Petit St. Vincent Trip Report - June 2005

Old Jul 8th, 2005, 02:09 PM
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Petit St. Vincent Trip Report - June 2005

We just returned from a one week visit (late June 2005) to Petit St. Vincent Resort (PSV). We have received great perspectives from this community over the years and thought we should share our experiences as it seems PSV is a popular destination.

Overall – This was our first trip to PSV. We had very high expectations given all the favorable reviews and extensive research we had done through travel sites and via other travel sources. Although we had a nice time and the resort is very well done, we did leave a little disappointed. To put things in perspective, we have recently visited One and Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas, Meridian Club at Pine Cay, and Parrot Cay resort. For us, PSV, although very nice, would be at the bottom of that list. Below we’ve outlined some of the areas that others may be interested in as they plan their trip to PSV, or not.

Cottages – We found that PSV’s website and the other reviews accurately portrayed the cottages. The bedding/mattresses are very thick, comfortable and plush. The linens are also high end. It was unclear to us why the rooms all had two queen beds if they cater to honeymooners and couples, but it was fine. The bathrooms are spacious and also nicely appointed. In our cottage (and we believe they are all the same), there was no separate tub and, be aware, that the “stone shower” is very small – the shower curtain that surrounds it tends to attack you. The designers should have doubled or tripled the size of the shower for more comfort.

As advertised, there is no AC in the rooms. Yes, there are breezes but we still found our room rather warm (but not unbearable) for sleeping. Airflow could be better in some cottages vs. others. Admittedly, we lead a pampered life with air conditioning involved in most everything we do but, nonetheless, we did sweat when getting ready for dinner and it was warm for sleeping. Although the Meridian Club is also without air conditioning, we found the breezes to be much stronger and cooling at Pine Cay.

The windows in the bed rooms do have screens. However, the 4-6 sliding glass doors that surround the sitting area do not have screens. Although this is very picturesque and increases the air flow, it does provide the bugs and birds easy access. We would frequently have little birds buzzing in and out of the room when we left the doors open.

Regarding location of the cottages, based on our many laps around the island, we would recommend Cottages 17 or 18 -- - they share their own private beach which appears to be one of the nicer beaches. Cottage 3 on the Bluff also appeared to have a nice view and good beach access. Any of the cottages on the Bluff (#s 3-5) seemed like a good choice. The beach front cottages are less secluded but do have direct access to the Atlantic Side Beach. They did seem rather close together. The most secluded cottage may be #19 – and although it does have a private “beach” – the beach is very small and mostly rocks.

Beaches/Water – This was the area of our biggest disappointment and an area that was not apparent to us from prior reviews or even pictures we had studied from the resort and others. First of all, the beaches are sand. We had seen reports that suggested the beaches were rocky. The beaches are nicely covered with sand. It is not the fine white sand you will find at Turks and Caicos but the sand is not the issue. The issue is the water. You can only enter the water at a handful of very small locations and you cannot enter the water without aqua socks. The ocean floor is very rocky and/or a coral reef by the beaches and much of it is covered with seaweed. Consequently, very few places have the light crystal clear water you might expect in the Caribbean. Rather, much of the water directly off the beaches is a darker blue (almost black) due to the coral and rocks. If you don’t mind the aqua socks – then this is not an issue. In fact, PSV provides each guest with free ones. However, this was not at all what we expected and if we had read any reviews that suggested aqua socks were required, we would not have gone to PSV in the first place. You can swim in this water, but few people seemed to do so – we chose only to go in to cool off when necessary (and it is necessary). If swimming in crystal clear water is important to you – PSV is not your place. There is a small sand spit just off the island (Petit St. Richardson) that does have a very nice beach and excellent swimming. (More on that later.) As an aside, the best beach/water on the island appeared to be a small area right next to the dock where the boaters are allowed to come ashore and where the beach barbeque is held each Saturday evening. This area was not at all private and there was no seating or other amenities provided for guests, so it was not used.

We like to walk on the beach. From a walking perspective, the beaches are ok --- although neither the West Beach (which houses about 10 private beach cabanas) nor the Atlantic Beach (where the cottages reside) is very long. The West Beach is probably the longest and (guessing), it may be one-third to one-half mile.

