Read yesterday that flights to Caribbean should drop.
We booked AA already for Dec/Jan time frame direct from PHL to SXM. (months ago) for $500 each.
They have been around $1200 since. Now, some are back to $500 figure.
Worth a shot.
Tom

We're planning on spending several days around ST John at the end of our BVI trip.
We've not taken a boat through Customs in years, so we have some procedural questions:

1) After clearing out at Great Harbor Jost van Dyke, can we remain overnight before heading to Cruz Bay? Can we go ashore after clearing out?
2) Do we need to bring the boat into Cruz Bay for Customs, or just the crew?
3) I remember some discussion of where to tie the dinghy for Customs, but it escapes me.
4) When we enter US waters, do we need some sort of seal on the holding tanks, or is placing the valves in the closed position sufficient while moored?
5 Is there a good place to spent the night with easy access to Cruz Bay for Customs, and perhaps shopping and dinner?
6) any recommended dining spots?

Thanks for any advice or assistance

Anse Marcel Beach

Meal at Cote Plage

Pictures of Villa Canoua

Here is a general note I wrote some time ago, regarding the general topic of trip insurance.

The first thing that you need to determine is what perils are MOST important to you to be covered and how much you are willing to pay to cover that risk.
Insure My Trip allows you to compare different insurance policies straight up against each other and helps take some of the confusion out of the process. Insure My Trip is a TTOL sponsor and if you book through the link here on TTOL, we get a small commission and your cost is EXACTLY the same. Especially if you don’t understand what types of coverages are available, and the cost and the dollar limit coverage for each type, Insure My Trip is extremely helpful.

SkyMed is ONLY emergency medical evac. Most other travel policies have a component of medical evac in them, but you do need to look at the limits of coverage on other policies, as some have something like a $25,000 limit, which is NOT sufficient for the Caribbean, as it often will cost $50,000 or so for a true medical evac. SkyMed is also a TTOL sponsor and again, if you book through the link here on TTOL, we get a small commission, and your cost is exactly the same. SkyMed does offer annual policies, which can be very useful if you travel a lot. SkyMed is different than most any other medical evac policy because they take you HOME. Most other medical evac policies will transport you to the closest medically appropriate facility. For example, if you live on the US West Coast, but the nearest medically appropriate facility is in San Juan or Miami, you and possibly your relatives might have to stay in San Juan until you are cleared to travel further, which could be a long time.

Especially now that we are older, we ALWAYS book insurance that includes medical evac insurance. Now, we often book Allianz for cheap coverage for medical evac and emergency medical care, as our personal medical insurance will NOT pay out of the country, or it is all out of network, which means HUGE deductibles. If we book Allianz AT THE SAME time you book your air through the airline, it can be pretty cheap. We recently paid $62 for both of us for an Allianz policy with $50,000 medical evac and $15,000 emergency medical coverage, for an 11 day trip. The policy provides a small amount of trip cancellation/trip interruption/baggage delay insurance, but the main purpose for US is the medical evac and medical coverage insurance. We usually use it only for air tickets of relatively modest cost and a hotel of relatively modest cost. If it’s going to cost you $10,000 for your hotel or boat, then probably Allianz isn’t your best bet at all.

One note regarding trip CANCELLATION insurance. READ the terms of the policy, as far as what qualifies for it to kick in. Usually it will kick in if a person travelling becomes ill, or an immediate family member, but let’s say you are in a relationship with someone to whom you are not married, they are not travelling and THEY become sick. Many policies won’t cover that circumstance. Also, check to see what coverage there is for pre-existing conditions. Also, IF IT IS PURCHASED WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME OF WHEN THE TICKETS ARE BOOKED, usually around a week, SOME trip cancellation policies will kick in if you decide to cancel for ANY reason and/or will cover pre-existing conditions. Usually those policies will cost more, but if you have a situation where you think you might need to cancel because of a work situation or a family member’s medical condition which qualifies as pre-existing under the policy, those types of coverages can be VERY important.

Daily Herald story

We thought we would get in there after it opened, but were simply too lazy to go. They had some kind of a pre-opening event on Tuesday night, as we saw the parking lot full of cars when we went to dinner. This is a great thing for the whole Grand Case/Orient/Hope Estate area. Some stores, like Leader Price, and Petit Casino, will survive regardless. I wonder about Hope Market. I doubt they will survive, due to the parking situation and other factors, with Super U basically right next door.

Loyal West End Yacht Club Regatta

Firecracker 500 & Chili Cook-Off
Saturday, July 6th, 2019

*****$30 pre-registration PRIOR TO JUNE 29th
$50 Registration June 30th or later*****

Email westendyachtclub@gmail.com to pre-register, no payment necessary!
Remember, WEYC presents prizes to every boat that completes the race! Your registration fee always covers itself!!

For this Regatta we have dockage and moorings available for ALL racing boats who want to stay overnight in beautiful West End. The Club will even pick up the fees!!!
(ONLY available to those who Pre-Register!!)

The Down-Wind Pursuit Firecracker Regatta will begin and end in Soper's Hole, first start 10am

The WEYC adds flavor and excitement by having a Chili Cook-Off on the same day!
Non-sailors, visitors, pirates, sailors and anyone who may have been left behind while the sailors go racing is welcome to create their own Chili.
Each year we have many different entries and flavors.
Anyone and everyone is invited to be a judge and vote for the best tasting chili!!

Racing registration will be held from 6-7:30pm on Friday night ($50) at Omar's Fusion, Frenchmen's Cay.
Additional registration ($50) will be on Saturday morning at 9am, first start at 10am.
Register early to save $$!!! Email westendyachtclub@gmail.com today
Chili-Cook off 4:30pm with judging beginning at 5pm
Both Racing & Tasting Awards at 6pm

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you!