TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) SXM Trip Reports and Photos When was Your First Time?

I mean in SXM... Our was 1997, 2 years after Luis. Why did you come?

1999. We fell in love with it after 5 cruise stops.

october 1999...we arrived and hurricane jose came ....22 inches of rain in 2 days...2 people died in mud slides.
We came back the following April.

Our 'first' time was November, 1973 and it's been an annual event ever since. There really are some habits you don't want to break and this would be one of them..... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

1983, dragged by my parents, my sister and I wanted to go to Disney or Wildwood for spring break!!!

1991 or 1992. cant remember which one it is.

1996, bareboated. was looking for a change from the bvi.

In 1980 we spent 8 days in St. Maarten and one day on Saba on our honeymoon. We returned in 2007 and purchased a time share and come every year since. This year we will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary and we will be coming down the end of August!!! We love St. Maarten!

1985, having chosen the island at random for our honeymoon. We haven't been back every year - I think our upcoming trip will be our 21st.

1985. Stayed at the Summit. Returned in 1995, bought into The Towers.

1991 on a cruise. Went back in 1994 and stayed at Divi. Many return trips since and more planned.

1981 on a cruise, stayed on island for the first time in 1991.

Pretty sure my first trip was in March '94, and I haven't missed a March trip since.

My Dad was the guest of friends who owned at Royal Islander La Plage, and he ended up buying three weeks there (8-10). My sister and I bunked in his unit for few years, we rented a unit for several more, and we grabbed our own two weeks at RILP in 2012.

We have no desire to go to another island. SXM has everything we need to decompress after a lonnnng Winter, and we're good to go once we unpack. Easy peasy. So nice getting caught up with the "March Gang" year after year - definitely a big draw for us <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

1983, stayed at Little Bay, just had met my wife, our first trip together.

1979 Honeymoon Great Bay Hotel. Skipped a year went to Aruba and decided SXM was "our" place and have come back almost every year (missed last one.)

Can't wait for this March one week Divi Little Bay, one Grand Case Beach Club.

Won a trip from Xerox in mid 80's. Stayed at Dawn Beach. Have gone every year since. Bought TS at Belair a few years later (I wanted to buy @ Dawn Beach, wife liked Belair). Belair survived Luis/ Dawn Beach didn't. SXM has been annual family vacation for us.

Feb, 1978. Eastern airlines had a deal for $300 where you could fly anywhere in their system for a month. I did SXM for a week, Antigua for a week, and the keys via MIA for a 3rd week than back home to JFK. I've been to around 30 island in the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda in my time but SXM is still my fav!

February of 1984 - a Winter vacation on an AA 4 day, 3 nite package. Our ground accomodations were at Cupacoy in the units across the road. We were given a studio lockout unit, but found that the lockout wasn't locked - so had use of the entire unit. Bought a timeshare at Pelican (Simpson Bay) and have returned almost every year since and still love it.

We visited off a cruise ship in 1999 after hurricane Lenny. After a visit to Grand Lido Braco in 2000, we returned to SXM in 2001. We love the combination of beach and food and have returned yearly since. We've gotten to know some awesome people over the years. This year will be our 15th visit and hope to continue our habit.

1999 on a cruise stop was our first time there. I had researched what I wanted to do, so we grabbed a taxi and spent a beach day in front of one of the beach bars that was in the recent demolition. We did 8 more cruise stops here before finally coming for a weeks stay in 2008. We have been coming every year since. This year we will be staying 15 nights celebrating 40 years of marriage.

1973 and have been every year since. Started at Mullet Bay until it was destroyed. Stay at BSV since. Twice a year now.

1985 with my first wife. Returned in 2005 with my second wife, and been there every year since.

Our first time to the island was on the Carnival Celebration. I think it was 87. We shopped all day and never left Front Street! My how things have changed for us--I never go downtown now! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

After many more cruise stops in SXM and other places, our first time staying on the island was February 95, stayed at Green Cay Villas. Seven months later, Luis came along. We visited next in February 96, stayed at L'Hoste. Club O was still in tatters...

I had to do a little math to figure it out, but I think it was in 2004. We went in February to celebrate our anniversary, and stayed at Le Meridien in Anse Marcel. We spent nearly every day on the beach there, only finding Orient the day before we left. The next February we stayed at Cap Caribes, and spent every day at Waikiki, until the last day, when we discovered Kakao. Every evening during both of those trips, we had dinner in Grand Case, and being the foodie that I am, I was hooked.

