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SXM number two country in Caribbean #124965
03/23/2017 09:29 AM
03/23/2017 09:29 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!


Carol Hill
SXM Sponsors
Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: Carol_Hill] #124966
03/23/2017 10:32 AM
03/23/2017 10:32 AM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,766
Med/ Caribbean
sailbynight Offline
Traveler
sailbynight  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,766
Med/ Caribbean
Behind Jamaica! Must be a numbers game.

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: Carol_Hill] #124967
03/23/2017 10:35 AM
03/23/2017 10:35 AM
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,081
Massachusetts
boucharda Offline
Traveler
boucharda  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,081
Massachusetts
...and #1 is Jamaica (??????)

..followed by (SXM), Grand Cayman/Puerto Rico/Barbados/Aruba

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: boucharda] #124968
03/23/2017 10:46 AM
03/23/2017 10:46 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Who knows how they figure these things?? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> I find that most ratings on Trip Advisor are worth what was paid for them! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />


Carol Hill
Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: Carol_Hill] #124969
03/23/2017 12:43 PM
03/23/2017 12:43 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,666
MIA
I
irina Offline
Traveler
irina  Offline
Traveler
I
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,666
MIA
Stayed at motel in Madeira Beach that had signs saying free night for positive Trip Advisor review!!!!!!!!!!!!
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sick.gif" alt="" />
irina

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: irina] #124970
03/23/2017 01:08 PM
03/23/2017 01:08 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Wow..


Carol Hill
Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: irina] #124971
03/23/2017 01:09 PM
03/23/2017 01:09 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,296
Colorado and Sailing the World
Maria_and_Steve Offline
Traveler
Maria_and_Steve  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,296
Colorado and Sailing the World
And SXM is #2 with the awful, raunchy, smokey fire that burned through the night last night from the Everest sized TRASH dump in the middle of the capital of Philipsburg???

I don't get it either...

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: Carol_Hill] #124972
03/23/2017 01:48 PM
03/23/2017 01:48 PM
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 662
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
J
JohnandBev Offline
Traveler
JohnandBev  Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 662
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
I would be curious how the algorithm worked given the article wording

... award is achieved by a combination of popularity, comments by visitors and overall ranking on TripAdvisor. ...

Guessing SXM has lots of positive reviews relative to other destinations - partially a factor of the number of resto's, activities, places to stay, beaches etc??

J&B

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: Carol_Hill] #124973
03/23/2017 02:05 PM
03/23/2017 02:05 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
Traveler
SXMScubaman  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
Nothing like the mention of TripAdvisor to bring out the negative comments.

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: Carol_Hill] #124974
03/23/2017 02:07 PM
03/23/2017 02:07 PM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 185
J
jamiegarrett761 Offline
Traveler
jamiegarrett761  Offline
Traveler
J
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 185
Well, SXM isn't "a" country, it is two countries but I'd be interested to see how this rating was formulated, as well. The crime and pollution has gotten so much worse in the past few years that it is surprising that it would rank #2 - even behind Jamaica.

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: jamiegarrett761] #124975
03/23/2017 02:53 PM
03/23/2017 02:53 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
Traveler
SXMScubaman  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
I would imagine that the visitors on the cruise ships added to the counts along with the boats frequenting the protected moorage of Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: SXMScubaman] #124976
03/23/2017 03:22 PM
03/23/2017 03:22 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 846
S
Sunset_Sammy Offline
Traveler
Sunset_Sammy  Offline
Traveler
S
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 846
Is Barbados even in the Caribbean? Looks like it's in the North Atlantic on the chart.


Drink all day at home, your friends worry about you; do it on vacation and they say "what a good time you're having". Save your friends needless worry, travel more!
Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: Sunset_Sammy] #124977
03/23/2017 03:43 PM
03/23/2017 03:43 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
Traveler
SXMScubaman  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
If your asking me, yes it is in the Caribbean.

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: SXMScubaman] #124978
03/23/2017 05:26 PM
03/23/2017 05:26 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
Traveler
ruralcarrier  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Quote
SXMScubaman said:
Nothing like the mention of TripAdvisor to bring out the negative comments.


Personally, I have found MANY reviews, both hotel and restaurant, on TripAdvisor to be way off base versus what I have personally experienced. When Applebee's is one of the top ranked restaurants in a town with many good independent restaurants, something is amiss. You always seem overly sensitive to anything negative about TripAdvisor. Are you a big contributor there?


J.D.
Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: ruralcarrier] #124979
03/23/2017 06:39 PM
03/23/2017 06:39 PM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
Traveler
pat  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
I've attempted to use Trip Advisor 2 or 3 times and each time we read reviews and found some to be so very over the top that I just gave up completely. I'd rather ask my questions here or on a similar type chat board pertaining to the area I'm interested in if I want better and realistically, probably more up to date info on a place or topic but we all have different approaches. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: pat] #124980
03/23/2017 07:06 PM
03/23/2017 07:06 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
Traveler
ruralcarrier  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Personally, I find many hotels reviews that are negative to not be at all what I find when staying at the property. On the other hand, one of the worst dining experiences we have ever had was at a highly rated steakhouse in the Atlanta area. Way too many of the chain restaurants get outstanding reviews and the push of some merchants for positive reviews is a turn off to me.


J.D.
Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: ruralcarrier] #124981
03/23/2017 07:49 PM
03/23/2017 07:49 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 686
Lake Texoma, Texas
C
cruzer Offline
Traveler
cruzer  Offline
Traveler
C
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 686
Lake Texoma, Texas
When we went to Oahu many years ago, I was surprised that Cheese Cake Factory was the top rated restaurant in Honolulu. I just attributed that to many families going to a familiar place and it was tops based on the sheer number of people--with tastes and needs much different than mine--rating the place. Still, reading the reviews provided a good list of places to try even if some were lower rated. I tend to ignore both glowing and panning reviews when they aren't accompanied by concrete examples. Hey, they can't all be Cheese Cake Factory, thank goodness.

Trip Advisor is merely a tool and I find it very useful, but it's not the final authority. But, when it comes to St. Martin restaurants, especially the French side, I don't think I've found another source that comes as close to matching my dining preferences, especially when you look at the entire island rankings.

As they say in car ads, your mileage may vary.

Re: SXM number two country in Caribbean [Re: cruzer] #124982
03/26/2017 03:02 PM
03/26/2017 03:02 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 325
Scott City, Kansas
Scotty Offline
Traveler
Scotty  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 325
Scott City, Kansas
I've been to Jamaica as probably everyone on here has. It's not a bad place to go (although pretty dang dangerous anymore)but NO where near as nice and good as St. Maarten. I think it is that Jamaica tends to run better deals and gets more of a one and done clientele is just my guess. As you all know, there is no place like St. Maarten. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />


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