Everyone has their SXM 'small world' stories and this is ours..

We first started coming to SXM on cruise ships in 1988, Carnival Celebration, in fact. That first trip, we never left Front Street! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> After that, we mostly took a cab direct to Orient from the ship. In October, 1991, we took a cruise on the old, OLD Crown Princess, the dolphin nose one



I really loved that ship. Ships in those days were so much more graceful than what there is now. We usually booked cruises that went to SXM, but in this particular trip, the ship did NOT go to SXM.

Back then, there were assigned dinner seatings and actually over the years, we made some really nice friends at dinner (although I can't say I would want to do it now). Anyway, this trip, we happened to be seated with a doctor and his wife from Miami, Carlos and Irene. They were originally from Cuba and we got along famously with them. We enjoyed some lovely meals



Carlos and Irene are in the upper left of the picture, behind us.

I can scarcely recognize these YOUNG people myself!



We spent some really nice times at the roulette wheel, which is my favorite game, and was also Carlos' favorite game. Our number is 16, as that's our anniversary. Carlos' number was 4, which was Irene's birthday. Also, as it happens, it is right beside 16 on the 00 roulette wheel. So to this day, we always play #4 for Carlos, whenever we play roulette.

After that cruise, we exchanged Christmas cards with them for several years. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thinks.gif" alt="" /> What are Christmas cards?? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> Does anyone send them out any more?

So, fast forward to February 1995. We took our first land based trip to SXM, and stayed at Green Cay Villas, with the able assistance of our friend, Jim Ruos, at Caribbean Islands Travel Service. We booked through Jim for years and years, when we stayed on the French side.

I'm sure that we visited other casinos during that trip, but one night we decided to head to the Grand Casino at Mullet Bay. As it turned out, it would be our first and LAST visit to the Grand Casino, due to the arrival of Luis in September of that year. As always, I headed straight for the roulette wheel and noticed someone playing roulette that looked familiar. I said to Eric "Isn't that Carlos?" He said he was pretty sure it was. I watched for a couple of minutes, to make sure it was really him, and watched as the wheel spun and the ball--wait for it--landed in number four !! And whoa, what happened, Carlos had NOT bet on it!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Shocked.gif" alt="" /> I walked up to him and said "What, you don't bet #4 for Irene's birthday any more??" Without turning around, he said, "Oh no, Irene will KEEELL me!" (..trying to get the accent right here and not succeeding!) Carlos then turned around and I could see for a second he recognized us, but couldn't come up with names. Then we said who were were and laughed a lot!!

So, what's YOUR SXM small world story??