Hey,
just got back on wednesday from St Maarten
While we didnt do too much besides enjoy the weather, I will try expound a little.
Flight- we went AA from JFK-SXM at 8am for 10k Avios and $5 in taxes. the flight back has about $70 in taxes and surcharges tacked on, so you're looking at another $138 for 2 ppl on the return. AA flights to/from the Carribean get a free checked bag, so that was a bonus. another fluke of Avios tickets is that you get Priority Access, so that definitely helped with the checkin lines and security in JFK! the flight was on an old 757 which should be phased out of AA's fleet. no personal tv's and lots of empty seats all around. flight attendants let people switch to exit rows or anywhere without a problem. we got to SXM at about 12:30pm and funnily enough, they made us board a bus to go the 50 feet to the terminal
we waited about 25-30 minutes to go through passport control, which was a joke. they don't even give you a second glance. the customs there barely exists-i didn't even see anyone looking to pull people over.
Car Rental- we went outside where each rental agency has a line up for the shuttle. we used Dollar/Thrifty. they tried to stick me with an old beat up Hyundai accent, so i told the manager i wanted the hyudai i10. its probably worth taking the liability insurance there, as its only an extra $10 per day. the car drove horribly considering the island is alot of uphill driving and the car had a 4- cylinder engine(maybe less
) either way, you might want to get the nav option, because while people may say its all one road and you cant get lost, it took us almost an hour to get to the westin instead of 25 minutes. very few street names to go by, and lots of turn-offs from the roundabouts. you prob wont need to fill up more than once when you're there, but know that
NO gas stations take credit card there, only cash or local debit cards, so make sure you still have cash left right before you return your car!
Hotel- we stayed at the Westin Dawn Beach for 16k Starpoints a night out of a platinum account. at booking, they told me all that was available was a resort view. i had emailed the hotel prior to our arrival inquiring about the possibility of storing food and having them warm it, and they flat out said no outside food on the resort. they did email me a menu they have of frozen kosher meals from some caterer in miami named Cohen's, but they could not provide any other info, so i could not verify kashrus. i also inquired about a fridge in my room, and they said they didnt have any. when we got to the hotel and checked in, the agent said"oh, we upgraded you to a deluxe resort view with a fridge and kitchenette." i was upset because i would have brought food with a fridge. i told him this, and that i wanted an ocean view room. he told me they were sold out, so i asked to speak to a manager. the manager never showed up, so he felt badly and upgraded us
the room was spacious and had a really nice view of the ocean and was literally set back about 50 feet from the beach. the hotel itself was pretty nice, the pool area was stunning with a huge pool that didnt seem to be heated too well, and plenty of chairs at the pool and beach too. the hotel also has a small casino off the main lobby that seemed pretty dead. i feel that the hotel has it just to be able to say they do. parking at the hotel is free and not an issue. Dawn Beach definitely is windier and the water choppier than the other beaches in st. maarten, as the beach meets the ocean directly, but it didn't bother us too much.
Activities- while we honestly could have sat at the pool/ beach the entire time and been just fine, we decided to go out a couple of times. we went scuba diving with
Ocean Explorers Dive Center (
http://www.stmaartendiving.com) in Simpson Bay right near the airport, although you can probably find a closer place to go than there if you're staying at the Westin. they were extremely nice, and took us even though we came like 45 min late from getting lost... water visibility wasnt amazing, but for my first time, it was pretty cool. we also walked along Front Street, the main tourist drag(which is located in Philipsburg-the capitol). it is full of jewelry stores and souvenir stands. you can park in a lot by Bobby's Marina if you are nervous about leaving your car on a side street- costs a dollar an hour, and is basically right next to the cruise port. all the stores are duty free, and you can find some good bargains on booze and cigarettes. on the other side of front street is Back Street, which goes along the water and has lots of bars. the beach at the end of Back Street is really nice, with beautiful views of the bay and the cruise ships docked there. the water is very warm and crystal clear. Right off the beach at the end of Back Street is
#1 SXM Parasailing, which has great reviews. the prices aren't cheap, but its supposed to be amazing. we tried twice, but the boat was evidently not working, so if you decide to go, check with them in advance. it seems that most people recommend the 800-foot sail; they charge $90 pp.
Random Info- Most stores accept credit card, just make sure you use a card that doesnt charge forex fee. everyone takes dollars too, and they usually have change. we didn't rent a phone while we were there, i used Skype and Google Voice without a problem. if you're out of the hotel and need to make a call, you can ask for the wifi password at most places and they''ll usually give it no problem or for a small purchase. the island is also on Atlantic time, which is 1 hour ahead of EST, so when you make reservations anywhere, remember its for "island time"! American food products on the island are definitely more expensive, so its prob worth it to shlep your own. the only thing we bought there was water and some packaged Haagen Daz ice cream. give yourself about an hour and a half from when you return the car to make it for your flight. airport is pretty small and not too busy, so you shouldn't see any major lines.
I hope the TR was informative- let me know if you have any questions!