We then decided that we should look into timeshare because we were paying almost $3,000 for a one week stay on the French side. We saw an ad for La Vista, "Timesharing Done Right: No Gifts, No Gimmicks", and decided to go talk to them. After spending about an hour with Caribbean Al, we purchased two weeks at La Vista Beach. A couple of years later they had a half price sale, and we were fortunate enough to get a third week in our same unit, so now we spend three glorious weeks in our ocean front unit. We love knowing exactly where we'll be staying, and not having to move once we check in.

Lucky you, Georgia. We had been visiting basically the same time of year for about fourteen years before we finally bought our time. Twenty-five years plus now and still no regrets. Best island purchase I ever read made!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Oct 93 on the NCL Norway, many changes since 93. Pictures taken in 93 showing large sections of vacant beach compared to shops and rows of beach chairs. Pictures of Orient Beach taken by others in 83 reminds me of Happy Bay.

1978 on a cruise for me which I mostly spent shopping & drinking on Front St. Then in 1990 it was Don's 1st time on a cruise. Then in 1997, a friend couldn't afford her annual timeshare maintenance fee, so we paid it for her cuz she could trade into SXM. We lived in Utah at the time so it was a trek for us to get there for only 1 week, which we spent at the now Simpson Bay Resort. We were hooked, spent 2 weeks the next year & then purchased 2weeks at the Flamingo. We've tried other islands, nothing matches SXM for us, so we're back for 2-3 weeks every March.

October 1990 was our first. The last several years are almost annual, with many more to come. Traveltalk helps the months in between pass! Thanks all!

It may have been 1984. We were at Nettle Bay when it opened. After that Treasure Island, Cupocoy Beach Club, a private condo, Mary's Boon, Caravanserai (1), The Summit and now BSV. Once or twice a year....... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

1986 at Mullet Bay, as well as Cupecoy, Orient and Mullet Bay beaches.

Continued every year since for 2 to 8 weeks per year.

We love SXM...............

Seeing these stories just shows me what an SXM newbie I am!

It is amazing the number of people here who have been coming to SXM for 30 or 40 or more years!

Georgia - we are "newbies" like you & David - our first trip to SXM was May, 2004 - stayed at La Plantation - have returned every year since, except for one (that year we did an obligatory family reunion trip to Myrtle Beach!). Just wish we have "discovered" SXM way before 2004.

April 1987 – While at Guadeloupe the previous year, we met one of the few Americans having just returned from Club Orient. While we enjoyed Guadeloupe, they were not and recommended St Martin. So, our next trip was to Club Orient. For us a perfect option; we were so impressed that we approached Club Orient management if they would like us to represent the resort – they agreed and that has been our calling and enjoyment for the past 28 years! … Jim and Mary

Our cousins/best friends from Australia visit us for three months every spring, and we take a 2-week vacation with them. We'd been loving Aruba, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, but wondered about a change - the recommendation came from an Australian friend of theirs who had heard good reviews! Went in 2011 and have been back every year since! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

We are one of the newbies it looks like. We didn't discover paradise until 2001 and have been coming back every year since. Some years we make it twice and one time we arrived three times. We now stay for 3 weeks and hope to make it a month soon. That seems like its the only way to ever catch up with some of the old-timers.

Aug. 1989, stayed at Sea Palace, haven't missed a year since, purchased timeshares at Belair first, then Divi and Royal Palm. I've since given up Royal Palm as the maintenance got to be ridiculious, but continue to enjoy Belair & Divi. St. Maarten is truly my home away from home!!!

2000, before the road to GCBC was even paved. The only hotel we've stayed in 15 years of visits.

Off a Carnival cruise, 1994. Went to Mullet Beach. The resort was still there.
The view coming down Cole Bay hill was unforgettable. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

1985. When we told our then 13 year old son we were going to St. Maarten over winter break, he said, "I'm not going to a Catholic school for vacation!" Oh, little did he know! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> Stayed at the old Mullet resort, then bought timeshare at the Towers sight unseen the same week the office opened.Like Pat, we've never regretted this decision. Now we stay for the month of February! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />