I said I would try to get my trip report posted before Santa's arrival, so with only 24 hours remaining, I will submit it as promised.

[color:"blue"][/b]Fun in the Sun Nov. 16-30[b][/color]

[color:"blue"][/b]Weather[b]-[/color] It truly was a” fun in the sun” trip again, but had we gone two weeks earlier, we would have had to change the title of our report. Those visiting earlier experienced many days of rain and unfavourable weather, but by the time of our arrival, the sunshine had returned and we enjoyed two weeks of beautiful sunny days!

[color:"blue"][/b]Flight[b]-[/color] We travelled from Ottawa by Westjet once again and flights both ways were smooth and uneventful. The entire crew always strives to make your travel experience as pleasant and entertaining as possible. The price was a bit higher this trip, but for the convenience of leaving right from home it was worth it!

[color:"blue"][/b]Car Rental[b]-[/color] We rented an SUV again from Triple A and received excellent service. We previously rented corollas, but with all the pot-holes and often water on the roads, the SUV is a better choice for us. It is unfortunate that all car rental businesses do not rent them.

[color:"blue"][/b]Phone[b]-[/color] Sharon Harris always furnishes our needs and she is very dedicated to customer service. She makes communication so easy when on vacation!

[color:"blue"][/b]Accommodation[b]-[/color] We divided our time this trip between Royal Islander la Plage and Flamingo Beach Resort and were very happy with both resorts. We have stayed at Flamingo several times before, but this was our first stay in Maho at the Royal Islander. We find the Flamingo more peaceful and quiet and the Royal Islander definitely had more noise, mainly from the street and music from the clubs in the area. The noise from the planes never bothered us as we enjoy the activity in this regard.

[color:"blue"][/b]Privilege Card[b]-[/color] We again enjoyed the discounts offered by using the Privilege Card at several locations. If you haven’t bought one yet, I’d highly recommend doing so before your next trip. Victoria is a TTOL sponsor and her excellent service is always appreciated. The card pays for itself after using it a couple of times and if you enjoy casinos, you get $10 in free slot money with each visit.

Now that you know the generalities, come along for more specifics of our two week trip.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 16[b]-[/color] This was arrival day and after attending to all our usual first day requirements, we settled in to enjoying drinks on the balcony and watching an amazing sunset. It just felt so good to have finally arrived “home” again! After a few drinks, we decided that dinner was in order and since we didn’t really feel like driving far, we opted to dine in Maho. As we were checking the menu at Paris Bistro, Bernard, the owner, spotted us and we were escorted to a lovely front row table overlooking the promenade. We ordered our first two quavaberry colodas and enjoyed them immensely while waiting for our meal. Our meals came quickly and were piping hot and delicious! David had the sautéed beef in pastry shell with rice and vegetables and I chose the teriyaki shrimp with rice and veggies. We shared a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice-cream for dessert. With coffee and a large bottle of water, the total meal including tip was only $78 using the privilege card. We went across the street to the Casino Royale afterwards and with the free slot money I won $25. We finished the day with a drink on the balcony and made plans to go to Orient Beach in the morning.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 17[b]-[/color] the day dawned sunny and warm, and after preparing the beach bag, we were off to Orient to meet friends for breakfast. We found our chairs at Club O and then went off to Andy and Cheryl’s for breakfast with Ann and Steve. We all enjoyed a nice hot breakfast with one of the best views on the beach! This was the day we were to meet Scott and Melissa as they were leaving the next day, so we went back to Club O in search of them. Finally found them a bit further down the beach, and we all spent the remainder of the day with them. After two years, it was nice to finally see them and enjoy their company once again. We had lunch at Orange Fever with Ann and Steve as Scott and Melissa had enjoyed sandwiches on the beach. Lunch consisted of cheeseburger platter for Steve, grouper filet platter for David, and Ann and I shared an order of beef Carpaccio and a margarita pizza. Everything was delicious and with four drinks the total was $64 including tip.

