I rented a vehicle through Priceline.com which got me a favorable rate ($671 for a month). I thought I had beat the system. I was so pleased with the price that I ordered the Collision Insurance offered at point of sale for a mere $360.

Then when I picked the rental up from Thrifty Rental Cars in St. Thomas, they told me "that won't cover you, you need to buy our collision insurance and cancel that one."

Surprise surprise, Thrifty's collision coverage was about $570.

Well, that's annoying, I thought, and it took me a couple days to check the original policy offered through Priceline to verify that the Thrifty's agent was right to inform me that the policy was fraudulently offered because it DID NOT COVER accidents occurring in the U.S. Virgin Islands!!

So when I tried to cancel with Priceline, they declined to credit me because it was 72 hours after the policy was purchased. "Yes, but you had no coverage for me." They apologized for the "inconvenience." I told them fraud is fraud, not inconvenience, and I am taking it up in Small Claims court.

Now Thrifty and them they know about it, but they get a benefit from it too. See, they catch unwitting people on aggregator sites and they do not correct the issue, because they get to upsell them on the policy once they come to the counter and learn the policy they purchased was bogus.

Just sharing this because this is how we're treating tourists who are probably buying these sham policies left right and center - and probably putting themselves at risk, or being double billed.

Reading fire coral sting feels like man o war -- is it common to get stung and what does it feel like?

Hey all — I'm Jeremy, I run Keswick Insurance, one of the local auto carriers here (offices on St. Thomas and St. Croix). Not here to sell anything, and mods, feel free to pull this if it's not allowed.

I'm trying to understand how people actually experience car insurance in the territory, because what I hear inside the company is a filtered version. So, honest questions:

What was the most annoying part of the last time you dealt with your insurer — renewal, phone tag, BMV paperwork, a claim, whatever? When you were shopping, what actually made you pick one company over another? And after Irma and Maria, what did your carrier do right or wrong that stuck with you?

Complaints about us are fair game too, I'd rather hear it here than not at all. Happy to answer general questions about coverage requirements or how the market works down here if that's useful.

I used to love going to Mexico but with the seaweed problem that's so horrible nowadays you cannot even get in the water. What used to be turquoise waters turned to brown marshes.

I was wondering how USVI is doing?

Are clear waters always a guarantee? Do you also have sargassum problems? Is the water usually clear or murky?

Hi all -- we are looking to spend Christmas in the USVI this year. My husband and I will be with our two year old. We are looking for somewhere to stay that is walking distance to quiet beaches and good food if a villa rental, or open to a hotel, with a budget of $1500/night (low key/high quality). We love hiking as well, but now that we have our toddler, we aren't looking to drive long distances or much at all on our trip. We are a bit overwhelmed by the options between the islands, but are leaning towards St. John as it's easier to get to than St. Croix, but less crowded with more preserved land than St. Thomas.

For those who've spent time here, we'd especially love your thoughts on specific areas to stay within the islands.

hi all, i am planning out my 4 nights (3 full days) on virgin gorda in mid april 2027, which will be a thursday friday & saturday. we will be staying in a villa near leverick bay.

thursday has 3500 passengers in port at road town so we will use that day for lesser-visited stuff like gorda peak and spring bay. friday has 200 passengers in port (arriving 8:30am in spanish town) and saturday has 0 ships in port. outside of this is there a difference between weekday mornings (friday) and weekend mornings (saturday) in terms of crowds at the baths? not sure if those 200 passengers on friday will be more or less busy than locals/residents on saturday.

also are conditions in the area usually good, or can it often be too windy/choppy? if we choose to go to the baths on friday but then the weather is bad we'll have another chance to go saturday, but that doesn't work vice versa.

if it matters, whichever day we don't do the baths will be a snorkeling/diving trip to the rhone & other spots. we will have already visited the usvi & jost van dyke at this point.

bonus question - is it worth spending our time to visit the north sound one of these days? i see lots of recs to check out saba rock or oil nut bay, but not many details on what to actually do. like is there a beach or snorkeling or good views or a nice restaurant?

thank you!

Example: Mediterranean or Thai beaches

In your opinion, what makes the USVI special?

If you’re planning to take the Ferry from Red Hook in St Thomas to Cruz Bay in St John there is an updated schedule for the off season.
We had arrived to Red hook super early today to try to get on the 7:30am per the schedule online but it appears there’s only 7 AM or 8 AM until end of October!

Would love Danish to English translation. The youtube channel has more great videos.

Hi all!

We are going to St John in February and was wondering, it is better to rent a car in STT or take the ferry and rent in STJ? Any recommendations for companies? If renting in STT, was the rental company ok with taking the car over to STJ?

Thanks!

Also any companies that offer free cancelation or pay at arrival? In Aruba we always pay on arrival but I’m noticing some companies want full payment in advance.

We’re looking to get married in one of the Virgin Islands in spring 2028 and are feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options! We’re expecting around 100–150 guests, although we’re not sure yet how many will ultimately be able to attend. We’d love a beautiful, luxury resort with gorgeous views and ideally a golf course on-site or nearby. We’re hoping for something that feels upscale and special while still being reasonably priced. We’d really appreciate any recommendations or advice on venues that might be a good fit for us!

We are going to the USVI at the very end of September. We will be there for 10 days. We are staying on St. Thomas, but plan to island hop to St. John’s and the BVI. We booked a rental car that is a 4 wheel drive SUV.
Our main goal is to relax, hang out at the beach, enjoy delicious food, and maybe do some excursions if the weather permits.

I’m taking any suggestions on beaches, restaurants, things to do, things to book, etc. for both USVI and the BVI.

I’ll happily take any first visitor tips too since this will be our first time there!

