All,
Much apologies for my last post to all involved. While I may have had a point it was not good to go after views. TTOL has gotten clubby/snippy over time but I was really pointed that day. Wrong maybe or maybe I hit home. Sorry either way.

2020 is a loser.

We were booked for New Years and approaching 30 days out we decided to cancel our lodging and get our frequent flyer points back.
We really want to go but we were staying on dutch side and hoping to go to Yellow umbrellas most days and with the Parisian control of the French side we did not want to end up in our swimsuits on Simpson Bay for 10 days.

The great hotel gave us a two nights deposit credit for two full years. We expected only one year. I suspect we will use that credit within 2 years. Kudos for them for making it December 2022. [censored] should be good by then. Pardon my French.

We really want to go but to arrive before New Years we have to test before Christmas and hope the labs work holidays. Half my brain says SXM should have bought more ventilators by now, the other half doesnt want to tax the island. We need to deal with this biology.

Going to an only Dutch side vacation would be OK, but we are French siders. They are suffering more than dutch. We will miss our Good Morning Cafe breakfasts. We will miss our Yacht Club Bloody Marys. We will miss parrotville and Bistrot Caraibes, Little Jerusalem, Yvettes, Le Moulin Fu, and many others.

10 people total at Club O is ideal on one hand and devastation on the other. Those owners need to rebuild or concede and settle or we will see the death of Club O.

Too much uncertainty right noe and while Inwant it to be OK, we've read reports of careful people medivac’d from SXM to ventilators in Florida.

Hopefully we can use our credit before it expires in December 2022. May that establishment survive this scourge.

Thanks TTOL for teaching us the island in depth.

For those still making the trek in Nov, Dec, Jan.: wash your hands and good luck.

Too bad you feel that way but to eat h their own.

Sorry you felt you had to cancel. Everyone has to make their own decision. Hopefully 2021 will be a better year.

I think you made a BIG mistake by not coming as COVID here on St Maarten is far less than what's going on in USA. We have been here for 1 week now and are having a wonderful time. Being careful as we would have at home in USA bur feeling much safer. Massachusetts covid cases are going through the roof now 2,650 new cases yesterday and way out of control.
But that all being said ; it is your decision as to what makes you comfortable. Good luck and cheers from St Maarten

Still plane on going In late Nov . to Dec. Just as long as SXM will have us. First week on the French side . Second week on the Dutch side .
Hope all works out for you in 2021 . Lets hope for a better year !!! Jeff

Everyone has to do what they’re most comfortable with.

We missed our April ‘20 trip for the obvious reasons and this next one is our fifth set of reservations for this year. If it bombs out on us, either airline or Covid-19 testing issues, that’s it! I’m done trying for this year. But already booked for next year so at least there’s that to look forward to......

Pat ; testing should not be an issue as all you need is a copy of the PCR test and your online form sent in and print out of the acceptance email St Maarten will send you. The system they are using now on arrival is extremely smooth and very easy. They do check all the documents but that is not an issue. The whole process from walking off the plane and immigration and getting our checked bags took less than 15 minutes, The Island welcomes you and are very appreciative that you will come and support their struggling economy.
PS the beaches are great this now and NO cruise people here on the beaches as well.

benni--airlines continue to cancel flights, screwing people around, every day, and testing still is an issue for people in many parts of the country. ..not to mention the issue of IF one were to get sick on island. There are still a whole lot of moving parts and everyone needs to make their own decision. IF we were younger, I might take the chance. At our ages and with our medical histories? No way, not right now.

benni,

My concerns re testing lie in getting the tests done locally Thanksgiving week and getting the results back IN TIME, and hopefully with both of us testing negative. We have appointments but ‘what infer’ that I am, I just worry what if the holiday might throw the timing off.........

So looking forward to being there and seeing all our island friends. This is our fifth set if island plans for this year and we are both hoping five is the charm.

Enjoy the rest of your island time......

And Carol,

We certainly aren’t in that younger range but I’m inclined to think we will probably be as safe if not SAFER there than we will be here in CT right now with our numbers climbing daily. Like I said, we all need to do what works for us and I’m hoping our reclusive vacation style will also work in our favor.

I hope we made a mistake as I am a firm believer on getting back and spending and traveling.

But, for the first time in this pandemic, we now know several people who have it, and are having a tough time breathing literally. Not in the hospital, but just not enough breath to walk around the house or go up stairs.

These are people who are pretty careful, but somehow got it.

College age child knows several people her age sick in quarantine at school.

Biggest Issue though.

We would have arrived on Tuesday 29 Dec.

We would have to get a test Thursday Christmas Eve, have Christmas on Friday and hope the lab people are working Sat/Sun/Mon and get negative results and uploaded and all.

Too much to make sure all goes right. Didnt want to lose lodging by cancelling within 30 days.

We learned after Irma, that 18 months between visits was actually better as you miss it a little more.

This would have been 3 SXM Newd Years in a row.

Bummer.

But we are going to Florida instead for longer time and none of the worry.

