TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Why being scared coming to Sxm

Hello Folks , Why are people so paranoid of visiting our Island while in meanwhile a lot of others Folks are coming ?

To some it's a health decision and to others it pretty hard to jump through all the testing hoops. You have to look at it through their eyes. It's not that easy to just go to SXM. It's not paranoia it's practicality and convenience of getting there. I know your business is suffering but so are others that can't travel with those restrictions. Please understand that.

Lesley, It isn't as much paranoia than it is caution for safety. It is the same here as it is there. Some people wear masks during this pandemic, others think that it's not important, and don't care to. I have my reservations for my annual three weeks come mid march, but still not sure or positive we will make it. Health concerns are real. Safety is real. No matter how much precaution someone takes, you still don't know about the person next to you on the plane or the person standing near you in line at the airport, or the cleanliness of the plane, or a number or other reasons one can have. Your comment about why some are paranoid, while others are there brings me back to my parents statements often growing up "Just because Johnny or whoever does something doesn't mean that you have to do it too". It is paraphrasing, but I think you can catch my drift. God, i hope and pray that we can all get this thing behind us, and return to some sort of ''normalcy''...here at home, and also world wide!! I miss the island so much, and still feel cheated about losing my last two weeks there from last year. We were one of the last leaving before the shutdown, and looking back at it now, it was for the best. In spite of how much I hated being told we should leave. Will the island ever recover from the hurricanes and then from covid? I sure hope so, you islanders have surely been tested the last few years. Hoping as season progresses, the masses return, the cash registers ring, and life becomes good again!! Happy Holidays to All.

My first inclination was to say we’re not paranoid about the island as much as the process of getting there. As others have mentioned, it’s not always an easy or safe process. We’re hopeful we’ll make it this month, but we’re watching the flights just in case they fill up beyond our comfort.

It’s not just the process, though. It’s the idea of getting sick and quarantined away from home. Or even just testing positive on arrival to the French side regardless of symptoms and not knowing what happens next.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve emailed the tourism office and Prefet for some clarifications, and I either didn’t get a response or was told something that conflicts with other posted information. It makes me nervous to not know what I’m really going into. Ideally, nothing will happen and it won’t matter. But there’s a chance it will matter. That makes me very reluctant to travel at times.

I can't speak for other Canadians, but from my perspective it is not paranoia.. and I would do almost anything to get on a plane anytime soon... I am out of pocket $300-$400Cad (depends on lab) for a Covid test, and upon my return to Canada my employer requires two more weeks of quarantine.. that's two weeks of no pay/use up more vacay. (for perspective a return flight precovid used to cost as low as $750)

The next issue is that our airlines either cancel flights (How long will the refund take? how many hours do I wait on the phone?), or the layovers are painful. During Covid, I am NEVER stopping over in the states to make a connection. Just not going to happen. Some flight paths do not give me an option, that is on the few days a week the airlines fly out of Toronto. For me, I have a 4+ hour flight to Toronto... and I refuse to stop anywhere that does not, well.. nevermind... I am not flying into the states prior to SXM. The risk is far to high. One stopover, is one to many during this pandemic, let alone two! (for perspective our land borders (between Canada and USA) are closed to tourism since March 2020.)

Then there is the health aspect. If I fall ill in SXM (and I know the risk is far lower than my hometown), I am at SXM health care's mercy until I recover. This is an unknown, and I feel more comfortable at my local hospital if I have to stay for an extended period. After all, we have free medical and I don't have to deal with travel insurance and other unknowns (financial, health, rebooking flights, quarantining once home, employer, to name a few).

So, the financial impact plus the hoops I have to overcome, makes that me, and those I know who travel, have chosen not to risk our health, our finances or our jobs.

On the other side of the coin, our airlines are offering covid insurance and Westjet is offering airport covid tests.. I have no information on the policy or process. Also, though I cannot confirm, I believe the airlines are only now offering refunds. Up until lately we were only offered credits.

I so miss OB. I would love to support SXM as SXM has delivered happiness in every one of my eight vacays but alas, it is not possible. Maybe sometime next year... but not at this rate. I do promise that my first trip after my two vaccines will be to support those in SXM who have done so much to support tourists over the years. The friendly island.


So you see, it is not paranoia, it is the process and the risks. It is complicated.

Stay healthy my friends. I think of you often and I wish you all the best. Someday, we shall meet again.

Bless!

Lesley, with all due respect, true paranoia (being paranoid) is a mental health condition but I do understand where you are coming from.

