HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Travel discussion for St. John
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shoemak38
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Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:55 pm
Location: Southern New Hamphire

HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by shoemak38 »

So this year’s high season is over, so it’s time to start dreaming/planning for next year’s high season. And, yes I’m trying to get this forum more interactive like in the old days. :twisted:

So I’ll start 1st, we have decide not to go over Halloween and put our feet in the water and go during high season. Specifically, we are thinking early February before president’s week or March to early April. Early February intrigues me as I remember Julie (live from St. John) posting these ridiculous low fares from Boston the 1st 2 weeks of February. But our preference would be mid-March. My wife really wants to stay in Cruz Bay this time so we can walk home from the bars. :D
So now comes the interactive part everybody put their opinions in and if we’re lucky we have something to converse over the summer about what you’re favorite high season week and why.
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loria
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by loria »

i like just after christmas.... (airfares are down - island tends to empty out) -- but also like early march (presidents week is over so those crowds gone) -- you really can't go wrong in march or early april as long as you keep pulse on who has spring break when ...... the weather is also nicer......
< leaving on the 22nd of march...but too lame to figure out the ticker thing again!>
PatrickMcc
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Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:43 pm
Location: Boston

Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by PatrickMcc »

We went on the Monday after Presidents week last year and returned on Thurs. March 3. Round trip fare was $296 each through Travelocity. One way was direct Jet Blue, coming home was changing in Miami on AA. All pretty good times.
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ArkieLovesSTJ
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Location: Conway, AR

Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by ArkieLovesSTJ »

We are low season people. We did go next to the last week of March last year (kids Spring Break). Things were definitely more crowed than any of our other 5 trips, but I am up for any week I can get there.

We are two weeks away from our 2nd May trip. Can't wait! Bags are already 90% packed... :D
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BillVT
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Location: Grand Isle VT

Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by BillVT »

We are unavoidably high season people. We are timeshare owners and our weeks are the last three in March. We own two and our best friend owns the last week. We have been coming for the last 17 years and have seen those weeks get busier and busier.

We've learned to accommodate to the crowds by leaving the villa early if we are craving sand beach time. And the when the beach gets too crowded, we are country people and kind of sensitive to crowds, we get up and go to a rubble beach and go snorkeling or back to the pool at the villa. If you aren't adverse to hiking, there are still beaches were you may be the only ones there with a little bit of effort. We prefer lunches out and dinners at the villa. We will go out in the evening for music and a cocktail or two.

I would like to say that we have airlines and airfares figured out but that would be a complete and utter falsehood. There are no direct flights out of our home airport. We could and have flown out of airports in more populated areas, but when we come home we like arriving and being home. We usually book our flights in July and have seldom been disappointed by price drops within a comfortable period of time of our departure. I suppose we could wait it out 'till the last minute, but we don't have the nerves for that.
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kklay
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Location: Lima, Ohio

Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by kklay »

We have traveled to,STJ several times in the March timeframe and have been there over St Pat's - which is always fun. We did go one time the last week in February which was several years ago. I have seen, as others have mentioned, the island getting progressively more busy especially in the March timeframe. For us anytime I can get away to St John is great. Yes, the beaches are busier and to get a parking spot you need to get going earlier than in low season. We enjoy meeting and talking to people so busy season doesn't bother us. I don't count on getting cheap airfares anymore like we used to, I just try to find something reasonable that my pocketbook can handle!
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chicagoans
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by chicagoans »

Our first 2 trips were just after Christmas and over New Years. Villa prices are at their highest but it's such a great break from the snow at home! Island seemed more crowded than other times.

Next 3 trips were Presidents' week for 8 Tuff - that was my favorite time to go! Some villas will charge holiday rates that week (sigh), but I love doing the race. Just something to be aware of if you're in town the last Saturday of February: Centerline will be shut down from about 6:00 until about 10:00 a.m. And after that a bunch of delirious sweaty people will be returning to Cruz Bay for their vehicles.

