nicest beach in the entire Virgin Islands (because there are no hotels or condos directly on Megans beach!)
Avoid the downtown area after dark. Most of Smith Bay is dicey too (except Coral World). If you feel unsafe at any particular time, use caution and common sense and remove yourself from the situation. Don't bring valuables to the beach. Lock-up at night.
My advice is to rent a car. There many nice beaches all within 30 minutes or less of anywhere you'll stay via a slow sceanic drive. With a car you can pick a nice accommodation and sample all the best beaches and restaurants
Depending on your budget you may also want to look at St John (more $$$) or St Croix (less $$$)
Enjoy!!!

I would take a look on http://www.vrbo.com for condo rentals at Sapphire, Crystal Cove (both on beautiful Sapphire Beach) and Elysian. Certainly take a look at Secret Harbour too which is a lovely spot. The units there are rented directly by the management company and not through vrbo. Here's a link to the Sapphire webcam:

http://www.sapphireinthesun.com/

Sapphire isn't a run down resort. Although the beach bar and restaurant remain boarded up as they have been for several years, the Sapphire Bar and Grill up on the hill in Sapphire Village has been getting favorable reviews under new management and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with live music many evenings. During the day, the "Banana Cabana" on the beach serves up tasty sandwiches and drinks, while both the aforementioned Sapphire Grill and Senor Pizza have runners on the beach to take orders. On heavy cruise ship days the majority of cruisers go to Magens and Coki. Sapphire does get several but they cluster in one small area and the beach is never crowded (unlike Coki which can be a mass of bodies and vendors!).

The East end is a great location with the best beaches on the island located there plus the Red Hook area for night life and restaurants, as well as the Red Hook ferry terminal for day trips to St John and the BVI (you MUST have a passport to enter the BVI). If you rent from anyone but Hertz which doesn't allow their vehicles to go to St John, you can pack up your car with all your gear and a cooler and take the car barge over to St John to enjoy exploring under your own steam.

Magens is a must-see, a gorgeous mile long beach with full amenities and a lovely hiking trail too. Run by the Magens Bay Authority it's beautifully maintained - the MBA also manages the recently acquired Smith Bay Park which is close to Sapphire and another beautiful spot. Upon returning from a day there you must visit "Udder Delight" which is on the side of the road and part of the St Thomas Dairy. They serve the most incredible milk shakes (you can get non-alcoholic but the ones with the kick are the best)! The Magens Point resort consistently gets very mixed reviews and always seems to be undergoing some sort of annual renovation ...

Hope that's helped, and that you get everything together and enjoy a wonderful 50th here. Cheers!

Wonderful, very much appreciate all the info! We are looking forward to our visit:)