Helpful Information

street-smartsSIZE
St. Thomas – 32 Square Miles
St. John – 19 Square Miles
St. Croix – 84 Square Miles
POPULATION
St. Thomas has 52,000 residents
St. John has 4,300 residents
St. Croix has 54,000 residents
LANGUAGE. There are many West Indian dialects which you may hear, most of them are predominantly English based. There are people from all over the Caribbean living here so If you don’t understand what has been said to you, politely ask for the person to repeat what they have said. Preface all questions and requests with a greeting first. Customarily, “Good Morning” or “Good Day” will get you prompt service and many smiles.
CURRENCY & CREDIT CARDS. The currency of the US Virgin Islands is the US Dollar. Major credit cards are accepted in almost all – but not all – establishments. Ask before you make a purchase or order food. ATM machines are located in banks and at other commercial locations. There is a freestanding ATM machine on the West Indian Company Cruise Ship Dock next to the Welcome Center.
BANKS. The following banks operate in the US Virgin Islands:
Banco Popular
First Bank Virgin Islands
Scotiabank
TAXATION. There is no sales tax in the Virgin Islands. Residents pay income tax to the USVI government. There are no state income taxes.
MAIL. The US Virgin Islands are a territory of the United States and therefore use the same postal system and US mail rates. You can mail an unlimited amount of locally purchased gifts back to the states but liquor and tobacco are excluded. These will not count in your total USVI Duty-Free allowance.
DRESS. We are more than just a beach destination and bathing suits worn elsewhere, especially in the downtown areas, tends to offend the local residents. So, please, wear proper attire (no bare midriffs or chests) in town and public areas away from the beach.
street-smartsPHONES. The Virgin Island area code is 340. There are Innovative public phones throughout the commercial areas. You can make calls just as you would in the United States using credit cards or by calling collect.
CELLPHONES. Your cell phone may work here as well. AT&T, Sprint and Innovative Wireless all have local service and will allow you to make calls based on your rate plan. Roaming may or may not incur additional charges. Check with your provider for specific rates and coverage.
ISLAND CREATURES. There are no dangerous snakes in the VI, but you might want to pay attention to the invertebrates. Painful non-poisonous stings can be delivered by wasps, scorpions, and centipedes. If you are prone to allergies you may have similar reactions to various insect bites and stings. Green iguanas are seen throughout the island, often found near water and are agile climbers.

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