camillec

I was just wondering if the rental company escorts who meet you at the ferry ever allow time to pick up a few some essentials (milk/other perishable food items) before taking you to your villa. We are using Private Homes for Private Vacations. The villa we are renting is on Mamey Peak so not really close to any stores. I am mostly concerned about that first night there because the next day we will naturally venture out for more provisions. I have gotten so much information from these boards. It has really been great for a person planning a last minute vacation. Thank you.

Maggi

Hi again! I was wondering the same thing since we will be coming in late. I don't know if they will take the time to let you shop, but here in one possibility - villa provisioning by Katilady:
http://www.katilady.com/provision.cfm

Sunnyboy

I don't have any first hand experience with "Private Homes for Private Vacations" but have rented many villas and my experience has been the rental company escort is more interested in spending as little time as necessary getting you to the villa so they can get back to whatever they were doing before you arrived or they are rushed because they have to meet someone else. Don't expect them to want to wait around while you go shopping but if by chance they are willing to do so, then you have a plesant surprise. That said, many time the villa rental company will, upon request, stock the refrigerator with basic essentials (some even offer full provisioning) prior to your arrival if you call or e-mail them with a shopping list (be prepared to pay in advance by credit card and you will probably be charged a small premium for this service. You can also use an independent "villa provisioner" like the one recommended by Maggi or one recommended by your villa rental company (if they don't offer this service themselves).

MIM04

As Sunnyboy said, most dont want to wait for you to shop. However they will normally put food in the house for dinner and / or the next day if you wish. You can always get settled and take a taxi or rental car later on. Have fun.

RobertoB

This is a good question. Probably depends on the schedule of the villa rep. The person that met us on St. John was shopping at Starfish also, so we didn’t seem rushed. As you said you really only need enough to get through the first night or next day. St. John is not that large, with decent roads, so it doesn’t take long to reach the stores in Cruz Bay.

We tended to make a quick shopping trip whenever we visited the north shore beaches. That way the trip is even shorter.

Dreamer2

I would suppose he wouldn't mind it IF you made it worth his while! Although I've never stayed in a villa, I have taken resort car service from an airport, and I can't imagine them being able to stop en route. If you are the only couple in the car, and the driver is not tightly booked, he may be willing to detour for a fee.

tamryn

We were just on St. John and arrived in the evening (met by Catered To). I knew that we would be way too tired to grocery shop, but was mainly worried about late night snacks and next am breakfast stress! I used Kati Lady and was glad I did. As someone mentionned, it might have been more expensive, but 1) it was a huge stress reliever to just unwind and open the fridge and 2) you always buy so much extra silly stuff when you go on vacation at the grocery that we avoided for that time anyway! I ordered online and got exactly what I wanted.

zachsarbean1

We have used Private Homes in the past and will be using them again this summer. You must be staying at Tree House or Viewtiful if it's on Mamey peak. We have stayed at Tree House and will be staying at Viewtiful this summer. We have never asked them to wait for us except while we pick up the vehicle. I'm sure they wouldn't have a big problem with it, but the store really isn't that far from the house (maybe 7 minutes), so you may just want to take the drive back in once you're settled. You'll have to post and let me know what you thought of the house if you're staying at Viewtiful!

camillec

Zachsarbean1,
As a matter of fact, we are staying at Viewtiful. We have never been to St John before and the idea of this property being up on a peak with cool trade winds appealed to us. Have you ever seen this property outside or inside, or can you give me any other feedback on the house or area from your previous travels? I couldn't find any online reviews for Viewtiful. The only thing I feel a bit apprehensive about is the lay-out of the bedrooms, but hopefully that won't be an inconvenience. Is the store you are referring to in Coral Bay? I didn't realize we would only be 7 minutes away from a place to buy provisions. Also, our flight arrives in St Thomas around noon. Is that store generally open late enough off season so that, after we get settled, we can still get there before it closes? I'm sorry for so many questions_I'm just so excited to find somebody who has dealt with Private Homes and their properties in the past. Camille

RobertoB

camillec

If you do a search for Viewtiful in the archives of USVI On-Line ( http://www.usvi-on-line.com/usviforum.html ) you'll find several very positive reviews on Viewtiful.

There is a store in Coral Bay, Love City Mini-Mart, near the the Domino gas station. For a small store it has an amazing amount of groceries.

camillec

Roberto,
Thank you so much for that link. I did find some complimentary reviews on Viewtiful and I feel very much relieved now. When planning a vacation via the internet, one is always a little apprehensive until they are sure that what they see on the web is what they will get. Camille

zachsarbean1

I have not been in Viewtiful, but it is right next door to Tree House, so I've seen the outside (I remember when we stayed at Tree House, we were very envious of the pool!). The views are absolutely wonderful, but just a warning...you'll definitely need a 4WD vehicle to get up the driveway. The grocery store we use is just outside Cruz Bay on Centerline Road. You can get gas there too. I'm not sure how late it's open, but when we've been there in the offseason I never really noticed a difference from the peak seasons with any businesses.
As far as the layout of the house, I'm assuming you're referring to the fact that the rooms are on the bottom floor and you have to walk down the staircase to get to them. That is how it is at many of the rental homes (both treehouse and Tesseract, where we've stayed in the past, have had this feature). We have never had a problem with it or felt funny about it.
Since you are coming in late, I would contact Mary-Phyllis or her daughter Mary Eilleen (I think that's the daughter's name) and see how they feel about stopping off or if they know the hours of the grocery store. They are very nice and extremely helpful. Any other questions, just let me know! ps- we have never gone into Coral Bay for groceries (not big fans of that side of the island) so I'm not sure about that question!

camillec

Zachsarbean1,
Thanks for all the information. It is very helpful to know these things. I am really getting excited about my vacation now!