Here’s my trip report, hope it’s not too boring. I tried to include as much information on the price of things.
Couple of things first.
• Car rental and driving. I think the rental definitely was worth it as one trip in a cab could pay the days rental cost. Driving on the left, really no problem, in fact I thought it was kind of fun with the twisty roads and hills. I don’t understand people who say things are slower paced and more relaxed on the Islands. They drive like maniacs. lol.
• The Marriott mixed reviews, I cover this in the report.
• People saying everything is so expensive. Yes the restaurants are expensive, but I found the prices in the grocery stores really weren’t too bad. Of course, I think the prices we pay here in Canada are a little higher than in the mainland USA. Oh and the hotel prices were very high as well, but the off season rates are not too bad.
• Garbage…I just assumed that a small island like St. Thomas would practice some form of recycling?? It wouldn’t take much work to reduce the amount of garbage that must surely be shipped off the Island? And I’m sure if the bottles and cans were worth something, they wouldn’t be lying around everywhere.

Day 1, Sat., April 1, 2006
Out of bed at 3:30am, hoping we haven’t forgot anything, our son Lucas drives us to the airport. Halfway there I realize I don’t have my reading glasses, oh well. Got thru security and boarded the plane with no problems. While on the plane in Halifax, it was determined that we were not “structurally sound”, so they removed random pieces of luggage.
Landed in Newark with fingers crossed about the luggage. We got 2 out of 3 pieces, not too bad. Bought a $2.00 pair of reading glasses to get me thru the trip. We took our 2 bags and cleared customs for the United States, back on a plane for our final destination of St. Thomas.
Landed in St. Thomas at about 2:15pm to a bit of a wharf smell, lucky for us this was the only place we encountered this aroma. Very hot and disorganized at the airport, so we remedied this by going to the bar for some Rum. Luggage was very slow coming in and ended with the belt breaking, so the remainder was passed thru from the outside. My wife waited for the luggage while I got in line for the rental car. My wife got our two bags and I got our rental car keys. From there we went back around to Continental Airlines to make a claim for our lost (left behind) luggage.
Picked up our rental car (Budget) and it was a real piece of crap. The brakes were very noisy and the car had some marks and dents on it. Back in to the Budget counter to tell the attendant, she gave me paper with a picture of a car to show where the dents and marks were. I did this plus took pictures of the damage.
Headed off to Secret Harbour Beach Resort. (www.secretharbourvi.com/) I must admit we had heard how beautiful St.Thomas was, but our drive to the hotel was less than impressive. There was more garbage on the sides of the road than I expected and it was hard to get much of a view from the road. Stopped at Pueblo’s in Havensight and bought some things we were missing from our misplaced luggage, 2 toothbrushes, toothpaste, water and 30 SPF sunscreen ($13.99). We also picked up:
• 6 Bud - $5.39
• 6 MGD - $5.49
• Pineapple and Coconut Cruzan Rum - $6.99 each
• Cruzan Dark on sale for $3.99
• Big K Pineapple Pop, 2 Liters for $.99
• 2 liters of Sprite for $1.75
• Honey Nut Cherrios - $3.89
• 1 Quart of milk - $3.29
• Tropicana Orange Juice - $4.99
• Pringles - $1.69
Found the Resort, but more signage would have helped. Checked in and we were taken to our room, as soon as we turned the corner to our room and we saw the beach, our expectations were fulfilled. Our room was right on the beach and was just what we wanted. The room was large and clean with a full kitchen. We had heard the Blue Moon Café (www.bluemooncafevi.com/) at our Resort was very good so we decided to have dinner there. I had Mahi Mahi and my wife had the Caribbean Lobster. I didn’t like mine very much but I chalked it up being sick the week before after eating fish and the memories were strong, lol. My wife’s Lobster wasn’t very impressive, but we are from Nova Scotia and are used to our cold water Lobster. Total for both of us including drinks - $108.00 (not worth it).
Went to bed around 8:30, exhausted.

