PM looking at mid June to open for tourism

https://www.loopnewscaribbean.com/c..._l2x94nFfldKyVLpZB4fJ42MakfSZ7DiP8rTUlz4

Sounds good, Scuba, but call me a skeptic.
When I return I want to KNOW, first of all, I will do no harm, not to myself or anyone on the island.
But I also want my return to be to that of a vacation . Masks? Quarantines?
I guess I’m asking for a lot but I just can’t imagine the US or the island being ready in that way by June. But that’s just me and others may have very different perspective as to what they’d be willing to accept in order to return.
Good luck to everyone......

I am with you pat.

June does seem a bit soon, but I'm hoping that this means November will be a go!!

It sure does make it look all the more promising.

Fingers still crossed for July.

June 22 here I come........





For what it's worth, I don't think it's going to happen and even if it does, I likely won't be going......

Rock and Roll, get back to living.

Temperature scans at TSA, gate, and immigration.

Be careful, wash your hands, don’t shake hands or touch stupid stuff. Bring wipes, masks, and gloves and wear them when necessary.

My biggest worry would be people who book and aren’t feeling well but get on the plane anyway.

Need a liberal cancellation policy with a doctor’s note.

Also, if you get sick on vacation you have to fess up, isolate, and reschedule your returns at your expense.

Hopefully the medical side is ready for whatever gets thrown at them.

If your older, assess your risks, and stay home if too high.

Rock and roll, get back to living.

"Hopefully the medical side is ready for whatever gets thrown at them."

Not even close if it is brought back here. June is madness.

One thing that maybe someone could set me straight on . They talked about a serology test. This is pasted from the article. " She said serology tests would also have to be purchased for the airport and port to test its employees, for taxi drivers and those entering the country so within a day they will be free to roam. " So my question is about the cruse people . They are only there for one day . But the article said with in a day they could roam ?? How can that happen with them ? Please help with any clarification. Thanks

Looking at August as the earliest cruise arrivals. Maybe the cruise ship conducts that test a day prior to docking. Just a guess.

Honestly....i really doubt very much that by August, people will be willing to get on a cruise ship. I live in Florida, and have lots of friends that LOVE to cruise...some monthly. They are refusing to step foot on a ship for maybe years. After what happened on those ships at the beginnning of the quarantine, and people stuck on their ships for weeks....The threat of a lot of people hitting the ships are very slim. Right now, the prices are so ridiculously small....and they are having trouble getting cabins sold. I can tell you flat out...this guy and his wife surely will NOT be taking any cruises in the immediate future! Also heard recently, that the ships will probably be doing away with ''self help'' eating....meaning NO BUFFETS. What??? And of course...those long hallways, crowded shows.....extra crowded dining rooms...the lifeboat drills.....the waiting to board in the great crowded arenas...social distancing will be impossible. Our world probably will NEVER be the same as it was.

I do know that my wife's sister and her husband are going on a Royal Caribbean cruse in early September . I do not know if Royal Caribbean has earlier cruses then that . They are not going
To any Islands . I believe they are leaving out of Louisiana . And she did say that there would be no buffet .

SXMScubaman That is a good idea I did not think of that .

PREVIOUS CRUISE DISCUSSION

optimism is picking up, albeit in small amounts, for november for me 2 GaKaye

I am there with both of you.

Ship could do test at embarkation or require within x days of embarkation. Retest on embarkation.

I’d go tomorrow if I could be Mostly certain it would sail and actually go to the ports they have on the itinerary

Why open up on a Monday and not a Saturday when most resort weeks start? Was still hoping to arrive on June 13th, but not looking good now. Jet Blue still has the flight listed for that day so we'll wait and see.

I see your worry for June, but I don’t think July2020-June2021 will be any more prepared unless they are building more hospital capacity.

The world has to start turning sometime.

We have timeshare weeks for March. We are seriously considering whether we'll be able to go. There are predictions that the virus could get really bad again this winter. Obviously it's far too early to make any decision.

For those wanting to come back right quick, perhaps you might consider bringing your own ventilators. We surely don't have enough. Have you given any though to our ability to take care of you if you get sick when the wave comes? So many were concerned about our lack of readiness when this started. What changed?

June? Maybe June 2021. I understand the economy needs tourists, but It seems to me, that some of tourists will bring back Covid 19 to the island. Am I being too pessimistic?

