TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin How Many Consecutive Years Have You Traveled To St. Maarten

With our scheduled late June trip very much in doubt, I began wondering if we will make it to our favorite island this year. This would mark our 24th straight year of visiting the island. I was curious how many consecutive years others of you have traveled to the island. Let's see who holds the record.

47 years but who’s counting? I know we’re not record holders here but we made our first visit in November of 1973 and we’ve been back at least once a year every year since then and for the past fifteen years or so we’ve gone at least twice a year. We’ve tried most of the other Caribbean islands but none of them have measured up to SXM in our opinion.

Not sure what’s going to happen this year since we already lost our April trip but we still have our fingers crossed for November. Please Lord, let it happen.......😊😊

No record here either but with a first cruise visit in 1991, followed by a stay-over visit in 1993, it was every year until Irma hit. I missed 2018 but made it back in 2019 and 2020 and hoping for a return in Nov. 2020. Many of the years there were 2 and sometimes 3 visits up to about 9 years ago when "dog travel" cut that back. I guess this makes the consecutive streak to be 25 years.

Good friends to this day with our first ever taxi driver (Junior Bruney) from 1991 and his family. He made a trip to OH in 2000.

First stop on a cruise in 1989 and every year after except one where we went to Hawaii.

We have been every year since 1995, but I doubt we will go this year.

Consecutive Years? So you guys made in 2018 after Irma, in 1996 after Hurricane Luis, and in 2000 after Hurricane Lenny? That's impressive. We bowed out during those years waiting for the island to recover from the damage. So, for us we don't have any type of consecutive streak going, but if we did it would be 27 years. Of course, some of our visits were cruise ship ports-of-call at SXM, and we never booked a cruise of the Easter Caribbean unless it made port in St. Maarten. We had the good fortune to visit this year in 2020 before COVID-19 set in, so now our next focus will be for possibly the winter or early spring of 2021.

First time was a cruise in 1993, came back in spring of 94 and have been coming back every year. Several years we came 2 times a year. 😎
This will be our first year not being there in the spring. Really hoping for the fall to go back but we are also going to our place in St lucia in November...What to do...What to do...Maybe both sounds good to us!!

31 years stop going 2016.....

Our first trip, if I remember correctly, was in 2004. For two years we came at the end of February to celebrate our anniversary, and stayed in a hotel on the French side. On our second trip we decided that we would want to return annually, and decided that purchasing a timeshare was the thing to do. We saw an ad for "Timesharing done right! No gifts, no gimmicks", walked into La Vista, sat down at the bar, and announced that we wanted to talk to someone about buying a unit there. The bartender called Caribbean Al, who was most happy to help us fulfill our goal. After touring several different units there, all occupied by owners who were more than willing to let us see their vacation homes, we left to "sleep on it". After grabbing lunch at Topper's by the Sea, we decided sleep wasn't necessary, came back, and signed the paperwork for our two consecutive weeks in the same unit at La Vista Beach. A few years later a third week became available at a half-price sale, and the rest is history. Other than 2017, when we couldn't use our weeks because of Irma, we've been every week since 2005, twice a year in 2006 and 2018. Fingers are crossed that we'll be able to return this November!!

37 years missed 84 and 90. Made 7 trips down in 2019. 2020 got down twice and no idea when we can get back

I think others beat us, but we started in 1977 at a conference with New England Life at MBBR, then returned the next year on a charter to Summit Resort in '78 and have not missed a year since.

Started June 1998, traveled every year since, 2 to 4 trips a year, have not gone in 2020 yet.

30 years non stop....not a record but impressive to us. Often twice a year, sometimes three times in a year.

Love this level of dedication from the posts above, and COVID-19 isn't going to stop us in the future (whenever that future may be). The one common theme that I read here is that once you visit St. Martin you'll always want to return each year. I can't say that about Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and a few other islands we have visited. A guy that I used to work with and his wife had a goal with each return trip, and that was ultimately visiting all 36 beaches on the island. Every single one, including those on Pinel. I said to him "even Petites Cayes", and he said "especially Petite Cayes!" Now that's dedication!

31 years, 41 trips.

We have been going, usually twice, since the early 80"s.

Last year was the first entire year we missed, due to medical issues, and it doesn't look
so good for 2020----keeping our fingers crossed.

First trip was in 1983, been going back ever since., sometimes twice a year. Probably missed about 4-5 trips during that time due to hurricane damage and illness. Have a November trip booked, hopefully.

We have not missed a year since 1987. At least twice a year since 1998.

Every year since 1987....sometimes twice a year. This may be our first year that we haven't gone. We own 3 weeks in March and a week in December. Most years work obligations get in the way of our December get away. Time will tell.

