TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Questions regarding cruising tax

For over 20 years have chartered out of Roadtown. We spent some time in Frenchtown this year post charter, and really enjoyed it. After reading all the positive remarks about sailing out of St. Thomas we are considering that for our next trip. This past year we paid considerably more money for cruising taxes in the BVI. If we spent more time in the USVI and then 3-4 days in the BVI, would we save much money? I am never sure how cruising tax is calculated. Our charters are usually for 10 days. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

Cruising permit is now $16/day/person for non BVI boats vs $6/day/person for local boats. Parks Trust $25/week up to 4 guests for either.

As Glenn indicates the difference between a US boat and a BVI boat is $10/day/person. The ferry (assuming you're landing STT) is $65/person round trip. So if you make the assumption all else is the same there is a break even point of 6 days. But of course not all else is the same. Honestly... if you're budget is tight enough that $10/pp/day is a factor on where you want to point the boat I'm wondering if this might be the best vacation for you.

wow

As Anders pointed out it is ten dollars a day difference. No ferry, no overnight on either end in a hotel etc. St John is spectacular and there are several really nice anchorages around St Thomas as well. In St John the national park moorings are $26 night. We have a lot of guests spending more and more time in the USVI. Both in response to the increasing fees and in a desire to do something different.

I am going to copy and past myself from another thread I recently responded to in the USVI forum.

"I would start by heading east towards St John. Christmas Cove or the North Shore the first full day. Do a figure eight around St John and St Thomas. Spend a day in town at Cruz Bay. It is the coolest town in the Virgins both British and US. Then a night in Maho/Francis. (You could spend days on the North Shore of St John and around the small barrier islands).

From there head around St John, snorkeling at Leinster. Possibly an overnight in Coral Bay. Then Salt Pond or Lameshur's. From there take a nice long down wind sail to Magen's on the next to last night. From Magen's head around the west end of St Thomas also down wind and spend your last night at Brewers, Lindbergh or Water Island.

As for places on shore. Things are changing quickly over here. There is now a beach bar at Honeymoon on St John. There is a food cart/bar at Maho Bay that opened this week. Some concessions are back open at Trunk Bay. The owners of Lime Inn are opening a floating food truck/bar in Hansen Bay right inside Coral Bay any day. It is called the Lime Out. Several Coral Bay favorites are open including Skinny Leggs. You also can get a slip or anchor in Red Hook if you want a town day. Back here is St Thomas Megan's has a bar and food during the day. At Christmas Cove you have Pizza Pi which might be the best floating food truck on the planet. Then back at Water Island you have Dinghy's Beach Bar and Heidi's Honeymoon Grill. In Lindbergh you have access to the beach bar and restaurant at Emerald Beach Resort."


Here is a link to the National Park Resource Guide. St John Marine Resource Guide

Thanks for that info CaptainJay. Very helpful to have that up to date Intel about beach-bars etc. We're seriously considering spending some time in USVI for our next charter...St John in particular.

If only there was a way for us to get a Visa without either having to spend a day at the embassy in London a few months in advance or having to do the ferry over from BVI to get the passport stamp before returning back to the BVI to get the boat. Both options are a huge waste of time!

Agrimsrud, it is not the cost of the charter. We were just surprised this year when the cruising tax was so high. We have been going to the BVI's since 1995. We sometimes go 2-3 times a year. We had never seen an increase of such a large amount. I always read CaptainJay's remarks, and I think he gives excellent advice. My thoughts are to spend more time in the USVI this year and spend less money in the BVI. This would include provisioning on St. Thomas. Just my small way to protest the ways they are grabbing for money.

Good plan! Jay's outline is a good one. There is also the option to head west to the SVI which he doesn't describe in this post. Between USVI and SVI I think there is plenty of very nice places to go that don't involve paying fees that seem unreasonable on the BVI side.