As hard as it is, I’m even questioning my trip in January 2021. It’s a big one that I thought long and hard about since it is my present to myself for my big 5-0 birthday. Hubby and I rented a cute AIRBNB for 10 glorious days right on the water in Simpson’s Bay because as much as I wanted to do something really exotic like Thailand, St Maarten really is my happy place. My concern is for the Island. What happens if travellers bring it into St Maarten? It doesn’t sound like they are overly equipped to deal with a major outbreak. What happens if I’m an asymptomatic carrier and I infect people? I would be selfish to only think of my wants, not needs. Right now I just want the island to stay healthy and if it means shutting down tourism, then so be it.

PelicanPirate you nailed it. Have stop letting fear and anxiety drive our decisions.
Let’s OPEN THINGS UP!!!

PelicanPirate- It seems that you are expecting a heavy dose of self policing and self discipline from the returning tourists. Here at home most people are doing their best, but there are still many who seem unconcerned about the welfare of others.

The leaders of these small islands have to make some tough decisions. Whatever they do will be criticized.

Scott

Yes, I am worried about the virus. I was a germaphobe before and now I am an extra special germephobe.

But my bigger fear now is worldwide permanent job loss, large scale standard of living degradation and all that go with that. Crime, despair, drugs.

And I agree with Elaine about a ventilator, I may not be entitled to a special SXM one in June, July but someday Soon SXM supply must meet Steady state demand for these as well as everything else world travelers might need medically some day.

After all, tourists have needed medical care on SXM for heart attacks, strokes, etc.

And eventually travel/medevac insurance needs to factor in COVID-19 risks.

Exactly get back to NOT living in needless media over hyped up fear! It's bad but thank god many governments are learning we have to deal and learn to live with it. This could and will come and go for a long time and unless you are rich or sitting on a nice fat retirement account most people need to get back work to survive. I am sure when the airport opens they will take the safety steps needed. But you know people will get sick after the island opens....expect that but hopefully they have learned a bit and it won't get to bad and go into hiding again. The island need tourist money and work....not gov handouts that won't or slow to come. Its gonna be interesting for sure.

Darwin's theory. Survival of the fittest. Go ahead erase my post. But that is what is coming too. And if you do erase my post you are all lost. The retired people are getting a paycheck but the working people need money . I'm not the fittest and I have my own brain and will use it

Update
https://thedailyherald.sx/islands/d...cision-on-reopening-to-certain-countries

Already posted by JD in another thread, but it basically says nothing.

We are planning to return in August 2020 to close up the villa for hurricane peak...

Welcome back. You've been gone for a while. By the way who won the contest?

June 17th flight cancelled two days ago.

What airline?

Our June 13th flight was cancelled on JB, but they are cranking them back up starting July 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays she said. May consider a late July trip if things are going well.

I am sorry to say it folks, but no one from the us is going to the island until July.. just check Expedia or any other ticket seller. Our June 11 on AA was cancelled, this A.M., and we can't get back until the 8th.

And that date isn't a definite go either. We are scheduled to arrive on July 11 and not to confident that will happen.

My June 18th flight on AA is not canceled yet

I'm sure it will be but you can do it before they cancel and get a full refund.

Just checked my June 22 flight on AA and it apparently has been cancelled. We were flying to Miami the day before (which still shows up in my record locator) but the leg to St. Maarten on the 22nd is gone. Not surprised.

When I spoke with an AA rep a couple weeks ago he said that the first flight he was showing back to sxm was 7/6/20. Of course that would depend if they are allowing flights at that time. We're hoping for a late July return if the island is ready for visitors. Our 6/4 trip was cancelled.

Our July 4th AA flight out of CLT to SXM has been cancelled.

Where is your flight from. Our 17th AA flight doesn't exist anymore. Ours was RDU>CLT>SXM. Just curious. I don't see reasonable flights from US to SXM in June.

AA. RDU>CLT>SXM

SXM CLT BDL

Our July 5th out of MIA was also canceled.

Yes, and posted a couple of days ago in a previous discussion.

TTOL PREVIOUS DISCUSSION

Our flight was just cancelled. Can anyone give me to URL for AA refunds. Unless I missed what the caller said, the aa.com/refund page dos not exist

Try the link below. Supposedly there were a couple of different options before.

https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/

JD's link should get you there. You do need your ticket number.

