We did a Gang of 24 for Thanksgiving 2006 in three houses on St. John. It was manageable by breaking the shopping/provisioning down by house. We did one group dinner at my villa for Thanksgiving. There are so many different tastes and directions for a group that big that we did not try to please everyone.

As LocalSailor & Carol, it would be great to do a provisioning run on STT. The biggest impact is for convenience foods like frozen prepared food, snacks and sodas. On St. John there are four markets in Cruz Bay and one in Coral Bay. Starfish Market is similar to a small continental US grocery. We like Pine Peace for better prices on staples, rum and beer. Dolphin Market and St. John Market near the Westin are mid-range. You should expect grocery prices to be 30% over those at home, some more and some less.

To bring from home, look at the most expensive items such as snacks and any foods you cannot live without. I brought a cooked, deboned, shrink-wrapped and frozen turkey which let me spend the day on the beach Thanksgiving Day. When we have a big group I'll also bring dry-cured bacon as well as frozen steaks. But, the availability of good quality food and produce has improved, even since 2006. You don't have to bring a think unless you want to.

Have fun!!

Cheers, RickG