We spent several days in the cabanas on the West End Beach. They are rather private and the beach service from the bar and restaurant works well. The hammock and beach chairs are new and in good shape. The tiki huts provide complete shade if you like. If you like to read on vacation – the West End Beach will be perfect for you.

Food – The restaurant/bar is gorgeous and the ambience is very romantic. Stone walls, dark, and candle lit. It is very well done and very elegant. However, you should know – it too is not air conditioned. If there is no breeze blowing you can break a sweat at dinner.

With respect to food, we are not big “food people.” We have simple tastes and are generally easy to please. A grilled piece of chicken, fish or beef and we are happy. Surprisingly, we had a number of food issues at PSV. Dinner at the restaurant each night consisted of a choice of 5 entrees - - and best we could tell, no deviations/special requests were allowed. It appeared they were attempting to please the gourmets – everything was highly seasoned, sauced, or covered and smothered. Our efforts to get things “plain” with no seasoning or sauces were always rebuked and generally not accommodated. The first night we requested a salad with no dressing and the waiter shook his head no and told us “we would not like it that way”. Other nights trying to get a plain piece of fish or chicken also came up fruitless. The one dinner we did enjoy was the Saturday night beach barbeque. They served simple grilled food, right on the beach with a local steel drum band. It was very well done and nice. Lunches were also not to our liking. Although they had a grilled cheese sandwich on the “beach menu”, when we ordered it for lunch, it consisted of a hot dog roll with melted cheese inside. The next day the grilled cheese sandwich came in a hamburger roll. There were no chips, french fries, no nothing available with the sandwich. We learned to eat a big breakfast--the best meal of the day at PSV in our opinion.

Most people seemed to eat in their rooms for breakfast and had lunch delivered to the beach or cottage as well. Several days we were alone in the restaurant for breakfast and only a handful of folks for lunch. Dinners were a little more crowded but not any where near capacity. PSV did do a very nice job with the room service, and the cottages were very romantic, so it was easy to imagine why people would eat in their rooms or on the beach. It was sometimes easier to communicate special requests in writing using their room service request sheets. We believe some of the issues with special requests at meals may have been due to a language barrier with the wait staff.

The Bar area was very nice and had some nice views. Few guests seemed to visit the bar area except before dinner. We did notice a table or two of yachters in the bar most every afternoon. They were always very pleasant and should not alarm any one.

Service – Generally the service was very good. The flag system was relatively effective and efficient. The employees were good intentioned and pleasant. We did find a couple of the waiters to be less accommodating and not particularly focused on client service and the office staff at times seemed a little confused; however, the overall service was fine. We don’t think the service would make or break anyone’s experience at PSV.

Activities – There really is very little to do other than read and relax and snorkel in the reefs just offshore—which for most should be an ideal vacation. If you like boating activities, kayaking, sunfishes, etc, they seem to be well equipped and offer excursions to Tobago Cays and other areas if you like.

There is no pool. There is no spa. There is no fitness room. There are no tvs. There is a tennis court. The primary activities are reading, swinging in a hammock, listening to the water and taking walks. There is a lot of walking/hiking that can be done around PSV. We walked a couple laps each day.

They advertise Petit St. Richardson as an excursion for a private beach picnic lunch. It is a small sand spit accessible only via a 5-minute boat ride. They will pack you a lunch or take you at other times throughout the day. It has much nicer water than PSV and is readily swim able without aqua socks. The water here is what we expect with the Caribbean. All of this sounds nice and it is a fun little excursion but you should be aware of several things. 1) Although there is a tiki hut for shade– there are no chairs provided. (We have done private beach drop-offs in the Turks and Caicos and were always provided chairs to relax upon). They bring whatever food/drink you request, but you are responsible for towels and anything else you might need for several hours. 2) Don’t expect to be alone – we did and were not. Yachters seem to enjoy this small spit as do other private tour groups. While we had our “private” beach experience, another boat of 8 people pulled up (the entire spit is only 25 yds long by 10 yds wide). From where we sat on West End Beach each day, we could see that there were generally multiple groups of people on the spit. Again – all of this is fine – just be prepared.

