Hey so we're getting in late(r) around 4:22 and are nervous about missing the ferry, which is fine - I contacted Dolphin and Dohms taxi and they quoted me (basically) ~125 per person plus the processing fee to leave at 5:30 ish on Saturday with 4 people from STT to Road Town. My question is Dolphin has a private taxi for $19pp to transport to Red Hook - is this an inflated cost, are cabs that expensive, or is it cheaper to hail a cab (or as i've read here) email / call and arrange one prior to arrival?
Thanks;

It costs us $30 per couple (plus $1 per large bag) to ride the 14-passenger meat wagons from STT to Red Hook, with the added pleasure of sitting at the airport until it's fully packed with people. $19 for a private taxi that will leave when your group is ready and already in a hurry sounds very reasonable.

Try Kevin at 3406430025. Everyone here uses him and is reasonable

"are cabs that expensive". Just curious, is this your visit? Taxis ain't cheap in the islands, that's for sure. $19 is cheap.

Last I heard it was $15 pp to RH plus $4 for a large bag and $2 for a small bag so $19 pp sounds even better and using Kevin even better than that!

Hillsideview
Yes it's my first visit; my experience thus far with Caribbean islands has been limited to those small enough to, for the most part, not have actual taxis at all, just tuktuks. Thanks for the good information! I found a ticket that wasn't cutting it so close, now I just have to pick the best ferry option.

The taxi fares tend to be a bit of a shock to some folks. Pretty much any roundtrip taxi fare on Tortola will practically cover a daily car rental.

I'm hoping to avoid a lot of taxi around Tortola, I'm chartering from TMM and from what I'm discovering if I do my job right I can essentially have provisions delivered prior to my departure to keep running all over the place to a minimum.
Thanks!

Some like full provisioning some don't. We only deliver the heavy stuff, water, beer, alcohol and such. I want to pick out my own produce and meats. Walking around the store also allows us a choice for picking up some different stuff not on our lists for appetizers.

I like that idea even more and that's kind of what I was scheming. Any idea how far from the TMM dock is from the supermarket?
Thanks again

The new Riteway is a coupe of miles away.

There is a small Riteway right next to TMM base, very short walk. We have done all of our provisioning there before. But, we are fairly simple and eat most meals ashore. It had everything we needed. YMMV.

You might consider ordering the bulk items for delivery and shopping at the Riteway by TMM for your fresh goods if you are not too specific on what you need.

EDIT: If you're up for driving on the left, and on very steep hills, we also always like to rent a car. It gives us the freedom that we really like. Anyways, I'd also recommend looking in to that.

Yes, last summer when we chartered Mardi Gras from TMM we topped off our provisions at the small Rightway only 100 yards away. They have a good selection of everything and have carts that made it convenient to get things to the boat! I remember walking up there late and they were closed at 9'ish? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

If you didn't bring a cooler <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> you would need the new big Riteway, with an excellent selection of meat and seafood. The produce section is like any major U.S. market, there really is no comparison.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> Here we go...thank you for drawing attention to the convenience that I enjoy by bringing my own meat, just have to deal with the sides, which that small Riteway has! I'll meet you in the middle and say that Riteway in Roadtown does have good meat and produce! FYI, my wife and I are traveling solo to SXM in a month, NO COOLER! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

All in good fun Rick, have a great time, We leave April 1 or there abouts for SXM.. I know Carol, there goes the island <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> "There goes the island" I will write a detailed trip report as usual....but I'll fight the urge to compare islands because well....you know St John is the best, unless I'm in the BVI! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I think you might be mistaken $ 15.00 per person to Tortola Wharf not to Red Hook. and my daughter and me speak perfect Westindian (which helps with the fare), but never got a $ 15.00 pp to Red Hook from the airport.

I was referring to us, but I'm sure the 4 of us could do some serious damage. We are going to certainly miss the virgins.

You know the real problem with transportation between the islands is St. Thomas and BVI immigration but supposedly on Saturday St. Thomas immigration is covering us - on any week-day you would not be able to leave STT at 5.30 PM - just remember for your next trip. I think Tortola Fast Ferry to Road Town is leaving Tortola Wharf at 5.30 PM on Saturday

Sorry Uschi, I didn't "fact check" that info very well. I can't find anything "official" online so I was only going by what I have read here recently.

We just paid $15pp to Red Hook this past October

You might want to check with Dolphin and Dohm's about a new issue reported in the BVI Beacon. http://www.bvibeacon.com/1/index.php/local/6177-crackdown-restricts-usvi-water-taxis In the past, water taxis had been allowed to clear in at West End and then transport their passengers to Road Town or beyond. According to the article the BVI is not allowing this practice anymore and USVI water taxis can not transport passengers past the first BVI Port of Entry. i.e. They must drop them off at West End.

If this helps anyone else I spoke with both dolphin and dohms about an after hours taxi around 5:30, they quoted me prices around $125 each + either 25 or 40 dollars entry fee to BVI to road town, $94 + fee to west end. That was two/three days ago before I bought the tickets. I finally found one landing at 1pm on sat so we're good to take the ferry and can avoid the custom taxi rate, but yeah. That's what I was told via phone by the taxi operators, they must have figured a way around the rules or perhaps that isn't in effect yet? Anyway - FYI

That means they drop you at a port of entry Road Town or West End Buy still can't take you to your final destination. Not sure why they still want the "entry fee" as the BVI does not charge any entry fee and now the water taxi driver is not adding any real convenience to the process of clearing in.

I agree there are no entry fees on a personal arrival by ferry.
Since the water taxi is bringing people in I am sure there is some charge for the boat to pay - it may or may not be equal to what they are charging - it used to be more of a convenience charge as the passengers did not have to leave the vessel.
The way that BVI C&I is currently dealing with the water taxi entries will likely cause the STT water taxis to eventually change their fee structure to reflect whatever services they are allowed to offer.

In my opinion, the private water taxi "business model" is no longer relevant. I was getting weary of the double-speak concerning vague fees for this-and-that, and November's fiasco was the last straw. My personal experience is: (1) They prefer to arrange the taxi transfer from STT to Red Hook at their prices; (2) We found in November they could only drop you at Customs & Immigration at West End, no further. (3) They assess a cash "customs fee" of about $35 per person. This fee is retained by the company, there is no customs fee assessed to tourists entering BVI; (4) Additional fees to deliver you to your actual destination might be either a local taxi or public ferry, not the same water taxi that delivered you to Tortola. In my opinion, private water taxis have increased their fee structure and can not deliver the convenience of the past. I would be aware of the specific service(s) they claim to offer, and are those services what they can deliver today, or are they what they hope to offer in the future. Again, just my opinion, everyone should do their own due diligence and make their own decisions.

Oh, and (5) the captain (and mate) solicit a tip for their service.