We love the BVI and have chartered a Yacht and a Catamaran. The first time we were on the Yacht there was a captain and both my husband and I were not a fan of the food that was prepared. Therefore, the next time we decided to do it again I was the Chef. We had an amazing captain and I learned a lot about what do cook and what not to cook.
If you are chartering a boat our suggestions would be to provision the boat for breakfast and lunch then go out for dinner. You may go off once or twice for lunch and stay on the boat once or twice for dinner. I will also suggest a few great places to visit and where to eat!
You will have a few choices to order food - My suggestion is to ask your captain. They know the area and since you are required to feed the captain and any staff they will know where to go. I don't suggest you purchasing a package in advance but make a list of recipes, then print to the recipes and create a grocery list. If you are bringing other guests then find out what they like to eat and drink. After you have your list go to your spice rack and create sealable baggies. Also, bring sugar and coffee from home! Bring them from home so you don't have to buy them on the island. (that will be very expensive) It's not worth bringing anything else from home.
IMPORTANT! Before you start thinking about recipes.. You won't have your pots and pans or sharp knives you have at home. Each boat is required to supply the basics so you will have everything you need but don't assume the knife is sharp. Pans are small and you don't want to be cleaning a lot either! You may have a gill on the side of the boat but that is really not useful. We tried!!! I ordered lots of aluminum foil to use in wrapping food or lining a baking sheet.
Take our advise and do not over buy!!! If you are traveling the BVI you will want to explore all of the islands and they all have food but most importantly pain killers!!
You don't want to over buy but make sure you have coffee, snacks, alcohol and water!
Here are my suggestions on what to shop for and what to prepare. You will notice lunch is heavy with sandwiches. The reason is the guys did start drinking a little early and we were all very active. We all loved to paddle board, snorkel, swim and adventure on the islands. It's easy to take the dingy to the boat while on an island and bring lunch back for everyone. We would all enjoy some down time late in the day then for happy hour cocktails and snacks. Go for a late dinner or prepare one of my easy suggestions below.
Delivery! Many restaurants on the BVI will deliver! We did that one night and it was great. A little more expensive but we go to drink our own alcohol and enjoy our time together.
Trash! There are not a lot of places to dispose your garbage so keep that in mind during your meals. Food waste sitting on the top of the boat in the heat down not smell very pleasant. You also shouldn't flush paper down the toilet as you don't want to get a clog and call for a repair. That is VERY expensive! Many of the islands will let you toss your trash for a fee and you may even have boats coming around to collect trash (for a fee) as well as selling ice, an ice cream treat, etc. A little tip: If you are mooring your boat in the same spot for a few days and there is a boat that comes around to take your trash and sells ice you may want to give the guys a little $$ (tip). This will be extremely appreciated and you will get extra special service!
Non-Food Shopping List
- Paper towels - for a week you will go through 3 rolls (6 adults)
- Toilet paper - for 3 bathrooms - 6 rolls for each (they are very small rolls that you order)
- 2 boxes tissues
- Aluminum foil
- Items from your recipe list
- Paper cups
- The boat may have dish detergent and hand soap. You can ask your captain when you arrive as he/she will do a check before the guests go onboard. There is a store at the marina so pick it up there. Everyone should pack their own shower soap etc.
What to Cook!
For breakfast :
- A pan full of scrambled eggs, sausages and fruit
- Eggs and Cheese sandwich
- Tortilla, eggs, salsa and left over vegetables
- Boiled Eggs
- Yogurt parfait (that was a big hit)
- Cereal
For lunch:
- Lunch meat for sandwiches
- Thaw frozen shrimp ad sauté wrap in tortilla with mixed greens and shredded cheese
- Cobb salad
- Left over chicken. Top salad or sandwich
For dinner:
- Shrimp risotto with a salad and garlic bread (order frozen)
- Pasta with a hearty meat sauce
- Fish wrapped in foil with vegetables
- Boneless chicken with sauté spinach and a salad with rolls (order frozen)
For snacks:
- Frozen wings with hot sauce
- Cheese and Crackers
- Hummus
- Tortilla Chips and Salsa
- Pretzels
- Cookies (I ordered 2 packages of cookies and everyone loved them)
- Gold fish or Cheese its
- Lots of fruit
For drinks:
- Drinking water (and enough for coffee)
- Mixers
- Milk, Cream for coffee
- Beer
- Wine
- Prosecco
- Iced Tea, Soda, Etc
Favorite places to eat and drink at in the BVI
The BVI has become a favorite place for us to visit and each time we go to our favorite places!
- List will be added soon! Be sure to check back... I will be sharing where to get the BEST painkillers and even a temporary tattoo..