MARTY MARTY MARTY! reading your post reminds me of why i love you so much!
wow DO I AGREE WITH YOU!
i was reading the whole line of posts wondering WHY these people are travelling down there in the first place!
you are sooo right!
and post office is horrible i sent something to secret harbour priority and it took months to get to them...
no offense please to all of you! but unless you are going for months at a time(and even then) why go through all the hassle and take a chance that your OWN food might spoil on the way or not arrive at all or be checked by some creepy inspectors ....who wants people in the airlines opening checked bags ..you might as well pack your car up and go to a local beach at home!
we go to the islands NOT JUST for the beach but for the whole experience including meeting locals and shopkeepers and waiters etc and enjoying being part of the whole thing..

I NEVER THOUGHT the prices were too high on st thomas or st john ...a little over home but no way near the prices on OTHER islands!TRY BARBADOS ...YOU WILL RUN RUN RUN BACK TO THE USVI.....THE FOOD IS OVER THE TOP PRICES THERE....the virgin islands are great!

here is what we did on the 5 or so trips to st thomas in the last couple years:
and we were with a group:
we ALWAYS got great food in the large supermarket on the east end(GREAT SELECTION) marty i forget the location help me here.......and at marina market(henry is the greatest butcher! he will take care of you)
THE MARKETS IN ST THOMAS are no better/worse than our OWN right here in the states..!
we always got bacon eggs etc....for breakfast and bread and milk and tuna and all that....cereal and cold cuts for sandwiches etc.....so ONE or two bags of groceries is fine then go out a couple of times for dinner
we got beverages and snacks too that was that....not a big deal
if ONCE OR TWICE a week we felt like a big steak we went out to eat! maybe to a beach bar or small place or one or two nights a nice restaurant for dinner for a treat!

so WHAT ABOUT going out to a small snack bar/beach bar and let the locals do the cooking....THERE ARE cheaper places to eat not everything is the ritz carlton...we can list a few come on marty you know em....
eat out for lunch(cheaper) and save leftovers for later
or if you must get meat at the store go easy on the 'gray meat' and buy some packaged things if you don't like it etc...

GO ON A DIET....CATCH SOME FISH AND EAT EM....GO DURING FESTIVAL TIMES OF THE YEAR THE FOOD VENDORS ARE WAY CHEAP! go to mexico!

seriously...i am pretty much kidding around here but bottom line.....you are only there a short time just kick back and enjoy!

marty let's make a list of low priced restaurants....

also start here with the thread from a few days ago
https://www.vinow.com/wwwtalk/read.php?4,60742

Just last week shopping at Starfish market I bought delicious filet mignon. The price was a dollar over what I pay at home. The salmon that I purchased was excellent and the same price as at home. The only things that I bring down with me are my special teas and spices (even though I do buy spices at St. John Spice). The only things that I find expensive are orange juice which is seldom on sale and $2 over my at home prices and also paper towels which we happen to use a lot of on the boat. We travel to STJ four or five times a year and the hassle of bringing goods is too much for us. This year my husband's luggage did not arrive with him, just imagine if a cooler did not come until a day later. We shop all over the island as we are on the Coral Bay side and it's just easier to buy on island. With all this said, however, I do understand large groups and families with children might find it to their benefit to bring certain items with them. By the way, the prices for liquor are higher at Starfish. Captain's Corner (Sparky's) have good prices. Wine prices are higher than stateside no matter where you shop.
Be careful if you order wine at places like The Balcony. A Pinot Grigio cost me $13 a glass. The same wine at Indigo on STT was $6.50. Ask the price before you order. Mixed drinks were much cheaper. I must say that I ordered a Bushwhacker at the Beach Bar, which I really like, but it was $7 and came in a plastic cup with no whipped cream and rather small. Had one at Island Blues and it was great and in a milkshake size glass.
JMHO on this subject.

"large supermarket on the east end(GREAT SELECTION) marty i forget the location help me here......."
Food Center? By Independent Boatyard? Kinda next door to the Domino? Kind of across from Pirate's Cove Marina? That one? It's nice! And, I have to say, I've never seen any grey meat at Marina Market. Their selection is always to notch!

"snack bar/beach bar and let the locals do the cooking....THERE ARE cheaper places to eat not everything is the ritz carlton...we can list a few come on marty you know em.... " "marty let's make a list of low priced restaurants...."

