Say it Ain't So!

[TraumaQueen]

I was happily planning our return to STJ for June/July 2015 when I came across a trip report on Trip Advisor. It was a great report except for one thing.......she mentioned how crowded everywhere was. She compared Maho to Myrtle Beach and even said Salt Pond was crowded. There are no dates to her report, but she wrote it this month so I'm ASSuming the trip was in July. Our only on island stay was the second week in May for 10 days, but we were the dreaded cruisers 4 times before we finally bit the bullet and did an on island stay. I instantly fell in love. There were hardly any people on the beach and we felt like we had the place to ourselves. Is STJ really getting more crowded or did going in May ruin the rest of the summer months for us by spoiling us with empty beaches? The thought of crowds on STJ has me looking to Bequia, VG and the out islands of the Bahamas for some peaceful beaches.

I understand crowds are relative, but I grew up going to Destin, Gulf Shores, and Ft Walton Beach and I don't want to be on a beach with a lot of people like that again. Frankly, it sucks to have to listen to people constantly yell at their kids, dodge bodies on the way to the water and hear conversations about "back home" while I'm trying to listen to the waves and veg out.

We want to experience Carnival and was going to arrive a couple of days before the 4th and either stay the week after on STJ or head on over to VG for a week. I know this is a busy time on STJ, but has all the publicity on social media put STJ on the map for people who really never considered going there before? I love STJ and call it my favorite place on Earth, so far, but every time I read about the "crowds" I'm thinking maybe we should try other places to see if we can find a new one. My heart is torn and I know only y'all will understand what I'm going through. HA!

I guess all of this babbling was to ask, has STJ really gotten crowded like the panhandle of FL beaches? Can someone who is familiar with those beaches please compare the recent summer crowds to them? Thank you for listening to my psycho-babble

[iheartsj]

The island tends to be busy during June and July due to families with school age kids on vacation. But it is nowhere close to the crowds of winter.

[iheartsj]

The island tends to be busy during June and July due to families with school age kids on vacation. But it is nowhere close to the crowds of winter.

[Noreen]

The only beach we visited in July was Honeymoon, but it was crowded. Not Long Island or Jersey shore crowded, but the most people we've seen on a beach on St. John in over ten trips. No idea obviously what the other beaches were like. This was late July. What really surprised me though were the crowds in the airport and the ferry terminal. Next year it's back to our standard October trip.

[Jumbiegirl]

We always go in June and I wouldn't say ST John beaches were like stateside beaches when crowded. The mornings are always quiet and wonderful. When it gets "crowded" around 2:00 we just go back to the villa and enjoy the pool before getting cleaned up for dinner. If you don't plan to go to the beach until the afternoon then expect a "crowd".

[psufan]

We visited for 10 days at the beginning of June this year. I wouldn't characterize any of the beaches "crowded" as in NJ crowded. The beaches such as Trunk and Cinnamon were busy but not crowded by any means. We actually got to Trunk around 8:30 and basically had most of the left side to ourselves for a good part if the morning. Same thing at Hawksnest on the far right side. I will say that we have seen an increase in the number of people visiting this time of year. I think it has a lot to do with the economy and the off season rates but we still find June very enjoyable.

[islandjo2010]

We've vacationed on STJ 4 times and all trips have been in June...2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. This past June we did find the beaches to be more crowded, but not near as crowded as Destin, Clearwater, Gulf Shores, Fort Walton or South Padre! I say...GO and ENJOY...maybe just hit the beaches a bit earlier in the day and when the "crowds" start to arrive, either checkout another less crowded beach or head to the villa pool as others have suggested.

All the best...and hope to "see" you on STJ June of 2015.

[EastEnder]

Haha...

Some trip reports elicit laughter and that one is deserving.

Even when St. John is crowded, it's never state-side crowded. Too small, too much of it national park (over 2/3 at last reckoning). Some of you may know that Haulover western half, starting from when it starts to flatten till about midway, has now been turned over to the National Park due to the generous donation from the St. John Land Conservancy. So we'll always have a donkey, goat, and rooster population problem, but not so much a people one.

[ms411]

And Tortola, BVI is deepening their harbor to attract more cruise ships since some lines have pulled out. The article is online somewhere.

Secluded beaches will soon be a luxury as long as people post them on the internet so the masses can find them. Seclusion may soon be very costly.

[TraumaQueen]

Thank y'all so much for your replies! We usually hit the beach around 0900 and leave around 1330-1400 and hit the pool. I was planning on trying a beach late afternoon for the sunset a couple of days, but we may just have to rent a villa that will allow us to see it from the pool!

That's crazy about Tortola and cruise ships. I used cruises to decide where I wanted to go spend land based vacations so I guess that's how so many others have discovered STJ and other once unknown islands.

[ms411]

They didn't discover them by cruising. Most discovered them from online postings by other travelers, though there is one cruisecritic.com host who pushes St John at every opportunity and has thousands of followers.

How long can something stay uncrowded, pristine, secluded when people are recommending it on numerous online platforms? And who knows how many times a post is shared?

Be careful what you share!

[AquaGirl]

We were on StJ the last week of May and the first week of June this year. The first week we found the island to be more crowded than we expected for that time of year. We got a late morning start on several days and the lots at Hawksnest, Gibney, Jumby and Trunk were full. We never had a problem finding a spot at Cinnamon, Maho, Francis and Lameshur. As others have said, the beaches are not "east coast shore crowded" , but definitely more crowded than our trips 4-5 years ago.

By the middle of our second week (first week in June), there were noticeably less people on the island. We also were getting earlier starts. The beaches weren't packed out and we had no trouble getting parking spots and space in the shade, except our one day at Trunk.

For some unknown reason, we went to Trunk on a cruise ship day. (Normally I check the ship schedule!) It was crazy packed out with cruise ship people (you could tell by their towels), in addition to many others. We had trouble finding a shady spot. We had done an early snorkel as soon as we got there, and just lounged on the beach while it was so crowded. Many people left in the early afternoon, but the beach was still pretty full.

Have a great trip!

[ms411]

The Virgin Islands' early tourism planners did not foresee rental cars when they were plotting roads and parking lots 50 years ago. They envisioned visitors taking taxis and providing income to locals.

Many Caribbean islands have grown beyond that concept, and it's a constant battle between the desires of potential visitors and the limitations of the infrastructure.

[DonnaM]

The weeks before and after Carnival will be crowded but if you head out fairly early in the morning, you should be fine. Late July was definitely less crowded than Carnival week.

[mizarumonkey]

ms411,

I agree re: public transportation, and I wish it was a viable option. However, very expensive prices, rude drivers, and lack of taxi presence at anything but the first few North Shore beaches all conspire to make taxis less viable.

If there was a big parking lot / pickup spot next to the huge VINP employee parking lot and maintenance yard just north of Mongoose, with $2 shuttles going back and forth non-stop, even I would use them with my family and cooler and a couple of chairs.

It's hard to drive shuttles with flat tires, though, as the current taxi mob, err, sorry, association, prefers their $10pp rides, and doesn't feel it's worth their time to make the run with the six tourists who have been sitting in the taxi for a half-hour, and really want to wait for a full taxi. Back to the dominoes.