Hear from our previous guests about their experience while at our St John villa. Hopefully, reading their experiences will give you an idea of how well suited our villa is for your family. Their reviews are our best measure of success! You may see some of the same names over and over. It is not that we have duplicated their comments but, rather, because many of our guests come back year after year! What better compliment could we get? We love watching families grow!
Direct from the Guest Book at Great Expectations:
"The villa is fantastic...breezes in both directions and both sunrise & sunset views -- really incredible...2-yr old loved "her" wading pool & it meant Mom & Dad didn't always have to be in [the pool] with her. -Leigh and Jeff S., Lonnie (2), Will (8 months) (Cohasset, Massachusetts)
"...the most beautiful setting we have ever experienced...These last two years [staying at Great Expectations] have provided our family memories for our whole life...we hope to be here (a third time)..." -Charlie, Theresa, Andrew & Eliz G. (Portland, Maine)
"Our first time at this St John Villa...will be here again. We love the beaches, the sunrises, sunsets & the quiet surroundings...the set-up of the rooms, with cross breezes was ideal...Kristin & Chuck are great hosts -- we knew they were available but we had absolute privacy. It's a fabulous vacation home & met every need." -Dan, Linda, Katie, MaryJo & Alex. C. and Jim, Carol, Ali & Darcie K. (Westfield, Massachusetts)
"The J. Family -- 15 of us -- 67 yrs to 7 weeks-- we had everything we needed to keep us happy --all the baby equipment-- just right-- we thank you for a wonderful family vacation." -Olivet, MD
"This is our 6th (or maybe 7th) visit; we have been coming to St. John for 13 years. We have stayed at Tennis Villa and Villa St. John. Great Expectations is the nicest place we have ever stayed!" -The W. Family, East Hampton and Roslyn, NY (January 2001)
"The J. Family -- 15 of us -- 67 yrs to 7 weeks-- we had everything we needed to keep us happy --all the baby equipment-- just right-- we thank you for a wonderful family vacation." -Olivet, MD
"Thank you for sharing a little piece of paradise...that I could restore my soul with my 3- 1/2 year old and 15 month yr old along says it all." -Sonya & Alain, NY
"An Oblation to Great Expectations A family of 12 on vacation Spanning 72 years in generation. We snorkeled and swum, The adults quaffed rum.It exceeded all our expectations!"- The K. & S. families, CT and MA (Ed & Mary Ellen; Ed Jr. & Ann w/Elsa, Louisa, & Babette; Bill & Roberta w/Tom, Will, & Mary) P.S. The prettiest spot on the island to have dinner is at Great Expectations' dining room table. Also, we are very appreciative of the many small details attended to that collectively make this such a superb place, Thanks!"
"We have vacationed on this very special island for almost 25 years...the past 8 years we have rented homes...Our stay at Great Expectations was the best yet...The "double view" is second to none. Remarkable!...The extra touches are reminders of the love Kristin and Chuck have for this wonderful home...It has been a great week of rest, relaxation and fun with our sons, wives, girlfriend and 2 grandsons!!"-Liz & Alan J., Richard J. & Kerri Q., Beth, Bob, Zach (age 3) & Ari (8 months) J., Janette & David J. (NYC,Messoola, Montana and Jerusalem)
"I liked tennis and basketball and jumping in the pool and stars and lizards."-Zech J., 3 years old"
"We are 3 families who vacation somewhere different each summer...what was great: the tennis court, our kids loved the pool...the outdoor showers were really neat..."- Paul & Ginnie, Patrick & Maggie S., Steve & Val, Jason & Monica D., Joe & Lauries, David & Sarah W. (North Carolina and Maryland)
"Three vacationing families for the past ten years...first trip to St. John and Great Expectations; 14 in total - kids ranging from 5 to almost 20. The setup of the house was great...the [chaise lounge] chairs are outrageous (are they sold stateside?)...how wonderful this place really is...a fully-equipped kitchen, multiple card decks, videos, beautiful gardens, sunsets, sunrises & ..."- Phyillis F. et al (Nyack, NY)
"[The] sunrises and sunsets were spectacular. As a mother of a 5 month old, I was up every morning as the sun rose...didn't mind it a bit!" - Nancy B. (and 15 family members from SC, CA, OH and MA)
"Back for the second year...we will be back for a 3rd time [next year]. This place is perfect."- The J. Family of 2 grandparents, 6 adult 'children ', and 3 kids (Manhattan, Montanaand Israel)
"Our third year at Great Expectations...wonderful."-The W. Family (grandparent, parents & kids), Harwichport, Massachusetts.