Last trip was March for Spring Break. Still high season rates.

We've had sun and rain on all our trips, the water has always been comfortable for long snorkels, we've never used AC, and we're happy to be there any time. I've had a villa with a pool on 5 trips, but rarely got in: too chilly during the winter months for me.

I dream of low season rates, but that will come when kid #2 is in college (in about 16 short months!) As long as I am able, I hope to go back for 8 Tuff. It's a blast to cross the island on foot with 1000+ like-minded kooks. Ideally, someday I'll do 2 trips/year: 8 Tuff plus one in low season.
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liamsaunt
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by liamsaunt »

For the past some odd years, we have been on a twice a year visit schedule: one trip in high season, one in low. Our high season week has usually been in February (though we have done January a couple of times too).

Things I like about high season:

Non-stop flights!

No need for AC in the villa, not even for sleeping at night. In fact, I usually need to wear a light sweatshirt and use blankets!

The tradewinds. The sweet breezes are wonderful. I love reading on the beach while enjoying the breeze.

The lack of humidity

All of the restaurants are open, as is the fish market.

Downsides to high season:

The snorkeling is not always as good. The North swells are sometimes up which impacts visibility. We head to the south side to get around this.

The villa pool is almost always too cold for me.

The ocean is cooler, too cool for me to feel comfortable snorkeling for very long. My solution was to buy a wetsuit and dive skin and now I can stay in for hours.


The things I like about off season:

Better snorkeling in general

Warmer ocean and pool temps

Less pressure to lock in a Jeep the year before yesterday


Downsides to off season:

The three-hour connection in the San Juan airport, my personal purgatory on Earth :cry:

The fish market closes for part of the summer

Some of my favorite restaurants are sometimes closed (Miss Lucy's, I am looking at you!)

As for the crowds: this is just my opinion: from a beach perspective I think the island is pretty darned crowded in the summer now too. We have to use the same strategy in summer that used to only apply to winter trips: If we are heading to the North Shore, we make sure to be on the beach by 10-11 AM to ensure parking for our two Jeeps (earlier for Trunk).

Overall, it seems to me that there are more people on the beach in the on-season, but the off-season beach crowds are louder: more kids, more radios, more people playing ball on the beach. In my experience, the on-season crowds have trended older and more sedate (other than President's week).

We are going earlier than normal for our off season trip this year so that we can snag the last non-stop flight out of Boston until the start of the next on season, so I will be interested to see how the crowds are this time. 38 days :D
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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shoemak38
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by shoemak38 »

Love the different perspectives. My thought process is to wait until January to book more as an experiment to see what’s available in last minute travel deals. This year’s trip to Cancun with the girls ( I still need to do a trip report on the off-topic forum )was more than likely the last until the grandchildren stage of life. So I see my wife and I finally taking more trips that can also be last-minute. My only concern with traveling in January is that it will be too cool and have concerns about the snorkeling in January/ February due to North winds. You can tell I’ve read way too many trip reports over the years.
However, my experiment with last-minute booking deals may dictate when we go. I don’t want to go in late April through early May, due to the rainy season / seasonal change. The idea about going over St. Patty’s day may be fun.

And we all get to see more photo's in 38 days :D :D :D :lol:
fmzip
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Location: connecticut

Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by fmzip »

We're on the rock right now, day 4 of 14!

We'd rather go off season as soon as the rates drop, weather is still nice. Get Avila way up on a hill, beautiful breezes, can't be beat :)
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RickG
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Location: Coral Bay, St. John

Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by RickG »

We now generally visit once per quarter. This year it is January, March, June and Halloween. Halloween is like a forum family reunion. Every season has its own attraction.

January is great to break up the winter; its lower cost than the holidays and less crowded, but the weather is quite variable and the winds are generally very frisky. March is like January, but the water is a bit colder

Summer is wonderful with lighter winds, clearer water and more settled and predictable weather.