Oh, wow, there are dozens and dozens! Some places I like to eat when I don't want to spend a bunch of $$:

INDiGO (Magens Point Resort)
Uncle Buddy's (Coki Beach)
Uncle Joe's BBQ (STJ-across from Nat'l Park Dock)
Deli Grotto (Mongoose Junction, STJ - BEST fresh baked bread on the planet!!!)
Texas Pit BBQ (Various locations on STT-trailers parked in different locations)
Hook, Line & Sinker (Frenchtown)
Frenchtown Deli (Frenchtown)
Tickles (Crown Bay)
Charlotte Tamales (Across from Havensite)
Delly Deck (Havensite)
Caribbean Saloon (Red Hook)
Molly Malone's (Red Hook)
Burritto Bay Deli (Red Hook)
Blue Moon Cafe (Secret Harbor - for breaky or lunch - not so much for dinner )
ANY of the mobile food vendors!
Pizza Amore (across from Havensite)
Fast food places (KFC, Wendy's, Subway, McD's)
The Great Wall (Chinese place in Havensite for lunch-not so much for dinner)
Bumpas (Waterfront)
Tropical Deli (BEST Cuban sandwich in the world! Commandant Gade)

And that's just right off the top of my head! I'm sure we can make this list quite a bit longer! haha! Anyone?

We are glad you are back on the board Marty! bad spelling & all!!

I ~kinda~ agree......if someone has some special foods that they can't live without, they should bring it along...but then they should leave extra for new friends on the island!!!

You are right in saying that if you are going on vacation to St. Thomas, you should try to eat what you can find on the island...we are going to their island...& we want them to continue to embrace us as vacationers.
If I invited guests to my home for a vacation, I'd feel bad that they came with a suitcase full of food when they could go to the local grocery store in my town & keep it in business.

I usually diet before vacation & I try real hard no to ruin what I've done while on vacation, so I don't eat very much anyways!

I am packing my cooler! Yup, I said it. I am packing a cooler of food. My mother has been the bookkeeper for a local restaurant here for over 30 years and I get the best prices on meat. I just bought an entire beef tenderloin for $2.50 a pound. I pay about .75 a pound for ground beef and bacon. Am I cheap? YES, I AM.
I don't intend on eating at the villa every meal. That would take all the fun out of vacation, and the money that I would use to buy meat will be spent on a boat rental or just more rum.
I will also pack coffee, I am very picky and need my Dunkin Donuts in the morning. I will pack beach snacks too. I will pack my husbands favorite bloody mary spice too, unless Ruth can promise me that she has a better one. 🙂
I lived on STJ for 5 years, I know I can get most everything I need there, just not necessarily the brands I want. I moved back to the states and got spoiled and that is why I will bring some food with me.

Way to go, Xislandgirl! I must say, I should have shopped in STT before heading over to STJ, because it sounds like I missed out on some good meats,etc! We went to Dolphin Market first, and they didn't have Pepsi! I am a Pepsi-holic! At Starfish, they didn't have any 6-packs of Pepsi, so I bought several 20-ounce bottles. I guess what I am trying to say is that we have our favorite brands, and some are not available on STJ. Also, there is the cost savings, and I felt the money I saved on groceries was put to better use at restaurants, car-rental, and shops. I live in Texas, and I guess we are lucky we have good food prices and the freshest of produce and meats. The next time we go it will be with the entire family, so I will either bring a cooler or shop in STT before getting on the car ferry. I will still definitely pack some of our favorite brands! Thanks Marty for the list of places to eat, though I hate to say that French-town Deli's food was horrible when we went.

Sharon

P.S. Marty, don't feel bad about your spelling, I work with doctors who cannot spell any better than you!

If I were as lucky as you on the prices you can get meat for I might consider bringing it down with me also.
Everyone according to his/her needs and desires.

I agree. If I could save a bundle on meats and stuff, I may ship them down. Starfish is pretty convenient. Work out at the gym above it, buy groceries and then walk back to Gallows. It's a routine we started a few years ago and have gotten pretty comfortable with it. Too lazy to cook dinner on vacation anyway. That would interfere too much with my leisure time!

you can't get two inch new york cut steaks or tri tips like I can at Costco. Sometimes it's not about money.

Island Girl.

Totally agree with you..there is only one place in my area where i'll buy my meats, chicken and fish. I trust them. I won't even go to any National Brand Supermarket for those kinds of things. I really didn't think the supermarkets were that great in STT. So...with 8 people, I can bring what I want, at a good price and enjoy a nice barbeque with all my friends and have a great time.

It's not so much about saving the money for me, it's having what I want on vacation.

Exislandgirl--Well said from "our perspective". There is no right or wrong way (bring food, don't bring food) just a matter of preference.

I over pack on some items that we bring down to leave with friends that live and work on STJ. The friends are extremely pleased to get items that aren't available on any of the local islands.

Many of us have to save up to get to the USVI and aren't filthy stinkin' rich. I'd rather bring my food and spend money on the island on scuba excursions, sailing etc. I sometimes get the impression that a few of those living in the islands assume that anyone that visits is wealthy and they just want to grab every buck they can. Then I see how challenging it would be to actually live there and try to earn a living. Sure, many that visit are rich, but many aren't. Some of us have just fallen in love with the place and save anyway we can so that we can have "that next trip".

