Time Zone
The U.S. Virgin Islands are in the Atlantic Standard Time zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (except during Daylight Savings Time).
Tipping
A 15 to 20 percent tip is customary for service well done. Some hotels automatically add a service charge.
Tourist Services
- St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association 340-773-7117
- St. John Visitors' Bureau 340-776-6450
- St. Thomas Department of Tourism 340-774-8784
- USVI Hotel & Tourism Association 340-774-6835
- Inter-island Travel (subhead)
It's easy, and often a whole lot of fun, to zip from one Virgin Island to another.
By Kim Jensen
Ferry Nice. Sit outside to enjoy the view and the fresh sea air on ferries that run on the hour, every hour, from Red Hook (a 20-minute ride) and (less frequently) Charlotte Amalie (45 minutes) on St. Thomas to Cruz Bay, St. John. And don't be shy about asking locals to name the islands you'll spy in the background. Hint: You'll sail with the rush-hour crowd around 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Fares are $3 to $7 one-way. If you're in town at the right time, consider the bimonthly ferry trips from Charlotte Amalie to Fajardo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The two-hour ride runs $100 round-trip and includes shuttle service to the Condado district. Transportation Services, 340-776-6282
Land with a Splash. The exhilaration of taking off and landing on the ocean, salt spray on your window, is an experience not to be missed - and it's a primo way of taking a jaunt between islands. Seaborne Airlines offers daily seaplane flights between St. Croix, St. Thomas and San Juan, all without airport hassles. Walk on, walk off; it's that easy. Call for reservations.888-FLY-TOUR, 340-773-6442, www.seaborneairlines.com
Small Wonders. Cape Air offers cozy comfort in its twin-engine, nine-passenger Cessnas, which take to the air daily for hops between St. Croix, St. Thomas, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Ponce (Puerto Rico) and Tortola (British Virgin Islands). Call for rates and times. 800-352-0714, www.flycapeair.com
Day-tripper. Tour St. Thomas in comfort. Southerland Tours will take you on an all-inclusive trip from St. Croix to St. Thomas, including shopping and even banana daiquiris. Caravell Arcade, Christiansted, 340-773-9500, 800-260-2603, www.southerlandtours.com
Speed It Up . It just doesn't get any more convenient - or entertaining - than this. The Road Town Fast Ferry will whiz you via high-speed catamaran from downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, to downtown Road Town (Tortola, BVI), in a record 50 minutes. Since you're going from downtown to downtown, you won't even need a taxi once you arrive. Round-trip "fast ferry" tickets are $40 for adults, $22 for kids 2-11, $10 for kids 1 and under. 340-777-2800, www.roadtownfastferry.com
Cat-aclysmic . For a quick and thrilling excursion from St. Thomas to St. Croix, Virgin Islands Fast Ferry offers what might be called extreme transportation. Its high-speed catamaran will whisk you across the water in 75 minutes. Hold on tight! Call to learn more about schedules and rates. 877-733-9425, www.virginislandsfastferry.com
Choice Choppers . Fly in style by chartering your own personal helicopter. Air Center Helicopters will fly you wherever you want to go, whenever you want to go. Rates for the service run at $1,208 per hour. Cyril E. King Airport, St. Thomas, 340-775-7335, www.aircenterhelicopters.com
British Invasion. Are you up for an expedition to the British Virgin Islands? Several small ferry companies would be happy to accommodate you. Smith's Ferry Service (340-775-7292, www.smithsferry.com) offers daily tours to Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, which is home of the famous Foxy's and Soggy Dollar Bar, and also to Virgin Gorda, site of The Baths. Ferry company Native Son (340-775-3111) will take you to Tortola, as well. Fares begin at $40 round-trip.
