Interesting tourism statistic

Carib, yes 1995 was the year Marilyn hit... also we had a big hurricane in 89 as well and spent quite a deal of time trying to catch up to where we were pre-hurricane. Marilyn hit in Sept. and so our usually high winter season in the following 4 months was greatly affected.

--Islander

Speaking of hurricanes, is it possible to get renter's insurance for the islands? And is it affordable?

Thanks.

Tourism has indeed fallen off. My husband and I lived on STX for 1 year and have been home for about a year now. The islanders DO NOT like Americans. They are very rude to Americans. If you are in their shops spending money, that's fine. But out on the streets, they are very impolite. They will walk right through you on the side walks if you don't move to the side. If you go out at night, go as a group and know where you are. There are places there you don't want to be at night.

"The islanders DO NOT like Americans. They are very rude to Americans."

Um, Charlotte, the islanders ARE Americans...

"Um, Charlotte, the islanders ARE Americans..."

Thanks East Ender!

S daughter, I called guardian to get a quote on renter's and was told...no way! If you find another insurer though that does do renter's, please post with the info. As hurricane season approaches, I get increasingly concerned. Thanks.

"The islanders DO NOT like Americans" sounds like more of a problem with the writer rather than the "islanders". Unless the people who live on STX are completely different than those that live on St. Thomas and St. John. I have found that the people living there like being Americans and we have never noticed any issues with those of us who are from the mainland. I do however notice a marked difference on the island of P.R. as many of the locals that I have met there do not consider themselves Americans and don't really care for us mainlanders but perhaps it is just with the people I have met and not the majority. I will hold my judgement of that island until I get to spend much more time with the locals. As for USVI I have always gotten the feeling that the people there welcome you to America, be it the paradise version but America non the less, when you step onto the island.

Thanks for checking it out, Onika!
I will be happy to post any info I can find.

I'm mainly interested in insuring the computers and software we have as the value is worth 1/2 my salary! LOL

~S

Rick: I think that Puerto Ricans remember very well that they were acquired by war. We gave back the Phillipines...

I am going to borrow the soap box for a minute to give me two cents...

I read an article recently about the treatment travel writers sometimes get from businesses... the writer of the article commented that some business owners she encountered were down right rude and just brushed her aside - she was upset because in all respect a travel writer who writes about your establishment is giving you free advertising. The article was of interest to me because I too have encountered rude owners while going around the USVI - in fact I have had some that were right in the office 8 feet away from the secretary and are just sitting there and they tell the secretary (I can hear them mine you) they don't want to talk to me - give me a brochure. Then I spoke to a manager of a business who said sometimes they are so busy and people just keep coming in and 'bothering' them asking questions, wanting information for this and that... and often its just a bad time. Two sides of a story... almost always there are two sides... doesn't mean either side is right though. LOL, the irony of day to day living. Ok to the discussion about Islanders and Americans...

I am a Virgin Islander and an American... whether I am one first or second is not a question... a Virgin Islander is an American but not all Americans are Virgin Islanders... when traveling if someone says where are you from - I don't say the United States I say the Virgin Islands... and I think that goes for many Virgin Islanders... there are so many locals who have never even been to the states but they are proud to be American and do not feel resentment toward other Americans just because of nationality.

I have heard comments before about people on the street being rude, and I have heard that others find the USVI to be one of the friendliest stops in the Caribbean. I think people sometimes forget that people live here, we aren't on vacation... there are many times when I worked down town that the thought of trying to navigate between dozens and dozens of window shopping tourist, some pushing strollers at a crabs pace, couples agruing about whether to go in a store, husbands banning together saying 'honey NO more - look a bar lets go there" while standing right in the center of the walkway would just make me stay in the store all day and have lunch delivered. And if I did go out - I was one of those people that walked as fast as I could moving around people, walking in the street to get around the groups. I didn't think I was being rude when I said excuse me, excuse me - to get through - I had somewhere to go and it wasn't shopping or the beach - it was work and also its really hot walking through town in dress cloths - LOL.