Day 2, Sun., April 2, 2006
Up and had Cherrios for breakfast on our patio and in the ocean by 8:30am. The water was excellent and they have a dive platform at Secret Harbour, so we swam out to it and played around there. It was a little overcast so we decided to take the ferry to St. John. We had a hard time finding a place to park but finally did and took the passenger ferry instead of taking the car. I think this was the right decision as we just shopped a little at Mongoose Junction and had lunch at Margarita Phil’s. Lunch was good but not great and the Margaritas were from a machine. After lunch we took a cab (cattle truck) to Trunk Bay. Trunk Bay was a spectacular beach with beautiful sand, but the water was a little rough (normal, I think).
When we got back to our resort we chilled some more on the beach and had a late supper at the Beach Bar at Blue Moon. We both had the Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich and a drink each – not bad - $30.00. We had another drink on the beach and finished the night on our patio with a final nightcap. 10:00pm, 79 degrees, superb.

Day 3, Mon., April 3, 2006
Up at 7:30, beautiful morning, 78 degrees. Had breakfast on the patio – cherrios, OJ and coffee we took from home. In the water again for a swim, very nice.
We decided to go into Havensight to shop a little. Two cruise ships were in, one of them was huge. Bought a beautiful Circle of Life necklace for our daughter’s graduation gift. Got my wife a nice 18 carat Rosewood gold Mother of Pearl bracelet with Diamonds.
Stopped at Food Center on the way back to the resort and bought bread, tomatoes, sliced meat, lettuce and more Rum. Back at the hotel we had toasted tomato sandwiches and tossed salad for lunch. Spent the rest of the day on the beach at Secret Harbour.
That night our 3rd bag showed up.
We ordered pizza from Senor Pizza in Red Hook

Day 4, Tue., April 4, 2006
Up at 7:00am, beautiful morning, 78 degrees. Breakfast on the patio.
Went to K Mart and bought a few things including an Easter outfit for our Granddaughter. Went out over to place called Marianne’s and my wife bought a dress, not much customer service there.
Stopped in at the Marriott (marriott.com/property/propertypage/STTFR) to check things out. The Morning Star was very nice, close to the beach. The Frenchman’s Reef was nice as well, great view. We’ll be there in 2 days.
Back to the hotel for leftover pizza and salad. Spent the afternoon on the beach drinking rum in big insulated travel mugs we bought the day before. I went snorkeling for the first time in my life with Willy, a guy we met from San Diego. It was great. Later we went to the Rum Punch Reception the resort hosted, it was very nice with steel drums playing.
After that we went to Molly Molone’s (www.mollymolonevi.com/enter.htm) for dinner. I had the Jack Dempsey Black & Bleu burger, which had bleu cheese and bacon $10.25. My wife had the Chicken Quesadilla $10.95. It was just ok.
Back to the resort to spend a little time on the patio. 82 degrees.

Day 5, Wed., April 5, 2006
Up at 7:30, 78 degrees and sunny.
Went to Red Hook for a 9:30 departure for a daysail on the “Winnifred” (www.sailwinifred.com/) , a 43’ wooden sailing yacht. We sailed over to St. John to snorkel, tying up in Caneel Bay. This was a little disappointing, as their website promised to anchor in a secluded cove, not tied up with several other boats. The website also said they offered expert snorkel lessons and equipment. There were no lessons and the flippers were the adjustable crappy kind. I was impressed with the variety of fish we saw, plus Eels, Ray’s, a couple of Turtles and just before we went back to the boat, a Spotted Eagle Ray. The lunch on the deck of the Winnifred was great as well as the slow sail home. The drinks were good as well. All in all, we had a good time….was it worth the $125 each? I don’t think so. After we got back to Red Hook we went to “Duffy’s Love Shack” (www.duffysloveshack.com/) . Had some $1.25 Red Stripe beer, $2.75 appies and a dollar dog. It was great!
Got back to the hotel and did some laundry. Then we stopped and had a beer with Willy and Tonya from San Diego.