Clientele – Like us, most of the resort guests were couples in the 25-40 age range and many were honeymooners. We saw two families during our stay, but none with young children. We could not imagine this as a family destination, but suppose there are some this might appeal to.

Communications – There are no phones in the cottages and we expected this. There is also no TV’s or Internet access anywhere on the island and no newspapers or daily newsbriefs to keep you informed. This sounds charming and some may prefer to totally unplug from the rest of the world, but we felt a bit disconnected. A little world news would have been nice. The resort office has a phone and fax and you are able to use it if necessary. We needed to make several calls and while pricey, it was easy to do and they were very accommodating.

Travel/Connections – It took us quite a while to get to PSV from the Eastern U.S. (14 hours door to door). We flew from the states to Barbados and had quite a long wait for our flight to Union Island due to a delay in the shuttle flights that run between Union and the other islands. Upon arrival at Barbados, the commuter airline folks do take care of your luggage and expedite you through immigration. It worked fantastic – other than the 3 hour wait in the departures area that ensued. At Union Island, PSV folks take over and escort you to the boat and care for your luggage retrieval. Use the PSV luggage tags. They did serve a very useful purpose.

************************************************** ********************
In closing, we had a good time. We fell into a rhythm and pace that allowed us to really relax and enjoy each other. PSV is a true nature and wildlife preserve. The owners do a fabulous job of maintaining an unspoiled paradise for all types of interesting flora and fauna. If you appreciate nature and prefer to completely disengage from the rest of the world, then PSV could be an ideal place for you. PSV is very private. The flag system and decent food/beverage service to virtually any location on the island ensures that you can spend as much or as little time with other people as you desire. You also are assured of spending a lot of quality time together with your spouse/partner, and in the end, that was the most important thing to us for this vacation!

PsychedDiva is offline  
Old Jul 8th, 2005, 02:34 PM
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Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed and helpful report.

I enjoyed the read .

It is reports like yours that give us first-hand knowledge, which is why most of us are here, and you covered everything so well.

Thanks again !

Marion

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Old Jul 8th, 2005, 02:59 PM
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Thanks so much for your report/

Your impressions of PSV were very similar to ours.

The isolation was perfect for us. We prefer places where we can be totally alone and forget completely about the outside world.

We both loved it, but the food issues would keep us from going back. I'm sorry to hear they have not corrected this concern as it has been an issue for awhile.
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Old Jul 8th, 2005, 05:38 PM
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Thank you for the insightful report. This is a place that I have had on our long list.You bring up some good things to think about.
I recall when you were researching, and looking for a Parrot Cay comparison trip. Had you considered Beach house in Barbuda as well? Just wondering if you have ruled it out as a future trip?
Thanks again, Carol
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Old Jul 9th, 2005, 05:38 AM
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Carol-
Yes, The Beach House is still on our long list. Sounds like we both have long lists . The fun is in exploring and checking into all of the wonderful possibilities. Many thanks to you and others for your insights for this years' adventures.
-Diva
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Old Jul 9th, 2005, 06:11 AM
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Carol -

In looking back further at our notes, we had a couple concerns on the Beach House from previous reviews that included: 1) Rough water and windy conditions making it difficult/impossible to swim, 2) Bathrooms in need of upgrade, 3) wafer thin walls in guest rooms, and 4) serious bug issues. Like always, it is tough to tell which, if any, of these items are real issues but we noted them (or some version of them) on several reviews and they gave us pause about booking a trip. We did note that upgrades to the rooms were planned and thought we may wait until then and see if the same concerns still appeared. Diva
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Old Jul 9th, 2005, 07:03 PM
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Hi Diva.
Thanks for the reply, as I feel your search and review of certain properties are helpful to me!! I should be making more notes on the places on my long (and short) list of places to experience. I am probably expecting my memory to help me when I am at an actual planning stage....
Great points to note about Beach House, thanks.
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Old Jul 11th, 2005, 07:04 AM
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Here's another person who thinks PsychedDiva's comments about PSV are pretty accurate. My wie and I were there several years ago and were, to put it bluntly, disappointed. From it's brochure, and what we read about it in magazines, guide books and it's web-site the resort sounded terrific and really unique. Unfortunately, we found the staff to be rather standoffish and unhelpful. Perhaps they got that way by following in the footsteps of the owners who, except for a few works at their weekly cocktail party, never acknowledged our presents or said so much as a hello whenever we would encounter them around the property. No matter how often we tried to engage the staff in friendly conversation we got nary a comment back. We chartered one of their boats for a day trip to Grenada and the Captain hardly said a word to us during the trip, not even taking the time to point out any of the small islands we passed on the ride.

