St. John, USVI
One villa. One catamaran. The whole Virgin Islands.
Sleep on a hilltop above Cruz Bay. Spend your days on a private 50-foot catamaran. Come home to the rooftop for sunset.
The Virgin Islands are an archipelago — and the most memorable parts of any trip happen on the water. Christmas Cove's pizza boat, the Indians, the Baths, Soggy Dollar, Waterlemon Cay, the empty north-shore beaches you can only reach by sea. A charter week alone gets you all of that, but you sleep on the boat.
Sunset Villa's Land & Sea pairing is the alternative: a three-bedroom hilltop villa above Cruz Bay, plus one or more private days aboard Stella Blue, a 50' Xquisite X5 catamaran with a full-time captain. You get the boat where you want it, when you want it — and a real bed, a real shower, and a private pool each night.
Sleep on land, play at sea
Hilltop quiet at night. Open water by 9 a.m. The best of both formats without compromise.
Private 50' catamaran
Stella Blue is a 2022 Xquisite X5 — three guest cabins, AC, shaded cockpit, swim platform, paddleboards.
Captain handles everything
Route planning, BVI customs, provisioning, snorkel gear, even lunch. You show up and step aboard.
Pick your days
Book one day, three days, or all six. Mix BVI excursions with shorter US-water days.
Easy meet-up
Pickup at Cruz Bay or Caneel — five minutes from the villa. No long drive across the island to a boat.
Sized for groups of 6
Villa sleeps 6. Boat day-charters up to 10. Bring a second couple or another family without adding rooms.
What a typical Land & Sea week looks like
Most guests do three sailing days inside a seven-night villa stay, mixing big BVI trips with shorter US-water days and beach-and-pool days in between.
- Day 1 — Arrival. Ferry to Cruz Bay, check-in at the villa, dinner walk-down or in-villa provisioned meal.
- Day 2 — Big BVI day. Stella Blue picks you up at Cruz Bay. Sail to the Indians, snorkel the Baths, lunch at Cooper Island, back by sunset.
- Day 3 — Beach day. Trunk Bay or Maho in the morning, pool and rooftop tiki bar in the afternoon.
- Day 4 — Short sail. Christmas Cove (pizza boat), Lovango Resort for lunch and the swim-up bar.
- Day 5 — National Park day. Reef Bay or Lind Point hike, Waterlemon Cay snorkel from shore.
- Day 6 — Jost Van Dyke day. Soggy Dollar and White Bay, the kind of day people remember for years.
- Day 7 — Cruz Bay morning, ferry out.
Why this beats a bareboat charter
A seven-day crewed catamaran charter in the Virgin Islands runs $25–45k. A week at Sunset Villa plus three private sailing days on Stella Blue comes in well under that, and you spend your nights in a real bedroom, on a real mattress, with real water pressure. The boat is there when you want it. It's not in your hair when you don't.
How to plan one
Hold your villa dates first on the availability page, then ask us to coordinate Stella Blue for the days you want. Captain availability books out in winter — earlier is better. Background on the pairing lives on the Land & Sea overview and we have a deeper look at routes on private sailing charters from St. John.
Frequently asked
›What is a villa-and-yacht vacation?
You stay at Sunset Villa for your week and book one or more private sailing days on Stella Blue, a 50' Xquisite X5 catamaran. Captain and provisions are handled — you wake up at the villa, get picked up at Cruz Bay or Caneel, and sail the islands you want to see.
›Where do you sail to?
Most days run St. John's north shore plus British Virgin Islands stops like the Indians, the Baths at Virgin Gorda, Norman Island caves, or the Soggy Dollar at Jost Van Dyke. Shorter days stay in US waters at Christmas Cove, Lovango, or Waterlemon Cay.
›Do I need a BVI passport or paperwork?
Yes — BVI days require a passport and a customs clearance the captain helps arrange. US-water days (Christmas Cove, St. John's north shore) need no extra paperwork.
›Is it better than just chartering for a week?
For most travelers, yes. A week-long bareboat or crewed charter means sleeping aboard the whole time. The land-and-sea version gives you a real bed, a real shower, and the rooftop tiki bar each night — plus the option to sail one, two, or three days as you please.
›How many people fit on the boat?
Stella Blue comfortably day-charters up to 10 guests. The villa sleeps 6 — a perfect match for a family or two couples traveling together.
Ready when you are
Ready to watch the sunset from Sunset Villa?
Choose your dates, review availability, and start planning your St. John stay above Cruz Bay.