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It's time to cap off a five year courtship with a wonderful vacation. I am moving from the planning stage to the reservation stage. Below is my detailed plan, and I would VERY MUCH appreciate any advice you can give. I am very flexible once I am on the ground, but I want to have an awesome plan. We are more of the wilderness type than the nightclub type, so I think St. John is going to be perfect for us. My girlfriend has kayaked before, but she has never sailed or snorkeled. I'm going to get her some snorkeling equipment and find an excuse for a practice excursion so that she is not uncomfortable using fins and breathing through a snorkel/clearing the snorkel/etc. The trip is going to be a quasi-surprise, she will know she is going somewhere sunny but that's it.
THE PLAN
Arrive Thursday @ 1pm
Get Rental Car, Take the Ferry to St. John
Arrive Hotel @ 4pm, unload.
(B&B is near Cruz bay/honeymoon beach)
Dinner
Hike down to Honeymoon Beach @ Night
Early to bed
Awake Friday @ 8am
Breakfast downstairs
Day Kayaking Trip 10am-4pm - Leave/Return from Cruz Bay
Stop by St. John Spice @ Wharfside Village in Cruz Bay for Souvenirs and Spices/Teas/Coffees (by passenger ferry dock, upstairs from Colombian emeralds)
Refresh @ the Hotel
Dinner
Awake Saturday @ 10am
Breakfast downstairs
Drive
Bordeaux Mountain
Lunch @ Skinny Legs
Snorkel Salt Pond Bay or Relax on any beach
Dinner
Awake Sunday @ 8am
Sail Safari - 10am-4pm - http://www.sailsafaris.net/StJohnSailing.html - BVI??
Dinner
Hike to Honeymoon Beach and PROPOSE
Awake Monday @ 10am
Breakfast
Pack, Check out & Drive to St. Thomas
Lunch
See some sights, maybe shopping
Fly out at 5pm
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Specific things I need advice on:
Good Dinner Spots - Lunch is w/e, but for dinner we would like some great seafood/local fare places. She loves to cook and so I would like her to experience virgin islands cuisine at its best. We are very laid back and prefer the real good stuff to the sanitized resort stuff.
Best places for the sail/snorkel excursion - None of this is reserved yet, waiting on the lodging reservation first, but the kayaking adventure would be toward lovango cay so I'd prefer to go a little farther from Cruz bay for the sailing/snorkeling excursion. This trip would be more flexible to be about sightseeing and sailing vs. snorkeling, depending on how she's feeling. It would be nice to hit a waterside lunch place during this trip. Jost Van Dyke? I hear you don't need a passport, but it might be smart to bring them just in case?
Hoping to stay at Estate Lindholm, they are going to get back to me about my reservation tomorrow. Any backup plans for this? I really can't afford the 500/night resort prices on St. John, and anyway I think we're more of the B&B type. 250/night is ok.
Will our U.S. cell phone work? If not should I pick up a calling card before we get on the plane?
Best places to hear some local music and dance? As long as it's a generally safe place, I think we'd be happy in a low-key bar scene amongst locals and tourists. Anything from rock to reggae to funk.. we're down for the local flavor.
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Must-Have Inventory (beyond the obvious)
Ring
Underwater disposable camera
Normal digital camera
Sunscreen! (duh)
Frisbee
Snorkeling gear
Passport
First Aid Kit
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Thanks so much for all the advice I've garnered from this forum already, and for any you can provide on my plan. I look forward to getting in the island groove sometime in mid-late may!
~tampaGuy
Since this will be her first time snorkling I'd suggest Maho nice easy in and out of the water always see turtles in the middle and great coarl and fish to the right.
Francis Bay for turtles. Have yet to be disappointed with any "no shows". It's just north of Maho Bay and you need to go out about 20 yards working north along the shoreline where the sea grass is abundant.
propose on the plane in first class with champagne, so if she says no you can turn around and go home and save a bunch of money,haha
I thought John was going to post some proposal advice, but I guess he didn't. We got engaged on St. Thomas, mere moments after checking in to the resort. Just because I really love to read this story, I'm going to post this part of his trip report from last August. If you've already read it, you can just pass it on by.
Days before we left for St. Thomas, I had explained to Gerie that after we checked into our room and before we changed into our swimsuits, I wanted to go to the beach to take pictures of us in front of the building in which we stay. She agreed to the pictures. I had on my best Hawaiian Shirt and my white Panama Jack hat. With my shorts and shades on…I looked so much like a tourist. I parked the car at the main office and Gerie went in to check in.
