News of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

VIs' $6 Million ad campaign

An ad agency’s multi-million dollar idea for U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism is now on display.  In ads produced by Atlanta’s JWT advertising agency, the slogan, “You, Unscripted” has begun appear in TV spots and print ads. It is meant to stress that visitors can create their own unique experiences in the VI's.

Tourism said it will spend  $6 million to spread the campaign, using television, magazines, newspaper and Internet for media. 

You can see examples of the print ads and the 30-second TV spots at http://www.usvimarketing.com/. The ads will target a range of market segments including: Bridal and Romance, African American, Dive, Culture & Heritage, Sailing & Yachting and Meetings & Incentives.

“The concept of offering travelers an unscripted vacation experience was conceived through research that revealed our potential visitors seek the freedom to indulge in a personalized vacation experience," said Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty.

Pine Peace tops in food price survey

The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs said Pine Peace Market, at the bottom of Jacob’s Ladder, was the low price leader in its June Market Basket survey. 

The prices of 28 items were compared at three markets and Pine Peace’s total was $60.86. Starfish’s was $66.54 and Dolphin Market’s $69.33, according to a report by the St. John Source.  Read it here.

Free vacation on St. John

Here's how to win round trip airfare for a family of up to four, five nights at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas, daily breakfast, a free round of tennis, and a water sport for four.

Go to this Web site, enter the sweepstakes, and answer 10 questions about St. John.  Many of the questions are not St. John-specific, asking about things like Thatch Cay and Buck Island.  But, on the other hand, knowing Skinny Legs is a restaurant gives you at least one correct answer.

The trip is being sponsored by the newly-active and invigorated USVI Board of Tourism. Indagare.com, an upscale travel site is part of the promotion. 

One of the site's features, 'Cheat Sheet,' offers the Top 10 Things about St. John.  Sleeping, eating, and drinking are three of them.

A word of warning about Indagare, though.  You won't be able to see much unless you join the travel and information service which is targeted to "the world's most sophisticated travelers."  A basic membership is $250/year. 

The Inquiring Iguana managed to root around the site and see what they were saying about St. John, but then the Cookie Monster recognized he was doing that and put up a "join or else" wall. 

Chances are you can also look around free, for a while ... start here, the St. John section: http://www.indagare.com/destinations/154/departments/195.

The page to enter the island contest is http://www.indagare.com/sweepstakes/family_iq.

Caneel hopes you’ll Flip

Caneel Bay is one of several Rosewood Hotels and Resorts properties where guests can have free use of the new high-definition version of the Flip camera, FlipUltra HD. 

“Whether filming their children diving into the ocean, a romantic moment over dinner, or a stunning sunset, guests are able to share these special vacation memories with their family and friends,” said Caneel Managing Director Nikolay Hotze. At the end of their stay, Caneel’s concierge will download guests’ videos to YouTube or burn the footage to a DVD as a souvenir to share with friends and family.

A Rosewood news release said guests will be given the cameras when they check in.  The company said it wants to differentiate itself “from other luxury hotel companies by offering unique amenities and programs that cannot be found anywhere else."

Other hotels offering the amenity include Rosewood properties in Santa Fe, Virgin Gorda, and Mexico's Rivera Maya.

Crunch time in Cruz Bay

St. John Festival  is underway.

Besides the annual climactic event, fireworks over Cruz Bay harbor on July 4th, the arrival of Festival means one big thing to locals - FEWER parking spots.  

That’s because Festival Village is being set up in the free, public parking lot by the Customs House and across from the Post Office.  So, the lot was closed Friday, the 19th.  It will reopen July 7th.

The ‘Village’ is a bunch of plywood and paint booths which become businesses selling food and drink for the week leading up to the 4th. (Wonder if they’re licensed and pay Gross Receipts taxes.  And, if so, does anybody audit their sales figures?)