Pat,
We're in the same boat regarding the Thanksgiving testing window and our arrival on the 30th. My wife works at a large health system here in the Detroit area, and when she asked about the holiday impact on the labs, they told her there will be no impact as they will be staffed and operating as normal. They were turning PCR tests around in 24 hours, but are now taking about 48 hours. Main issue they have been having is demand for test reagent, but new shipments have been arriving "just in time." Keeping our fingers crossed. Safe travels and we hope everything falls into place for you.

Thank you, Gomer. Good news for sure.

We arrive on 12/27 - getting tested 12/23. Lab said no worries. But I truly understand your reasoning for canceling. This will be our 4th NYE on island. First without the kids! The youngest is turning 21 and has zero desire to be with mom and dad and the oldest is a teacher on Cape and worried about bringing it back. So totally get why you cancelled.

Looking forward to seeing you Folks once again.

And our children will be here via US .

All I am saying is that the process of getting here is not as bad as it looks . We were paranoid at first with the rules and type of test they want but as long as the test results say RT-PCR they accept it. My close friend from Ct came in this Friday and he had his test in a drive through location. He got his results in 3 days as we did in Massachusetts when we had our test. Filling the online form for St Maarten was easy and uploading the results was very simple even for me . We got our Ok from St Maarten within 3 hours .
So I hope all stay well and do whatever makes one comfortable as to what you do. I am in my late 70’s so as many of you need to be careful as well.

There are many who feel safer in SXM than in the U.S. right now.

My concern is getting sick there, since the medical care is not what you would have at home.


I don't quite understand the testing right now, but it seems to be working for most people.

Our friends just returned with no problems.

Doesn't Florida have a really high Covid virus count?

We've tested 4 easy peasy, but we go where/when the testing is at the time. But going on a Thursday Christmas Eve leaving that weekend to get results and loaded seems like to much hope required.

SXM didnt have a 3 day or 5 day rqmt when we booked in June.

The big airports need instant testing if they want to save the airlines.

I completely agree, and the rapid tests make more sense. Unfortunately, when they were first developed, they weren't as accurate as they are now, so many countries, including SXM, don't accept them.

jeepers--not sure who your question is addressed to, but yes, Florida has one of the highest Covid counts in the nation. ....and getting higher, every day..

As vertually every state.

I feel your pain. We had to cancel our March 15 2020 trip. Hope to return in 2021. Like you, I want to be within walking distance of OB. Hang in there. Jim

Carol, I was responding to Pelican Pirate who said "But we are going to Florida instead for a longer time and none of the worry".
I just thought that's a lot of virus not to worry about. It worries me.
We aren't going to st Martin in january & main reason is we are over 70 & if we got virus there we dont know how we would get back to Canada. But very sad not to be there. Take care everyone!

jeepers--agreed, there is a WHOLE lot of virus in Florida to worry about...

We are booked for next Saturday the 28th and my fear is not getting Covid while on the island, but rather getting it on Thanksgiving after our tests have been completed on Tuesday. There is a possibility ( i am told 10% if you have 10 people at your TG dinner) of getting covid between the test date and arrival and I can't imagine being quarantine in SXM for 10 days or so.

Still haven't pulled the trigger but I am heartbroken that the responsible thing, assuming we have our kids for TG dinner, is to cancel this trip.

I'm not sure if the statistics are from this resource or not: https://covid19risk.biosci.gatech.edu/. I apologize if they aren't, but they sound similar to what the website would tell you, and we weren't initially sure how to interpret the data. If we're talking about the same thing, I don't know that the percentage is your chance of getting COVID. Instead, I think it may be the percentage chance that someone in attendance could have COVID based on the local case numbers and event size. I assume the actual percentage chance of getting COVID would be mitigated by social distancing and other safety measures by everyone in attendance both before and during Thanksgiving gatherings. Of course, local numbers don't necessarily mean as much if people are coming together from different areas.

Guys,
And Carol knows this. Florida has one of the WORST rates in the country, not like everywhere ScubaMan!
Talking +4000 per day in Florida and over +1000 per day in. Dade County.
Positivity rate over 7%.
More than New York City.
So please don't think you will be safer here. Whatever that means.
I am so tired of these walls!
My sister and her sons kept going out and now all three have Covid and are sick.
So, no. Not safer here.
irina

We are in St Maarten now. Was not a big hassle getting in. We arrived on Monday, airport was not busy. A lot of people are here enjoying their time here.
We took our test at a drive through line at a local health department and had our results back within 24 hours. Filled out the paperwork for entry into St Maarten and got ok within a few hours.
A lot quicker than we thought and a lot easier also. Everyone at restaurants are wearing mask and taking everything very serious.
We lost our time back in April and may coming down and glad we made the decision to come back.
Had dinner at 5he greenhouse last night with Neil Robert of the Celine. Miss bbc not being open.
Here for 3 weeks.

What is the bbc?

Sorry, finger slip BBB.

Ok. Easy to do, especially with rum.