Island Facts
SIZE
St. Thomas – 32 Square Miles
St. John – 19 Square Miles
St. Croix – 84 Square Miles
POPULATION
St. Thomas has 52,000 residents
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 free-standing 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. See Customs & Immigration for customs information.
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. 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.
PHONES
The Virgin Island area code is 340. There are 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. There is an AT&T Calling Center located in Havensight, across from the cruise ship dock on route 30.
CELLPHONES
Your cell phone may work here as well. AT&T, Sprint and Cingular 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.
MEDICAL
For 24 hour medical care call Red Hook Family Practice at 775-2303 (St. Thomas office) or 776-6789 (St. John office) or call Doctors on Duty 776-7966. St. Thomas Hospital phone number is 776-8311.
NO POISONOUS CREATURES
The mongoose take care of our snakes, the scorpions sting but aren’t poisonous. If you are prone to allergies you may have similar reactions to various insect bites and stings.