Anyway, with the closing of the lot downtown, they’ve opened the athletic field at the Sprauve School for parking.  As you can see from the picture above (red arrow), a few cars are able to use the lot, while a lot of space is taken up by Tropical Shipping trucks.  (Inez, a Deputy Inquiring Iguana, took these pictures. Click on them for to see larger versions.)

Now, remember, the Sprauve School is adjacent to the Roundabout project.  Fewer parking spaces downtown means more traffic searching for places, with many of them heading to Sprauve and getting tied up in that work.

Starfish, the cheapest in town

In 1935, an eight-minute black-and-white cartoon made a few people laugh.

The title: Believe it or Don’t. 

That should also be the headline for the Virgin Islands Daily News’ report on the May grocery price survey by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs.

The DCLA staff surveyed three stores:  Starfish Market, Dolphin Market and Pine Peace. 

Now, everybody will tell you Pine Peace is the least expensive grocery store.  Always has been.

Not any more.  The Daily News reported that the cost of the Department's 27-item market basket was the least at Starfish: $81.22.  Dolphin was second, at $84.18, and Pine Peace was third at $84.37.  Places have been reversed.  The cheapest is now the most expensive, and by almost four percent.

(Are those pigs flying over Cruz Bay?)

(Here’s a link for more information about the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235057/)

Pack your passport

It’s a brand new month and there’s a brand new rule for Virgin Islands travelers. 

While you don’t have to have a U.S. passport to vacation in the islands, or to come back to the mainland, you do need a passport if you’re going to do some sightseeing in the BVIs.

That mans if you’re planning on taking a day trip or charter to Foxy’s or the Baths on Virgin Gorda. bring your passport\.  You’ll need it as proof of citizenship when you return from your BVI visit and clear through the U.S. Customs office in Cruz Bay.

Here's a link to the passport Office's regulations concerning the British Virgin islands.

Pine Peace does it again

For the second month in a row, the VI Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has tagged Pine Peace Market as the cheapest grocery store on island. 

The DCLA’s latest food basket of 32 items cost $83.12 at the store, located at the bottom of Jacob’s Ladder.  The Virgin Islands Daily News said the government agency report found Dolphin Market in Cruz Bay was the most expensive, at $86.53, while Starfish Market’s tab was $86.24.

Dolphin being the high-price operator continues to be worrisome.  With the Roundabout construction, it's very difficult for people to park anywhere near the store.  Which has to mean lower sales volume, which clearly has meant higher prices.  How long can this go on?

Read the Daily News story: http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17636004

Making a splash at Trunk Bay

While spring is taking its sweet, sweet time arriving on the east coast, Gerald Singer says the weather’s fine at Trunk Bay.

The author of several St. John guide books blogged that the waters around the island are now fine, too. To prove he wasn't dreaming he was at Trunk Bay, before the tourists arrived, he posted this video (and cool music) on YouTube.

As an official baby when it comes to complaining about cold water temperature, at least for swimming, I hereby declare the beaches of St. John to be warm enough to enjoy a little soak now and then.  (via Singer's St. John Life blog)

 

Two things to do in April

Visiting Artists at Maho Bay Camps, St. John

This month, visiting artists Michael Egan (http://www.eganglass.com/) and David and Melanie Leppla from Vermont (http://www.vermontcrafts.com/members/DMLeppla.html) will assist full-time resident glass artists in leading classes at Maho Bay. The art program is available to children and adults alike, and classes range from ceramics to recycled glass stamping. For more information, call (340) 776-6226 or visit www.maho.org.

St. John Film Society

The St. John Film Society’s film series takes place on the first Tuesday of each month at Sputnik in Coral Bay. On April 7, guests are invited to join the society for a feature presentation of “The Garifuna Journey,” (http://www.newday.com/films/GarifunaJourney.html) produced by local filmmaker and film society founder, Andrea Leland. Play, Jankunú Play, a short film about the Garifuna Wanaragua Ritual of Belize by Oliver N. Greene Jr., will precede the feature presentation. For more information, and to stay updated on future screenings, call (340) 715-9899, or visit www.stjohnfilm.com.