So let me restate my personal opinion, and that's all it is - MY OPINION.

I would absolutely NEVER bring a cooler to Dreams, Karackter, Mary's Boon, Friars Bay Beach Cafe or the Restaurant at Anse Marcel, primarily because these are all beach restaurants with beach chair set-ups as a side offering, and I know this. They rake and maintain their areas and that should be respected. I can't begin to speak about Orient because we almost never go there.

But any beach where $$ chair rentals are really optional, such as Mullet as well as FBBC, some parts of Baie Rouge and all of Baie Longue which doesn't even have chair set-ups, I wouldn't hesitate to bring a cooler if I was of a mind to.

At FBBC they spell out their specific terms to you - free chairs and umbrellas with purchase of meals, otherwise x amount of dollars for the chair and umbrella set up, and x amount more if you choose to rent a chair pad under either circumstance.

Call me crass if you will, but personally speaking, I do believe if I'm paying for chairs then it's my business to bring or not bring a cooler.

But the real truth of the matter, rarely am I so inclined to go to the effort of making a lunch and packing a cooler, and particularly not at Mullet where we start tasting Rosies ribs at the mere mention of a beach day at there.

Right or wrong, that's my story and I'm stickin' with it..... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />