Flew AA 667 out of JFK. Left 45 minutes behind schedule. Due to turbulence the pilot took the inland route which added another 15 minutes so we arrived and hour late. The breakfast was delayed due to the rough ride. The gourmet selection of the day was egg burroito and by the time they reached us they were out of cereal. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Mad.gif" alt="" /> Maybe there are exceptions but I don't know why the airlines don't just forget about the meals and just offer nuts and beverages. They also had no immigration forms on board so we had to wait until arriving in SXM to fill them out. No problem in immigration, breezed right thru, thanks in part to the recommendations from this forum to get passports.
Our friends arrived from MIA at 2 and we were at SSB sipping a cool one by 2:30. We stopped at Rams on the way to Dawn Beach to pick up the neccessary bottles and mixers to hold us thru the night. My wife and I had not been to the island since the early 90's so alot has changed. The new PAVED road that replaced the old dirt road going to the Dawn Beach area and then on to the French side, is terriffic.
We stayed in a villa (Sea Castle) we had seen on our 3 previous visits when we stayed at the late Dawn Beach Hotel. We had a tour of the villa on one of those trips and promised ourselves one day we would come back and stay there. As far as view, location, constant breeze and beautiful house in our opinion there is no better. Never missed a sunrise. Earlier in the year there had been some posts about problems in the area but we had none.
Rented 4 chairs, 2 umbrellas and a phone from Craig at Pack Light. He was there right on time to drop off and showed up right on time to pick them up the day we were leaving. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />
So as not to bore everyone with too many details:
Lunch at:
Scavangers: Everything on the menu we had during the week was very good and not expensive.
Cheris: Very good food.
Mr. Busby's: Food was very good. We found the servers here out of all the restaurants to be the only ones that had an attitude.
Greenhouse: Excellent burgers
Dinner:
Domino's: 2 nights that we had to much to drink and just got to lazy to get dressed and go some where, same as pizza as NY Domino's.
Oyster Pond Restaurant: (can't remember the name) Chinese takeout from home but more expensive. Skip it there are alot better in the area. It is a shame for such a beautiful resort.
Captain Olivers: Very good food, good service and nice location.
The best for last:
Le Plantuer: Excellent food <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> I had shark in a bernise (spelling) sauce fantastic and I don't each fish at home, my wife had tuna and the other couple had a pasta dish and steak. All said they were excellent. Bill was $200 for 4 with drinks.
I didn't find the prices on anything on the island to be anything different than I would spend in NY.
Massages: (view from a first timer)
Pelican: was OK
Orient Beach: Shack on the beach at Kon Tiki. Good massage; surrondings a little noisy from people bartaring for beach chairs.
Beaches:
Dawn everyday (sand gravity is a wonderand thing when you are only steps away from another Carib).
Orient Sure has grown since I was last there. Plenty of sand and chairs 3 rows deep.
Sunset Beach: Went for the sunset but it was too cloudy, Who cares! It was the last night in St Martin, SSB had a band, and when we sat down the cooler was full. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />
Went to a time share presentation at Oyster Pond: Waste of time (on the time share people we were looking for the possible gift). The couple we were staying with and we went on the presentation together had owned 2 weeks in the Dawn Beach resort. When it got wiped out by the hurricane the insurance agent that wrote the policy for the resort never sent the carrier the premiuims. What did they get back? $300 out of a $10,000 investment. Oyster Pond price $19,000. The numbers man, Larry, said that can't happen anymore. (And if you beleive that there are no more Enron's and Tyco's waiting to happen either.)
Out of all the caribbean islands I have been to SXM is still the best.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/thanks.gif" alt="" /> to all of you for the advise/suggetsions and trip reports. A day doesn't go by that I don't check out the forum to keep the memories fresh and like all the rest of you count the days until our return.
Did I say I was keeping it short? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/sorry.gif" alt="" />
Tim, Ann, Fred and Candy

Sea Castle is about 30 years old, so I am told, but has been very well taken care of. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 upstairs on the street level and 2 on the main level, each with its own bath (large tile showers on the lower level and tub and shower combo on the uppers) and a powder room on the main level. The bedrooms are all air conditioned and have ceiling fans. All tile floors through out. It has stairs leading down to the main level and it has 3 steps in one of the bedrooms and also in the living room. Pool on the deck area and a hot tub also. Big Weber Grill on the deck for barbacueing.
The view from all locations in the house is spectacular. Since it faces the east the breeze was always blowing but never to the point of it being too much. We were amazed that all the storms that you can see coming at you but only once did we get any rain that week. Plenty of chairs and lounges to relax in or out of the sun.
Has electric rollup hurricane shutters on all the doors and hand crank ones on the balance of windows so you can feel secure at night. Recently had its security system updated with additional sensors and looks like and horn and light. The stairs leading up to the deck area from the beach are also getting some additional gates, it appears, as new concrete columns are already in place. Kitchen has ample supply of dishes, silverware, bowels, etc. Comes with daily maid service (except Sunday Ila was her name) very nice person and a gardner to take care of the numreous trees and flowers.
There are 89 steps to the beach. They should not to be taken by anyone a little unsteady on their feet or had too many Caribs and it has a gate which locks from the inside. Any other questions feel free to ask.
Anyone wanting to know who the real estate agent is PM me.
One thing I did forget to mention in my report was we got to the airport at 11:00 no problem with check in Customs very pleasant and had then had a nice lunch in the airport restaurant.
Tim