"We are 3 families who vacation somewhere different each summer...what was great: the tennis court, our kids loved the pool...the outdoor showers were really neat..."- Paul & Ginnie, Patrick & Maggie S., Steve & Val, Jason & Monica D., Joe & Lauries, David & Sarah W. (North Carolina and Maryland)
"Three vacationing families for the past ten years...first trip to St. John and Great Expectations; 14 in total - kids ranging from 5 to almost 20. The setup of the house was great...the [chaise lounge] chairs are outrageous (are they sold stateside?)...how wonderful this place really is...a fully-equipped kitchen, multiple card decks, videos, beautiful gardens, sunsets, sunrises & ..."- Phyillis F. et al (Nyack, NY)
"Sing to an island tune: CHORUS: Island sensations Perfect vacations At Great Expectations ASIDE: just come and see REPEAT CHORUS: Island sensations Perfect vacationsAt Great Expectations just come and see Awake to the east Retire to the west Every view outdoes the nextBlue bay after bay New cay after cay ['cay' is actually pronounced 'key', but give them some literary license]It's heaven at the beach It's full moons within reachIt's Great Expectations Island vacations Perfect sensations\ just come and see CHORUS: Great Expectations Island sensationsPerfect vacations TRAIL OFF: just come and see.." -an original composition by the L. Family of 12 (Philadelphia, NY and Israel)
"Thank you so much for a wonderful week. The house was perfect. It was spacious and open, beautifully furnished, and had 4 almost identical bedrooms. In addition, the clubroom made an ideal separate room for a teenager (with the all-important personal TV with cable and VCR). There were so many intelligent and thoughtful extras that simplified and enhanced our vacation: the large closets, the beach chairs and coolers, all the hooks for wet clothes, the guide books, the fresh flowers everywhere on arrival, the outdoor showers, the beautiful landscaping, the almost immediate replacement of lightbulbs, the exercise equipment, the complete video set of the Sopranos (Sam says thanks), the large airy bathrooms, the tennis court, the pool toys, the wading pool (perfect for adults as well), the breeze (I never turned on my a.c.), and the view." - Ruth, David, Sam and Caroline L. (NYC)
"What a great house on a great island. There was something for everyone in our party of 9! I must complement you on how well equipped this house is - especially the kitchen (we have many chefs in the family)!..." -The. C. Family (Vero Beach, FL), The L. Family (Yaak, MT), Libby C. (Chicago, IL)
"I have never seen a house so grand and well stocked. I’m proud to tell everyone and anyone about this place. This house gave us ideas about our construction project...I will be back...Thank you Kristin & Chuck. Your word is your bond; you told me we would have a great time and we did! It was worth every e-mail...Can’t wait to do it again & again & again."-Owen & Pam M. (NYC)
"I was very leery on this trip (I don’t travel much), but this view & house is fabulous! Our rooms are great...nice kitchen & family area." -Sara (age ?)
"I can hardly find the words to say how fantastic Great Expectations is! Beautiful, fabulous, relaxing, spectacular...I am so overjoyed my husband tried so hard to find this wonderful home for our 14 member family...We ll have loved the views, pools, tennis court, basketball courts, views, lizards, crabs, views, shopping, sightseeing, views trips to St. Thomas, snorkeling, scuba diving, views..."-Grandma K.
"I liked the house I lived in and I don’t want to leave. I enjoyed snorkeling down at Chocolate Hole harbor. Thank you for all you did. I hope I can come again" -Alex F. [age 12]
"The W. clan came back again for our 3rd year. As always, we had a wonderful time...See you next year!" -Barbara, Alan, Lawrence, Adam, & Naomi W., Jen S., Leah T,, Rolando M.
