Just a post on our return to the US. As mentioned in a prior post, I went to the Red Cross site in Hope Estates for the Antigen test - can't say enough about what they do. If you want to help, they would appreciate donations of soap, toiletries, etc. They said they do not accept monetary donations on site, and if you go on the website to to that, the donation apparently does not stay on the island - though of course , it helps the Red Cross in general.

I downloaded the Verifly app which American Airlines promotes. It took forever to figure out how to use it, then to fill out the forms , then to upload the Covid test itself. I did all that a few days before traveling, and even by the time our plane was taking off, I only got the message that they were processing the test results - though in fairness, since the test was in French , that may have been the issue. Anyway, no one at the airport asked if we had used Verifly, and while it may help to get you organized, I had to fill out the same forms in person at the airport, such as the questionnaire, so for me it was a waste of time.

One thing had me worried was whether the US immigration would ask for the test results and may be unable to read them because they were in French, however, in reviewing the CDC website, and in practice, it turns out the airline is the one that has be certain your paperwork is in order for you to board the plane. ( SXM is the opposite, the airline checks before you get on the plane to travel to SXM, but SXM does its own inspection of your paperwork, and that is the only thing that matters ). So I was pretty confident the French would not be an issue. However, our ticket agent spoke , and reads , Dutch and English, but not french, and asked me to point out where the results said negative, where the date of the exam was listed, and the type of exam - fortunately all of that was very easy - Negatif is pretty close to negative, And Test Antigenique is close enough to antigen for me to point out. To be on the safe side, I went back to the Red Cross the day after the test and had them print out the results so I didn't have to try to pull them up on a tablet. We were also a little concerned about the timing - we got the test on a Tuesday and left on a Friday. However, the CDC website gives that exact example in explaining that when they say no more than 3 days before the flight - you ignore the day of the flight, and just count back 3 days. So since we left on a friday, you ignore that day, count back 3 and you get to Tuesday. Anyway, the check in agent said we were okay, and no one asked to see the test results when we landed in the US.

We got to the Sxm airport 2 hours early, knowing we would be early, and got through check in and immigration control and security in probably 15 to 20 minutes. The upstairs boarding area stayed nearly empty the whole time, and when our flight boarded, it only took one bus.

The plane had more passengers then when we arrived, but still probably 30 % of the seats were taken . They didn't try to socially distance us, but did let people move , so long as you checked with a flight attendant, and he would tell you what aisle you could move to. Flight was smooth, landed early, and then got through Charlotte customs and immigration in no time - no line to speak of at immigration, even though we are not Global Entry, and they were not using the automated machines. We spent a little time going through Charlotte TSA, though probably around 10 minutes at most. The airport in Charlotte was pretty crowded, and the flight home was about 80% full.

Overall, we had a great time. We made our reservations last year, and bought cancel for any reason insurance just in Covid was still with us. Several times we came close to canceling, but many of the posters here said it was worth the headache and that you would feel safe on the island. I agree with both opinions. The weather was great, the beaches and swimming were great, everyone was nice, the food was good. Over the course of a week, we hardly spent any time indoors- there was plenty of wind on most days, and every place we ate either had dining outdoors, or we sat by open windows with plenty of ventilation, so we felt very safe. Yes, getting the tests in the US was a hassle, and expensive, getting the tests in SXM was an easy process, though I had given a lot of worry about what we would do if one of us tested positive. The only other negative was the restaurants were nearly empty and I almost wanted to eat 3 or 4 dinners a night to help boost their economy. A few of the servers told us that Christmas and New Years had been busy, and that it had slowed in February. My guess is that Canada requirements really cut down that traffic - we normally meet a number of Canadians, but didn't this year, and of course, the US reentry test requirements have made people reconsider their travel plans. So if you are on the edge, my opinion was the trip was worth way more than the hassle.

As a reward for making it through this post, I have included a few photos, the view from our balcony, a small plane landing at the Grand Case Airport, and a turtle that joined us unexpectedly ( I didn't scream like a baby, but felt a nudge on my foot, and said what was that) while we were eating lunch on Pinel Island.

Great summery. As to not screaming at a helpless turtle, I’m proud of you. Try bumping a 4foot iguana,

Thanks for the report and the pictures. I probably would have screamed like a baby. The turtle probably was just looking for some lunch, although that would not be a terribly good idea, to feed him.

Very Very helpful report. Now we sort of have a "handle" on what to expect. Thanks!!!!

So does the same 120 hour rule apply when getting your test for returning to the US?

No. It's 3 days prior. Not hours.

So right, it is not more than 3 days prior, and as CDC example says, if you fly on Friday, you can have your test on Tuesday, which is not more than 3 days before Friday, the day you fly.