May is the shoulder-season sweet spot. Winter rates have dropped, the cruise traffic thins out, and the sea lays down flat — all the island, half the crowd.
The spot to beat this month is Trunk Bay on St. John. Inside Virgin Islands National Park, it's a curve of powder sand wrapped around the world's first underwater snorkel trail — follow the marked path over the reef and let the fish do the rest. Get there early and the water is glass.
It's the best value of the season before summer arrives. Calm water, open beaches, and a boat that gets you there ahead of the day-trippers.
Beat the summer rush — come aboard in May.