Flights In for BVI Charter - St. Thomas or Tortola?

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by RealityCheck

Izjay... you are overlooking the major down side of the Flights to and out of Tortola... few of them and almost all have to go through PR which is a pain and long delays. With St Thomas the flights are far more direct and you don't have to drag your luggage miles between the small plane terminal in PR to where the real aircraft are located.

I typically have gone into and out of Tortola via St Thomas 2 to 3 times a year for the past 3+ years and have never had the type problems you encountered but in the islands things do happen often with out apparent reason.

I keep hearing people complain about SJU, but my experience there has not been that bad. I _never_ want to go through C&I at MIA on a Sunday afternoon again. OTOH, if you fly from St. Thomas to a US destination you do C&I at the origin and arrive on the continent as if it were a domestic flight.

[MMR]

Originally Posted by bacampbe

I keep hearing people complain about SJU, but my experience there has not been that bad. . . ..

Only time we've ever missed connecting flights into BVI was through SJU. We had a 4 hr connection window and missed it because it took the ground crew 3.5 hrs to unload our bags so we could walk them through to the other flight. There were 6 in our party that time - and a lot of frustrated folks. STT route has worked a lot smoother for us, even with the MIA connection....

But hey, far be it from me to discourage anyone from adventure!!!!

[montenido]

Hi all, I forgot that I started this thread a long time ago. As a first timer I decided to do the ST route utilizing the ferry. Should be a blast, we have a 440 PP cat from Voyage charters with 6 people.

MMR, how do you like your Gemini? I was considering looking at one of those, as I like the room and stablility compared to my 30' mono.

Thanks everybody for the great input.
Bill

[MMR]

Love our Gemini! We spend tons more time on the water since we got her.

Who did you work with at Voyage? We know the folks in the Annapolis sales office....

[dongreerps]

Having made the trip down many many times, into both EIS and St Thomas, we have had difficult trips both ways, and nice trips both ways. Flying from anywhere except the East Coast, it is impossible to comfortably make the trip in one day, and get onto the boat at anything like a reasonable hour. Therefore, we no longer try. Our preferred routing is to get into San Juan in the evening. Not the last flight in of the day, but, evening. There is a pleasant motel in the terminal in San Juan. (Lat trip it was a Best Western, but it seems to change frequently). We spend the night in the motel, and then catch the first flight out the next morning, to EIS. You arrive at the marina in mid morning, refreshed, ready to go, etc. The motel usually puts out a hospitality spread in the evening, and a decent continental breakfast in the morning, so you won't dine elegantly, but the convenience is nice. You do have to hump your own bags up to the room, and back down in the morning. Added bonus is that C&I people sometimes grumpy at the end of a day, but in the morning, they always seem able to summon a smile.
The really important (and so far unmentioned) observation on this thread is that you really must make at least two trips (after all single observations have no valid scientific validity) to the BVI using each route (total 4 trips) so that you may report back to us on the best way. W all must make some sacrifice for the sake of science and accuracy must we not?

[lzjay]

How easily we forget the real important things in life, thank you for setting me straight. For the sake of science I will make the sacrifice and may a painkiller or two soften the blow.