We have been going since 1985 only missed was Louis 2 weeks at a time and twice a year 6 times not sure what’s going to happen this year . We are keeping our hopes up we usually go for two weeks in early November

"78 first trip repeated until 1981 (Aruba) then resumed 1982 until 2019 (including 2018 just after Irma) Missed March 2020 COV-19. Booked for 2021 and keeping fingers crossed. So I'm bad at math but is it 41 years?

18 years, we missed last year but have come down 3 years twice. Always stay at the L'Esplanade wouldn't ever stay anywhere else.

Every year since 2005 except 2020. the plan was for April 29 2020but no go as you know

13 years now since 2008. But we get to cheat a little bit as 5 of them have been New Years Eve trips spanning the two years old and new. 10 visits total including 3 cruise stops.

As many have said this is the one island that brings you back and you know you are home on final approach, Maho, taxi back to the terminal.

It is the best island in the Caribbean by far so please don't tell anybody. Airplanes, beaches, two cultures, food and drink, Sailboats, yellow umbrellas and can be relatively cheap once you get there or not if you choose.

I’d say by all the planes and yachts at New Years’s it is paradise on earth and we have figured it out. Again, please don't tell anybody.

47 consecutive years without a miss - who the heck beats that?

Can never remember whether our 1st year was 1985 or 1986. 1st miss was year of Irma. Last trip was Dec. 2019 - Jan. 2020. Don't know if or when we will return.

We have been going since April 1998. We were on a cruise in 1995 and was so excited to be able to stop at SXM and see it for ourselves. Nope that didn't work Hurricane Luis stopped us. It took us three years before we were able to take our trip. Fell in love with the island and the people almost as soon as we got off the place. Husband and I made a promise to each other that this would be our very special place. We have been going every year since then, sometimes twice a year, sometimes for three weeks at a time. We have missed 2017 and 2018 due to Irma and to a broken foot. Had to cancel our March 2020 trip but will be back real soon.

Thanks for all the responses. Really neat hearing everyone's journey to discovering and falling in love with our favorite island.

Actually, there is at least one person whom I know personally that I believe can best our record. At least I think he’s gone consecutively every year since about 1970.

Wingman, where are you? 😊😊

I have lost track of exactly how many times over 30 plus years but my passport was so full of St. Martin trips that Immigration once greeted us with “Welcome Home”. We have not missed a year in that time and we were fortunate to go
three times one year.. Several times twice per year.
Booked for November hopefully.
Stay well,
carib cheers,
doctorj

Well - as usual, you probably are right. WIngman first visited (according to a post of his) in 1971 - maybe he can confirm if he never missed for more than 47 years.

In the end, the length of our visits or how many we've made or how frequently we've made them is really irrelevant in the overall scheme of things.. I'm sure there are probably a lot more who have more longevity than either one of us. I just consider myself to have been so fortunate as to have discovered the island at such an early point in my life and to have been able to discern that it, over the other locations we've been blessed to have visited, is THE place for us.

And as for "you are usually right....." , just ask my DH or either of my girls how wrong that statement really is.

We went the first time in Sept. 1988 and bought a time share at the Divi. Went every year except two hurricane years. Some years for two or three weeks. Praying we will be able to go this year. Love the Island.

First trip in July of ‘99. 25 return trips since, most recently this past February.

First visit was 1981 as part of host group for company incentive trip staying at the Sheraton Mullet Bay Resort. Came back again in 1983 on another company incentive trip and have been back almost every year since. Purchased a Sapphire timeshare in 1993.

Every year since 1987

Haven't missed a year since 1986- not even for Luis or Irma. Started out going one week- we now go for four.

First went down with the guys, in 1979 - flew on Air Florida ! Then went down with my ski group in 1994,( stayed at the Mt. Vernon ) and have been going back most non hurricane years. Things got pretty easy when US Air, and then American, started non-stop service from Philadelphia.
I checked the 2021 AA schedule, and they will only be flying non-stop PHL-SXM on Saturdays .Retiring the B 757 did not help, and still no word on when the B 737 MAX will return to service.

49 years and many of those years were 2 times a year starting in 1971. We stayed many years at Mullet Bay Resorts when it was elegant and you needed to be dressed to the 9's for dinner and had to have a tie on when in Casino and sport Jacket or suit. Was truly a wonderful period and rarely did we leave the resort to eat elsewhere in the 1970's. In the 1980's we and 1990's we rented condos at Cupecoy Beach club, Arbor Estates , Esmerelda in Orient and several other places for about 9-10 years before finding Coral Shores in Pelican Key . That was a nice period as well and we then in the early 2000"s stayed on Simpson Bay Beach at both CoCo's and Palm Beach . Since then we bought on the Island and have loved all the wonderful people and friends we have had the pleasure of making over the years.

21 years, but I wish it was 41 years!!!!