Kind of like here in the states, some will choose to go out to restaurants (if they are in an area where they can be open) and some will not. Some will choose to travel and some will not and some states have "advisories", some have "orders" and other restrictions when it comes to travel into or out of particular states. We were supposed to go to Pennsylvania next weekend for a dog event but due to their travel/entry "order", the state of Ohio travel "advisory" and restrictions my wife's employer is trying to impose, we chose to cancel. Too much could go wrong.

I would have in SXM and rented a vehicle from you last month had it not been for multiple things happening that were totally out of my control. We had air at a good price and a decent schedule, we had lodging booked, car rental booked and were looking forward to seeing friends and relaxing. I had no "reservations" about coming to SXM, but between Delta cancelling our flights and the hoops SXM required (and these were constantly changing at that time and are still changing), it was too much. I could have rebooked with Delta at a higher fare, lost 2 days of what we had originally planned, my wife would have not been able to take advantage of a work holiday, and then the final dealbreaker was Delta requiring us to overnight in Atlanta. Throw in the Covid testing hassle and not knowing for sure what the SXM requirements would be, we threw in the towel for November, but I am hopeful for March.

You also have the INCONSISTENT at best SXM entry requirements, test acceptance/rejection and what some have to go through to get approved. The SXM Health approval seems to approve one person of the couple but reject the other in many cases. This happened with pat recently and had it not been for her persistence and the persistence of kim, she and John may not be there now. I know another couple who went through the same thing. You have a couple who take the exact same test, submit negative results and yet one is approved and the other is denied.

There has been confusion over testing requirements, which tests are acceptable with some home tests (clearly stated as NOT being acceptable on the SXM EHAS site) apparently making it through yet others being rejected. I know SXM is starting to accept a broader range of tests (which should help people who want to travel be able to do so) but overall, the process of getting to SXM has not been easy.

A lot of people in the US are scared and a lot are being cautious but still living their life the best they can. Until things settle down, it is going to remain like this and it is going to impact travel.

Best of luck to you, the island and our island friends who we KNOW are being severely impacted.

You asked the same question back on August 22 and while some things have improved, others have not although it does appear a vaccine is much closer now. My guess is you will get about the same responses here as you did back in August.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION

Lesley,
For us, we were very afraid of what would happen if we got COVID when we were down here. How would we get back home?
The answer for us was to get evacuation insurance. Which we did for a very reasonable price.

Getting COVID tests for SXM nearly cancelled our trip. It was IMPOSSIBLE for us to get the negative antigen 15 minute tests for travel. And unless you had symptoms, they wouldn't administer the test. So, we had to wait for the 4-7 day PCR test and hope that we would get results in time.
We nearly didn't. But thankfully, we are here.

Michael and I won't be doing a ton of dining out while we are here. I am a little afraid of COVID. I lost part of my lung due to radiation treatment for breast cancer. We have to be careful.
However, we will do as much as we can to pump money into the local economy. Including renting our car from you. Using Jeannie from Shop N Drop (probably twice this year once for each week).

I am thrilled to be here!

I am not "scared" to visit SXM....I will try to come. I am one of those weirdos who believes in the science and will take the necessary precautions to stay safe. I cancelled my very cheap ($277 r/t) flights on United and booked flights on Delta just because of the seat blocking....at double the cost...once I get on Island I can take care of myself and mostly control my environment. Nothing to be "scared" about...

My only concern is getting the required test results back in time which, to you, might seem a minor issue but in fact it is the ONLY thing standing in my way. "Concerned" might have been a better choice of words

Agree boucharda. I'm not afraid, but there are so many loose ends that I can't control. I'll do whatever I can, and right now I hope/expect to be in SXM in January - provided that testing is available, and I get the results back in time (I have to work around the Jan 1 holiday) and the airlines don't change my flights to impact the time range, and I clear SXM entry requirements.

Thanks everyone for their response , but our two children that lives in Toronto are coming via Philly for Christmas and her Birthday 23rd. Our Daughter Kenya decided this movement .

No paranoia here, Lesley, but we still had and have serious concerns but we also felt the mental need to get away and where better than here?

But it’s been a very different kind of trip for us - no hugs for long time friends; no indoor dining choosing open air situations instead; no getting together with larger groups of friends and actually staying very much to ourselves this trip. Fortunately, BSV is on its own beach where we have our own chairs and close access to our own bathrooms as needed; and the use of a very under-used pool here on site. We’ve mostly limited our dining out to dinners and at places we’ve felt comfortable with so I don’t really think of these measures as paranoia but more as the opportunity to enjoy our lives as best we can under these circumstances but still try to be as personally responsible as the times will allow. The airports and planes are probably cleaner than they’ve ever been and that’s a plus as well.

