We have vacationed on SXM staying a week or more for many years and we have been on cruise ships to SXM too many times to remember. Like most, we would prefer for our own self interest if the island had stayed as it was when we first tendered in off a ship about 25 years ago. Of course, among many many other things, we also would prefer if I95 had not become the road to avoid at all costs as way too many people are trying to drive when we want to drive - and do not even get me started on the changes to air travel.

When we are staying on the island, the cruise pax on island do not bother us - when there are a lot of ships in, we usually make that a day to go to someplace other than Orient or Philipsburg (both of which can become a bit of a zoo) or other spots that will be swarmed - we often take a day sail excursion on such a day.

Unless you just want and need to be on Orient between the Perch and Coco every day during the time the cruisers are on island, you really do not have to deal with them much, in my opinion. There really are not that many cruisers who walk the entire CO beach to watersports and I do not see why they need appreciably affect anyone's enjoyment of CO beach.

I think it very hard to try to answer the question whether the enormous money coming into SXM, particularly Sint Maarten, because of cruise ship payments of port charges is good or bad without considering what happens to the money and whether the money promotes a culture of corruption which causes more negative impact than the positive impact of the monies that make it to the "real" people of SXM. I do not think that is a discussion for this board.