trip report April 21 - May 2

this was our 12th trip to the island but first since Irma. We rented a car from Michael at Unity and have no complaints. We stayed at Bruno's Paradise Bungalows and loved it. They are great hosts and the location and room are perfect for what our needs are.
I mentioned this was our first trip since the hurricane and WOW have things changed. In all previous visits we had a good time and loved the time we spent on Orient beach (Club O Beach) and were very much looking forward to this trip. This trip we spent all our time on Club O beach except for the two days we drove around the island.
These are our opinions - I know they may differ from many of yours but...
First, the nice things about this trip: meeting up with like minded friends and spending time with them; the great location of the room; comfortable room; the opportunity to be nude on this beach; plenty of good restaurants for food especially in the Village; good massage by Fabien; and fun watching the finch birds on our deck.
Second, the things we didn't like this time around: the terrible lines at Miami airport; no English speaking TV in our room only French; cost of food has gone sky high even on the island; too much traffic and lots more people; we loved Willie's happy hour at $5 now happy hour is $9;
overall the vibe on the beach was poor (not exciting, an older crowd, no Club O, no restaurant, Perch food was poor (lots of choices but not tasty), weather was poor (windy, cool, rainy, rough water (few people in the water) , lots of sea weed for several days ( Cedrick had to call in a big front loader to clear it three days), bad people watching conditions (not much movement); and finally having to take a covid test to exit the island.
Overall it was a very disappointing 12 days on the island. We probably won't be back because it has changed so much and in our opinion not for the better. For us it's not fun times on club O beach anymore.
TandP

Sorry you didn't enjoy your trip. We haven't eaten at the Perch for a while, but recent reports have generally been good there. I know that it is very difficult to enjoy your time when the weather is bad and/or lots of seaweed. I hope your next trip, wherever it is, is better!!!

One bad trip out of 12. Not a bad average.

Sorry to hear TandP. Hopefully you find something that suits you both better. As we were leaving last week the seaweed was getting thick and definitely piling up on the beach. Unfortunately the cost of everything has gone up everywhere. Good luck in finding a new spot!!

Wind, rain, seaweed, are all things that NO ONE has any control over at any time. As for the ''older crowd'' on Orient. I find that funny, since the crowd is the same people year after year, and if there is any way to stop the aging process, i wish i knew what it was. Some people's expectations are ''over the moon''. We have been going for EVERY YEAR with the exception of two or three years due to storms, and have been doing this routine for almost thirty five years now. Prices for food and drink have gone up everywhere, not just on SXM, but overall, not as bad as compared to some other places, including right here at home in the States. The only thing, i think i can relate to in the original post, is that traffic has gone crazy. I think there must be two cars for every person. All i know for sure is that as long we are able, middle of March can't come soon enough EVERY YEAR. A rainy, overcast, windy day on SXM, is still better than a day at home. And as many know, i live in Paradise in Florida. Come on 44 weeks, but who's counting?

True all that EdB.

EdB,
The beach is not the same, no matter what others say, our opinion, without Club O and the restaurant. The exciting "vibe" is not there anymore.
TandP

It is different, not to have the people there, staying overnight on the property, for sure. But right now, it's pretty much all there is, as far as clothing optional on island, except for Cupecoy, which I don't really count. If you were expecting it to be anywhere near what it was before Club O was blown away, I can see where you would be totally disappointed..

Not an OB denizen but a firm believer in the island being what you make of it. So many things change over time and sadly, that applies to St. Martin/Sint Maartenas well.

We thought our island world was done when we lost our much loved Towers 709 but we looked around and were able to find something we love as much and possibly more than we loved the Towers.

Good luck and happy searching TANDP. I sincerely hope you are able to do the same.🙂🙂

Edited to add:
Totally agree about the transit through MIA. It really is crummy. Again, good luck in your persuit of your new paradise. I truly hope you’re able to find what works for you.

Pat--Yes, Miami sucks. Was really hoping to avoid it this June, but at least SXM will be at the end of the journey.

I'll be going through MIA tomorrow and again on our return in June.

Good luck, Scuba. I really hate that place.

It is what it is but at least we have access to the lounge with a 4 hour lay over going, 2 hours on our return.

We get to avoid Miami this time. Going thru charlotte on the way there and direct flight back to DFW on return. Two more weeks and we will be there.

With two hours on the return, I doubt you will get anywhere near the lounge.

Probably not but being in FC with Global Entry we might swing it.