And I guess, we are fatalists in that we believe in the end, what’s meant to be will be. Ques sera, sera? We practice within reason all the safety measures at home but life has to go on.

And for us and perhaps for others as well, the hardest part of coming was the testing and entry requirements involved and while I’m not advocating doing away with any of them, I think the SXM government needs to be clarify and simplify so all potential visitors can get through these processes without the involved stress we and so many others had to cope with.

Edited to add: and in our case, after having four other trips this year cancelled, we had to make this one happen or it would have broken our personal streak of 47+ years of consecutive annual trips. Now 48 and holding......and waiting for April and year 49.

Having spent 9 nights in St Martin and 8 nights in Aruba back in October I can honestly tell you all that it is well worth the trouble and extra expense to go now. Yes, it can be unnerving with the tight deadlines and multiple hoops to jump through. However, the reward is a vacation that you will remember for the rest of your life. No traffic, beaches all to yourself, uncrowded restaurants, and grateful locals await those brave enough to venture out of their comfort zones!

It's not paranoia, just being careful.

We don't see our grandchildren, children, or friends here at home, where at least we have our doctors and hospitals
that have the facilities, that we not find in SXM.

Insurance may or may not fly us home after a stay in the hospital there to get approved.

Lesley, I just don't think you can comprehend what we are all going through to get there.

My wife and I are still planning to go the first week of January. We have not been able to locate any facility near us that will test for travel purposes. As a result, and since we are retired and have a flexible schedule, we changed our plane reservations to go to Florida a week or so early. We will stay with a relative and have arranged for testing through a private lab on Monday with results promised for Wednesday. We will pay for those tests out of pocket. We will also need to pay for tests before leaving SXM in order to reenter NY.

On the brighter side, the number of new cases there is less than half what they are in our county. I will be happy to dodge the virus outdoors in the warmth there for 6 weeks than in the cold and snow here.

And Carol, maybe to celebrate my 25th trip to the island I will do my first trip report though I promise it will be boring!

Mikel--you are right, the hoops that many have gone through are just tremendous. Hopefully everything works out for you. And any trip report is much appreciated!!!

Correct, it is much more than booking air, hotel, rental car, etc. Multiple hoops, distractions, requirements, deadlines, frustrations, concerns and last minute changes all add to the situation. It sure is not like it used to be. Good luck on January.

As others have said, it's not paranoia: it's acting in an abundance of caution. Living on the West Coast, my flight requires three legs with an overnight. With the virus counts being so high in Florida, that wasn't someplace I wanted to overnight at this time. And also as others have said, it's very difficult to find a place to even GET a test if it's travel-related, much less getting the results back in time. I was scheduled to be there for five weeks, and it's breaking my heart to not be there. But not traveling now was the right decision for me. I applaud the others who have made it work for them. I am presently planning on four weeks in June and hope I can get vaccinated prior to that trip.

Linda--We will only be 12 days in June, not 4 weeks, but definitely hope we will be able to get vaccinated prior to the trip. Right now, there are just too many variables and too much risk for us...

And I sincerely hope it works out for you, Linda. This trip has so far been so enjoyable for us. Different from what we normally do but still wonderful.

Great to hear Dear Pat, enjoy your stay.

Trying to get my son down for a few days while we are there. Tickets are extremely reasonable considering it’s so close. But the issue is getting the covid testing. Non of the clinics have slots available. Praying he can come when we get our test and they will give it to him. Fingers crossed!!!! I would have been down already a few times since October if it wasn’t for getting tested. Just not easy.

#1) SXM testing requirements around Christmas and risk of losing money if not completed or positive
#2) potential of French side being off limits if we arrived

#7) chance of getting sick and it not being a mild case

We booked Mexico for our next vacation. Never been and figure less restrictions if still in place and Yes the Club O Yellow Umbrella alone is no longer enough of a draw alone, we want a resort and with no word on a Club O rebuild, we are taking our deniros and heading elsewhere after two SXM pilgrimages since Irma. I suspect we are not alone.

This has been an interesting thread to read, I really appreciate all the reasons to go and not to go and most of all that nobody is attacking those that go. We are here, enjoying this island as much as we ever have in the past. I miss the hugs, the kiss greetings, and I miss the businesses that have not been able to reopen yet and the people associated with them. Beyond that the lack of crowds, less traffic, and as I have previously stated we feel more appreciated and welcome than ever before.