"Our third stay for the 3 generation J. family at this wonderful home...one cannot imagine many places that have such a beautiful sunset, moonrise and magnificent sunrise all at the same location!...We’ve looked at LOTS of places to stay and even stayed at 2 others until we found ourselves here. There is no place better. We want a kid friendly and safe house, good views, convenient access and friendly, solid support from the hosts. All here...The pool here is safe too – no steep cliffs with inadequate railings. And the tennis court - ball play area is a unique gem....Its really nice to be in a comfortable home in Paradise. We are all looking forward to being here again and again and again."-Liz and Allan J. (Manhattan), Keri & Richard J. (Manhattan), Beth, Zack (4), Ari (2) and Bob J. (Missoula, Montana), Jenette, Natan (16 months) and David (Jerusalem)
"...Great Expectations...the perfect place...spent weeks researching villas...can’t imagine another that would have been more perfect for the 9 of us in 3 generations...looking forward to our return." -Sandy & DiAn R.; Marc, Dawn & Ben A.; Heidi, Carlos, Austin & Zach S. (Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Seattle, WA)
"Wow! Great Expectations exceeded ours! Our previous trips to St. John were at Caneel Bay...loved this wonderful house much, much better than Caneel. Totally relaxing, luxurious surroundings, warm welcome...this house is perfect for a family - just the right mix of togetherness and privacy via the spread out bedrooms with their own private patios, hammocks and sensual outdoor showers while stars twinkled overhead. Thank you Kristin & Chuck for sharing your ‘Paradise Found’ at Great Expectations. We hope to see you again as soon as we can!"-Lisa, John, John III, Catlin, Holly, Edward, PopPop R. and Annie W. (Merion, PA)
"Our third trip back to St. John and Great Expectations...we love the new [chair hammock] swings and hammocks - they were wonderful additions! Already counting the days till we can return!!" -Carolyn & Eric M. (Pennsburg, PA)
"Cathy and Christie:Thanks so much for everything you did to arrange our wonderful week at Great Expectations! We had a tremendous time in the house, and on St. John -- in fact, my husband and I are working on plans to become independently wealthy so that we can simply retire to our own villa on St. John! (Any ideas?) The house was perfect for our group -- we each had our own space, yet there was very nice common space. The pools were the perfect set up for our kids, given their ages. It was difficult to get them out of the pool whenever we were back at the house.Christie, thanks for all your help upon our arrival -- you made it effortless for us to settle in for the week. If you all have a mailing list, please put me on it -- Kate and Eliza have already made us promise to take them back to St. John -- but only if we can stay at Great Expectations again!" - Terri [ this was e-mailed to our terrific property managers, Christy and Cathy Dove]
"Our 2nd trip to St. John [and first to Great Expectations], but this time with...our 5-1/2 month daughter. The beach cabana in the red bag worked great for her...she loved splashing in the [wading] pool...Great Expectations is a safe, infant-friendly place! We can’t wait to return again!"-Andy, Erin and Makenna M. (Gilbertsville, PA)
"...a word on the villa...a perfect retreat for both our families. There will be a wedding tonight on Trunk Bay beach and a reception at the Stone Terrace [Restaurant]...the villa is well-planned out for guests, right down to the pots & pans. You feel right at home the first day; a first-class operation! You get the Tradewinds from the east and sunsets to the west...There are may fine restaurants...but the main star is right here in the evening by the pool...We will take with us many happy memories of St. John and Great Expectations! What a beautiful place!"-Wayne, Debbie, Ryan, Heather & Wayne, Jr. [the groom] K. (Montauk, NY) and John, Marcy, Tracy & Jamie [the bride] A. (Hull, MA)
"Great Expectations...was the best medicine our family had and needed. The stress melted away quickly. Everywhere one looks soothes the eyes and the soul. Thebejeweled water with the sound of the wind and the waves...my nature-loving 10 year old boy never had a dull moment. Our 13 year old energetic boy had all his whims satisfied (tennis, wind surfing...)...We all got closer together!...It was a wonderful stretch of peacefulness."-Lynne, Reto, Simon & Daniel D. (Boca Raton, FL) and Steve & Marilyn P-S (Bainbridge Island, Seattle)
"We had a great week on St. John. Great Expectations has been the perfect base of operations for our 3 families. The pool was perfect for the kids (who range in age from 2 to 9). The breezes are beautiful and the views spectacular!" and "Great Expectations has proven to be the perfect Villa for such a large group. The spacious area enabled us to have privacy yet enjoy one another in such a fun and beautiful setting. We thoroughly enjoyed the pools, the great kitchen, outdoor grill and dining under the stars. The view is spectacular!!...St. John and Great Expectations made for a memorable vacation we will all cherish" -Tom A., Teri M., & Keri & Eliza (Evanston, IL) and John, Alex, Abbie & Allie N. (Boulder, CO) and Kurt, Patti, Jack& Ellie A. (Nederland, CO)
"A memorable week for the T. family from North Carolina...Best dinners right here at Great Expectations. A perfect house for a large family."
