USVI-On-Line

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.

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.

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

The Shopper

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

And what you buy at the airport may be carried on in addition to your regular carry ons.

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

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.

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.

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

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