My wife and I haven't been back to St. Maarten since April 2017. (Our trip scheduled for October 2017 was cancelled due to Irma). So this is our first trip back since the hurricane.

We entered on U.S. passports. We didn't have to fill out any immigration cards; nor were our passports scanned. Immigration and baggage retrieval were both very smooth and fast.

We picked up our rental car from Thrifty -- again, smooth and fast.

Changes to the A.U.C. area in Cupecoy since our last visit:

- The hulking concrete resort buildings damaged by Hurricane Luis -- and sitting vacant ever since -- near the AUC gate have been demolished, opening up a new vista to the ocean for pedestrians in this neighborhood.

- Starz Casino is a wreck, with little sign of demolition or construction work.

- The banana grove at the edge of the golf course that used to separate the fairways from Starz Casino has been cut down, and there are signs of bulldozer and backhoe work. Evidently foundations are going in for those new residential towers people were talking about. I was skeptical that this project would ever start.

- The new Jordan Village complex (with its new Carrefoure market) looks in good shape.

- Area establishments -- the new Jules bakery, BB's, the Chinese grocery story, Bar Code, etc. -- are all open.

- Blue Mall has no open stores whatsoever.

- The tradition of open-air movie night, free to the public, on Monday nights at Porto Cupecoy continues. A small crowd last night.

- Mullet Bay beach is in great shape, with lots of new sand. It's wider than I've seen it in years. A 1 1/2 hour snorkeling inspection this morning, on all sides of Mullet Bay Beach, showed no hurricane debris in the water whatsoever.

- Similarly, Cupecoy beach has lots of sand -- nice and wide, unlike our last visit.

- Today, Baie Rouge beach had only four swimmers. If you like empty Caribbean beaches, almost all to yourself, come to St. Martin. The beach restaurant (Anthony Bourdain's "favorite restaurant in the whole world") is open, as is the T-shirt stand.

- Super U in Marigot has the same selection and low prices as ever. Plenty of parking, too. Frozen fish species you'll never find at home (like skinless stingray wings) and wonderful cheeses and wines.

Need info and photos of progress at the Towers. Thanks

Bikini looks great! Great to hear Kakao will be open in Nov. Does anyone know what is going on With Bruno and LaPlaya? i have read that he is rebuilding but no news recently. When will he reopen the Laplaya restaurant/bar?

According to the article Kakao and Kon Tiki will be open by November.

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...firmed-with-bikini-inauguration-thursday

Any idea where to celebrate 50th b-day ?? for a group of 7 couples ??

Here is a link to today's Daily Herald article talking about the tentative new airport layout to be opened in November. https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...-back-into-terminal-building-by-november

Anybody else holding off on the assessment and maint. fee ?

Can anyone explain the comment about Xmas in July concerning the PR navy. I just assumed that some were always in Leverick as well as other BVI anchorages in any given weekend.

Rick

Perhaps this has been covered in another thread, and I missed it, but are Nick and Monzie leaving?

We have are trip coming up in Sept, Budapest to Passou on Danube. What has been expercience with the excursions that are included with the trip? Any excursions that you have done outside of the Viking offers? Thanks

Rob