We found the food to be mediocre at best. The dinner entrees were the same each night (occasionally they changed the description but the food was the same, i.e. rack of lamb on Monday, lamb chops on Tuesday, medallions of lamb on Wednesday, etc. - it's was the exact same dish) and to top it off everything tasted as if it were cooked at 5:00PM and held under warming lights until it was served at 8:00PM. It was almost like eating leftovers.

After a week at this resort we couldn't wait to leave. Funny thing, while we were there we met another couple who were repeat guests and they just loved the place saying it was their favorite resort in the entire Caribbean.

We won't be going back, there are just too many other places that are so much better.

 
Old Jul 11th, 2005, 09:48 AM
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hello Diva!
I only ate lunch at PSV, so I don't know about actually spending the night, but i asked about seeing it for future stay, and they said i had to pay for the night before they could show me!! Maybe people ask all the time (sailors) and they didn't think we would really stay there, but I've stayed in some of the best in the world, so I was put off.
Petit St. richardson is usually called Mopion, and actually features in "Islands" and "Caribbean Travel and Life" magazines all the time. I find it funny they gave you a different name for it!
The beach in Tobago Cays was beautiful, but i won't return to Petit St. Vincent.
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Old Jul 12th, 2005, 09:06 AM
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Good report, PsycedDiva. We have been several times but we know what to expect. When we need true pampering we go elsewhere. But for true privacy and natural surroundings we think its pretty special. We're looking at Meridian Club for next year -- If you don't mind, what are the difference syou see from it and psv (natural setting aside)?

Food at psv hasn't changed, I see. However, we had lobster and La Grande Dame on our patio every night so we weren't complaining about repeat meals! The beach bbq on Wed was pretty good -- nothing fancy, though. I agree that some of the food at lunch/dinner looks like it was prepared earlier in the day. There have been several postings regarding the average food quality -- you would think that word would make it back to psv.

Blamona, I can't believe they wanted to charge you! But, I know that they don't want to parade people around so as to allow the most privacy for their guests. But so much for pr!
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Old Jul 12th, 2005, 10:00 AM
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One more Caribbean traveler's input. We loved the isloation of our cottages at PSV but after 2 visits in the early 1990's Mr. Richardson-now owner,I think and several of his staff treated us like they were going us a favor at $700/day in season.
Parrot Caye in the Turks (or Key) if you prefer is much nicer for the price.There are many others. One more in the Turks that is worth going to in April when the rates come down a bit is The Meridian Club on Pine Key in the Turks.
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Old Jul 13th, 2005, 04:55 AM
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BeachGirl- We liked The Meridian Club/Pine Cay and Parrot Cay in the Turks & Caicos. We will definitely go back to those places. As you requested, below is our comparison of the Meridian Club to PSV. They are similar in many ways. Feel free to ask more questions if you want. We tried to hit the main points.

Cottages/Accommodations – Both have no AC, no TV, no phones. Meridian Club has 13 cottages lining the beach and they are close together but still private due to strategically placed plants and landscaping. Next time we go we are going to book the Sand Dollar Cottage which is the nicest cottage and apart from the others on Sand Dollar Point. PSV has 22 cottages. The cottages along the beach appear closest together but there are many spread out on bluffs and hills around the island. Each seems to have it’s own unique features. We thought the PSV cottages were just gorgeous and very nicely done with the stone and wood, however the outside shower at the Meridian Club and the better air flow in our room there make this a close call between the two.

Beaches/Water – There is no comparison. The Meridian Club has unbelievable beaches/water. We could walk for miles on pristine sand and swim in crystal clear water and never see another person. Turks & Caicos beaches are our idea of perfection.