We spent the remainder of the day at Club O and left at 5:00 P.M. for Happy Hour at the Ocean Club. Great to see Ken and staff again and also visited with Bill and Elaine who have been helping out there at the bar. We left around 9:00 P.M. and since we had not yet had dinner, decided to go to Buccaneer in our beach clothes for a quick meal and a couple of those famous BBC’s. David had the steak sandwich platter and I had the cheeseburger platter with two BBC’s and the total was $40 including tip. After dinner, we came back and showered, changed and went out for the evening in Maho. We retired about 1:30 A.M.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 18[b]-[/color] David cooked breakfast in the room today since we stopped at Food Express last night on the way home for some drinks and breakfast essentials. We were invited to spend the day with Ann and Steve at their place at Azure Studios on Simpson Bay. We stopped at Market Garden on our way for some Presidente for Todd’s arrival later in the day and some snacks and other drinks. We all spent a lovely day relaxing on the beach and then Todd and MJ arrived around 4:00 P.M. It was great to spend some time together and after a few drinks we left to get ready for dinner. We had a few drinks on the balcony and watched another beautiful sunset and then went off to the Stone to have dinner with Ann and Steve. It was a delightful evening with Guitar Jim serenading us as we ate. David and Steve both chose the Surf and Turf which consisted of tiger shrimp and steak and Ann and I both had the Fish Delight which consisted of tiger shrimp, sea scallops, tilapia and tuna steak. A large bottle of water, 2 glasses of wine and an Irish coffee completed the meal. The total was $146 plus tip (privilege card discount applied). We had absolutely no room for dessert as Ann insisted we go to the gelato planet (next door) on our way home to enjoy this new place. This is a cute little place and a nice addition to the waterfront complex. They have several flavours to choose from and all that we tried were delicious! We finished the evening at Casino Royale and retired shortly after midnight.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 19[b]-[/color] Today was the day for our day sail on the Celine with Captain Neil. We got up at 6:00 A.M. and went off to meet everyone at Skipjacks. Ann had made the reservations before arriving on the island, and we had our group of four couples and Neil had four other couples that joined us. It was a wonderful day spent with good friends and new friends which were all very enjoyable. This was a clothing optional cruise so everyone was happy and comfortable in their mode of dress or undress. We left the dock at 7:30 and Neil had prepared a lovely breakfast which we all enjoyed immensely. The drinks flowed freely with an open bar all day. The seas were 4-6ft but it never really felt rough although a few of us sitting up front on the trampoline were showered frequently with the wave action! It was lots of fun!

We stopped at Tintemarre and spent two lovely hours on the beach with lots of drinks and good company. After Neil had prepared lunch, we went back to the boat and enjoyed a cooked meal consisting of ribs, fish, paella, two different salads and fruit for dessert. After lunch we sailed on to Creole Rock where some people did some snorkelling and saw a few interesting fish near the rock. Following this, we went to Happy Bay for an hour or so and Neil took the mud ashore for the mud baths. We returned at 6:00 P.M. to a beautiful sunset and the completion of an amazing day at sea.

We went back to the condo and showered, changed and went to the Ocean Club for drinks and dinner. This is a fun place to spend a few hours with good friends. Saw Bill and Elaine again and was entertained by Ken. After a few drinks, Ken cooked us 2 cheeseburger and bacon platters with fries and salad and they were extremely good! If you haven’t tried the Ocean Club bar and Grill, I would recommend you try it on your next trip. It is a casual friendly spot where you will meet some very friendly people and enjoy good food and drinks! We went to Casino Royale on our way home and made a deposit there. No wins tonight, but an enjoyable evening none the less.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 20[b]-[/color] Moving day today! We had breakfast in the condo and then finished packing to move to Flamingo. We got our check-out time extended to 1:00 P.M. so we spent the morning relaxing at the pool. We checked out and had lunch at Hilma’s Windsor Castle as we could park right in front and watch our luggage in the car. We had a lovely time chatting with Hilma and enjoyed two delicious fish sandwiches, johnny cakes and 2 Carib for only $14. Hilma’s is not to be missed and we always make a point to stop in there and catch up on the local happenings!

