Respect your decision to do that.

Another thing about me is if I have a lunch out, there's no way that I want to go out to dinner. It's just too much.

I don't know how many people you travel with, but when you have 8 people with you and you go out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the prices of eating out for most people is rediculous.

We're not talking about ALL food, we're talking about meats, chicken, hamburger, things like that. Everything else would be bought in St. Thomas.

Believe me, we support the local economy. Even without eating out we spend a small fortune on food, liquor/beer, shopping, etc.

Hi, Jill! Thanks for the welcome back! I've been off the board for so long due to computer problems. It died and I took it in, he had it for a while before he told me that it was pointless to fix it. Then I tried to buy one, and that was a whole issue in itself! Ugh! Some companies won't ship here! Grr! So, after finally finding the right computer, I had to have my brother-in-law buy it for me, send him a check, wait for him to get it, then wait for him to take time off work to go pick it up at the UPS hub, then ship it to me, then give it to the computer guy so he could transfer files from the old one...then (after 2 weeks!) I found out that it was done the next day! (Grr!) And now I am FINALLY back! Phew! What a pin some things can be here, huh? Haha! But it's all worth it in the end!

FYI- we needed to receive an overnight FedEx package- it finally came 5 days later! I would never ship food, you will not see it! Big waste of time & expense. Prices were not that bad at the market- much better than other vacation resorts we have been to.

I live on St. John, and I'll be the first to defend anything and everything about this island, but I have to admit that grocery shopping here is very hit or miss. If you can't be flexible about what you eat and how much you're going to spend on groceries, by all means bring some food with you. I can't imagine organizing food to take on vacation...I have a hard enough time packing my suitcase...but do what you gotta do! I'm sure Starfish Market gets enough financial support from both residents and tourists -- the store is expanding and will be taking over Chelsea Drug Store's spot at the Marketplace next month.

Hi To all
I just moved back from Stjohn and wanted to give you guys my 2 cents!
I gree with Marty
I think you should try and bring things with you and let the rest go , be happy and enjoy your vacation
yeah its exp but your already paying for the plane and villa , most of you guys have money or you would not be going there. right .
I took things like mustard , mayo sugar.etc and ate at Woodys its not to bad $$$$ and so is Joes BBQ , there are palces on STJ to eat reasonable . I think that mailing things down is a little excessive.
JUST my opinion !!
Take coupons also they are good at the stores and if you rent a car on STThomas go to Costu less stock up and get on the barge Voila!!!
Also Pine Peace Market is a little less that the others.

Good comments Andrea 🙂

For my husband and me, bringing food with us means that going out to eat is affordable...if I had to pay St. John prices at the grocery store, we'd probably stay in every night and cook at the villa...but because we bring food from home, we save a lot of money and we can then afford to eat out (we usually eat in one night, out the next, etc.). So my money is going to get spent on St. John...I just prefer to spend it at restaurants instead of the grocery store (though we always end up spending a couple hundred dollars at the grocery store on things like milk, eggs, Pepsi, and rum of course).

Have a good Labor Day weekend 🙂

The place the greatest savings is possible is in the choice of accomodations. I can save $10 here or $100 there, but by choosing less expensive accomodations, the savings can be in thousands. We usually go for more basic accomodations so that we can spend more freely. I like to feel that I can spend freely on vacation.

Don't get me wrong, I spend very freely on vacation. I like to stay in a nice place with all the amenities I want, I rent a nice car, and dine out often. I do like having the option of eating at least one meal at the villa after a really long day sailing or snorkeling, I don't feel like going out.

It is all a matter of personal preference.

Well, for us personally, we will bring some items with us, but mainly because our son is a strict vegetarian. And while my husband and I are not, we do eat a largely vegetarian diet. We eat eggs and fish, our son does not. Also, we eat mostly organic items so will bring some of our everyday stuff with us. That is just a personal preference for our diet.

But having had said that...I've found a lot of vegetarian dishes on the menu's of some of the restaurants on STJ so dining out will not be an issue. Can't wait to try Sweet Plantains!!

But also, we don't mind cooking at the house/villa when we are on vacation. And it has nothing to do with trying to save money. It has to do with sharing quality time with one another in a nice quiet setting versus a hustling-bustling restaurant that may or may not have stellar food/service. There will be nights that we are out in the thick of it all and then there will be nights that we are just happy to be with one another...after all, that is why we are going on vacation together.

Everyone's wants are different aren't they, and can change over the years! I remember years ago, while vacationing at the beach, we'd spend all day at the beach and then clean up and go to dinner at some busy place, Have a Wonderful time, go play putt-putt somewhere and go back to the house. Now, if we ever leave the house/beach...I could care less. Ha!!!