"I’m having the time of my life!" -Tobin B., age 5 (Ann Arbor, MI) "me too!" -Maya B., age 3 (also Ann Arbor, MI)
"This was our first visit to St. John – and a wonderful one for an extended family of 14! Some of our favorite memories are arriving at Great Expectations after leaving a cold (-3 degrees) Massachusetts and a long day of traveling – what a beautiful surprise!" - Bill & Maggie K. (Deighton, MA)
"Can’t wait to come back"-Heather, Craig & The Twins [turned one year old on St. John]
"The S.'s came from parts up north In search of February sun To St. John isle we traveled forth To snorkel, swim and have some fun! Three generations rested here With average age of thirty-four The youngest being three, but dear The eldest one is may more! A gang of nine, we hit the town Explored the beaches, saw the hills We hiked the trails, both up and down And squealed our tires on the hills! We loved the house, with all her views. With toys and games and everything The nine of us could rightly use With homemade bread fit for a king! The flora and the fauna, too The hummingbirds and crabs galore Even the iguana poo We always noticed something more! The tennis courts saw lots of play The hammocks, pool and hot tub too The sun shone on us every day Though nighttime tempests often blew!We went to beaches, near and far We snorkeled in the balmy sea Saw turtles, skates and even gar Oh, what a glorious place to be!While here, we supped both in and out Morgan's Mango fed us well Joe's BBQ a sure-fire win and Lime Inn really rang our bell!A week is over in a trice Our skin is tanned, our hair is light but, oh, it has been very nice We leave with all our spirits bright!And so, mine hosts, we thank you very much For sharing breezes, sea and home The beauty of this isle is such We'll yearn for it wherever we roam!" -The S. Family (Maine, Massachusetts)
"...our 3rd time at Great Expectations and hopefully not our last!"- John & Gail D. (St. Davids, PA)
"...we were able to return to Great Expectations for the 2nd time in less than a year! St. John and Great Expectations are our little heaven on earth!" -Carolyn & Eric M. (Pennsburg, PA)
"We haven’t been here for 3 years and it stills feels like home!"-Jake, Anne, Dillon & Connor F.
"This was our second fabulous year at Great Expectations....look forward to next year in Paradise." The B. Family, (Wayland, MA)
"We had a great family reunion here in St. John . We come from New York, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas and Florida. Our first impression was "we have to stay here or take it with us when we leave" We shall take many happy memories with us. Great Expectations was really rockin' with this group." -The S. Family
"Great time! We are three families of four - each with 2 teenagers...Happened to loose power on 2 nights we cooked dinner - made due with the wonderful grill. We come on vacation with two other families, I must say we had lots of privacy in this villa. When we were home we used the hot tub, tennis courts and pool...Vacationing with two of our best friends families (12 in total) here at Great Expectations was a wonderfulexperience - for both children (14-16) and adults (no age specified)
"Great place, plenty of room for everyone! Of course there were only four of us! Next time we'll bring a boat load of people. Watched the Olympics, grilled out, ate out, enjoyed the views, sea glass hunting at Hart Bay, snorkeling all over the island and relaxing in the hammocks! Thanks for sharing your place."-The D. family - Fairfax Station, VA
"Great Expectations were satisfied for our vacation. Fully functional air conditioning was refuge from the heat, as was the spectacular snorkeling had from Trunk Bay. As we leave, [Hurricane] Frances is on the horizon. What a great way to celebrating a 40th birthday with my family. A true island experience - I loved the water the most."-The A. Party
"Great Expectations fit our family to a tee...as Daniel, age 10, said upon our arrival 'look we live in a mansion'!" - Bob & Jan, H., Kathryn, Jack, Ben & Anna E., Caries, John, Matthew, Daniel & Patrick H., and Amy, Paul, Joe & Lainey A. (\Kansas, Colorado & Minnesota)
"Our fifth year at Great Expectations...Next year we are slotted for two weeks and we're already counting the days!" - The W. Family (NYC, London, etc)
"Our first visit tot he island of St. john was amazing. We enjoyed Great Expectations immensely!" - The S./H./O'C. Clan (6 adults & 5 kids)
"...all the amenities a family with age range of 18 months to 72 years could want. The views from the Villa are awe inspiring...We love st. John and highly recommend the villa" - The E. Family
"We are sending our fourth year at great Expectations and think it might be our best...We thank you for the movies, CDs, tennis balls, beach buggy and every little touch that make staying at Great Expectations so special." - The J. (NYC, Montana & Rhode Island)
"Our 1st visit to GE...the house was so well stocked and comfy...the kids loved the pool; the wading pool is such a good idea" - The W. Family (Texas) & The F. Family (Virginia)
via e-mail from Great Expectations just prior to their departure:"The C. family had 7 days of perfect bliss. We couldn't have asked for one thing we didn't have here. Kathy and Bob were perfect. We had one question during the week which they answered immediately. The layout was ideal for our large family. We had meat shipped here from omahasteaks.com. Can't imagine what we would have spent at Starfish Markets if not for that. My kids don't eat they devour. Places that make a difference in the connectivity of a family are rare. This one totally melded a big clan for one special week. Thank you!"-Charles C. (TX)