We checked into Flamingo at 2:00 P.M. as our room was ready so this was a bonus. We got a splendid one bedroom condo in building #7 with an ocean view. It was large and very spacious and everything was in fine working order. We did some shopping at Market Garden which we found to be our supermarket of choice this trip because everything is so clean; it has a great selection of products, and it is just so close! We decided to have dinner at Topper’s by the Sea tonight. We both enjoyed the beef brisket and with water and two cocktails, the total was $50 including tip. Service was a bit slow, but the food was terrific! We spent the remainder of the evening at the resort with drinks on the balcony and watched the lights twinkling over the water. A perfect ending to another fantastic day!

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 21[b]-[/color] We spent a lazy morning in the condo, and enjoyed a nice cooked breakfast of eggs, pancakes, juice and coffee on the balcony. We had lunch at Lee’s which consisted of two rib dinners with sides and 2 beer for $21 plus tip. Service and food were both good. We spent the afternoon at Bill and Elaine’s at Rainbow Beach Club and enjoyed drinks and snacks on their balcony. We always enjoy our time spent together and appreciate their hospitality!

Tonight we were hosting a sunset party at the Greenhouse so we arrived there about 4:30 to make final preparations. People started arriving at 5:00 P.M. and we had 35 in attendance. The sunset was beautiful and we all had a good time. It was fun meeting some new folks and of course always a joy to mingle with the regulars. The drinks were two for one and there were reduced prices on appetizers. The servers were attentive and friendly and we thank Mike and his staff for doing a fantastic job! The party lasted until 10:00 P.M. and then we went back to the condo and posted our party pictures so we could share our evening with those who were not on the island. Another day is brought to a close with a drink under the twinkling stars!

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 22[b]-[/color] David went to Bon Appétit for a baguette and fresh croissants and we enjoyed them with coffee and juice for breakfast on the balcony. We spent the day at Karakter with Todd, MJ, Georgia and David. We met our British friends from our day sail on the beach so it was a lovely day! We enjoyed a delicious lunch, one Ocean Platter, one American Platter and two drinks. The food there is always so fresh and tasty and the frozen quavaberry colodas are such a treat. The bucket of Amstel light and a few gin and tonics were our refreshments on the beach. We returned in time to watch the sunset from our balcony and relaxed until about 9:00 P.M. when we went to the Boathouse for dinner. I love the coconut shrimp there and they did not disappoint. They were large and succulent and covered in coconut! Yum! David enjoyed the fish and chips and he said they were very good too. Under the new owners, the restaurant is nicer than our last visit so we were happy to see the improvement there. We finished the night in the Hollywood Casino and retired around 1 A.M.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 23[b]-[/color] David cooked breakfast in the condo and we enjoyed a relaxing meal on the balcony watching the world go by. We had planned to go to Orient Beach, but the wind was still quite strong there, so we decided to go to Grand Case and have lunch at Enold’s Caribbean Food. We arrived around noon and found parking across the street. The parking is scarce in that area so just a warning if you plan to dine there. We had cod fritters as a starter and I chose the grilled mahi mahi and David had the fish and chips. Both platters came with salad and Caribbean rice and were delicious! We shared profiteroles for dessert and they were heavenly! We had water and two drinks and the entire bill totalled $50 including tip. The service was great and the view right on the beach is definitely wonderful. The nice thing about having lunch there is the invitation to spend the day on their beach with free use of their lounge chairs and umbrellas. We did that and it was so enjoyable. It was quiet and not as windy as Orient!