A couple weeks back I was playing tourist... so had no where to really go and was not in a hurry... there was a family (cruise ship folks - I could tell - LOL) standing at a cross walk at an interspection in Charlotte Amalie... and I saw them standing there for the longest while.. the lights changed but the cross walk lights didn't - one guy in the group threw up his hands and started talking to a lady in the group - I laughed as no cars stopped to let them cross - so when I got to the intersection I pulled out in the road and blocked traffic and waved for them to cross... the guy ran passed the car window -saying thank you thank you... if I had somewhere to go and was in a hurry - I probally would have kept driving just like everyone else... suppose it goes to show that we just need to slow down sometimes... I actually was on my cell phone at that moment and said hey that family is going to go home and say that St. Thomas has friendly drivers - LOL... the person I was speaking to said yes very likely a small act means a lot...

St. Croix seems to get a bigger rap for unfriendliness then St. Thomas and St. John - however I really don't agree... on a recent trip there - almost everyone was willing to stop not for 2 minutes but 10-15 minutes and chat about whats going on, government, tourism, where to go and do... it was very warm and friendly - I thought perhaps it was because things were a bit slow - but when I asked one couple they said that - the friendliness is just the cruician way and that they thought St. Thomas folks were the ones bustling around, not saying hello and how do you do. LOL

As for St. John - St. John folks are really friendly - but I will never ever forget a day I went hiking on the Reef Bay trail and didn't bring enough water... I was literally in the state of exhaustion and felt like I would pass out when hiking back up.. I sat in the middle of the trail while a person in my group went ahead of the group and went to the closest bar/restaurant ... which was closing up and refused to sell him a $2 bottle of water - because they said they didn't want to have to count the money again because they would have to give $3 change (**&&( what???)... then they were asked for two bottles and keep the $1 as tip... no they didn't feel like getting another bottle of water. And then the person said Ok give me the bottle keep the change and they said no we are closed now. In my state I was still livid when the story was told to me. And if I think about it now - had that been my only day in St. John - I would have thought the people there were terriably rude... thank godness I have lots of other plesant experiences to make up for that one.

Now as always I have to note - there are rude people, there is negativity - its everywhere - not an excuse but a fact. Don't let it spoil your vacation

As for going out at night - I think its a good idea when you aren't familiar with a place to go out in a group - sure nothing wrong with that. And yes there are a few places not recommendable for visitors... and they are usually not recommended and often would not be likely a visitor would stroll into them anyway. Be aware and have fun.

--Islander 🙂

You can get renters insurance but it is expensive. With a $1,000 deductible for $30,000 in coverage with $100,000 liability we were quoted $1250.

Many companies that offer coverage stateside don't write in the VI and some brokers on the VI don't have a source for property insurance.

Britt

Havent we hit this discussion before?
My two cents.
I live on STJ.
I am new to the islands.(almost a year)
I noticed that there is a fragment of the West Indian population that is somewhat racist.
I mean they treat you differently than they would if your race was different. They might snub you. Or ignore you. Or shout at you as you pass by. I am sure that some is honest differences in cultures. Like the good morning and good afternoon thing.......and some is pure IGNORANCE. Obviously, Charlotte's opinion, which is an opinion, is that there is some racial overtones on STX. I have seen it and experienced it. Some people are ignorant and that is true in the Virgin Islands as well as stateside.

WOW CHARLOTTE!!! are we talking about the same island ???st. croix in theUS AS IN AMERICAN virgin islands??? we have experienced just the opposite.. it was the warmth and friendlyness of the isalnd people which convinced us this is where we wnat to spend our retirement years..just curious what state in the us are you from??texas by any chance please respond and if you don't i'll bet you are from texas.. will explain later

In my BRIEF experience on St. Croix (one day), I found it to be a friendlier and more laid back island than St. Thomas. Life seems less crowded and hectic over there, and I think people in general might be friendlier as a result.

