Bolongo Bay Beach Club Resort, St Thomas, USVI

My niece was married (November 2006) in St Thomas at Bolongo Bay. My husband and I went down for the wedding and stayed for a week. We did the all-inclusive option and stayed in a beachfront room (ground floor). When you arrive at the resort you are welcomed with a rum punch while you are checking in (you are also welcomed at the airport in St Thomas with a rum punch!).

Bolongo Bay is a small resort, only 65 rooms, and it is family run. The rooms used to be more on the order of efficiencies, but they have since changed that. They do have a refrigerator and sink area, as well as some dishes for use. The rooms are not the big draw, although they are currently being updated (renovations are now completed).

I have to say that it was a most wonderful vacation. You get over the outdated room pretty fast. The staff makes you feel like family, they get to know you by name, and they get to know your preferences. Even if you do not choose all-inclusive you still have access to their water equipment. The Beach House restaurant (it will be changing its name soon to the Lobster Grille) on the property is 5 star- you order off the menu and everything is delicious. The service is excellent, although you don't want to be in a hurry. The only night we were in a hurry was karaoke night, so we could get good seats! The Beach House is closed for dinner on Sunday and Monday, but they also have an informal restaurant called Iggies. They have karaoke there as well as themed nights. The drinks are powerful - they don't water down the drinks for the all-inclusives.

We took the catamaran cruise to St John's island for the day - it is included if you stay 7 nights.

The next evening my niece was married on the catamaran. It was a sunset cruise (5 - 7 pm) and we had about 30 guests on the catamaran. The crew was wonderful, and it was nice that we had already been on the boat with them and got to know them. First we had hors d'oeuvres and rum punch (or whatever you wanted to drink - it was an open bar), and they played music while we sailed. We sailed out to Buck Island, dropped anchor, and they exchanged their vows with the sun setting behind them. We had plenty of champagne, then headed back to Bolongo Bay for dinner on the beach. Dinner was great and there was a band with a dance floor. There were a few glitches - their wedding planner was brand new - but if you are laid back, I would highly recommend it. I didn't think I would like this kind of wedding - I am used to the more traditional ones - but I have changed my mind. I think it was very romantic and it was fun staying there while being on vacation. I will definitely return for another stay!

While we were there, we went back to St John's another day, this time by ferry from Red Hook. We took a taxi to the ferry, and had a great day at the island. The first time we went to the island on the catamaran, it was mostly for snorkeling. They have all the equipment on board as well as the styrofoam noodles. Lunch was served on board, and you could spend your day snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing on the beach, or just stay on the boat. We did a little of everything. When we went by ferry, we took a taxi to a different beach and rented snorkel equipment there.

Another day we went to Magen's Bay in St Thomas. Always a great place to go and some of the locals were having a barbecue there. Someone tapped me on the shoulder and said "remember me? I'm Calvin Klein!" It was one of our waiters from Bolongo (he calls himself Calvin Klein - I don't know what his real name is). That is how much they make you feel at home.

We went into town one day - and went out to dinner at The Mafolie restaurant our last night. We went there because we were there on our honeymoon 27 years ago and wanted to go back. Of course it is under new ownership - actually very new. We met one of the owners, Mike, (he also owns the hotel that is there by the same name). He showed us some of the rooms there and if you are looking to go to St Thomas, but it doesn't matter if you stay on the beach, this is a great place to stay. It is built on the side of the mountain overlooking Charlotte Amalie. The rooms have wonderful views, and each room is a little different. As for the restaurant, the food was great (it had gone downhill we were told, before the new owner took over.) The head chef is from the states. The owner said he had trouble finding dependable help and decided to bring someone over from the U.S.

We decided against renting a car while we were there and opted for taxis. We saved a little by doing this, but that wasn't the reason for doing so. They drive on the left and the roads are windy and narrow. We didn't want any problems. When we came back one night, we saw two cars pulled over - an accident. The woman who rear ended the other car was obviously a tourist. We were glad we didn't rent a car when we saw that!