Day 6, Thu., April 6, 2006
Moving Day.
Beautiful day…again!
Had breakfast, got packed up and put everything in the car. Spent the rest of the day at the beach at Secret Harbour. For lunch we had a picnic lunch we had made and packed earlier. And more rum, of course.
Around 3:30 we left for the Marriott. We stopped at the Food Center for a few things. Settled on MGD at $1.25 each and Smirnoff Ice at $1.50 each. Plus a quart of Appleton’s for $8.95.
Arrived at the Marriott……What a disappointment!
The room we ended up with was not the room we looked at 2 days before. When we checked in I was told our room was on the first floor and that the lobby we were standing in was on the fourth floor. At that time I complained and asked for a different room. I was told there were none available, so I said I would have a look at it. The water view we were promised was through the trees on the first floor. So back down, I mean up to the lobby to see if they could do anything. This time I was offered a room on the sixth floor with a better view but with two double beds. Next room I was offered was facing a palm tree over the pool. Went back down to the first floor to discuss these options with my wife, we decided to stay where we are and make the best of it. I’ve read mixed reviews on the Frenchman’s Reef before and now I understand why. It depends on where you’re placed in the hotel. We were on the first floor with stains on the hallway floor, our room was very dated and in fact we were left one bathrobe for the two of us. Meanwhile, friends of ours checked in two days later, they got a corner room on the eighth floor with a great view of the ocean and from the patio you could also see the beach. PLUS, we found out later that they got a turn down service every night with chocolates on the bed, something we never saw. I guess it’s luck of the draw. On the plus side, the Heavenly Bed was indeed heavenly.
Very stuffy atmosphere here at the Marriott, much different than at Secret Harbour.
Anyway, we checked things out a bit around the grounds and watched a cruise ship leave.
Then we decided to have a bite to eat and decided to try Coco Joe’s here at the Marriott. It is right on the beach and wasn’t very crowded. I must say I thought it was excellent. I had the Seafood Linguine and my wife had the Coconut Shrimp Salad, both terrific. $50 for both including a drink each.

Day 7, Fri., April 7, 2006
Slept in a little this morning, 7:30.
I decided to visit their gym for a little workout. Nice gear and only a little crowded. Only problem was I went with my sandals and that’s not allowed. I went back to our room and found a pair of shoes that I took for our awards banquet scheduled for Tue night. This was the only time I had the shoes on, I even wore the sandals to the banquet. My wife stayed back and had coffee on the patio.
Afterward we decided to go in to Charlotte Amalie do a little shopping while there were no Cruise Ships in. While there we had a nice breakfast at Bumpa’s, I had French Toast and my wife had Bacon and Eggs. About $15.00.
We bought some more stuff for our Granddaughter and gifts to take home to our kids. My wife bought me a nice gold chain for our anniversary. Then we went back to the hotel around noon to spend the afternoon on the Morning Star beach. The company event which starts Sat had a registration desk set up for people there early, so I took advantage of the free rum provided and filled our all day travel mugs to drink at the beach.
We showered and headed to Charlotte Amaile to The Green House (www.thegreenhouserestaurant.com/greenhousestt/index.html) for two for one drinks and food. For drinks we had Bailey’s Banana Colada’s. We decided to try the Conch Fritters, very interesting, hard to describe the taste, but good. I had an average Greek Salad and my wife had the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wrap. $38 for all.
Lot’s of sights to see outside around the restaurant and not all good things. A little on the rough side?
Across the road there was a beautiful large yacht tied up. The 178 foot Starfire (www.interpacyachts.com/yachts/caribboats/starfire.html) , was there someone famous on board? We’ll never know.

