my vote is for top 10 as well. i am currently on holiday (a LONG one visiting family and the grand canyon) and had trouble getting back here. i did get to vote on the new site, thank you SO much for taking care of that dizdaddy! (it WAS you, right?
) sorry the last poll site was such a scam, i just suggested the first one i found, sorry!!
on the topic of st maarten. dh and i lived there w/ our kids for 2 years and loved every 2nd of it. we went back 2 years after we left for a visit and picked this cruise b/c it's going there. if anyone has any questions about the island feel free to ask. it's been a few years since we've lived there, but given how slow "island time" moves, i doubt much has changed
maho beach is great. other big tourist sites are sunset beach, at the end of the airport runway. sounds weird but go check it out on
youtube. here's a couple of links.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu91oZ2_Vag&feature=related
this is a uncommon take off (facing beach)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN3FZVPq_gc&feature=related
and a more common one. tho these big planes only take off once a day or so. the really big ones (KLM and Air France) were only once a week each iirc. and i've personally seen people knocked off their feet and roll into the ocean, cameras ripped from hands, car doors slamming on people etc. it's crazy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfQwDizpRo
and a landing. i can't count how many planes i watched land. most coming in and out are small private jets, but even still, it's an experience you can't get many places!
also, marigot (main city on french side) has a great open air market w/ different (and imo better quality) souvie items. not to say you shouldn't shop in phillipsburg but if you get a car, jeep or scooter/motorcycle consider driving over there and checking it out. also on the french side is Orient Beach. it's an eye opener. lol! it's a nude beach but also has all the fun activities, like parasailing etc. i am pretty conservative, but it was just too different from anything american that i had to take everyone that came to visit. oh and fwiw, not everyone goes in the buff, none of those i went with ever did. for those w/ little ones and also willing to drive there is a great beach Le Galion that is VERY shallow for a long way out. there is also pinel island. it's right off the french side, you get there via boat taxi. there is nothing there but beach and burger bar. here is a link to a map w/ all these beaches labeled. (the three i mentioned are on the top right of the island).
wow that was a lot of info, sorry.
one last thing then i'll go away. Rima's is a store a few blocks inland from front street (the main street you would walk along if you get off a cruise ship) it has most if not all the stuff you will find being sold on the streets (not IN the shops, necessarily, tho some of that stuff as well) for less. personally i can't wait to stock up on their beach bags, i've never found them anywhere else and they are (or were) $10/each.
blah blah blah...i love sxm, i'll try not to continue blathering.
. She absolutely LOVES it
and plans on staying there for quite some time. She has kindly offered to be the private island tour guide for my family while we are in port
. She was back home visiting last month and spent some time highlighting all the things that she wants to show us. It will be so neat to see her smiling face when we dock
.
Feel free to share some of your friends input...especially tour companies that are reasonable, reputable and reliable!
