Rory,
We discovered St. Maarten in 1973 and while we went back every year until our timeshare purchase in '86, we did so because we'd found what we then thought of as paradise. As I recall, timeshare really only started to develop a life of it's on on St. Maarten in 1982 or 83.
We visited other destinations along the way but nothing quite measured up to all the things we found most desirable about SXM back then.
We fell into what we thought was 'such a deal' on a MBR&C villa and went down in '86 with full intentions of purchasing it, this particular trip intended to finalize our decision, but instead we ended up buying pre-construction, our first week of timeshare at the Towers, at that time a small part of MBR&C.
We've used it every year but one since then and while we do periodically wander off the timeshare path, and book totally non-related vacations, we look forward to our SXM time every year and I can't imagine NOT going there.
I'm totally frustrated with the island governments, all of them over the years that have had the opportunity to enact legislation to protect the timeshare owners, but the truth, (as I see it, anyway....) is they really don't give a darn about the timeshare people. They know if we don't come, we'll probably bank our weeks or points and someone else will jump at the opportunity to fill our space so the revenue will still be there.
Lets be honest - how many people have actually paid their AMFs and not visited, or not banked them disallowing someone else the opportunity to use their weeks - and actually forced their units to stand empty, ergo creating enmasse no island revenue? I know I haven't done it and I've never heard of any movement to intentionally do this, and we've been around through all the trials and tribulations of the early Pelican owners, who probably took the worse hit of anyone up to the latest Caravanserai fiasco.
That kind of action is probably the only way the SXM governments will ever take real action on behalf of timeshare purchasers on the island, or at least, that's the way I see it. They've had their opportunities year after year and situation after situation and yet, government after government has done NOTHING on our behalf. And please note, I really do say this as a happy Towers timeshare owner who still loves my weeks, year after year after year, but as one who feels great sympathy for all those who have lost in this on-going fiasco up to and including those at Caravanserai and Saphire.
So, Yup, IMHO, it's still a goat even if you give it both lipstick and nail polish! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
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