Lots of differing opinions on this topic....

However, we travel with a cooler for every trip to the islands...I am not sure where you are coming from, but it is unlikely you even need to bother with the dry ice.

Many trips ago, I looked into dry ice and the cost was high, so I tried wet ice but was told I couldn't check the bag till the ice was removed. We had previously frozen everything we were taking in the cooler (for about 2 weeks prior), so I dumped the wet ice and crossed my fingers and checked it....when we arrived at our final destination at least 8/10 hours later with a stop or two along the way, the meat was still frozen solid. Seems like most people who travel with coolers and meat don't even bother with the dry ice as long as the meat is frozen solid. Some have mentioned the gel packs but I have never used them. Even if for some reason it started to thaw, you're gonna eat most of it quick anyway...if you've got an overnight somewhere en route, there are ways around that too...just ask...

I'd recommend vacuum sealing everything.

I have traveled with hard sided and softsided coolers. Both have some advantages/disadvantages. Polar Bear and AO make some very good quality softsided heavy duty travel coolers of varying sizes. And I like hardsided coolers with wheels because you can throw your other bags on top of it and drag around at the airport...Hardsided coolers too make it super easy to bring home any breakables (souvenirs or booze). Great too for bringing home the dirty wet clothes.

Good luck. Check out the BVI page too, it's frequented way more than the US Virgin Islands category, and probably a lot of helpful tips could be found there too.