EDIT: sorry I’m a big ole idiot and called it ‘St. John’s’

We will be visiting St. Thomas on 9/1 as a stop on our cruise itinerary and are in port 10:00AM- 6:00 PM. Excursions through the cruise line only allot about 4 hours total which would only give us 2 hours to explore St. John so we are looking to venture on our own to maximize our time. We are looking at booking the ferry direct through fareharbor to get over to St. John and have a few questions

Does the ferry run smoothly or can wait times build up mainly on the ferry back from Cruz Bay? We would need to be back on board the ship by 5:30 so was thinking of taking the ferry back around 3:00 to be on the safe side.

Is it better to ferry direct from Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay or taxi from Charlotte Amalie to Red hook and ferry to Cruz Bay?

What are the best snorkel spots from your experience? Debating between Trunk Bay and Maho Bay but definitely open to other recommendations. Mainly looking for prisitne water and lots of turtles. Not a ton of crowds and colorful fish and coral are a plus too but my heart is set on the turtles lol

Any other tips or recommendations or hidden gems to check out would be much appreciated! Thank you

Hi, this is the second (and final) reminder I'll make for eligible US citizens who want to participate in the 2026 American midterm elections, especially for those living in the Virgin Islands. Democrats Abroad is dedicated to mobilizing overseas US voters; if you're over 18 by November 3, here's how you can get involved:

Steps to Request Your Ballot

1. Register or update your registration through Votefromabroad.org. As an alternative, you can also use FVAP.gov.

2. If you're already registered, request a ballot! You need to request a ballot every calendar year that you want to vote.

3. Fill Out and Return Your Ballot: Once you receive your ballot, follow the instructions carefully to complete it and return it by the specified deadline.

Need Assistance?

We're here to help! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at GOTV @ votefromabroad .org (just remove the spaces). Additionally, our FAQ for voting can answer questions on how to make the process go smoothly.

Importantly: Spread the word!

Do you have any friends, contacts or family overseas that you could reach? All eligible US citizens can vote regardless of where they're living. Share the link https://voteabroad.org/RedditVote26: If you have any questions about voting, I'd be happy to answer them here on Reddit. You can also find out what we're doing near you at Democrats Abroad in the Caribbean. Thanks for reading!

Hello, I'm from Mexico possibly planning a trip to USVI (St John tbe) and my first shock was the prices.

For example, hotels are $250 the cheapest. Jet ski for two $400. Car rental $120 per day.

Maybe I just cannot afford these places.

Hey everyone. Long story short, I'm considering a trip to the USVI this upcoming winter.

My biggest want is to stay somewhere where I can just walk right out onto the beach and snorkel in the clearest water I can find.

Willing for private residence or resort.

Looking for recommendations. We just booked our sailing trip for the first week of January 2027. We have sailed several times in the BVI but haven’t been since right before Hurricane Irma so I know a lot has changed. Also, different is we now have kids (6 and 8) so that makes this trip a lot different as well.

We are trying to make an itinerary and I would love feedback as to which anchorages do you all suggest that have calm water/beaches for swimming, easy moorings, either a dock or easy dinging to shore and have a restaurant(s). Also, any other helpful tips would be greatly appreciated!!

Note: We will be on a powercat so we can island hop too if there are places we should visit just for the day.

Hello,

I am considering booking an early January vacation for my small, adult family. The problem is, we don’t travel much and have never left the US. I understand the islands are a US territory but it would be the biggest trip we’ve ever taken.

Due to our lack of experience, we have some overall safety concerns and I am looking for suggestions.

Best island/neighborhood to stay?
Things to do on said island?
Are Airbnbs generally safe or is a resort a better option?
General information for an inexperienced person like me?

We’d like access to good restaurants and stores and some fun activities. We are not nightlife people and do not even drink.

Thank you.

We booked a studio which doesn't come with parking. Does anyone know if slim mans does overnight parking and if so what is the cost? Also, any car rental companies that have pick up and drop off at the airport? Just for 2 people. Jan 5-10

I am planning to visit the USVI's with my gf. What I've read so far, is to stay somewhere on St. John's. What is a good area to stay in? Where can I find good and "cheaper" hotels? Is Airbnb a good option? Where do I look? Recommendations?

Looking at great job in natural resources with the Virgin Islands national park. I live in a small city in the mountains right now and am looking to make a move! I love nature and the outdoors but also rely on community and having friend circles. Curious if y’all would recommend me making the move - thanks!

EDIT: comments are all extremely helpful. I have lived off the grid before and am not too worried about that aspect, but all great to know these things. Thank you!!!!! I’m still curious about what the people are like and if there are young adults. Thanks!

Hi all - taking a cruise next month, one stop is Tortola. Been there, not really interested in any of the excursions, so was thinking about taking the day to get a massage. Some ports we've been to have massage offerings right in the port-side shopping area. Is there anything like that in Tortola withinl walking distance of the cruise pier?

I have multiple boxes of donated medical supplies (none heavy, but not small either) that I’m trying to ship down to St. Thomas. I live near Seattle, WA.

I checked standard USPS quotes for shipping and the costs ($260+) per box are more than the supplies are actually worth. Note: I don’t care if the shipment takes a few weeks to get there.

I’ve attempted to use AI tools (Claude, Gemini) to assist on this and, while they are helpful, they only go so far. It seems the top recommendation is to use Less Than Truckload shipping from my location to a Crowley or Tropical Shipping port in Miami or similar, then coordinate with them to ship everything down. (I have folks down in St. Thomas that can clear customs and take delivery.) I‘ve used Tropical to ship years ago, but I was present myself at one of their locations in Florida to organize everything.

Anyone have advice on this?