TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin 2017 Trip Part 3

Saturday, Aug. 2
Packed up and ready for departure. Breakfast at the [/u]poolside restaurant. Empty place @ 8 a.m. Cindy had Johnny cakes and I mistakenly ordered eggs over easy. They came out uncooked. The chef had partially fried them, then added water and covered. Very runny whites. I pointed out that this was not what I ordered. The waitress apologized and offered to replace. 2nd batch was cooked the same but had even runnier whites. Obviously the chef did not understand the request or just refused to cook them as ordered. Very disappointed. I ate the meat & pancakes. They comped the meal. I’m OK with that but will not go again. The Yacht Club just across the street has a great breakfast available.
Alicia from Packlight picked up the phone @ 9:15 a.m. and I went to Texaco for gas. Hung out at the pool until 11:30 a.m. Packed the car and headed out to the airport for our 2:50 p.m. flight.

I’m glad we got there early. Lunch @ Burger King took 30 minutes to get food and security took another 90 minutes. The electronic devices were not faster than our 15 other trips thru security over the years. My stuff was selected for additional checks and that added another 10 minutes or so. I had just enough time for a smoke before our flight boarded. Surprise!! I got selected again for additional security checks. I was nearly the last to board the plane instead of having early boarding as guaranteed by our Comfort Seats. We sat on the tarmac for 40 minutes waiting for flights to clear so we could take off over the beach. This was necessary due to the heavy condition of the plane and the winds for the day.

When we finally landed in Atlanta, we were 30 minutes late. Customs & immigration were backed up beyond belief. The electronic passport readers were slow and there were not enough personnel to take care of people once they got thru them. Then thru TSA even though we had never left the secured area. Not sure why they do that. So much for our carefully planned 2.5 hour layover. No dinner or even time for a potty break. We got to our gate just as the plane was being boarded.

We arrived in Ft. Myers on time and collected our baggage. The Holiday Inn shuttle was just arriving and we were at the hotel within 30 minutes of landing. Even though the price for the package there was a bit high I’d stay again. 2 weeks of parking, room, and shuttle service. Great shuttle service and secure parking provided as well as a good room. Beds are extra firm. Not good for my back issues but Cindy loved the bed’s comfort level.

[u]Post Trip Comments
If we get an opportunity to stay @ RP again, I’ll jump on it. Facilities were very good and access to pool towels etc. was great. We felt comfortable and pampered. The view from our balcony was awesome. I’ll make sure to avoid the on property restaurant. The service was good but the chef was slow and unaccommodating at best. It was not a good value either. We’ll do Harry’s again. A bit pricey but great food & service. I’ll also avoid Atlanta if possible. This was our 2nd time returning thru ATL in 15 trips to SXM. Miami, O’Hare, San Juan, & Charlotte were all easier and more efficient in our experience.

thank you.

Thanks for the nice trip report, lots of good info. The trip home always seems to be a drag.

Thanks for the report! Many posters on TTOL have complained about the food service at RP. It's been bad for years and they do nothing to improve, they could have a goldmine there. By the way, where is Harrys? Is he the same as Harry,s over the water that closed years ago? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thanks.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like a nice trip overall. I enjoy Royal Palm a lot. But you discovered the worst thing about RP--the restaurant!! Avoid it at all costs!!!

Harrys is next to white swan.

Appreciated the reports.