We've stayed at Bruno's many times. You can find American channels. He has a printout of all the channels. In reading again mid April to August is the high season for the sargassum . Fortunately most of the beach fronts on Orient are on top of it. Yes, it stinks and it sucks to see it in the water. BUT, there are other beaches that don't get hit hard as Orient and Dawn beach. I will say this, we've traveled to other islands. I'm sorry, NO other island compares to St. Martin IMHO! Good luck finding it and the convenience getting there!

David--I thought he had American channels on the TV, although it's been a long time since we stayed there. It's pretty common, unfortunately, for even villas on the French side to have either no or only a couple channels in English.

We were just there at Bruno's for two weeks and his units don't have English speaking TV's. We spoke to him twice about it and he said he'll try next time to get it.

OK, I can see why you were disappointed with that..

We thought just the opposite about the food. Some restaurants and beach bars are crazy expensive. We miss the days of a beach bar being sandwiches, snacks and not a full sit down meal. Most dinners were under $125 which is a lot less than most restaurants in Chicago.

We have also learned to ask about the TV on the french side and bring an HDMI cable to stream from our computer.

MBrott

We are from Central Florida, also. Had round trip booked from Ft. Lauderdale that our airlines cancelled. We are now leaving a day early, on June 12...flying Orlando to Newark to SXM. On our return flights, June 21, we had to book through Newark with an over night stay. Bad news is it cost us almost $1000 extra...good news is we have almost 3 extra days to be in SXM. I think the blessings out weigh the negatives!! So excited about heading back!!

Mickey--sounds like you are on Jet Blue. They really screwed a lot of people, cancelling flights from FLL. We were able to re-book on AA on miles, which was pretty lucky for us, that we were able to book with miles, only two months out.

We have GE, were in FC, and had no checked bags. With two hours on a Friday last December, we barely made it to our connecting gate. Good luck.

Yes, Carol. ( American TV listings) He has them listed on a printout. I hate to say this, but it's been since spring of "17" . Since Irma Orient wasn't ready for visitors IMHO. We use to go every year twice, spring Bruno Orient, fall BSV. This year and last year for the spring, both were last minute and just wanted to have that BSV vibe. I'm hoping for next spring with Bruno. Orient is back!!

🤞Thanks

Hey, Carol, we wish we could have booked a different airlines. We had trips planned during covid on Jet Blue that all went into their flight bank. When all this covid stuff started our cancelled trips totaled $4.500 and we are desperately trying to use them up or loose out on our money. We used the travel bank to purchase our JB tickets, so its either use them or loose them. So frustrating!! We have another trip planned in August from FLL to Cancun and are praying that nothing disrupts these plans.

Mickeys--I understand completely. I so hope it works out for you!

Hey TandP - I think we might have met at Club O some years ago. Sorry you had a poor experience this trip. We've been back probably 5-6 times since Irma, and while the vibe is definitely different without Club O, we still find ourselves coming back to enjoy the island and especially Club O beach. Perch Lite may not be exactly what Perch or Papagayo was in the past, but they are still doing an amazing job with the resources they have. You should have seen it in 2018 when Cedrick was operating Perch Lite with nothing but a cooler and a grill, and the chairs on the beach were ones he had fished out of the salt pond behind Club O!

Let me just say for the record - I was not Cedrick's greatest fan when he ran the watersports concession (for a couple of reasons I won't go into), but I am incredibly impressed with what he has done to keep Club O beach running after Irma and then through the mess of 2020-21. He has done a great service to everyone who visits Club O beach to keep it operating with a sense of normalcy (not to mention preserving the nude status). I can still lay on the beach on an orange recliner under a yellow umbrella with a cold Carib in my hand and look out at Caye Verte. It may not be what it was, but it's still pretty darned good, IMO.

I hope you reconsider and give it another chance!

Your post is so interesting to me. We we first visited St. Martin in 2002 it was about 7 years after Hurrican Luis. There were still so. many. things. broken and in disrepair - but we didn't know the island any differently (other than my husband's one trip in 1973 - but that's another story lol!) so we were not "missing" things. But once we started going, we have gone nearly every year - right up until Hurricane Irma. So 15 trips or so?

We are getting pretty good insider info. as my husband's best friend is native and owns property in Grand Case and many of the things you state are one reason we have not been back. We had probably the best vacation we've ever had on St. Martin in June of 2017 - ie shortly before the hurricane - and I think I don't want to ruin those memories. Also, bwtween the Covid protocols, the costs, and the cost of airfare, we have just chosen not to go back YET. But part of me honestly wonders if we will ever again justify the cost to go there when it seems we can go other places for half the price (unless we stay at my husband's friend's home). Especially as we age and our income becomes more fixed. I guess only time will tell.