Sorry...one more question lol
What is an average dinner for two people cost at a nice St John restaurant?

I am new to the board also...I had similar questions about a gay/lesiban person traveling to the Virgin Islands

I'm an old married woman, but I've lived on STX for a while, so I'll give this a shot.

St. Croix is pretty welcoming to G/L and I'm guessing STJ is the same. If you were coming here, I'd recommend the Cormorant Beach Club -- they advertise as "gay-owned, straight friendly" (and they are) or the Pink Fancy Hotel.

But these islands are pretty conservative. Tourists are told to cover up in town, be polite, etc. Good (whatever that means) behaviour is expected and appreciated. My guess would be public displays of affection beyond hand holding are gonna be frowned on.

And night life until 2am? Or even midnight? Unless someone knows something I don't -- it ain't happening. Most people are up and at the beaches early and worn out by 10 am. Or maybe that's just me!!!

Last time we were on STJ, we stayed at Sago Cottage, Calabash Cottages. Check it out.

Welcome.

I have never seen any G/L handholding here in STT (not too shure about STJ) and I have a feeling that it would be frowned upon. My father-in-law is gay, so I am not prejudiced at all. I have heard that Blackbeard's (not Bluebeard's) Castle's restaurant/bar is gay-friendly. All of my gay friends have moved off island, so this info might be a few years old. Oh, and there is a hotel called Pools and Pavillions (or is it "Pavillions and Pools"?) on STT that has a section called Club Villa Azul that caters to the G/L crowd. Check it out at www.clubvillaazul.com Beautiful, one-bedroom units (good for four people) and each one has it's own swimming pool with a 10' privacy wall all around it. Very nice. And only a short stroll to Sapphire Beach. Call 800-898-9817 and ask for "Mercedes Shelby". She owns the place and might have some other info regarding G/L-friendly places. I know she sets up G/L weddings for her guests. Hope this helps you some. :^)

Hello Marcus & Linda,

St. John is a pretty laid back place so you don't need to be concerned about being ignored or given inferior service or things of the sort. On the other end of acceptance you aren't going to find strickly gay clubs. As mentioned, on St. Thomas and St. Croix there are a few places that may be more gay friendly than others - not familiar with any on St. John though. But definately you can go to the various restaurants and bars on St. John and enjoy yourselves without worrying about being disrespected because of lack of acceptance.

Most places shut down between midnight and 2am. The latter time being on Friday-Saturday.

Dinner at a nice place for 2 might run $80-$150 including bar tab & tip.

--Islander

Thank you islander...that is pretty expensive (dinner) for us but it is probably worth it being in STJ and all.
Can you reccomend any good places to go to at night? I had heard about Duffy's and that sounds like a good place, any others?

Hello Marcus,

The total really depends on what you eat and if you order appetizers, entree, desert, wine etc. Figure entrees between $15-$35; appetizers & deserts between $6-$12 and then your bar tab. Tip 15-20%.

Whether its worth it, depends on whether the meal, service, atmosphere is good! 🙂

You can try Freds, Woodys, Skinny Legs for the casual bar scene, sometimes live music.

--Islander

We get the "gay" cruises on STJ every once in a while and people are waiting in line to provide them service. We have Duffys and woodys that are open late. Sometimes, Fred's cranks up late at night but if you wanna just hang out, there are place open till dawn on STJ. Trust me. As far as special clubs for gays, there are none. Even at Duffys, you will see high school kids up to 40-50 year olds so you get a mixture of everyone because there are a few places open. People on STJ, for the most part, live and let live.

sounds like a great island that is so small yet so diverse. I can't wait to go..does Duffy's have a sort of Applebees type of atmoshpere?

Its more hopping than any applebees i was ever at.

Marcus - Go and have fun.

I have researched my trip for over 6 months. So, even though I am venturing at this in 10 days for the 1st time, what I have read and found out about St. John is amazing.

First of all, I would suggest a villa. Decide on how long you want to go and how much can you afford/week. Then, there are hundred and hundreds of villas to choose from. This way, you have the flexability to cook in breakfast, sandwiches and some dinners at night to conserve $ if that's an issue. Not sure what dinners there cost, but probably no different that a dinner out in your big city or wherever your from. I am bringing a soft-sided cooler as checkin luggage with frozen meats such as sausages, bacon, steaks, hamburger patties, lunch meat, cheese to name a few. There are only 2 of us so it won't be that much, but it will help on the cost of food. Besides, I'd rather go eat in and drink out.

As for the Gay thing, I wouldn't worry. From what I have researched, its pretty laid back. I guess you just need to the same as you would stateside. Consider your surroundings and go from there. I who am hetro and happily married watch my PDA's with my husband just because - its nobody's business kind of thing. So, I wouldn't worry about that. The decision is merely yours as to what you want to do and where you want to go and feel relaxed and not uptight. Its your vacation and you have worked very hard to get there.

