Hi Eskimo,
Good description of our feelings too. It's not the same with the beach conditions (small Club O beach, sea grass, rockery, new buildings, coarse sand, rough surf, uneven bottom, and many older folks than we're used to). We went this year with high expectations but were quickly disappointed from what we saw and experienced. Not sure if Orient beach will ever meet our expectations again. We left Hawaii because of heavy traffic and lots of tourists and poor beaches - a lot like what we see happening in St. Martin. We're searching for a replacement vacation.