And that process is total BS. They should just issue that refund if you request it when on the phone like many other Airlines do. I had to cancel my Alaska fishing trips with Alaska Air and all was done over the phone without having to go to a site and request it. What gets me is with American is you have to request it for each passenger even though it's on the same reservation. A round trip with a companion requires 4 individual requests.

Thanks. It gets me to a page that does nothing. Tells me high number of refund requests. Guess I'll call.

If you stay on that page it will eventually open up so you can make the requests.

Try this link:


https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds

Elaine--are you sure? Usually what happens is that it says there are a high number of refund requests, but mine has a pop up screen that there is a button to click on REFUND still. Now, if your browser settings have been set to block pop-ups, then you may have to change that setting. I did it just now and got through to the screen to request a refund.

I got a bit further but froze when I get to saying NO VOUCHER. Will try another browser and device, then call

OK, could be a problem because of your location..

Honestly, have not had on line problems with AA before, even though I hate to fly them. I love to fly Jet Blue, but their website sucks! Can't have everything, I guess.

A voucher is only good for flights originating in the US. Useless for us.

It would work on your return flight as we used a voucher for our May trip to SXM that was canceled and they reissued it with an additional year expiration. It was only for 200 and the balance of our ticket was refunded via the web page posted above. The trip back was on miles and they redeposited those while on phone.

You should be able to get a refund without any questions. You are entitled to it. And yes, Jet Blue's website is often screwed up.

I know calling may be a pain, but I have found that calling around 7:00am (at least with Delta, Capital One and United) produced short wait times, pleasant agents and got the resolve I was hoping for. You might try this and it may also be your internet connection that is causing some of the delay. Good luck.

I'm up at 5 am. I'll get them in the morning!

It has worked well for me. Good luck.

Elaine, the refund page for AA is called "prefunds." Who knows why..... https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/

And this has been posted 3 times now and she said it did not work well for her.

Tried a different browser and it worked fine. Thanks all for assistance.

Good deal, glad you got it resolved.

OK, good.

Update on our situation. We had June 17th flights with AA that were cancelled just a week ago. They were non-refundable tickets when purchased. We decided to fill out the refund form online because we will wait until things return to normal until we return. Our refund requests were granted in 7 days. AA is backed up, I'm sure, on these requests but are honoring them. Stay safe everyone. Happy travels whenever that may be. We miss our island.

Glad to hear it. AA has handled the refund situation well throughout.

Based on FB posts from officials, it looks like St Barth (and St Martin) may be looking for a PCR test within 48 hours of traveling there. It's way too early to know if that is what is eventually decided on.

Since the vast majority of people enter through Dutch St Maarten, and they have reopened the borders between Dutch and French sides, for SXM, what really matters is what Dutch St Maarten decides. Several islands in the Caribbean are requiring a negative test.

Voyager ferry has started up between St Barths and St Martin. St Barths is Covid free, they say.

I posted this story the other day. But unless something has changed since the 2nd, it's not really regular service. Only those with express permission from government can use it.

Sorry, I missed that post.

No problem.

Travel restrictions between St Martin, St Barth, Guadeloupe, and Martinique will be lifted as of Monday, June 8.

https://www.facebook.com/prefet971/

Our June 22 AA flights were cancelled this week😥

What is wrong with everyone? Most of you don’t understand the facts of the virus. You run around like scared chickens.

Fact - 99%+ is generated from picking up the virus from your hands and touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Fact - very very unlikely to get it transferred through the air

Fact - people 60 and under have less problems with the Coronavirus, than the flu

Fact - 13 children have died from the Coronavirus vs 600 from the normal flu

Read Dr. Price Comments from Cornell University Hospital a front line doctor right in the middle of the worst hot spot in New York City.

The only way the virus goes away is through a vaccine or herd immunity (where more people have had it, than not and it dies out). I am ready to get it, so I can provide anti-bodies to help others.

Most of your 'facts' are not in fact, 'facts' and offer nothing in this conversation.

Thanks Carol...saved me a bunch of typing

Dr. Price's video went viral, and at the time I found it interesting and encouraging. Since then, unfortunately, I have not found any other authoritative source that backs up his assertions. He works at a prestigious hospital (in fact, the one at which I was born ), and spoke with great confidence, but I don't think his analysis has stood the test of time.

Dr. Price also said that, because of his understanding of how the disease is transmitted, he's no longer afraid of catching it, despite working all day with Covid patients. I hope he's ok.

Dan