First of all, let me thank all of you for your input/observations. That is exactly what this forum is about. My wife & I made our first excursion to SXM in 2000. We used RCI and traded into Pelican, now Simpson Bay Resort. Through this site we made the acquaintance of David & Gladys who so kindly volunteered to show us around. They took us to dinner at many places on the French side and escorted us shopping in Phillipsburg. It was a tremendous vacation. We flew in just after Xmas & spent New Year's Eve on the island.

Since that time, we have traveled to SXM nearly every year and sometimes 2 times per year. It has never failed to recharge our batteries. I think our longest absence was the time since Irma until this year. If I add them all up, I think it's 25-30 trips.

In those early years, our flights were around $450 to $700 per person from Chicago. At least one stop along the way. Those days are long passed. Our latest trip, September of 2023, was nearly $1200 per person from Miami. A non-stop no less.

We have traded into nearly every RCI property available. Some no longer exist. All of them have their own special attraction and I would do each one again if I could. We have never entertained the idea of owning in/on St. Maarten due to the minimal financial protections available for owners. Our home resort is in the US and it provides great trading potential as well as some financial protection.

Not everyone is going to like everything about the island, but personally, we'll deal with it to get to the great accommodations, friendly residents, and amazing food. I will continue to vacation there and hope that all of you will. I'm not going to let the problems of the airport ruin my vacation. If you think the SXM airport is bad, you need to travel more.

Someday, we will stop visiting SXM. I hope it is not anytime soon.