All-inclusive isn't very big here as there is so much to do outside the confines of any resort and getting out and about is half the fun of being here. AI and partial AI is available on St Thomas at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, Wyndham Sugar Bay and Marriott Frenchman's Reef. As an alternative you could look for a condo rental on www.vrbo.com. Cheers!

I agree with STT. You'd be better off staying in a villa or condo. AI's aren't the same in STT and you can get out and go just about anywhere on the island for some fun. So many beaches and places to hang out. It would be great if you could secure a car, although I'm not sure about renting at your ages.

STT is not like Jamaica where everybody does AI's because of the security situation. Check out Sapphire Beach on vrbo.com. Pretty reasonable prices, right on the beach, very close to Red Hook for some bars (and beer :o). By the way, beer isn't that much more expensive then in the states, so it would hurt the pocket so bad.

Good luck!

No sea shell collecting allowed on the islands. Also, drinking age is 18 (correct me if I'm wrong) so you all can have a good time. Don't go for the AI, you are better off just getting a taxi to get around the island and see different things.

Well, there was a dearth of punctuation marks in the sentence, so I am not sure, but what kind of "shows" are you looking for? (sea shell shows?) You sound like maybe you are thinking about a Cancun-type adventure? and definitely the USVI is not Cancun. I agree that all-inclusive is not a great idea, but if for some reason you simply must have it, look at Bolongo Bay. They do have jet skis, water toys and snorkel tours as well as a West Indian Cultural night.

Coral World is a marine park.

The only thing you're allowed to take from any of the beaches is sea glass - no shells, coral, sand dollars, starfish, etc. The people who come along after you want to see them, too.

For people who want an active vacation in the VI (other than just relaxing on a beach) there's rock climbing (usvirockclimbing.com), skimboarding, parasailing, snorkeling, snuba, swimming with sea lions, hiking, jet skiing, kayaking, scuba, sailing that can include racing, and mountain biking.

Many people like to stay in an apartment type hotel with kitchen facilities, so they can shop for a few groceries and have breakfast, snacks, and some meals in their room(s), so as to save on eating all their meals out. If you do the numbers, it may turn out cheaper than AI, and you'll have the adventure of trying different restaurants. There are some good happy hours here that include tacos, wings, etc, plus lots of affordable restaurants (including McDonald's, Wendys, KFC, Subway, Pizza Hut), so you can spend a little or a lot. Prices at our fast food chains, though, are a bit higher than Stateside.

Here you can feel like a local when you visit to a certain extent - not a tourist.