I will admit to being a food snob. I purchase quality items on sale at home and pile them on a shelf in the freezer dedicated to STJ once we've booked our trip. This allows the cost to be spread over many trips to the store. I don't know that I'd bring as many items to either STT or STX, since those prices are not as bad as STJ and the selection is better. The food on STJ is costly, selection limited, and sometimes (IMO) it lacks quality. This is not meant to slam any of the fine retailers on STJ since everything spends so much time in transit.

I just don't want to spend my vacation shopping or trying to find an item I want. For us, it's just easier to bring what we want with us.

The last time we went to STJ, our bags didn't make it our our flight, but our food was fine. We try to pick an airline with multiple flights per day. Our bag made the next flight and we only had to spend four hours hanging around Cruz Bay to wait on them. The hours in Cruz Bay we spent drinking cold ones and getting stuff to take back to family/friends. Then it was two glorious weeks of complete "island time".

Sure we can! Just have to go to the right places. Like at Cost-U-Less, I have them cut whatever selection I am in the mood for and I can have it as thick as I ask them for. Marina Market, too. Just like in the States. No one says you have to choose from the choices they have laid out!

I think it's a matter of choice whether or not to bring your own food down.

We intend to bring our own hamburger, chicken, bacon (very expensive down there) and probably some spices...that's all. All can goods we can buy there.

It's not that we cannot afford to buy our things down in STT, but we prefer to bring what we feel comfortable with and that's from our own local butcher.

I really wasn't that impressed with the meats and chicken down there.

It's what makes ME comfortable.

Amen, Amen.....

Okay, I am probably opening up another whole can of worms here but when I go on vacation, to STJ or anywhere else for that matter, I AM ON VACATION, that means that the kitchen is CLOSED. When in STJ I want to explore new restaurants and sit and relax with a frozen mango something and be waited on at a snail's pace so that the evening drags on forever and I am warm and happy and almost too relaxed to walk home to bed. My idea of cooking on STJ was getting a slice of leftover pizza out of the frig one morning. I'm a lazy traveler... I admit it!!!

I think that sums it up well...this coming from someone who brought a 48lb cooler down to STJ for last week's trip.

The first time, in 2004, I brought stuff because I didn't know what to expect, selection-wise, on the island. Having seen it, I decided that the 2" steaks that someone else mentioned or the other stuff that I can only find at a local butcher shop is just not available on STJ. Throw in my inherent frugalness (trust me, JJ's and other bars and shops and restaurants still got PLENTY of $$ from us last week) and my desire to cook, bringing food is a no brainer for us. I don't keven know if I'd want to go out to eat every night. But, that's just our style. We're very happy grilling up dinner after a day of snorkeling or hanging out at the pool or a beach.

To each their own, I guess. There's no right or wrong answer. Other than if you want to pack it, make sure the cooler is tightly packed without a lot of "free air" in the cooler. Our stuff arrived after 13 hours in the cooler rock solid. Very little thawing at all.

Kathleen B,
Are you my wife posting under an alias? LOL. This is what I hear whenever we go on vacation and it's fine with me. I (we) agree 100%. A vacation is a VACATION. Not just living in another home.

Bassman

Bassman, I knew there had to be someone else out there who could relate to spending too much money eating out and be proud of it !!!!

Just a note that it's like 50 degrees here in NH right now and I was on the Maine boarder this weekend and saw the beginning of the leaves changing colors and my son started first grade today. Summer is slipping away....so glad I am heading south in just under 3 mos!!!!! WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!

Thanks everyone for your candid answers and suggestions. I appreciated everyone's honesty and I think everyone needs to do what they need to do to have a great time. For the record, I've decided not to ship items down and will bring only a very few small things such as much used spices. My reasons for not shipping items down are more or less after much research I've decided that it isn't necessary for me (personally) to do it on this trip.

My brother who travels to ST J quite a bit offered to get a container shipped from Miami full of stuff for me. You know the ones on ships that are the size of a tractor trailer. He is a bit of a smart a**, but hysterical and makes me laugh all the time.

If it was just my husband and I, I think I would do a cooler loaded with fabulous things though...just too much trouble with 2 little ones.

Did I mention that I am traveling with a 3 and 6 yr old and will rendezvous with 10 family members in San Juan from Philly and will meet up with 10 more from DC on the island. Yea, forget the dry goods......I'll need lots of alcohol!

Marty..................Nice to have you back.......where the heck have you been?!

My question is....if you are going on vacation and you have the money for vacation why not go on vacation, support the local economy, forget about saving a few bucks and just enjoy it?! When one travels within the U.S. do you typically send your food ahead? You're on vacation.....bring the sunscreen, the bathing suit and the one you love and go with the flow for the rest! Just my opinion!