“I’m going to stay in the car and have a cigarette while you’re in there!” I told her.
“You don’t have to stay in the car…you can smoke at the door.”
“It’s hot out there….the car air conditioner is on.”
“Fine!”
I eventually did go in and joined her as she in-checked. The room wasn’t quite ready. Maintenance was re-hanging the curtain that refused to stay up. So we started to walk to the beach to take the pictures. Outside the main office Gerie saw Marvin the bellman who has been a fixture at the Beach Club forever. Marvin recognized Gerie and the two of them got lost in conversation. It never ceases to amaze me that the staff of Bluebeard’s Beach Club sincerely remembers owners who come every year. I mean…it’s two weeks a year and all the different people who show up throughout the course of the year and yet he remembers Gerie.
“Gerie, let’s go to the beach.” As you can tell, I wasn’t on Island Time as yet!
We walked past the pool bar and Jeff the Bartender/ Ordained Minister/ All around good guy, who we refer to as slash ( / ) because of all of his occupations, was there. He doesn’t work there any longer but was there with friends having a few drinks. He too, remembered us and we had another conversation. He offered to buy us a drink but I quickly declined. “We’ll be right back.” I said. “We want to go to the beach and take some pictures.” I think Gerie was a little disappointed that we didn’t stay and talk with Jeff but we continued our walk to the beach.
In the middle of the courtyard was a white egret walking around the area. Gerie wanted me to take a picture of him. I kept walking. “Gerie. We’ll get a picture of the bird when we come back…I want to get to the beach. It’s hot!”
(Gerie’s edit: I think you need to point out that the egret was not just any old white egret, which are a dime a dozen. This one had a red strip on its head and red striped markings on its body, making her unique. Sheesh!)
(Sometimes, I’m so unobservant! I didn’t even realize he was a “her”.)
We finally reached the beach and continued walking towards the west end of the beach where a group of rocks jut out from the cliffs behind the buildings and out into the Caribbean Sea forming the west end of the bay. We stopped at the first giant rock. I removed my sunglasses and took Gerie’s cigarettes from her hand and placed them and the camera on the rock.
“Gerie! I didn’t come down here to take pictures.” I said.
She looked at me a little bewildered. I took her left hand in mine and with my right hand removed my Panama Jack hat with a move that would have made Sir Francis Drake proud.
“Gerie Ellen,” I said as I knelt down on my right knee.
“I love you!”
I explained to her how much she means to me and watched the stunned look in her eyes. At that point I showed her the ring that I had palmed when I stayed in the car for a “cigarette”.
“Will you marry me, Gerie?” I asked as I slipped the ring on her finger.
After she said “Yes!” and some hugging and kissing, I told her that we had 7:00 reservations for Mafolie’s that evening. She was so impressed that I had made dinner reservations from home, as though long distance calling was something beyond my limited capabilities. It was a perfect proposal, if I may say so myself.
“Now!” I said, “Let’s start this vacation!”
John's advice would be to propose as soon as possible. I'd have to agree. I can honestly say that I felt myself glowing the entire two weeks of vacation. This was a much brighter glow than the usual vacation glow. I have never before felt life was so perfect. The entire trip was spent basking in the joy of our engagement. It didn't matter where we went or what activities we chose. We were happily together anywhere.
His other big concern was the ring and how to get it on the plane without it being discovered by me. It would definitely not go in checked baggage. He didn't want to just carry it on in a pocket and have to whip it out into the disc going through security. I was in charge of the carry-on bags, making them unavailable. So, he tucked it into one of the little pockets of his camera case, hoping security wouldn't notice it and ask about it. I think it made him feel like a smuggler. LOL.
Whatever you do, however you propose, it's going to be wonderful. Congratulations!!!!!
Gerie-
Your engagement story pretty much brought me close to tears. Just beautiful, and wonderful advice, too. One other thing I did one year was to use Katiladys' services for one of their villa provisioning packages. Champagne, wine, beer, cheese,crackers, juices, etc...They were also able to put me in touch with a flower company that set up the most unbelievable flower arrangement that looked like an underwater scene. It was waiting on the dining room table for my Amy when we arrived. That,and rose petals on the bed guaranteed the most romantic (and sexy) week to date! tampaguy, if it sounds like a good idea to you, their address is www.katilady.com . I must say, that place is wonderful. The romance in the air of that special day will stay with you forever!
