Shipping food

I'm chartering in mid December via TMM. Does anyone know if there is a service whereby I can have some items shipped down ahead of me? Specifically, I'm looking to order some meat through Omaha Steaks, so it would obviously require refrigeration. Thanks for any info.

Shipping to the BVI has long been a problem. C&I is difficult and the volume is just not enough to support perishable shipments. The lack of an airport with direct airline service further complicates the problem. I doubt you will find any food vendor with a BVI shipping option.

For more than two decades we have carried our own coolers with frozen food we believe you cannot find in the Virgin Islands. In my opinion you will easily find similar or much higher quality beef in the BVI than anything the marketing company Omaha Steaks ships. Exact portion control may be the exception.

Easy answer is, not worth your time, thought , trouble or money.

Just no.

Get the Omaha order delivered to you and pay the baggage fee to take it with you, frozen, in a cooler.

It is what YOU are going to eat. Take care of your own stuff.

I looked it up. Shipping a 10 lbs box of anything using FedEx to Tortola would be on the order of $175. If you give me the money. I will fly down buy some better steaks in the BVI and cook them for you myself. I suspect I am not the only one ready to go by the way.

That was easy. Thanks everyone.

I may be mistaken, but I seem to recall Supa Valu in RoadTown had Omaha Steaks in their freezer.

Yes. SupaValu did have some fine meat in September but at a fine price. In the $20/pound range. Probably not a whole lot higher than Omaha stakes delivered to home but out of my budget.

The only even slightly economically feasable is to have them sent Priority Mail to you General Delivery St. Thomas but you would have to plan on a couple of hours between landing at STT and the ferry to get to the main post office east of town to pick it up.

Hotdog man:
I just arrived with Polar Bear 24 pack soft cooler (x2) with meat that we Vacuum packed and froze ourselves. Arrived Frozen after 12 hours without any dry ice (can use up to 5 pounds). Declare with customs and pay

Good news is ordering through Riteway online was 100% accurate and arrived on time! (about 8;30).

BTW: Enjoying my first sunrise on Sea Tiger with coffee... Hope you will enjoy Sea Tiger as well!

We've never been asked to pay any fees as you can bring in up to 50 lbs. for personal consumption

I don't think that is correct. You are required to pay duty it's just hit or miss on if they feel like collecting that day. If you do have a reference I would love to see it!
G

have you ever priced out the Omaha Steaks, great marketing when they can get you to pay $10 a pound for hamburger. I would say Rite Way has as good, or better steaks than Omaha.

My bad as what I referred to is the amount of beef/chicken, etc. you can bring in for personal consumption without having to file an application. Still have never been charged in the previous four times. Lucky! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

We always bring a 24 polar bear cooler full of frozen meats and a duffle bag with some things we can't find in BVI. We used to never declared and never had a problem. However the new custom forms now ask if and what you are bring in. Last time we declared our frozen shrimp, chicken and bison. Amount was small enough or the custom gal didn't feel like charging us. I understand it's a craps shot if you get taxed or not. But we find it worth it to bring meats down, especially when you want to marinade

It is hit or miss. If it is your turn to get hit, that's just the way it goes and you will only dig a deeper hole for yourself if you argue.

Declare if you have stuff to declare. Declare SOMETHING.... 50 bucks, 100 bucks. Smile and produce the 5 or 10 bucks. It is a battle you will never win, it is better to walk away with everyone smiling.

We have always brought our own meats. Only once came close to having to pay tariff on the food, but then I invited the C&I officer to join us for a cookout. He laughed and waved us through.

Yes, the only way to take food is as a carry on or checked bag. As an aside Omaha Steaks sells no prime beef like Allen Bros or others that is truly high quality. You likely can find better with CAB at most major grocery or Costco or SAMS. As others have said Riteway usually has good beef on Tortola. We spend a lot of time on Virgin Gorda and if you have a crew that needs that much Buck's Market nearly always have cryopacs of whole. choice beef tenderloin and Prime Rib in the case across from frozen food. indeed I've seen the chef at Little Dix at the checkout with them and purchased them when we had a large crew visiting.

We were charged $10 last time. Basis was arbitrary.

+1 Well Said!

Did someone hear me say I argued?? Just said I've never been charged a fee but would readily pay. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

We bring a cooler of frozen meat + other items every single time we go. And it's completely arbitrary whether we get charged a tax. When asked, I tell them it's $100 of meat and they ask for $10. Last time, I was asked, told her $100 of meat and she immediately got distracted by someone else and we were waived thru with no tax charged. Just depends on who's working that day ... and perhaps the attention span of the customs agent. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

We packed a 40qt cooler of premium steaks,bacon,butter,milk,summer sausage,chicken breasts,etc. I highly recommend it if you are particular about your meat quality. Use every available space with frozen items.

Riteway carries Angus beef if that would suffice? Their Angus Filet Mignon is excellent. Their rib eyes are usually very tasty and they will cut them to any thickness you like if you call their provisioning department ahead of time.

When you consider what you will pay for shipping or extra luggage, I think you are ahead of the game to buy it here.

If you are flying into St. Thomas and taking the ferry over, you can get excellent steaks (including Omaha Steaks) at Best Buy or Cost You Less ... I can't remember which one.

We have chartered BVI numerous times and generally shop locally for most of our provisions at Bobbys or RiteWay. On occasion, we will pack one small box with items that we know we will not find on the island. We know we can finds limes locally, but we use a ton of them during the week for monitors, margaritas, cosmos and that can get really expensive with local prices. Any informed input as to whether there are any import restrictions on bring fruit (limes) into the country?

For what it is worth I agree with the majority views that good meats can be easily sourced in both the US and BVI's. The first two seasons we packed our freezer full of meats when we sailed her down for the season. Can't get any easier than filling up the freezer in the US and then sail it down. No costs with C&I no hassles of coolers. However, this year we packed what needed for the passage but not much of anything more.

You guys sold me on the Polar Bear coolers - ordered five of them today. A 12-can Solarbear will be filled with frozen beef from a wonderful Angus farm here in Tennessee. Will it work as a personal item on the plane? Four will be thank you gifts for our dedicated workers.