The Caribbean is the quintessential close-to-the-U.S. tropical vacation destination-to the point not much more can be said about its blissful charms.
My brother just recently purchased a fixer-upper dream home on a hillside in St. John-one of the three major U.S. Virgin Islands-and I decided to take a working vacation there by flying to St. Thomas (where St. John is just a short ferry ride away) with my brother, who was returning from a Florida business trip.
Here's how it went.
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Check In/Security (3/10)
The arrivals area outside American Airlines' Terminal D at Miami International Airport is a chaotic scene of pickups and drop-offs, with vehicles of all types passing through.
Definitely have a game plan before showing up, as this zone can be confusing and overwhelming. The parking garage leaves much of this hyper-busyness behind, but finding a spot can take some time.
American Airlines' curbside check-in at Terminal D is convenient for sure, but the experience was tainted when the AA counter attendant relayed false information that caused major inconvenience later on: My brother checked his bags, then got a boarding pass at curbside while I asked the counter attendant if my home computer-printed boarding pass would be sufficient when going through security. He said, "It should be."
It was not.
In the security line, the (rather sullen) TSA agent scanned my boarding pass and said it was invalid, then vaguely pointed me toward the line exit (the only help I received at this point).
Flustered, I made my way over to the AA counter where a very friendly, helpful AA employee pointed me to the easy-to-use kiosks that print out boarding passes. Problem solved!
(While I was there, I witnessed AA employees being less than gentle with checked baggage, however. They were essentially slamming them down onto the conveyor belts).
My second time through the security line revealed a seemingly overworked, miserable group of TSA agents, unprofessionally discussing workplace scuttlebutt at loud volume right in the midst of travelers.
Terminal (7/10)
Terminal D would not win any innovative architecture awards, but it is bright, with plenty of space for travelers passing through. The terminal features the usual collection of fast food joints and casual sit-down restaurants, with two notable exceptions:
Chefs of the Caribbean pays homage to the region's classic dishes and is run by a group of celebrity kitchen masters who call the Caribbean home. There's even a shop offering authentic regional food items.
Estefan Kitchen Express was co-founded by Cuban-American music icons Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Miami is a major bastion of Cuban culture, and this eatery reflects that via staple dishes from the island nation.
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FLIGHT - Boeing 757 Economy Class
Seats/Space (6/10)
Boarding the 757 reveals rows of well-used, threadbare seats. The tray table unfolded from the armrest instead of the seatback, making for a diminutive, uneven, shaky surface (though my cup of coffee remained un-spilled). These seats must have had seatback tray tables at one point because a portion of those tray types remained-conveying a low-rent vibe.
I was an emergency exit row-more responsibility, but more legroom.
(On the flight back from St. Thomas to Miami, the appearance of the seats was noticeably better on our American Airlines 757. Snazzy faux leather replaced worn fabric while solid-as-a-rock seatback tray tables trumped the rickety armrest tray tables.)
Amenities (6/10)
I was surprised at the lack of seat-back screens, especially in this day and age. Instead, small monitors hung above the aisle, listened to via a headphone jack on the armrest.
Food service wasn't stunning and presentation left a bit to be desired, but considering this was Economy class, it wasn't bad.
First, official AA pretzels were doled out by a flight attendant from a large plastic bag, and then came the usual complimentary beverages-bottled water, soda and the like. Lunch choices included a cheese plate, chicken Caesar wrap and turkey sandwich. I opted for the cheese plate presented in a nondescript plastic container.
The cheddar, brie, muenster and a fourth variety I could not recognize were at room temperature-a nice touch, as this is the ideal way to enjoy cheese, per centuries of tradition. The accompanying strawberries and grapes were perfectly ripe as well.
Flavors were muted, however, due to the sense of taste being dulled by the aircraft environment-something that was not compensated for with the meal selections. I was ultimately satisfied with the dish, nonetheless.
The aforementioned, non-spilled cup of coffee was middle-of-the-road adequate.
Service (8/10)
The flight attendant duo was chipper and really did appear to love their jobs.
The safety video had a chic, modernist, highbrow style-like a live-action fashion magazine, but with life vests and oxygen masks. After an uneventful, no-turbulence flight, the captain bid us farewell as we departed - a nice touch.
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CYRIL E. KING AIRPORT, ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Check In/Security (5/10)
No fancy jet bridge here. St. Thomas utilizes open-air staircases, bringing passengers right onto the tarmac, where the hilly, top-of-a-volcanic-mountain terrain is instantly viewable.
Terminal (3/10)
The arrivals area of St. Thomas' airport has a bit of a primitive, warehouse vibe, but the island atmosphere definitely permeates the place. Of course, that's helped along with the complimentary shot of Cruzan rum, (which is produced in St. Croix, also part of the U.S. Virgin Islands).
Though barebones, the airport is an adequate transportation gateway to the rest of the island and nearby St. John. Hertz, Budget and Avis rental car companies all have booths here, and the Virgin Islands Taxi Association is available as well.
On the return trip, tourists were leaving the U.S. Virgin Islands in droves during this particular Saturday. It was a zoo, with long lines, unclear line boundaries and vague instructions from airport staff. Patience was at a premium.
The travel industry may sound like a broken record when insisting that you get to the airport early, but it is critical. You don't want the end of your vacation tarnished by missing the flight home.
A word on "Island Time": Starting at the airport exit, things mellowed out in a major way. The denizens of the U.S. Virgin Islands take things slow, and more often than not, as-written schedules or times are not adhered to with any precision.
Instead of getting uptight about this, learn to embrace it. It will make the experience all the sweeter, trust me.
Overall (38/100)
On the whole, the round trip experience was a mixed bag, with moments of relaxed comfort followed by outright irritation. Patience is definitely a virtue when in these situations-letting everything annoy you will just add to the stress for you and everyone around you.
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