Google search for St. John villas and start your search from there. Good Luck and have fun!

I think that you will have a wonderful time in many ways and I wouldnt worry about anything , also try starvillas .com , i stayed there and its very private and prices are good ,nice people and views , close to downtown , the first bar you hit down the hill is the Beach Bar and its very laid back and casual , you can dance on the beach if you choose too. it is so wonderful there , I had to keep pinching myself all the time , but I was also mostly drunk for the majority of the time.. Give us a reprt after you return .. Yolanda

Thanks for all the info...im actually from New York city so it wont be that expensive compared to some of the places that we have...
I was just a little worried about the whole "Gay" thing because of all the horror homophobic stories I hear about Jamaica, Caymans, etc...
We are most likely going to rent a villa and starvillas.com has some beautiful villas we may want to give a try!

Marcus,
I've visited St. John regularly for the last 10 years and I'm getting ready to move there in Jan. on a permanent basis. I usually travel with my gay brother and his partner, and last year a female couple came with us also. The girls were often times affectionate publicly and no problems or stares were ever obvious. As most have said, St. John is a very non-judgemental place and that's why I love it so much. Most of the local are a very divers group from all parts of the world and tend to be somewhat free-spirited with a lust for life. How could you not when you live in paradise? I'll be arriving there on Jan. 10. When are you planning your trip? You might check out www.batteryhill.com. They are conveniently located, in walking distance to town with a great view of the harbor. They have a unit they call The Cottage which is very private and poolside but it sleeps only 2--not a full kitchen but a small fridge and microwave. I think it rents for a very reasonable price considering the location and atmosphe. If you need any more info let me know. I know a good bit about your situation so ask away.

Lawrence

Thanks lawrence I looked at the Cottage and it looks wondeful and for a very good price compared to others I looked at...The way you describe St John makes it sound exactly like when I lived in Woodstock, NY...very free-spirited and diverse...i cant wait!

Marcus also the cinnamon bay camps are nice and Samuels cottages very plain simple all very reasonable but star villas was the best for me I got a very good rate at the time may 04. it was very private .. the apt that is next to pool and only sleeps 2 is a small townhouse its adorable and private on top of the hill nice walk down to tha beach bar , but coming up is a bitch if your drunk

I just stayed at Club Villa Azul on St. Thomas with my partner. We had a wonderful time. No, there is no real gay "presence" on the island that I observed, and I wouldn't recommend public displays of affection, but for an old "married" couple like us, that's not a problem!

We did buy some wonderful matching diamond rings at Alpha jewelers downtown and found all the shopkeepers very accommodating for gay clientele. Lots of little gay flag stickers on the buildings - guess they know which side their bread is buttered on! But helpful nonetheless.

Dinners can be expensive or not - depending on where you go. Our most expensive was at the Old Stone Farmhouse, but we did splurge a bit. I think our best meal, however, was at Indigo at the Megan's Point resort. Outdoor restaurant, reasonable prices, but truly excellent preparation and presentation. I had the tilapia fish, and Dwaine had the salmon, and both were truly to die for. The main courses were under $20, and inexpensive wines were available.

As far as nightlife - we brought our own. Our villa at CVA has a private courtyard with lanai and BBQ, so we brought some friends along and partied with them. Duffy's Love Shack in Red Hook I've heard stays open late; The Green House in Charlotte Amalie is supposed to be gay friendly, but I didn't really see it one way or the other. Just a big loud bar with very young crowd (we're in our mid to late-40s, so don't let us be a wet blanket for you)

St. John is lovely, of course. Mostly a park, but two very small towns on the island. If you want to get away in a glorious setting, St. John's the place.

If you're into scuba - definitely see the Wreck of the Rhone. WELL WORTH the money! One of the best dives I've ever been on.

I am new to this too... I am going to STJ for a friend's wedding... I don't mean to sound cheap, but I am on a tight budget. I am wondering if there are accommodations that offer small rooms for a couple at a reasonable price. We don't want anything fancy or luxurious - we just want a room to sleep, rest and wash up for a few nights.

Hi, Tina,

I don't want to discourage you, but STJ is not a cheap vacation destination. There are no Motel 6's here! Some B&B's might be your best bet. Or even the Maho Bay Campground. They have cute little cottages for about $120/night. But, I would try to budget for at least that amount, as these aren't the cheap seats down here. I'm sure someone else will have some suggestions for cheap, but I would post that as a separate topic, as this one is getting long. I hope you come down and have the time of your life!

~Marty