Here's to having fun no matter what you choose!!!

When are you visiting as Sweet Plantains (fabulous, fabulous 🙂 ) is now closed for "off season" and will reopen after Thanksgiving - just a heads up.

Also you can buy organic produce from Josaphines in Coral Bay as well as Dolphin Market (didn't know if you were aware of this or not)

I just saw Pia's posting on Sweet Plantains and all I can say is I am so glad they will be re-opened when we get there in late November, its one of the best places I have ever eaten, worldwide!!!. Pia, how about the 4 of us once we arrive??

Pia - We will be on STJ from Dec 19th - 28th so Thank Goodness we won't miss Sweet Plantains. Oh, I would croak for sure!! I can't wait to eat a couple of meals there. Yum!!

I was not aware of the organics at Josephines and the Dolphin Mkt. Do you think they'll have fresh produce in December as well?

Pia - is Tofu readily available? What about frozen spinach and frozen pies shells? I make a mean spinach quiche with tofu, spinach and onions.

Thnx!!

Amen Weary!!!! You and I are made of the same fiber. I look for someplace clean and safe, but not necessarily "lavish" for the very reason that I can then spend money on activities, meals, and drinks without remorse. For us (and I realize not for everyone), we are only at the accommodations overnight. We spend nearly 100% of the daytime hours at the beaches. All we need is a safe and clean place to stay. However, we LOVE trying new restaurants and beaches. Saving money on the room/villa/condo allows me to plan a fun-filled, budget-conscious vacation without having to lug food from the states (not that I'm opposed to it - it's just not for me).

Thanks - Have Fun!

Hi Coden

I'll look for these items next time I'm at the store 🙂

I think tofu is available (Sweet Plantains has a tofu curry, east indian or west indian style) not sure of the other items but I'll check for you.

Pia

New England's "smart a**" brother responds:

I think the key to this whole thread is how uncomfortable people are with the food situation on St. John. When we first started going in the mid 90s there were a lot of grocery shopping challenges. The guide books reflected this and every single one recommended bringing a cooler of frozen meats if you were staying in a villa. Today, there are three grocery stores in Cruz Bay that I like: Starfish Market for a mainland shopping experience, Dolpin Market for cheaper staples and Pine Peace Market for a great selection of dried beans, saltfish and staples. Can you find everthing you need? Sure. Can you find exactly the brand and packaging you are accustomed to? Sometimes no.

The bottom line is that St. John continues to have a reputation as being far from civilization. That's fine with me. But, I know the truth - there's no grocery problem on the island unless you are a neurotic wreck (New England?).

Neurotic does tend to describe parents traveling with young kids, which are two of the familes in our 24 member November herd. Why in the world would we even try to do Thanksgiving on St. John. Well, my daughters and I have been bragging about our favorite place in the world. New England joined us and the grand parents for a Thanksgiving trip in 1997 when my daughters were 5 months and 6 years old and she had not yet spawned. It was an awesome time. Two years ago we started planning this trip (I've visited three times since) and the whole thing mushroomed. Of the 24 people going 9 of us have been to St. John (excepting cruise ship visits), including a brother who lived on STT for a couple of years.

Those new 15 people have a lot of questions. The uncertainty make them worry and think about crazy stuff, like "what if I can't buy disposable diapers?" We are slowly calming the herd with more information.

See you on St. John in November. First stop St. John Spice for hot sauces and St. John Jerk Rub. Second stop Starfish Market for a big pork butt and some chickens. Jerked pork and chicken at my house the first night!

Cheers, RickG

Hey Kerrieb

Sounds like a date, - we love Sweet Plantains 🙂

Let me know closer to the date you are coming and I'll make reservations with Prince

See you soon

Pia

Thank you Pia, you're a sweetie to check on the tofu for me!!

You know, we'll bring the few dry goods we don't want to do without, and we'll wing it for everything else. I know we won't starve!! 🙂

I'm a carnivore and I LOVE tofu. We had a single vegan in our group. We had the best intentions, but the tofu we bought at Starfish Market was sour. The soy crumbles and the boca burgers were fine. I don't like it if I have an alternative, but the ultra-pasteurised tofu in the lasts-for-bloody-ever packaging is a sure fire product and can fit in tight quarters in baggage - a little coconut milk, curry paste and some green onions can work wonders.

Cheers, RickG

RickG - Thnx for the idea. We'll pack a couple of boxes of that if we have too. I hadn't thought about it. Cheers!

I have to agree with you Marty ,often traviling to STT i found that its easy to just shop for some things cereal,milk stuff for sandwitches etc. plus cofee,tea and suger salt and small snacks are helpful to bring.bring enough to cary you at least one day just in case you wake up hung over and its raining.take water to your room the first day.