Bringing back Booze Question

Travel discussion for St. John
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FlaGeorge
Posts: 802
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:41 am
Location: The Sunny South

Bringing back Booze Question

Post by FlaGeorge »

It’s been many many many years since we’ve been to St. John and all the rules have changed. We would bring a soft-sided cooler with us filled with all our frozen meats and such. Then on the return home – we’d stop at K-Mart and load the empty cooler with our allotment of booze and carry it on. So, that strategy won’t work with the “No liquid pass this point – with the exception of the saliva in your mouth and it has to be less than 3 oz.”.

Question 1: Does K-Mart sill have the cheapest booze on St. Thomas?

Question 2: Does any of the stores sell something like a Wine Shipper Box that we can load up?

Question 3: How do you all bring back your allotment of booze? Mind you, my stomach will only hold so much.
FlaGeorge

"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
Exit Zero
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Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:50 pm
Location: virgin islands

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by Exit Zero »

K-mart, CostUless and even the big grocery stores all have competitive pricing on booze - some things less and some things more but all within a small % of each other - sometimes bargains on a few items on sale - they all have the carrying boxes for 6 bottles - you might want to add some cushioning packing but I have always gotten everything unbroken - if you can work your way up to the baggage carousal on arrival home and get it before it slams into the conveyor wall it helps.

I haven't seen any Styrofoam lined wine shipping boxes - maybe ask at some of the wine wholesalers.
Your allotment is unlimited - 6 bottles PP free if 1 is a USVI product - small duties on additional bottles over 6 PP. The biggest bargains are the higher end cognacs and liqueurs, top level scotches and small production spirits and crystal decanter specialty releases -- the best place to find those items is AH Riise on Main St. STT, they won't be on the other places shelves . For example you can save over $300-500 [depending on your home state tax] on a Baccarat decanter of Louis XIII cognac and they will pack them up well for you.
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theshopper3
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Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:27 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by theshopper3 »

Hey George, I was hoping I could hitch a free ride back to Florida in that cooler for the winter :lol:

The Shopper
david@va.beach
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Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2013 7:51 am

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by david@va.beach »

you can buy cheap booze at the airport once you actually get thru customs.. the $$ is right but some what limitted as compares to a. h. Rise in downtown st.thomas
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jayseadee
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Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:16 pm
Location: New England

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by jayseadee »

And what you buy at the airport may be carried on in addition to your regular carry ons.
janet
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RickG
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Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:06 pm
Location: Coral Bay, St. John

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by RickG »

George, K-Mart is cheap and they have the shipper boxes that you can check. Unless your Canadian, eh, you won't save too much by taking booze home. With $25 checked luggage we don't save enough to cover checked luggage. So, save some money, and drink it there.

Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
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waterguy
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Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 3:06 pm
Location: Green Bay ,WI

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by waterguy »

Have they started charging for checked booze? They didn't last year when I was there. So we check our 12 bottles and I carried on 6 more.
Tom
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kklay
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Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: Lima, Ohio

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by kklay »

We also had liquor purchased prior to checking in for our flight and it was checked free by the airline (Delta, I think). I know US Air has also checked the liquor box free for us in the past.
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theshopper3
Posts: 523
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:27 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by theshopper3 »

Yeah Rick, Us Canadians get shafted with only 1 bottle allowance each.... so no sense for us....
We just drink all we can on island.
Look forward to seeing you & Christine...
The Shopper
EastEnder
Posts: 68
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2010 7:58 am
Location: East End, St. John USVI

Re: Bringing back Booze Question

Post by EastEnder »

To confirm most domestic flights will check the booze boxes free of charge, which certainly makes it worth it.
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