On our way back we went to Cupecoy to watch the sunset and got some very nice pictures. We met a few of the regulars there and then went to the Ocean Club Bar and Grill for Happy Hour and another visit with our friends there. We ended up staying until 9:00 P.M. and we were still in our beach clothes so decided a casual meal was in order. We stopped at Abu Ghazi and had two delicious swarmas and a drink which just hit the spot. With full tummies, we went back to the condo and spent a relaxing night just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 24[b]-[/color] We started the day with breakfast on the balcony and then went to Market Garden to purchase some fresh fruit and vegetables and a few bottles of wine for Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow. Then we went to Great Bay Villas in Philipsburg to pick up Annie and spend the day with her at Palm Beach. It was a bit windy again on Orient, but we got a nice cabana and ordered some drinks while we waited for our lunch reservation. We all enjoyed our meals which consisted of one beef kabob platter, one shrimp and sea scallop platter and one red snapper platter. We enjoyed several glasses of wine and cocktails and delicious coconut macaroons with three flavours of ice-cream for dessert. At the end of the meal we were offered some delicious complimentary banana rum which was enjoyed by all. There was an additional 2% government tax added to the bill but no service charge. The total was $175 including tip. Georgia and David were also having lunch there so we spent some time with them. This was Annie’s first time at Palm Beach and she loved it too. It is definitely one of our favourite spots on Orient Beach and definitely a great place to spend the day!

We left Palm Beach about 3:30 P.M. and went to the Lotterie Farm to spend the remainder of the afternoon. It was very quiet there at this time of day and so a lovely spot for drinks and conversation. The pool construction is in progress but it still has a long way to go before completion. We continued our island tour with Annie and came back through Marigot and on to Philipsburg. We arrived back at the villas around 6:00 P.M. after a most enjoyable afternoon.

We decided to go to Peg Leg Pub to listen to ""Cover to Cover" and have a late dinner since we were still full from our lunch which was really a full course meal. Bob and Dave are always fun to listen to and they kept those present entertained. I chose the party sampler for dinner tonight which was a perfect choice. (Potato skins, wings, stuffed mushrooms, cheese sticks and chicken strips). David chose the Kansas steak which was cooked to perfection. Sean was his usual gracious host and service was good throughout the evening. After Bob and Dave finished their performance, we moved on to the Princess Casino and made our donation for the evening! We finished the night with drinks on the balcony and retired around 2:00 A.M.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 25[b]-[/color] We awakened to another beautiful sunny day, and after breakfast we decided to spend a few hours on Mullet Beach. It was not totally calm, but not as rough as previous days. We have never experienced the mirror like waters that some speak of at Mullet, but we like to try to spend one day there as it truly is a Caribbean style beach and very relaxing. The bathroom facilities there leave a lot to be desired so it is a bit inconvenient in that respect. Actually it would be an improvement if they just demolished them! We returned to the condo around 2:00 P.M. and went for a dip in the pool to cool off before getting ready for dinner.

We were very fortunate this year to be able to celebrate two Thanksgivings! In October we had our Canadian Thanksgiving with our family at home, and today we were honoured to celebrate with our good American friends. Elaine was our gracious hostess today and she cooked a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. We had lots of wine, coffee and tea and key lime and apple pie for dessert. Bill and Irene, Elaine’s neighbours joined us and Annie assisted as well, so it was truly a wonderful evening! It is so easy to count our blessings with such good friends!

We stopped at the Hollywood Casino on the way home and spent some time with Todd and MJ who dropped in to check on our progress at the slots. We broke even tonight and decided to leave around midnight.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 26[b]-[/color] Today after checking the wind situation on Orient, we decided to head out about 7:30 A.M. for a day at the beach. We stopped at Sarafina’s in Marigot for a delicious breakfast of croissants and freshly squeezed orange juice. We arrived at Orient about 9:00 A.M. and were disappointed by the beach conditions we encountered. It was cloudy there, extremely windy with rough water and the beach was covered in seaweed! Many people were leaving after being greeted by the same conditions, so it was an easy decision to leave too. We left and went to Friar’s Bay to check conditions there, and although not as bad as Orient, it was still windy and definitely not the perfect beach day! We took a few pictures and then continued to search for the perfect conditions. We found the perfect beach day at Karakter on Simpson Bay Beach. The water was clear, it was sunny and warm and NO wind! We really should have saved our time and gone there first, but Wind Guru led us astray!