Here's another subjective statement but I'll throw it out there... to me, St. Croix also felt like a more genuine Caribbean or West Indian island than STT or STJ. I might have this perception for several reasons: pace of life, racial composition, fewer tourists, larger land area, I don't know. I guess I would say the island seemed slightly less Americanized and less touristy, and to me these are good things, even though economically it's better to be super developed and packed with tourists all the time. Maybe it was just the change of pace and contrast I liked. In any case I should probably spend more time over there to see if there is really any truth to what I'm writing! Anyone share my sentiments or disagree?

couldn't agree more great perspective which i think truely echos all of us who feel stx is truely an AMERICAN paridise on earth

I realize that. The USVI is a US territory. Maybe I should have worded it differently. The islanders don't like 'mainlanders' on 'their' island. While we were there, the license plates changed to say: Our Island, Our Home. They make no beans about the Americans coming to 'their' island. My husband had to go back there last month to wrap up some business. He came home and said he heard that the cruise ships no longer go to STX and the big planes were going to stop going there, too. Only the puddle jumpers will go to STX.

Charlotte's last comment is something others have pointed out also... and we have discussed several times on this board - 🙂 folks can use the search feature at the top if they want to look for and read other similar discussions ... to follow up on what was said though - there is a level of us and them here... locals are happy to be American and like Americans... however there is a level of I am a Virgin Islander, a native, born here, from here, local, West Indian, Caribbean person and you are not... and in some people it borders ignorance or is displayed in ignorant comments as Chris pointed out... but as a Virgin Islander myself I don't feel it is true of the majority... again however as a Virgin Islander I must appreciate the fact that you came into the islands and felt that negativity and you were affected by it ..... I do hope that you had positive experiences in St. Croix while living there.

--Islander

The Islander's attitudes are no different that the ones from the States. Living in a Touristy area, I wilingly admit I somethimes wish the tourists would go home, get out of my way, drive faster, drive slower, be more courteous, not be so loud, make their kids mind and not annoy other people, etc, etc, etc. So it's not only the islanders that have that attitude. We may express it in a different way coming from different areas, but it all boils down to the same thing; some people are more friendly than others. Be nice and polite, smile at the people who live where you are visiting, try not to be annoying-it's thier home and not yours so be respectful of other's living area.

To Jo-Ann...Amen to that!

It seems as if I have stirred up a hornet's nest. Not my intention at all. All I know is that while I was on the island for a year, I encountered some really rude people. I did make friends with some but I found for the most part they were kind of hard to get to know. Once they 'knew' you, it was like you had been friends for years. Lots of times I would go to town to just walk around and look at the scenery and shop....lots of times I was approached by people asking for money and would get mad if you said no. One 'islander' who used a crutch stole the purse from a friend of mine. Her husband gave chase and could barely keep up with him. There was an older man that asked me for bread and cheese on Easter Sunday out in the parking lot of a grocery store. When I came out, I handed him a bag with bread, cheese, sliced meat, milk, fruit, and sodas. Everytime I went to that particular store and saw him, I would always come out with a bag for him whether he had asked or not. He was hungry...he didn't ask for money. He was always very gracious and thankful. He was an islander. No, they are not all rude but for the most part, yes, I thought so. I based this 'opinion' on what I had experienced. Me from Texas? No, but close. Born and raised in Louisiana. Why did you ask?

Charlotte,

You are right Caribbean people are not open at first, they are guarded. But once you are trusted and they 'know' you like you said you are treated like family.

I have experienced the street people who ask for money and heard there comments if they aren't given any... one guy even asked for $5, I asked what happened to $1 he said well he wants $5... in any case I wanted to make a note that many of these people are not well or all there, many should be on medication but because of the lack of resoures in out patient mental health sometimes they are fall through the cracks; some of them are burnt out drug addicts or alcoholics. When they act up too much, the police pick them up and intervention is given but there isn't a place for them to stay permanently so back on the street they go. This is not the case for all but for quite a few.

It is wonderful to hear of the story concerning giving food to the man outside the grocery store.

--Islander