TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin BYOB

Any spots where you do not feel guilty renting chairs and bringing a cooler filled with your own drinks? I know in theory it's probably fine in most places but I would like to avoid bringing my own to places where it might be frowned upon...

Thanks!

No problem on most beaches as long as you don't bring your own and then try to eat from your cooler while sitting in otherwise ''free with lunch/drinks" places like so many of the Orient spots, along with Dreams, Karackter, FBBC, and for sure, we TTOLers would never do that. And at all of these beach sides and most other beaches across the island you will find plenty of beach to use with your own chairs and coolers. One of my favorite beach spots is Mullet and if I were to guess, I bet at least fifty percent of the people there bring their own chair set-ups and/ or coolers. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I bring my own cooler with beer & water everywhere. I do buy lunch and some drinks at the beach bar where I am putting down. Sometimes we will bring lunch to a beach like Mullet, Rouge. Never at Orient or Pinel only because we love the restaurants there.

There are plenty of opinions about this topic. I would never bring a cooler to any beach that sells drinks even if I pay for the chairs. It just seems disrespectful to me. I know I'm a bit more conservative than some on this issue. Without question, never bring a cooler to a place where the chairs are free if you eat or drink there (and I have seen that done at Karakter on more than one occasion).

For sure, bringing your own cooler is fine at Mullet and at Club O. Otherwise, I don't really know, as we don't go anywhere else on any regular basis, that we take a cooler with us.

My rule of thumb is if your paying for the chairs it's ok to bring a cooler with what ever you want. Just take your trash with you. You'll know if it's not ok with the vendor if they say something to the contrary. If that is the case venture down the beach to another vendor.
We have never had a problem at orient pineal mullet or any other beach you pay for chairs.

So let me restate my personal opinion, and that's all it is - MY OPINION.

I would absolutely NEVER bring a cooler to Dreams, Karackter, Mary's Boon, Friars Bay Beach Cafe or the Restaurant at Anse Marcel, primarily because these are all beach restaurants with beach chair set-ups as a side offering, and I know this. They rake and maintain their areas and that should be respected. I can't begin to speak about Orient because we almost never go there.

But any beach where $$ chair rentals are really optional, such as Mullet as well as FBBC, some parts of Baie Rouge and all of Baie Longue which doesn't even have chair set-ups, I wouldn't hesitate to bring a cooler if I was of a mind to.

At FBBC they spell out their specific terms to you - free chairs and umbrellas with purchase of meals, otherwise x amount of dollars for the chair and umbrella set up, and x amount more if you choose to rent a chair pad under either circumstance.

Call me crass if you will, but personally speaking, I do believe if I'm paying for chairs then it's my business to bring or not bring a cooler.

But the real truth of the matter, rarely am I so inclined to go to the effort of making a lunch and packing a cooler, and particularly not at Mullet where we start tasting Rosies ribs at the mere mention of a beach day at there.

Right or wrong, that's my story and I'm stickin' with it..... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Pat--Actually, to me, the biggest deal is being able to bring DRINKS, as we don't generally eat a lot for lunch anyway and I don't have a problem paying for food. But paying $5 or more for one glass of wine, versus buying the bottle of wine at the store for $8, can add up quickly! And paying $2 for a bottle of water, versus $.25 in the store, kind of gets on my nerves.

Speaking of drinks on the beach. The gendarmes are (back?) to roadside breathalyzer tests. Same spot leaving Orient at intersection with road to LeGalleon. Checked around 5 pm.
Latest storyline on the stops relayed to me via a local friend is that they now charge a fine on the spot, 100euro or $$ equivalent, if one surpasses the .05 and then let you on your merry the way <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />
I, of course after a rousing round of volleyball w/AZRANGER had no problem.
The change from hauling any offender off to the station in Marigot is apparently due to those cars being stolen while they are left awaiting the offenders return. ie, more paperwork for the gendarmes.
Just relaying what I heard.