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Marigot vs Philipsburg TOWZERONE 1 hour ago Seems to me in talking to people that Marigot is still in rough shape compared to Philipsburg as far as rebuild from Irma 9 yrs ago
Is this because Philipsburg is busier with the cruise ships etc and has more visitors?
Seems to me that their are fewer investors taking a chance in Marigot

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Happy Easter SXMScubaman 1 hour ago Hope all are having a wonderful day. He is Risen.

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A few images torch 1 hour ago A few images from my trip to the island in March. They are mostly aviation related as I have a love of aircraft and stay in the Maho area. I have to say that the traffic situation was very poor this year, It made it impossible to go from Maho to Simpson Bay for supper - I'm sure the restaurants must be feeling it. Also noted what appears to be less cruise ships than in previous years and Phillipsburg pretty dead even with 3 cruise ships in town

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Cant wait till Mid May TOWZERONE 1 hour ago Looked out the window in New Brunswick Canada today and its cold, rainy and fog
Yesterday we woke up to snow and ice on April 4
We have had one day of sun in the past 20 days here , long winter that started early December
Bodies are desperate for natural Vitamin D

Our trip cant come quick enough

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Orient Beach Question MikeMc 13 hours ago What is the best beach bar/restaurant (besides the Perch) to spend the day at on Orient Beach AND is close to the Perch? We like to snorkel the reef by the Perch but some folks in our group are not comfortable with the nudity at the Perch.
I think Chez Leandre's is the closest but would like the member's opinions of your favs and why.
Thanks, Mike.

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Back on the Island fabila 13 hours ago Back on the island splitting this vacation staying on both the French and Dutch sides.

Happy to report that departing from Terminal 5 at JFK was surprisingly smooth. Getting through TSA took about 20 minutes, while scanning passports and self-checking luggage actually took a bit longer.

There weren’t any skycaps available, so the process involved checking in at a kiosk and then heading to a separate area to drop bags. That said, there were plenty of TSA agents, ICE officers, and airport staff on hand guiding everyone through the process.

Considering we were traveling on a Saturday—the day before Easter—it ended up being a pretty routine and stress-free departure experience. That’s not to say we weren’t stressed heading to the airport—after seeing the news and hearing from colleagues who had spent hours just getting through check-in in recent weeks.

Hoping to get some food and a drink at La Playa but kitchen was closed. Too late for lunch yet too early for dinner so we stayed for a cocktail and enjoyed the view and breeze.

We had a lovely dinner at La Favela in Orient Village. We went early—travel day had us hungry and a little tired—so we had our pick of restaurants and could ease into the evening at our own pace.

The chicken nem was cooked perfectly—crispy on the outside and full of flavor—served with fresh mint and lettuce leaves for wrapping, alongside a delicious sweet chili dipping sauce. With five pieces in the order, it was a generous and satisfying starter.

The jumbo prawns in garlic sauce, served head-on available from the specials this evening —rich, succulent, and paired beautifully with a warm eggplant caponata and subtly curried flavored rice.

The flank steak, ordered medium rare, arrived closer to medium but was tasty, complimented by a chimichurri sauce. It was accompanied by more of the delicious eggplant caponata and perfectly cooked hand-cut fries.

By the time we left, the village had completely come alive—buzzing with people dining, strolling, and browsing the vendors who were displaying their wares.

A large inflatable arch reading “Happy Easter,” flanked by playful Easter figures, welcomed you as you passed beneath the Baie Orientale sign.

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Treasure BVI boatjunkie Yesterday at 01:17 PM Hi

Has anyone seen this? It’s all over FB. It’s a cool way to support charities across the BVI.

https://www.treasurethebvi.org/?utm...L41i_lK6N727A_aem_p6ZmApMAujEpOqz9sbGXNw

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The craziest thing(s) you pack... steve74 Yesterday at 12:58 PM I have been threatening to pack our panini press (mostly as a joke with my wife), but it made me think that it would be fun for us all to post the craziest thing(s) we throw in our bags for these trips. I recognize that many of you are minimalists, but we are not.

There are too many things to list, but my biggest vice is a Mantus dinghy anchor with 4' of chain - but man, it's nice to not have to pull the dinghy up on the beach!

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AA Check Your Fares ruralcarrier Yesterday at 12:40 PM I routinely check for fare changes once I have booked. In checking AA today for a fall trip, I noticed an $85 fare drop. Due to scheduling, we are flying Delta to SXM and AA on the return. I called AA, got a really good agent, and was issued an $85 credit for each of us. It took about 20 minutes, but for $170 in credit, it was well worth it.

Personally, I am shocked they actually lowered a fare and by that amount when you factor in the price of jet fuel.

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One more question related to USVI entry... steve74 Yesterday at 12:35 PM We are six weeks out, and I'm sitting on my couch with coffee watching the Soggy webcam getting excited. In prior trips, we have spent a few days in St. John. We love the island, and it is a nice thing to do since we are down for two weeks on these trips.

In the past, we have cleared with CBP Roam in a bay in St. John, but the last time we did this, they didn't approve us for hours. So, when we went into town, I walked into the office, and they semi-grilled me about our meat and produce. I was honest, and the officer made sure I knew that these items could not be taken off the boat.

However, I know that things might be different with another officer or another day, which is the main reason we didn't go to St. John last year. This year, we would really like to go, but we don't want to throw out all of our meat and produce for a mid-trip visit to the USVI.

Do any of you do this with regularity, and what has your experience been? If the norm is to tell you to keep the food on the boat, I'm good. However, if there is a high risk that they will call us to the dock for an inspection, it is probably not worth it. It's a tough call - what do you think?

Thank you in advance for any replies!

Steve

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