We had a beautiful day at Karakter as always and met up with Todd and MJ, Katie and Brad. Our British friends were there too enjoying their last day on the island so it was great to see them again and say “good-bye”. At lunch time we enjoyed the Karakter Taste for Two which comes with two glasses of champagne for $34. On the beach we enjoyed a bucket of beer and quavaberry colodas for $64. Later in the day, Josephine and Paul joined us and at the end of the day we drove them back to Royal Palm and had cocktails and snacks at their condo. Paul makes a great whiskey sour and we sampled a few of them! We got back to the Flamingo around 7:30 P.M. and decided to walk to the Hideaway at La Vista Resort for dinner tonight. We enjoyed two glasses of wine, one bountiful shrimp platter and one shrimp and scallop entre, one regular coffee and an Irish coffee with no room for any dessert. The total was $86 including tip (15% was added to the bill). We left a few extra dollars for good service. After dinner, we returned to our unit and packed up to prepare for an internal move to a beach front condo in the morning. We ended another lovely day under the twinkling stars with a cocktail on the balcony!

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 27[b]-[/color] We awoke to sunny skies and had breakfast and got ready for our move to the first floor beachfront room (7144 from 7222). We got chairs on the beach right in front of our unit and enjoyed a nice relaxing day “at home”. At about 3:00 P.M. we decided to go into Philipsburg and pick up a few things at Rima for the grandchildren. We stopped at Grand Marche on Bush Road to pick up some beer and a few snacks for the room. We had planned to go to Grand Case tonight for dinner, but changed our minds and decided to try Granduca in Maho instead. We have eaten so many dinners in Grand Case, but this was our first time visiting this new restaurant. Well, as soon as we walked in, we knew we had made the right decision. Beyond a doubt, this was the best meal of our entire trip! I chose the Chicken Marsala and David chose the veal. Both were served with potatoes and colorful vegetables cooked to perfection. For dessert, I had the orange tiramisu (Enzo’s special recipe) and David enjoyed the crème brule. Both desserts were absolutely delicious! Our meal with 3 glasses of wine, a bottle of sparkling water and coffee totalled $106. A 10% discount from the use of the privilege card was honoured here. No service charge was added so a generous tip was added for the excellent service received .Complimentary lemon cello shots were offered at the end of the meal and were very much appreciated. This was an exceptional dining experience and we chatted with Enzo as we were leaving to express our feeling. Don’t miss the opportunity to dine here on your next trip if you haven’t already done so! We walked across the street to Casino Royale and donated to the cause after using their free money compliments of the privilege card. We left around midnight and ended another beautiful day in paradise.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 28[b]-[/color] We were trying to finish up some of our supplies, so we decided to have breakfast in the condo and then left to spend the day at Club O. It was still windy, but the water wasn’t as rough so ended up having an enjoyable day. It was very quiet on the other part of the beach as there were no ships in today. We had lunch at Andy and Cheryl’s which was delicious as usual. I had the beer battered shrimp for a change and David enjoyed the fish and chips with I water and 1 beer the bill was $46 including tip.

We returned around 4:00 P.M. to prepare for the Sunset Cruise on the Celine with Neil compliments of Jeff Berger’s membership. We had a fun group on board including Adrianna and Dave who were not crewing tonight but joined us for the cruise. It was nice to spend some time with them. Lisa and Ellison were our crew mates tonight and did a great job with Neil at the helm. We returned at 7:00 P.M. and went to Pineapple Pete’s for dinner. We had a nice chat and some laughs with Pierre and of course good food and service. This fellow Canadian really knows how to pack his restaurant and offer the best possible service! Congratulations Pierre on a job well done! I had the “surf and surf” which consisted of lobster thermidor and coconut shrimp and it was melt in your mouth delicious! David chose the beef brisket which was very tasty as well. We had four glasses of wine and we shared a dark rum crème brule which was heavenly. The total was $86 including a 15%tip added to the bill.