Get her the flowers-talk about an overwhelming love-crescendo!
(sorry to sound corny, but you two are bringing to that beautiful sunset sail to Maho...sigh...)
Smiles-
MJ
We have done several "secret'" proposal dinners and can send help you hide the ring, etc to heighten the surprise. Please PM me if you are interested.
Francis Bay for turtles -- on the far right facing the water - grass and sand bottom - - - Little Cinnamon a close second.
His other big concern was the ring and how to get it on the plane without it being discovered by me. It would definitely not go in checked baggage. He didn't want to just carry it on in a pocket and have to whip it out into the disc going through security. I was in charge of the carry-on bags, making them unavailable. So, he tucked it into one of the little pockets of his camera case, hoping security wouldn't notice it and ask about it. I think it made him feel like a smuggler.
I have definitely been thinking about this as well. I think I'll put it in my carryon, usually we each have our own carry bag. My concern there is that sometimes they want to empty the bag and search it. If that happens.. i don't know.. "hey baby -- ELVIS!!" *points*
Try Sogo's for good and plentiful caribbean cooking in a pleasant atmosphere. Everything from curried chicken to kingfish with up to 9 sides included.
Al & Vel hail from Dominica and are friendly and very personable. The restaurant is clean and simple and is often overlooked by tourists but is an excellant value. Lots of food for the $ and well prepared. You may even have the place to yourself and have Al tell you stories. Al used to cook for Caneel and later ran Ms. Lucy's before the family took it back.
Downtown Cruz Bay just up from Fred's and next door to Conrad Sutton car rental
Okay here is my two cents 🙂
There are so many great ideas here. I really agree with not walking to honeymoon at night. I also highly recommend snorkeling at Maho/Francis Bay for her first time. There is much to see in easy water. My 5 year old did it there for a half hour on his first time before getting tired. The snorkeling there has never disappointed me. You are such a sweetheart for putting so much time and effort into this. It will truely be special no matter how you decide to do it. Maho Bay has some really great local bands play there often. Now my opinion on the whole engagement plan. Down there the full moon is unbelievable. If you are going during a full moon it would be absolutely amazing to propose at night under the moon light in a dimmed place. Like your patio depending on your view or even a beach (but the bugs) fair warning) The moon for some odd reason like everything else on St.John is really magical and better than any where else I have ever been. You could almost reach out and touch it. I would pick a more secluded place with little city/background light. Trust me the moonlight will be enough. Well that was my 10 cent worth I think 😉 Best of luck to you and many memories!!
Wow, great idea, and what luck, we will be arriving during a full moon. Extra special for us, when our relationship was very young we used to count it in moons rather than months because it started on a full moon. Thanks!!!!
I agree with the others. As soon as I read this I thought it might be nice to propose sooner. It will set the tone for the trip and make it more special. I think you should propose before day 3, if possible.
Best wishes~!~
IDK, Here's my scenario . . .
Rent a car and go explore Coral Bay. Visit Skinny Legs at lunch for a cheeseburger, the absolute best in the world! There are a handful of cute shops in the Skinny Legs complex. . . check those out. Then, try beach combing on the rocky beach along Coral Bay. Even though you can't take them home, try competing for who can find the biggest conch shell. You'll also find beautiful pieces of beach glass, which you can take home. . . look for that. Maybe amongst your treasures, you will have "found" a nice piece of bling for your bride-to-be!
THEN, I would take the advice of those who have gone before me and visit Maho Bay.
Also, for turtle-spotting try the STT catamaran tour "Dancing Dolphin." They do a half-day sail to Turtle Cove, Buck Island. You can check them out at www.thedancingdolphin.com.
Best wishes and Good Luck, Dude!
Heather
Best Hikes? I was thinking maybe a hike down to salt pond bay, a little snorkling, then maybe hike on to ram's head. Suggestions?
Thanks again..
Reef Bay trail to the petroglyphs, then the boat ride back sounds like a winner to me. Pia knows a lot about it. I've never tried it, as my fiancee is handicapped. Maybe this fall...
Good luck-
Smiles-
MJ
Unless you both are loners by nature, the Reef Bay hike / NPS tour is really nice. You can get the details through the links above but the main thing is to get you reservation for a space in early as it tends to fill up quickly.