"This is our first visit to GE and St. John -- 6 adults and 4 children...from Philadelphia, Vermont and San Francisco and all of us are positive that it was worth the trip. We were especially grateful for the high chairs, pack n'plays, crayons, pool toys, sand toys, beach chairs + umbrellas...everything that we could possibly need was here...construction started this morning on the lot next door [this was our first notice of it!]...the boys were thrilled by the bulldozers[!]. We hope to come back again and are so grateful of your kindness in all aspects of planning this trip."-2 H's (PA), 5 T's (VT), 3 T's (CA)
"It has been a wonderful two weeks passing all too quickly! The house was perfect for our needs - comfortable, private, fantastic views & breezes + so many well though touches + details...We totaled 11 ranging from 63 to 10 months. The pack-n-plays, highchairs, bed rails were well used....It was perfect sitting in the Great Room enjoying ideal weather, will miss the outdoor showers, hot tubs & pools. Actually, we'll miss everything about GE...construction begins early & continues til mid-afternoon. Our advice pack a picnic & head to the beaches. If children need to nap, turn on the air-conditioning."-The McC's (Wayland, MA), The D's (Sherborn, MA), The M's (State College, PA), David McC (VT), Melissa & Laura C (Boston)
"The holiday was very good and the family had a very memorable vacation with all 4 children and their children in tow. The island beaches are excellent and most enjoyable as is the whole of the National Park - we did the reef bay walk which was good. St John is one place we would return to - something that only about 20% of our vacation spots achieves, so it was well regarded. We particularly liked the two way views with both sunrise and sunset as well as the wonderful flowers...Many thanks for the use of your wonderful villa."-- John & Marcia S. and family (Toronto, Canada)
via e-mail: "We're back in the cold North and already thinking about a return to Great Expectations. It was a wonderful trip for our family and the villa is set up beautifully for our family with with adult children and young grandchildren. Cimmaron Management was very responsive when we had a few problems ( no water one day after we got back from the beach, our granddaughter's horrible (unknown until then) allergic reaction to mosquito bites (age 5)) and resolved things very quickly. We were extremely impressed with this level of responsiveness. Our water came back after a short time and the villa gounds were sprayedwhile we were at the beach so with that and lots of extra insect repellant she was in good shape. We've already given the villa info to a family we met on the ferry on the way back". -Elaine L. MD
"..our seventh year at Great Expectations...We will be back...next year. GE is like home for us." -The W. Family (New York and London - -and they are not even related, just good friends after all these years!)
"Thank you so much for allowing us to use your wonderfully situated villa. The view alone is worth he effort of getting here." -The S. Family (Ontario, Canada)
"This is our third trip to Great Expectations and as always we had a glorious week...we brought the family, 9 adults and 2 granddaughters (ages 2-1/2 and 5). They enjoyed every minute. The house is set up perfectly for families." -Elaine and Dave L. (Annapolis. MD, San Francisco and Berkeley, CA)
via e-mail: "We all enjoyed being at Great Expectations and Beau Geste and had a wonderful time hiking, snorkeling and beaching. Your place is just perfect - with views to both the each and west. A special thrill was watching the full moon rise out of the water on the last night of our visit - March 21st. It also happened to be just one day after Spring Equinox. We will remember our time in your beautiful houses with great pleasure and maybe - you never know - we might be back again."-Ann S. and family (Bryn Mawr, PA)
via e-mail: "The last of our children and families have flown off and the house is again empty and quiet. The unanimous decision was that all had had a wonderful time at Great Expectations. The house was spacious, allowing people to spread out, and very comfortable and well appointed. The views were spectacular! Every morning was spent at a beach. Our favorite was Maho with its sandy shore, shallow water and protected bay. The surprise was the intensity of the sun! We quickly moved to a siesta during the heat of the day...We all waited for so long for this week and now it is over and just a wonderful memory. We all enjoyed the use of your wonderful home and your help in making a plan a reality.Nita and Petros A. (Lexington, MA)
via TripAdvisor:"Exquisite home in perfect setting with great amenities”
We loved our stay at Great Expectations! The location and views were spectacular, rooms lovely and great room, with breezes and views of the sea in two directions, was the center of our family vacation. So much was provided for us, including pool and beach equipment, terrific kitchen equipment, and a very helpful house manager. Our grandaughter couldn't wait to get into the pool each day before we went on to one of the island's gorgeous beaches. We would visit again in a minute! Ellen L (NYC)
