Vacation/Scouting trip for possible move

You can certainly charter a small 22'-29' powerboat from a number of operations here [STT] for your visit. I can probably count on one hand the # of homes that have any docking facilities though. The VI is nothing like the Fla. Keys topographically or water wise. it is very mountainous here on land and fairly deep offshore - including the North Drop or Puerto Rican Trench which is the deepest part in the Atlantic Ocean.
All of the VI's have excellent dive spots and great offshore fishing.
Your wife may want to explore the 'Traveling Nurse' option - higher pay and monetary benefits.
You can google villas and possibly find a waterfront one that would fit your vacation needs but as I mentioned not many with dockage and the boat included part is very unlikely.
You should have no problem with the price range you mentioned for a long term rental the 1st year.

I would suggest that she try to get a job as a traveling nurse for 3 to 6 months. They will house you and in most cases furnish you a car. We have several living at the complex where we have our condo. STX.
That would give you an idea if you really want to move.

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Exit, and Terry..thanks for the input...yes my wife works with a few Travel Nurses ho have worked the VI's. She said they actually was surprised my wife would be interested because the ones who had worked there said they were bored to death and there was nothing to do. My wife smiled and said yes that is what most people complained about in the Keys but we loved it...they smiled and then if you liked the Keys you will probably love the Islands.

The traveling nurse thing is certainly plan A because as Terry listed and my wife said it provides you a place to live, car, etc plus pay so you do not have to truly move unless you like it. That is a huge advantage we have which will let us scout it out before we moved.

Good info on the boat rentals, I wonder if those boat rentals also come with a place to dock it..I would imagine so...because if there are very few home rentals with slips and as I am learning very few villas with slips (Unless your Rich)..there has gotta be somewhere to park a rented boat ..lol

You would be surprised how little info I can find online about renting boats. So if anybody has a phone number or two that I can make early reservations I would appreciate it.

As far as health care in general how would one rate it down there...my wife is a cardiac patient as well as a cardiac nurse. As for me I did note that there is a Veterans Outpatient Clinic which is where I would be going for medical care (100% Disabled vet) any input on that would be helpful as well.

These forums are awesome and I am the type to read a lot before I ask my questions, so thanks for your efforts.

With these medical problems, a PMV visit is imperative, IMO. If you find the specialist you need, he/she may be the only one on island. On STX there is a very minimal Vet clinic. But it all will be nothing like to find on the mainland,

Please do yourself a favor and come down for a couple of weeks to check things out.

On STJ boats are available from -
Ocean Runner - 340 - 693-8809
Nauti - Nymph -- 340- 775- 5066 also in STT
Noahs - 340-693-9030
In STT try:
Sea and Ski - toll free -866-775-6268 ----on island 775-6265
Awesome -34-775-0860
Waters edge -340-771 - 7356
Charter Center -340-775-7990
Someone more familiar with St Croix will have to help -- there are some # listed in the phone book but I have no idea what kind of vessels are available.

Keeping the boat for a few days is not common since the company would want it to be secure overnight - they have their own slips at the Marinas - running after sunset is usually prohibited - You might want to try a day rental for the 1st few days to get a feel for how much boat you need and your plans may change according to sea conditions or weather.

Your wife would certainly be welcome in the ICU on St Thomas. Whether it is "adequate" for her is a question I can't answer. But it is what we have and we need nurses who are capable. If she comes as a traveller, she will get the worst schedule, etc. We also have a cardiologist and an interventional radiologist who do a lot of procedures. There is also a cardiac center on St Croix, but I cannot speak to their program. I have run into several escapees from the Keys here...

Re: fishing- if you come to St Thomas, check Neptune Fishing Supplies at American Yacht Harbor about all your needs.

East, Exit, and Linda...thank you very much for your efforts and advice it will be properly utilized.

The Boat rental numbers will help tremendously...will call them this week.

Yeah I know the VA clinic is small but all I really need is a primary care and prescription refills so not a problem.

Thanks for the hospital info as well..when I say adequate..I mean are there ample numbers of places to choose from that will pay her well enough so I can still be a house bumm..lol

As for her heart appt's, is PMV, Virgin Island slang for Personal Mainland Visit? Because I suspect she will need to come mainland twice a year for her health care because she is a Tetralogy of the Fallot patient from the 1970's..its kind of funny she has to go to a pediatrician because regular cardiologist can't do anything for her..lol

Yes the vacation/scouting trip is a must and we hope to do so next spring. When is the best fishing for Wahoo and/or Mahi..size not quantity..I mostly catch and release.

