TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin US Currency / Neutrogena Sunblock

1) Plan on using US cash in restaurants. Want to bring mostly large bills, is it easy to get change or break $100 bills there?

2) I know its in past posts but can not find it. Is Neutrogena sunscreen available in St Martin? We are debating packing ours and paying bagage fee or do just carry-ons and buy sunscreen there. It is the only brand that seems to work on my wife.

Weather forcast next week not looking so good, hope they are wrong.


Thank you!

We only bring a few $100 bills as we have found it easier to use $50s. Don't carry too much when you go out since you never know...
Use the room safe. Carry a copy of your passport and strip you wallet/purse of non-non essentials like store credit cards and the like.

$100 bills are ok, so long as it's a place where they do a lot of business. A nice restaurant in Grand Case, Pineapple Pete, Dreams, obviously, no problem. Casino? Obviously no problem. Jewelry store?? No, that's not enough money to spend in a jewelry store. You need a credit card!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> A lolo? Probably not.

Don't know the answer on the sunscreen.

We use Neutrogena and bring our own. The tubes are 3 oz, and you can cram 6 or 7 tub into a quart ziplock bag. I do not remember seeing it on the island.

Totally agree with Carol! St. Martin businesses don't stare at $100 bills like they do in Canada. We leave non-essential id at home. I carry MasterCard & hubby carries visa. You never know what you will need in the jewelry store I want to make sure I'm covered!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Ditto what everyone has said.
$100s great at most restaurants, $50s will work on Orient and we bring A LOT of $1 for tipping.
Neutrogena is great because of the 3 oz sizes. I also pick up a few of the 1 oz just in case and their face stick(which I put in my make-up bag). We do carry on only and haven't had a problem of running out. Don't know if they carry on the island.

I have purchased Neutrgena sunblock at Grande Marche in the past. They did not carry the exact one I prefer, but they did have some there. Did not check this year. Just brought from home.

I have bought Neutrogena sunblock in the Simpson Bay Pharmacy

A lot of places on the island are not taking $100 bills right now due to fakes that started to circulate about 4-6 weeks ago. I saw quite a few signs when I was last there 2 weeks ago at various places saying they were not accepting $100 bills at this time. Story here

Many cards now don't charge the foreign transaction fee (AA M/C for one). We seldom use cash except for beach chairs and minor things. All the charges go toward the next SXM ticket. We take two cards (and an extra other JIC) and leave one in the safe along with other nonessential IDs etc.

counterfeit bill detectors we use cost about $5, a UV scanner is about $40, we do not like inconveniencing our customers. I have a very nice sign stating no charges under $5. Someone comes in buys a cup of coffee with no cash, what would you do?

The Maho Market carries Nutrogena Sunblock as well.

Not sure what I would if I were the retailer - a lot of places at home have the minimum charge posted - although debit cards are used with no limits that I have seen. That's why I said we carry cash for small purchases.

I take is credit card for $2.50 or throw out the coffee and lose a customer.

Why not just give him the coffee as a gesture of goodwill? He'll return with cash next time.

STW, just give them the cup of coffee!
It's not a big deal cost wise. It's goodwill as someone else said.
Or don't offer it for sale.
irina

If I were next in line, I would buy the cup of coffee for that person in line, telling him to pay it forward some other time.

or don't offer it for sale? uh? It's hard to believe anyone would walk around with zero dollars in cash.

..or not. There are a lot of USERS in this world that would come back again and again, for free coffee.

Thats exactly what visa's merchant rules are. They are allowed to set a minimum amount for credit card purchases, not to exceed $10. However, no minimum purchase amount is allowed for debit cards.