Thanks from a first timer

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the awesome info. I don't leave until December 6 but this will be my first land vacation on St. Maarten and I'm looking forward to it. Because of all of my post reading, I really was able to hone in on a good itinerary for my friend's and my birthday trip. It's more packed than they usually are.

So I just wanted to say thanks to you all for being an informative group.

And, of course, we're looking forward to a first-timer's impressions. Enjoy.

You might as well start booking a return trip now. You'll want to come back.

You are very welcome, but people here post because we love the island and want others to enjoy it also. Please do post your impressions upon your return. I would maybe tamp down your expectations a bit up front, because we all here are so in love with SXM that we have a tendency to ignore her faults sometimes. And she does have them, for sure.. But I personally can find nowhere else that competes with the whole package that is our 'home away from home'. Enjoy your trip!

Amy,

Just remember, as Carol stated, most of us here are repeat visitors and as such, we know about the warts and wrinkles, of which there are many, but we also know about the good things this island has to offer: Beautiful and incredible beaches; food choices from the lowliest hot dog on the beach to the finest of dining in some of the French restaurants and everything in between; and the people. I’m not talking about the other visitors - most of whom are lovely, too - but of tge the maids and the groundskeepers along with the wait staffs and the people who so often are ignored. Take the time to engage them and you will be in awe of the personalities and pleasantness that will be bestowed upon you.

It’s an incredible island but just don’t try to plan too much and do let some of your trip just happen. You will be so glad you did.

We went there for a cruise stop about a decade ago. Maybe longer. It's the only place from a cruise that I'd wanted to go back for a land vacation. Was going to do so last year but airfare was super high. Like 1400 round trip for cheapest seats on AA high... Anyway, found a pretty good deal for this trip so we're finally heading there.

I'm all about tempering expectations but I'm also of the mind that I've traveled enough to kind of enjoy where I am at the moment being from a landlocked state. :-)

But between this and the TA forum, it would have been harder to plan.

I'll see if I can figure out how to add photos once we're down there... not that y'all will want daily reports from a random and not a regular, I'll do my best to annoy you all! ;-)

Ditto what others have said. It’s like a disease but this time you don’t want to lose it but become infected, cos it’s infectious. Three weeks to go.

We came here in 1991 on a cruise, came back and stayed in 1993 and now 28 years and well over 60 visits later we continue to enjoy most of the island. Hope your trip is all you hope for.

Re:photos, if I can add them from here then anybody can. Very easy.

Our first cruise to SXM was in 89. Haven't missed a visit since.

Our first trip was in 1981

welcome and enjoy! My first trip was this past April - WILL be going back May next year... already booked our room; waiting for airfare to drop a bit. It's been steady at $370 RT - JFK to SXM. Can't wait to go back in May!!!

Whats wrong with that rate? Wish I could get a rate like that out of SEA.

As one who has flown to SXM via JFK and the other tri-State airports for almost fifty years - that sounds like a rate I’d be ready to jump at. Over the past few years we typically run a little higher than that and sometimes, outrageously, more than that.

But wow! Realizing how close we are to almost fifty years of annual visits blew my mind!

$370 is what I just paid for JetBlue JFK - SXM for July. For what it’s worth, that fare has done nothing but go up as you get closer to travel time. Maybe last minute it might go down, but I doubt it and wouldn’t chance it.

Pat--you should know! Second to none--don't get too greedy! The vast majority of the country would be very happy to ONLY pay $370...

we cancelled our first trip because my friend didn't want to pay the 900, yes, 900 coach per person with two stops, out of OKC when we started looking. Waited and waited and when she was ready, tickets had climbed to almost 1500. This was last year so I'm sure people were cashing in vouchers and whatnot from hurricane cancellations but yeah, I'd jump on anything for less than 400! ;-)

In fact, we got tickets for next August to St. Thomas from OKC, one stop, for 365. Had to jump on that deal.