Day 8, Sat., April 8, 2006
Wow, another beautiful day! It never ends.
Went to Coco Joe’s for breakfast. My wife had the Stuffed French Toast and said it was great. I had the Crabcake Bennidict. Not what I expected. The crabcakes we have here are a mixture of crab meat and a potato mixture. The crabcakes here are almost entirely crab meat. I thought they were terrific. $38 total.
Back to the room to change and hit the beach for the day…and more drinks.
Around 3:00 I took the rental car back to the airport.
Back to the room around 4:30 to shower and change for the company reception. Well spread out buffet and drinks. I can’t remember what all there was but it was good.

Day 9, Sun., April 9, 2006
Up early for company breakfast buffet.
I had a morning meeting to attend and listen to company BS. My wife hit the Frenchman’s Reef pool. We had a buffet lunch of salads and sandwich meats which you could make a sandwich if you wanted to. Went to Morning Star pool for the afternoon to relax more…like we need to. lol.
That night, the company took all of us (around 380) to Iggies (www.iggiesbeachbar.com) for a beach party. Iggies were closed to the public and provided us with dancers and entertainment. Oh yeah, there was lots of food and more drinks.

Day 10, Mon., April 10, 2006
OK, I had to repeat myself, but, another great day.
Company breakfast buffet.
Today is the company activity day and there was a variety of activities that you selected before you came to ST. Thomas. There was Parasailing, Jet Ski’s, St. John trip, Golf, Deep Sea Fishing or shopping in Charlotte Amalie. The other choice was the one I chose was Scuba Diving…for the first time. That wasn’t until noon, so we spent the morning at the Morning Star beach. My wife chickened out on the Scuba diving and spent the afternoon at the pool but I went with the rest of the group, 16 in total. Although 3 were denied for medical reasons, so that dropped our group to 13.
We went to Red Hook to the Chris Sawyer Diving Center (www.sawyerdive.vi/) . We had some classroom instruction and then boarded the boat and headed out. We anchored off a protected beach for more instruction. I was pretty nervous stepping off that boat and into the water. For quite a few of us, this was our first dive and I thought there was a good diver to instructor ratio. There were three groups of three divers to one instructor and our group had four divers and two instructors. It was a good time except I thought we would see more?
Back to the hotel to shower and change for another company reception by the pools at Frenchman’s Reef. Nachos, nuts, etc and more rum punch.
At this point we could go were ever we had made reservations for dinner. These things were covered by a cash allowance provided to us for meals not provided by the company. We had dinner reservations with another couple at Virgilios, but we decided we didn’t want to go very far. So we went to Coco Joe’s. I had the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wrap, my wife had the Seafood Linguine, and both were excellent. The other couple had the Coconut Shrimp Salad and the Swordfish and said they were good as well. $105 for all four of us including drinks and desert.

Day 11, Tue., April 11, 2006
Sigh, another nice day and our vacation coming to an end.
Company breakfast buffet.
Decided to take a cab into Havensight for a little shopping, very little. Bought cheap rum to take home. My wife found a store called Rainbow, next to the Pueblo grocery store. I had a hard time getting her out of there, lots of shoes.
Hit the beach around noon, stayed there till 3:30 with large drinks.
Back to room to shower and get ready for awards banquet.
It was held at a beautiful place called The St. Peter Greathouse (www.greathouse-mountaintop.com/gh/index2.htm) . Truly a great view and a great meal to boot.
Back to the hotel to finish packing, getting some rain tonight.

Day 12, Wed., April 12, 2006
Our Granddaughter’s birthday, sure miss her.
Up at 5:00am and left for airport at 5:45 for 8:50 flight. Got through security and everything pretty good. Had breakfast at the airport and then I decided to have a little nap while my wife finished her book. I woke up and my wife went to the bathroom, meanwhile there’s a guy looking for a couple of people going on Cape Air, I look at my watch and it’s 8:50. Almost missed our flight. We go out and get in the 10 seat Cessna (wharf smell again), my wife is very nervous but survives. I thought it was great.
Light rain as we take off for San Juan.
San Juan to Newark.
Newark to Halifax.
Our daughter surprised us at the airport with our Granddaughter. Tears all round.
Finally got home around 11:00pm.

Thanks for everyone's help before we went.
nsalphadog