TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Royal Islander La Plage stay!

Trip report

Let me start by saying this was a very short unplanned trip, about 6 days notice if that!! I realized I had RCI "weeks points" left that would expire 11/1/15, so decided to see what I could do with them. When I searched and Royal Islander LaPlage popped up for 9 points I grabbed it!! Flew JetBlue down and back non-stop out of JFK, booked the larger leg room seats because we were doing carry ons.
Well wasn't sure how the trip was going to go based on the flight!! I got the seat everyone Cringes about! Next to the 400+lb passenger - I survived, back not so much!! We landed and cleared the airport and arrived via taxi, walked into our room within 30 minutes of landing! Not bad!

Morning one we went for a walk to the causeway and back, it's a 5 mile round trip walk, very nice, stopped at ZeeBest and grabbed you yougart parfaits - delicious!! . Had planned on doing it daily, only did it once!! Spent the first few days at the RI beach/pool, had no reason to leave. Day one after landing lunch was at Sunset and dinner was take out from Pizza Pasta.

Day two take out from Sunset and dinner at Bamboo Bernies. Day three was another pool/beach day and ate at Tortuga at the resort and dinner at Bahjatzu. Spent the evening at 3 Amigos watching baseball. Our last full day we walked over to Mullet for the day and had lunch at Rosie's. Decided we need to venture out and took a taxi to Porto Cupecoy and check out Mario Bistrot. Yes same as Mario's Bistro, they have completely closed the Sandy Ground location. Was good, but something seemed to be missing, maybe Didier, or the colors or water, we couldn't put our finger on it. After dinner we took a taxi back to Maho and headed back to 3 Amigos for game 1 of the NLCS, (let's go Mets!!) we are know known as Heineken and Carona!! The general manager Anthony is from NJ was very interesting to talk to and the employees were all very nice. We did not eat, just drinks, place gets hoping after 10:30-11:00!!

Checkout at RI is 10:00 sharp! We stored our baggage and headed to Driftwood, had a going away drink and watched the big KLM come in, never gets old. Walked back to RI around 11:15, grabbed a taxi and were sitting waiting for our flight by 12:00. Did grab lunch at "Johney Burger" wasn't impressed with the burger, but the chicken sandwiches looked great!! Landed at JFK about 25 minutes early, and found ourselves sitting in traffic on the VanWyck within 50 minutes of landing! Not bad. Had a great stay, we own two weeks in March at he Towers, in June we stayed four nights at Cupecoy Beach Club and now this stay, let's say we really really loved Royal Islander, the fact that so much is at your fingertips makes for a totally different vacation. Longer stays we always rent a car, but for 4 nights, this was a perfect getaway! Until March!!!!

Sounds like a fun packed great stay. RI is our home away from home....and LOVE it there.

Here Are some pictures, tried to post them direct but I give up!!! Nothing very exciting, but some of the lack of the beach at Sunset.
Pictures from Royal Islander stay

So glad there was plenty of beach in front of RI.

Very nice report, Kim. Dad and I are in countdown mode mode now and reading your trip report makes me long for the days to fly by for OUR TURN.

While we've never stayed at RILP, I've always loved it and if we hadn't already purchased time at the Towers when it was first built, it's definitely a place where we would have purchased. But the problem would be the planes and your Dad - I'd never get him off the balcony!! Glad you enjoyed it and still can't believe you did a five mile walk in that heat. Awesome!!

Nice report, Kim. It is always fun to get a short unplanned vacation to paradise!

Thanks for the report! Glad to hear that Mario's is open in the new location. Guess it's my ancient computer here at home, I can't see the pictures! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

the link doesnt work?

It's my computer, I'm sure. Other people I think have seen the pictures.

Thanks for the report. We will have to check out cocktails at 3 Amigos for late evening as we are in the area.

I can see the pix.

Kim,
That was a real sneaky trip!
LOL
i

haha, I know, didnt even tell you!!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Wow, you are right, zero sand at Sunset!

That IS impressive. I have seen the rocks many times but I must say this is a WOW... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

I have never seen the beach that bare for as long as it has. I hope it is not becoming another Cupecoy.

I have seen it that way one day, and the next they are plowing the road from all the sand. Also from sand to rocks in a couple days. Hope it comes back soon, last pictures of Cupecoy I saw had lots of sand, but same thing there!

Cheers,
Todd

We love the R.I. La Plage also! Does anyone know if RCI actually enforces the 1 in 3 rule that they instituted last year?

Thanks for the report. Glad you were able to get away.