Following dinner, we stopped at the new Carousel and it is truly a lovely spot for families. There are lots of delicious treats and gifts and so much more to enjoy there. Unfortunately we were too full to partake of all the treats, but we are all checked out now for next time. We decided to stop at the Hollywood Casino on the way home as David was feeling lucky. This proved to be a very good decision and he walked away $250 richer. We then spent some time at the Red Piano and retired about 2:00 A.M.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 29[b]-[/color] Our last full day at the resort so we had a nice breakfast at le Sucreire and then spent the morning relaxing on the beach at Flamingo. For lunch, we enjoyed an all you can eat barbeque at Toppers by the Sea for $12 each. There were ribs, chicken, salads and corn on the cob and lots of rum punch. After lunch, we enjoyed more beach time and did a little shopping at the beach shops. We enjoyed a few cocktails on the balcony and then went to Maho to make some final purchases of liquor and jewellery and then on to the Ocean Club for Happy Hour with Ken and the crew. We met Mike and Kristen who had just arrived from Canada and will be helping out at the bar for a few months. After enjoying Ken’s specialty drink “dirty sex on the beach” and a few other tasty concoctions we departed at 8:30 P.M. for dinner and the show at Cheri’s Café. We enjoy the frozen tropical drinks and the burgers and steak sandwich are always good there. It had been a few years since we stopped in there, and we found that people seem to be still enjoying the evening of song and dance! Some things just don’t change! We finished the evening at Casino Royale and returned to pack for our departure tomorrow.

[color:"blue"][/b]Nov. 30[b]-[/color] The final day has arrived! It was sunny and warm and a beautiful beach day again so we were sad to think our vacation was coming to an end. Elaine joined us at Topper’s by the Sea for a nice leisurely breakfast and then we spent the rest of the morning relaxing on the beach. We managed to get a late check-out and we didn’t have to leave our condo until 1:30 P.M. so we were not rushed. We only had enough time to return our sim card to Sharon and arrived in time for Myra to deliver us to the airport. We checked in at 2:30 for our 4:45 flight and picked up some sandwiches at Carl and Sons to eat on the plane. There was no line at security and the flight was on time with no problems at all. We arrived at midnight to rain showers, so no snow was a pleasant surprise! It was another amazing trip! We were home safely once again with treasured memories of another tropical vacation!

[color:"blue"]General Observations:[/color]

The island was very green because of the many days of rain in October and early November. The golf course was the best we had ever seen it and there were several people golfing each day we passed by. We were happy we had rented an SUV as the roads were full of pot holes and progress to fix them seemed very slow. Some of the beaches had less sand than usual because of the previous storms, but sand was slowly returning to some. Beachside Villas still had no beach and the water was still up to the villas. Hopefully this will change soon. Karakter has expanded and there is a much larger covered dining area which was very nice. It has become a very popular spot!

We did not see or experience any incidents of crime and only had positive experiences everywhere we went. The weather was sunny and warm, but not as hot and humid as usual in November. There was more wind than usual so we regretted not being able to enjoy as many days on Orient Beach. The wind however, kept the mosquitoes away and there was only one rain shower during our entire two weeks. We were not bothered much by traffic except for one night coming home from Philipsburg because of an accident. We didn’t get to the Dinghy Dock, Le Cottage, L’Estaminet and a few of our other favourite spots but we did get to try some of the new restaurants all of which we enjoyed. We thank everyone who helped to make our vacation so enjoyable and hope to see you all in paradise again in 2011.

I hope to post the pictures of our trip soon. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/xmas032.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/xmas032.gif" alt="" />