Food – Meals at Meridian Club were good. Both places have short, limited menus, but we always found something we liked at Meridian Club and it did not appear that it was prepared in advance as was the case at PSV. PSV prides itself on the flag system and in-room or on-beach delivery service and I must say we got used to that. Meridian Club meals are at the main clubhouse only—however they did send along food for our beach drop-off excursion.

Service – We were able to communicate directly with management and staff did not have any language barriers at Pine Cay. They did a great job. We did get used to the flag system at PSV, though. Nice to have the option of having a meal anywhere you wish. Beyond the flag system for meals and beverages, the overall service and attentiveness was better at Meridian Club.

Activities – The Meridian Club/Pine Cay is a flat island and PSV is very hilly, but both are rustic and naturally unspoiled and beautiful. Both places provide options for long hikes, water sports and we found Pine Cay to be a better value in this regard. For example, they provided complimentary daily snorkeling trips and beach drop-offs to nearby small islands. Neither has any nightlife after dinner and both have special Saturday night barbeques with live bands.

Clientele – Similar at both places. There were lots of couples, and few families. The Meridian Club had a slightly older crowd while we were there.

Communications – Meridian Club has a phone booth from which calls can be made and a small internet room with a highspeed connection in case you want to surf for news, check email or need to use your own pc for any reason. PSV has a phone closet in the main office for outgoing calls.



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Old Jul 13th, 2005, 08:25 AM
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I agree Meridian Club has it over others. But, while the food was better PSV it was only average based on 3 one week visits over the past 8-9 years.
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Old Jul 13th, 2005, 08:47 AM
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Thank you for your trip report and your detailed subsequent replies. PSV and Meridian CLub are both places that look appealing to me--PSV for the flag service and seclusion and MC for the fantastic beach and accompanying water sports. Sorry to read that PSV didn't live up to your expectations, however.
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Old Jul 13th, 2005, 11:20 AM
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Thanks for your comparison of PSV with Meridian Club. We, too, loved the flag system at PSV. Sometimes I just don't feel like socializing with anyone but my dear husband!
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Old Jul 16th, 2005, 09:36 AM
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I should have mentioned the flag system at PSV and several of the better situated cottages are also great but everything else was marginal in our several visits at a high price. The Meridian are Parrot Key Resort are better choices. My vote is Parrot Key.
If you are willing to consider a larger resort then cap Jalluca, Little Dix in Pemium Rooms or Caneel in Cottage #7 are worth considering.
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Old Jul 21st, 2005, 12:19 PM
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My husband and I just got back from our honeymoon on Petit St Vincent and I have to say it exceeded our expectations. We found our cottage (#1) was perfect--completely private overlooking an empty crescent shaped beach. The flag system worked mostly flawlessly. Having dinner on our patio watching the sailboats bobbing in the water was an evening highlight. We did have some small bananaquit (they look like yellow finches) birds that would come visit us every morning at breakfast.

The west end beach huts were wonderful--also nice and private. The water does have coral in it, but that just make the snorkeling that much closer.

We also thought service was exceptional. From the time we were greeted on Union Island everyone seemed to know our name. After the boat ride from Union to PSV, we were greeted by the owners with Pina Coladas. Then we (and our bags) were whisked away to our cottage via the mini-moke. The owners also held a cocktail party at their fabulous house and were on the dock to tell us goodbye when we left.

We also had no problems with the food. Special requests were honored. The food arrived fresh and on time. We actual marveled at how they would reuse ingrediants in different ways. It made sense to us given that everything has to be imported. We loved to order lunch to be delivered to our beach hut. The fish sandwiches were very tasty.

On the activities we knew that there was not many. We did try sailing the Hobie Cats & kayaking. If we had wanted more entertainment, we would have chosen a different resort.

PSV is a wonderful place for people who enjoy nature & each other.

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Old Nov 3rd, 2005, 11:02 AM
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PSV is not a normal resort. It is for true escapism. If you want a spa etc - you should go somewhere else. If you want seclusion, you go to PSV.

I thought the food was fine! French Fries should be kept in McDonalds where they belong and not on a Caribbean Island.
 
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