Looks like Sunset Bar SXM has a new plan. Sounds like they are taking over Bliss's property.

Wow! A pool and everything!!! I hope to god they make the taxis go inside the Alegria gate to unload now, as I can't imagine how many more people will be coming!!

I keep hoping more people will visit Sunset and Orient will be less busy....

On big cruise ship days, Sunset is way above capacity now, with the current buildings.

When we go there I always look at the cruise ship schedule in advance and plan accordingly. So far we have had good luck not being overly busy. That schedule is another great feature of this forum. Thanks.

It was a nice place to go at one time, but I guess I have enough photos of planes landing after 15 years of visits. Can't imagine how all the cars can reach the place and I wouldn't want a business on that side of the runway. Will take for ever to reach them.

We generally go once each trip, just as a break from a full beach day, and to watch the planes. That never gets old for me. But I completely agree that it's become a zoo.

I believe that this new plan for Sunset may have something to do with Alegria, as I seem to recall hearing that the land Bliss was on belonged to Alegria?

Agreed, I never get tired of watching planes either. And I think that the former Bliss property was actually a separate parcel in the auction proceedings, but I don't know if it now belongs to Alegria or not.

I'm sure the pool will not be free to day visitors BUT, it opens the door for Sunset and the cruise lines to get together and sell day pass's that will include transportation, the pool and possibly food and drink. That place will become as busy as Times Square at New Years Eve. I feel bad for the residents that live on Beacon Hill.

Can you imagine the craziness and crowds if they have a pool?!

Horrors of Wynn or Mandalay Bay style debauchery in Vegas come to mind.

No thanks.

Sunset seems to be the type of company that understands its target audience and then execute a solid plan based upon that knowledge. Not sure that at my age I am the target audience anymore <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> but I have a feeling this new setup will be a huge hit with many visitors.

Looking at it again, and blowing it up some, I noticed the entrance is now supposed to be inside the Alegria gate. If they enforce that somehow, perhaps it will help what will be the total traffic gridlock the increased traffic will generate, if they actually force taxis--and busses, which I'm sure will come now--to unload inside the gate for Alegria. I hope they also address somehow, people walking in the road. Right now on big cruise ship days, the people walking and standing in the road and on the concrete divider beside the road, makes for a very scary situation. Some may recall the lady getting hit by the cab there recently. I'm surprised that was the first incident that we have heard about, as I can't imagine that was the first incident of someone getting hit there. People are drinking and walking right beside cars going past, all the time. It really is scary.

Taking into consideration what Royal Caribbean is building down by the cruise port, Sunset or Alegria, will do anything possible to keep cruise passengers coming to Maho Beach.

Unlike some other ports in the Caribbean, SXM has a TON of different things for cruise passengers to do. I wonder how successful that Disneyland thing they are building will be in SXM.

Location
Location
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I don't disagree with what you are saying in principle, but being the first and easiest option is always an advantage. Plus, on the Royal Caribbean cruises, how many other options will be made readily available?

I hope it fails. A lot of residents are going to be affected in their pockets by this projects but, I guess that the politicians don't care about their own island people. We love the island but, am seriously thinking of walking away from the island because of the politicians love for money and screw their own people.

Durathror--have you been on a cruise, particularly one that stops in SXM?? Any cruise passenger who has cruised before (and a decent percentage of newbies) does not depend on the ship to tell them what all is available for them to do in any port, as there are tons of places to get info about where to go and what to do. Some ports in the Caribbean, there frankly is not a whole lot of stuff to do, but in SXM there is a TON of different stuff to do. And in many or most cases, your even semi-seasoned cruiser does not depend on the ship to get them there. It's not like the ship has to provide anything to people, other than to let them off the ship.

Carol...look at the picture again..... the ''rear entrance'' looks like it will be from alegria....the rest looks like it always have been. The pool looks pretty small, so i doubt that will bring in huge amounts of people. The setup reminds me off the pre Bliss days, when Bamboo Bernies were out at the point...and a couple of other restaurants were along the path on the ''bliss'' property. The bigger question i would like to know, if they are planning on making Sunset a late hours dance place again..like bliss was. It looks like a couple of more restaurants will be put in...including that air conditioned one.....will it be Sunset restaurant or another new restaurant??? guess time will tell.

Actually, I'm pretty sure it says "new" entrance, not "rear" entrance. But that doesn't mean that would be the only entrance, which is what I originally thought would happen. Yes, I wonder whether it will be open later again. I did see the air conditioned restaurant also. As you said, not sure whether it will be part of Sunset

The new Sunset will occupy the same space and about the same layout of Bliss. Look at the drawing and you can see where you go up the old stairs and the pool is to the right with the main bar to the left. The layout on the right looks like the old Bliss too. I wonder what will become of the area now occupied by Sunset.

Looks like to me they are just increasing the size of the place and the current footprint will be included within a new, expanded place.

exactly....



I have no clue about the direction of that comment....you would walk away from the Island because Sunset Bar expanded??? Really???

Guess you don't have much else to keep you there....SSB is one afternoon during our 2 weeks..and the new plans look great! Even if it sucked I just wouldn't go THERE...not eliminate the Island completely

OK, the second comment came from bonsie, not Durothror, the person you replied to and I THINK that bonsie was talking about wishing that the project at the CRUISE PIER fails, not Sunset.

Yes I combined comments...my bad I guess. Should have made two posts. thought the quotes would be good enough

but no clue why a cruise pier comment would be in the SSB expansion thread...maybe I'm just weird in assuming a comment in a thread would apply to that thread and not one from a totally different topic.

From what I heard while there in July Alegria wants to combine the space of Sunset and the former Bliss into a large bar area. There are drawings all over the entrance of the hotel of the plans Algeria has for the whole complex. This picture doesn't look similar to the one inside the hotel though. We liked Bliss as it was and like Sunset as it is. In July it seemed like they were offloading taxis inside the Algeria complex. This didn't really help much with the foot traffic on the road however as there was not much beach, only rocks and it was difficult for some people to walk on the wall- reminded me of the balance beam in school except if you fell off you would land in the road. Guess time will tell and we will have to wait and see how it all plays out.

boucharda, You should read the entire thread and then , you might understand what I said.

I got this picture off of the Sunset BAR SXM Facebook page. This image was posted by Sunset Bar on 8-31-15 and commented on by Sunset stating that they taking over the Bliss Property.

Is the bar/patio area by the beach open at this time? I have been talking up the place to my kids about sitting there enjoying the flights coming in while sipping on a frozen Guavaberry drink...and we'll be there later this month.
I'm beginning to understand why I got such a good deal for the timeshare-everything seems to be closed!

Go to the Driftwood .
http://sxmboatbar.com/

I wonder what Neil Rooney thinks of his place now ??

Hey, if they make money at it, he's probably fine with it! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

The whole appeal of the bar is its proximity to the end of the runway. The new set-up would destroy the view and maybe the bar's appeal.

Please ignore my last post. I was disorientated when I looked at the proposal. The existing bar is the one on the left and the top of the page is looking is looking in the same direction as the runway. The new layout will take a lot of reconstruction.

Can anyone read what the RED and LIGHT BLUE areas are on that drawing?

If I squint, I THINK the red says "back office"?

There are a couple of different red sections. One of them does seem to say office, but the others, no idea..

All he needs is a web cam and he's in the game

Like so many other things, I will remember SSBB in the day when topless women drank for free and the "tub" bar was just about it. Having said that there will be a whole new generation that will discover the new place and make their own memories...