We are staying together in a smaller group (a great group I might add) this year, not going out and meeting with as many others as we have in the past and that also takes away a bit of a normal trip but I can say that it was worth the trip here and we are booked to be back in April.

I thank all those associated with the rush to find a vaccine for this, pretty incredible what is being done.

Cheers from SXM, live your life!
Todd

Thanks and nicely written.

In addition to all the reasons others have mentioned, I've also read of multiple people who submitted all of the required paperwork and were denied multiple times, even though everything was appropriate. Of our group, every single couple had at least one denial, and had to resubmit, some while waiting at the airport to board their flight. Add to that, the problem of employers requiring quarantine after returning home, states imposing lockdown, and the uncertainty of airline schedules, I completely understand some people cancelling. We are here and are enjoying ourselves. I do feel safer here than I do at home, mostly because most everything is outdoors.

Todd--there is no reason for anyone to attack anyone else over their decision to go or not. This is a very personal decision, which everyone must make for themselves. We who are at home are certainly envious of the fact that others are there, but we certainly also wish you the very best trip, after all the hoops to get there!

Carol, I certainly agree but it happens regarding any travel and I get pretty tired of it. There is only a right answer for yourself.

I would rather wait until it’s extremely safe to go rather than be wondering if I was exposed in the taxi, at the Detroit airport, on the plane, in the Atlanta airport, on the second plane, at the SXM airport, in the taxi to the rental office, at the rental car office, any time I have to shop for groceries, at any beach, bar or restaurant I go to in SXM, at the rental office returning the car, at the SXM airport, on the first plane, in the Atlanta airport again through customs and immigration, on the second plane, at the Detroit airport and in the taxi ride home. Besides that I’m not nervous at all.

Tim-- Good one!

People say oh there are not many cases in such and such destination. Fine. But it’s the logistics involved in getting to that destination that are important. If I could magically turn up in the place where I stay I’d be there in a heartbeat and then just stay at the house. But it’s the 1000’s of people you come in contact with on the way down and back. Only takes one and next thing you know you are on a ventilator. And we are in the absolute worst time of the pandemic now and it’s going to get much worse before it gets better.

Just seconding what many people have said here, and I consider myself fortunate. I live in an area where it is relatively easy for me to get an approved covid test within the 5 day period (for now, the wait times are creeping back up). I came down with my kiddo, my brother and his family and we stayed at Happy Bay Villa over thanksgiving. My parents and sister (who is staying with them for the winter from her home in Italy) came and spent their days with us because we could be outside all day and not inside an enclosed space.

But I traveled without my husband, because he would have had to take an additional 2 weeks off and quarantine before being allowed back to work, and he couldn't do that. Many other people face similar obstacles.

I am hoping to come back next year a few times and spend more time with my parents. Maybe even be able to hug them once a vaccine is available lol. All of this is so hard, and it makes me so sad to see the island so slow. But for those on the fence about traveling, not because of logistical or health reasons, but because you're not sure what to expect - I think you can expect the same wonderful island, just without as many people.

Tim--Yes, you are very correct. I worry about the journey, not when I finally arrive in SXM..

Yes Carol. You could camp out at Beachside Villas and be happy as a clam.

The trip over is definitely our biggest concern. We have a direct flight that appears to be mostly empty, but I'm still nervous about all of the other contact in the airport.

My answer will be short and sweet. We have no desire to get on an airplane for over 4 hours! That is the big key.

Our reasons for not returning were based on doctors orders to not travel. We both had medical issues this year (not COVID related) that kicked our azzes. Until this year we were both very healthy people. No medical issues, no medications. At our ages I know we are lucky for that but luck ran out and we both had emergency operations for totally different issues, some with complications that took the wind out of us. Months of recovery but were still willing to travel (not the best decision we later realized) until Doctor and logic said, "maybe sit this trip out."

It made me ill that I had to cancel with you and BSV twice so far. We're booked for Feb 28, two weeks and I'm praying and keeping our fingers crossed. We had to also cancel a Rhine River cruise Amsterdam, Germany, France Switzerland. But having not done that before I don't miss it but I sue do miss SXM and your lovely smile, Lesley.

We finally to decided to make reservations today. 3 weeks starting 2/13. We rent directly from the villa owner and are comfortable working with him to resolve the matter if the situation doesn't allow us to go. $318 round trip, non-stop out of Philadelphia. Best price for airfare we have ever paid. 8 of us excited to be returning. We hope it works out.

Congrats, Scott....look forward to your trip report!

Can you tell us more about your villa rental?

Thanks for the kind words and do understand the stress.