What rule is this???? Never heard of it...now curious what it is...please elaborate

yes, they enforce it, I just tried to get another trip and RCI said no, the resort enforces the 1-3 rule

So its not really anything that would have direct bearing on a Royal Island owner, right?

I do remember hearing that you could only exchange to some properties (perhaps all) once every so many years and that was way back when, and before that, when we first purchased at the Towers (85-86?) RCI said then you couldn't exchange to your home island at all so even if they enforce it, it's better than it once was. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Just another reason why not to use RCI. I quit them many years ago when I used to trade a timeshare condo I owned in Eastern Washington.

We have never had a problem with RCI. EXCHANGING Red time always has given us great results!

With all due respect, Scubaman, it's fine to say don't use them, but not everyone is hooked on St. Maarten, and in fact may have purchased their timeshares for the sole purpose of trading. Aren't you more or less locked into the trading company your timeshare uses, be it RCI, II or whomever else is out there?

We also dropped out of RCI after the first two or three years of ownership when we realized how poor their services were, along with suspecting how high their expenses would climb. We have four weeks of time in SXM exactly where and when we want to be there, and fortunately for us, our resort allows internal exchanges so there's no need for an exchange company.

"We have four weeks of time in SXM exactly where and when we want to be there, and fortunately for us, our resort allows internal exchanges so there's no need for an exchange company."
That is exactly the same situation that we have. Four fixed weeks at the Flamingo and the ability to internally move them within our resort if we choose to.

Pat, yes there was a lot of that and there is still some of the no trade to the area that you are banking, but rare now.

Yes the 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 does come up, recently for us a place we wanted to trade into in Cabo where we stayed last year and we were blocked out. No big deal, plenty of other places.

As for RCI, I quit using them at one point but I have been active with them again for the last two or so years, I am on weeks with them. I quit because of the way they changed their system to assigning trading power points to weeks and while that was not an issue I did not like having to pay to combine the points of any of my left over points or combining weeks to trade if the unit I wanted required more. That annoyed the hell out of me at the time and at that time II was coming up aces for me (that has changed). No, while I am not a fan of paying the extra I have to say that it has made trading a lot easier and I do a fair amount of trading. I think the combining fee should be more like $50 and not $100 but that just does not make the difference of if I am happy or not in the end.

I am I guess back to being a fan of RCI with still some reservations about claiming that.

Cheers,
Todd

And again, I'll say that's good for us, but there are many who don't want to exclusively come to St. Maarten and who actually purchased their weeks where the price and opportunity was good and use them primarily for trading, and it that case they are pretty much forced into using RCI.

And to Todd - you amaze me. I don't know how you keep track of all your trades and weeks and points, etc., but I completely understand what and why you're doing and saying it. Thanksgiving can't come soon enough!

Todd
Prior to Louis, Cupecoy had a wide beach that went down past the Sapphire. It never recovered although what is left comes and goes.

I have heard that, seen pictures but was not around SXM yet to see in person.

Pat, travel is something I enjoy and the planning and all is a hobby that I admit I enjoy. Most of us have a budget for travel, but we all prioritize how we spend that differently. I feel I research what I spend pretty well and I am pretty organized with it.

Cheers!
T

Oh, Todd, please........

If the opportunity offers itself please explain all that to John. Getting him to help with travel plans and arrangements would be wonderful, and believe me, in every other area he is terrific but I really wish he'd take an interest and help in the arrangements. The extent of his involvement is usually something like, "where are we going and when".........and then he follows up with something like, "honey - did you pack my stuff yet?" But then again, if he did, who knows where we might end up - he's a lot more interested in rustic and year round tent camping than I am, so I guess for me, this is one of those 'be careful what you hope for' type of things!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Kim, Thanks for the report and pictures. Brings back memories of eggs benedict and mimosas at Tortugas. Sad to see the erosion at Maho. I've never seen it last this long. Out of curiosity, do you know if Alegria took over management of SSBG?

Pat, I do all the planning, MJ pretty much zero. She does pack her own however! I even put in the grocery order with Shop n Drop! Seriously!

Could be best that we keep John and MJ apart! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> No more bingo for those two!

See you soon Pat, but tell John I am watching him!
T

Ah Pat, David and John are the same, other than the packing part. David does pack his things, but not until the night before we leave, in most cases. I do all the planning, and yes, it does become stressful. Of course, our SXM trip isn't, as it's always at the same time and to the same place.

According to RCI...it means you can only trade in once every three years.

The Royal Islander only started enforcing the 1 in 3 year when the Caravansari debacle started.

Could be the result of less units being deposited in rci for st maarten resulting in less available inventory to trade into. Hence the rule enforcement.