House Bum: (I think that would have been a good screen name!!) There is ONE hospital on St Thomas with an 8 bed ICU. There is ONE hospital on St Croix, I don't know the size of their ICU. So I guess she has two choices. 😉 The nursing union renegotiated their contract fairly recently and they seem fairly content with their pay. It won't be what she is getting on the mainland, but...

A PMV is the acronym for "Pre-Move Visit." The idea is to come stay for a bit, see what actually living is like. There are pros and cons. My advice is not to burn your bridges back home, so if it doesn't work out here, you have an out.

On St Thomas, we actually have an excellent cardiologist, Roy Flood. I would suggest making an appointment and paying for 15 minutes of his time to see if you think he could be her "local" physician anyway.

If I had a major medical problem, I would not live here. Healthcare is subpar and or limited in most cases. Usually you are lucky if you can find a good specialist on the island but then what happens when they go on vacation? At the very least please buy some insurance like MASA that will get you off the island in an emergency.

Yeah we are, as I mentioned in my first post, planning a trip for a week vacation next year to get a better feel for the area. However, we both are considering a move in the next few years because we loved the keys...Obviously you can tell we do alot of research before we make decisions. Huh it tooks us 6 months to decide which oven to buy.

Her health is excellent right now but one never knows when the heart may start acting up..the good news is that it most likely will be a slowly developing problem rather than a rapid one. Part of the reason for the move is that she knows her life will be shorter than most, and she has known that since she was born. Having had open heart surgery at age 6 and being in and out of hospitals for a few years afterwards, she is actually blessed in the sense that the she knows life needs to be lived to the fullest more so than the rest of us who think we are invincible (me) and will live forever.

The key to our vacation is to actually check out the infrastructure a few days and then fish, dive and goof off a few days. That is why I will be hounding the internet forums for people to give me as much heads up as possible..every person you talk to can teach you something if you are willing to listen.

She does not have to work at anm ICU, she can do most any nursing...do any of the Ritzy resorts have on site nurses and such, with her personality, knowledge and experience.doctors are always hounding her to come work for them..but as of right now she loves working in the Cardiac Intensive Care unit because of the enjoyment that comes from saving peoples lives when they have died (coded) or are expected to die. On the other hand it is hard on her when she cannot save them as well.

Thanks again to all and I welcome more input.

"...she is a Tetralogy of the Fallot patient from the 1970's..its kind of funny she has to go to a pediatrician because regular cardiologist can't do anything for her..."

I agree with Betty -- I wouldn't move here given your wife's health condition. In addition to limited health care options and local providers with limited or no experience with this health issue, we have very sketchy ambulance service i.e.ambulances not working, no addresses for homes, roads impassable for ambulances, etc.

I have a question and am not trying to be rude at all 🙂 I'm just wondering why not live in the keys if you know you love it and you will be close to all the necessary stateside amenities, like good health care. I, personally don't think we're anything like the keys.

And while there is fishing here it's not the best by a long shot, these islands have been over fished and all the reef fish have that one disease or poison, can never remember which. So you would need something that could take you out deeper into the ocean and I assume a more expensive fisherman's license but I really don't know about that.

I'm glad you're coming for a visit, because I think you may find its not the best fit for what you're saying you need and want to have, but I could be misunderstanding what you're saying.

Best of Luck!

Hey, you guys! Quit chasing off the ICU nurses! How is our health care system ever supposed to improve if you tell them all to go to Florida? 😛 I'm (half) kidding, Betty. Could you tell the young party kids to go to the Keys and encourage the teachers, nurses and other folks who want to grow the infrastructure to come down??

Quite honestly, life IS short, House Bum, and you all should do what makes you happy. If you don't like it you can always leave. But please come help!:-)

Amen, EE! (tu)

Hey not trying to chase them away. 🙂 It doesnt sound like the best fit, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but not at the expense of someone's health. 🙂

I absolutely understand tongue in cheek comments and usually know how to interpret exactly what they are saying. So all of the Island specific comments are very much appreciated. We want to know as much about the good, bad and ugly parts as possible.

Like I said I have never been to the Islands so I would like to compare it versus the Keys. But trust me they both have there downsides such as only one road into the Keys that is frequently shut down for hours when there is an accident. They both are very expensive, isolated and have limited health care.

We have family and friends who will be state side if we need to come back for major medical issues..that would be the same if we lived in the Keys as well.

The quality of health care would probably be more of an issue for my wifes job satisfaction versus her actual medical condition. I have probably made her health sound worse than it is.