October/November visits are about the optimism of the coming season, staff are well rested and the paint is fresh. But, the weather is capricious and the rain is about. Still, Halloween is our favorite time to visit because we get to see our friends.

Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
Coconuts
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by Coconuts »

Over the course of the dozen years when we rented villas, we never went down in high season; the rates just seemed way too high. Our eventual solution to that isn't anything we suggest you emulate, although RickG seems to have found a less capital-intensive approach that works well. These days, we enjoy a high season stay through the holidays (renting elsewhere, with positive cash flow), then stay through those slow first weeks of January, and come down again in early April. One year, we stayed past the mid-April boundary when most villas drop to low season rates, and New England has a school break; we never saw the island so crowded, and won't do that again. On the flip side, we are also fans of late September/early October, which feels as though we have traveled back in time to when everyone hadn't found out about St. John. I posted about that time of year, here:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... 88#p293325

All the best,

Kevin
cindygad
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by cindygad »

We have been coming in January for 8 years. Love the direct flight and getting away from snowy Midwest. This year we felt the island was much busier and could not believe how many family's are now coming. We are going to add a third week and try Virgin Gorda the last week next January.

We took our whole family once in June. Only time we could get everyone's schedule to work. For me June was too warm and sun was intense. I rather not travel when the weather is nice here in Midwest.
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michigan girls
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by michigan girls »

We've only done true high season once, when we wanted to bring my daughter down for spring break. That doesn't need to happen again. I come twice a year, once in April, on the 1st Tuesday after the 15th, when prices for a lot of things drop, but it's still cold in Michigan. This is my trip with friends and tends to be a little more pricey than the summer trip. This year we came down a week later than typical and were a little surprised at how busy everything still was. No parking at Maho unless we were early, and we left by noon because it was too crowded. Also, we did not have great weather this year - not terrible, just not great. Didn't bother me, but I did have 2 newbies with me, so that was kind of a bummer.

My second trip is August, with my some of my kids and usually one of their friends. This summer will probably be my last kid trip for a while, as my daughter graduates next year and then goes off to the Army and one of my sons is moving to New Zealand for a year. The only remaining kid pretty much just comes along to spend time with his brother, so he'll be out as well. This summer's trip will be the end of an era, kind of sad for me. But, we hope to live there in a couple years, so there is my light at the end of the tunnel.

For comparison sake, I'll call my April trip high season, even though it's technically right after:

High Season Pros:
All the restaurants are open
Weather is usually more reliable, with less chance of Sahara dust
Still cold in Michigan

High Season Cons:
Seems to get busier every year, and parking is an issue if you like to do 2 beaches a day like we do.
Harder to book a choice villa if you wait too long.
Water can be a little chilly at times.
We have to be less spontaneous with our dining choices as reservations are often necessary.

Low Season Pros:
Much more laid back vibe.
Much less people on the beach.
Very comfy water temps.
No reservations needed.
Can book a last minute excursion if we decide we want to.
Everything is cheaper.

Low Season Cons:
Some restaurants not open (I agree with the poster above - I'm also looking at you Miss Lucy's!)
Sahara Dust can be an issue
Rain can be more frequent
Bugs seem to be more present (a side effect of the rain I assume)

Been back up north for 10 days now and haven't been able to book the summer trip yet, as we're still waiting to get my daughter's summer Army schedule. I usually do it before I even leave for the April trip as it's the only thing that gets me on the ferry. Roughly 3 months till my return - I won't be comfortable until that trip is officially on the books.
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fromaway74
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Re: HIGH SEASON DREAMING

Post by fromaway74 »

Beware the New England Spring Break week ... Usually starting on or right after April 15. I am tied to this week and can say it is busy and has only gotten busier. Last year, we had problems parking at most beaches, finding nice shady spots to sit, loud fellow beach goers, etc... Most people outside of NE think this is low season but don't be fooled. Plan around it if you are truly looking to avoid crowds...and kids. ;)


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