As for fishing, I mostly fish deep water such as mahi, wahoo, marlin, sailfish, etc... However inshore is where we enjoy reef diving and snorkeling.

Nonetheless, we would most likely not even do a travel nurse gig until at least 2-3 years from now..if that gives you an idea about how much we check things out before we do anything.

Like everyone we like to dream but we know that dreams often clash with reality. How about hooking her up with a job at Richard Bransons hang out..I could wash dishes.

Great post! The only thing I would add is getting back stateside means a pricey plan ticket each time, whereas the bridge may be a pain it's much cheaper. 🙂 Good luck in your researching and hope you have a great time when you come to visit and explore.

For your wife's job pleasure... I know several Doctors and Nurses who work or have worked at the hospital here on STX. For the most part I believe they initially love the job and the challenge and feel that they have the opportunity to really make a difference in the health care options for our residents. That love usually lasts for at least a year or two. .... The major problem that I have seen is that competent people get really fed up after a time with incompetent people that have been well established in the cushy government jobs at the hospital and are resistant to stateside professionals who come down here trying to 'change the way they do things'. So.. if your wife just wants a job... she'll not have a problem... if she expects to make a difference, she may find it a frustrating uphill battle. The hospital is government run. There have been several big hospital scandals in the last couple of years, some more public than others. Like everything else on this island....there is racism. There are clicks. There is corruption. Travelers are tolerated longer because they are temporary... My understanding is women especially find it difficult if they are the outspoken, assertive types. Making changes (aka improvements) is hard, met with resistance, but.. I'd say possible and very rewarding when achieved over time. Although we have run off some really great people , they all have helped to pave the way for slow improvements and changes. Our hospital is getting better all the time,(I think) ... but still lacks a lot of very basic care essentials. Our Cardiac Center is an impressive addition, but was an expensive one to take on and remains to be seen if it achieves its goals. There are some really good Doctors here. We could use more.

The right person, with the right mind set, could come down here and be very happy, have a comparably light workload compared to stateside standards and enjoy our islands very much. My recommendation though... would be to stay clear of all politics and have very thick thick skin.

Lol,,unfortunately I have rubbed off on my wife and she likes to do things right, which of course makes it more difficult (anywhere.) She is head of the Nurse Practice Council so making a difference is important to her. Yeah the Government run places such as the VA or the military have a lot of great people who eventually give up trying, due to all of the red tape.

Seriously, though do any of the Ritzy Private resorts have nurses or nurse practitioners on staff...that is something we are curious about.

Having a nures on staff will open any hotel up to large lawsuits. I'd be surprised if you found a nurse at any hotel under the US flag. Most hotels will not even recommend a doctor but give you a list of doctors to choose from.

Interesting all the negatives coming from those who live here... no one is forcing them to stay...

By all counts the Keys are way more hectic than the islands... Charlotte Amalie comes closest to the cluster that extends most ot the route 1 across the Keys.

Nice new Cardiac Center on St Croix. All the latest toys, hopefull will still be working several years from now...

Nice to have people with useful skills wanting to relocate here, and helping to up the standard... that many are to willing to point out is not the highest presently. However, you all have chosen to stay here.

The deep sea fishing... one good reason to be here... reef diving... as good as it gets.

Quiet places to relax ... at home or an almost deserted beach...

US Post Office considers this domestic as far as rates go (FedEx and UPS charge international rates)

Air fare off island is quite reasonable if you are prepared to watch the price breaks... $350 round trip to most major destinations on east coast is feasible... just book wisely.

Having lived on each of the four US Virgin Islands, I can say that St Croix is the most versatile for a normal daily type life balancing work and play... more a non-tourist type island environment yet maintaining some mainland qualities and scope. Less linear than the Keys or cramped than St John or crazy busy as St Thomas.

Come and enjoy them all, make up your own mind.

cheers

tropicvi,

Those of us who choose to live here and participate on this forum present our take on the realities of life here, It is difficult for anyone to assess all of the challenges that living here entails simply from a visit, and people contemplating a move who post questions on this forum are asking for our input. When people with special needs (like medical concerns and/or children) seek to relocate, it is even more imperative to the locals on this forum that they're aware of the potential challenges they will encounter should they choose to make the move. The vast majority of people who move here with the intention of living here long-term actually leave within a few months, because they find that life here isn't what they imagined it would be. We are not trying to deter potential new residents, but rather trying to help some people prevent a costly mistake by learning from the experiences of others. Yes, everyone is different, but since so few who move here stay very long, there are obviously some concessions required to live here that most people find themselves unwilling to make.