St. Maarten

[Laura24]

Curious to know would you like to see Disney: skip St. Maarten for another port
Or keep St. Maarten in the itinerary

 

[Hans Solo]

After I read the following link, I'm all for dropping St Maarten.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=257935

 

[disny4ever]

I enjoyed St Maarten when we did our January cruise. It seemed to be a very interesting place to visit. Concerning the thread, I'm sorry you got this response. We had absolutely no problems with the people of St Maarten, and if you look hard enough I'll bet you can find the same reply from someone on another island of your own choosing.
Again these are just my thoughts and I am just 1 person. I do hope you have a magical cruise anyway.

 

[Michelle]

I also enjoy St. Maarten, the 12-metre regatta is by FAR the best excursion I have ever done on a cruise.

The horse stable issue is a TOTALLY separate issue, let's not condemn an entire island on the basis of one bigot.

 

["Ginger"]

Oh No!!! Disney has to keep going to St. Marrten's that's where we get the ferry to go to Anguilla, our favorite island.

 

[infobahn]

Skip St. Maarten? And miss one of the top ten beaches in the world? That would be insane.

No matter if one company doesn't like Americans riding their horses, big deal, there are plenty of other companies willing to serve Americans. Why should we take our toys and go home because of one idiot?

Also, it would be a shame if we avoided places just because they were not like America. It might be a Disney ship, but it is the real world you are visitng.

 

[Tluvs2talk]

I would like to keep it so I can see things I didn't see last trip.

 

[JLSE50]

We enjoyed St. Martin. It gave us a perspective on how many people in the world live. Even now, two years later, I walk around my house thinking that a whole village could live here and would be happy to share my kitchen.

I got a lovely necklace at a little booth. It must have been handmade by a local lady so the money went to her family, not to a store owner.

Keep the island--it is a good reality check.

Jan

 

[prymsu]

I thought the best shopping deals were to be found in St. Maarten.

 

[my3kids]

Infobahn: Which beach is one of the top 10 on St. Martin?

 

[prymsu]

my guess would be Orient Beach...

 

[infobahn]

Yes, that would be Orient Beach.

Then when you are in St. Thomas, take the ferry over to St. John's and visit Trunk Bay. Avoid the beach tour if you can, although I hear the catamaran and snorkle tours are nice.

 

[shellgoodman]

While cruisers don't experience the dining in St Martin that much, the restaurants are fantastic on the French side. When you stay at St Martin for any length of time like I have done in the past, the only thing that you need to worry about is what beach to go to for that day and what wonderful restaurant should you dine in at night.

Yes, the island has poverty but it seems much of the Caribbean does. The people are extremely friendly and they treat you like you are their family. I am sure that there are exceptions but it can be like that anywhere.

 

[TootyJane]

Skip St. Maarten? And miss the Guavaberry Emporium? I think not! St. Maarten had great shopping deals -- much better than other places I've been.

 

[nedleycan]

I think it is a shame when people travel and they only want to see what they see every day. My favourite destinations are completely different than home. Number 1 on my list is South Africa. Number 2 is Costa Rica (the undeveloped eastern coast) and then next would be any caribbean island that is un-North American. We were in St. Marteen last year (on a cruise) and loved it. We spent the day at the beach where the cruise ship docks and enjoyed delicious bbq chicken and margaritas while talking to a very friendly local rasta guy who owned the little beach shack where we ate, and many of the other locals.
If I had it my way, we would skip St. Thomas. Too American. The joy of traveling is experiencing other cultures. The poverty shouldn't depress you, but should make you appreciate what you have. Also, I feel it is my duty when I visit these places to talk to the locals and purchase some of their local goods. I want these locals to say "I am so glad that I met this Canadian". I want them to see that I respect them, so that they respect me.
I am not trying to preach, and I know that everyone is different (some need to feel like they are at home, in order to feel comfortable). But, don't miss out on seeing how the rest of the world lives... it is quite different than how you and I live.
HAPPY TRAVELS!

 

[andybear]

I LOOOOOOOVE St. Maarten! It was truly one of the high points of our last cruise, and one of the principle reasons we are going back. This was the first caribbean island I ever took my children to, and they had a wonderful time. We are "island-type" people (I have been to 7 different islands just in the last year), and thought it was a perfect place to begin the kid's "education". If it were to be dropped, I would think strongly about cancelling our next cruise (8/9/03)! I agree with the sentiment that St. Thomas is "too American" - upon docking, I looked off the veranda and saw a K-Mart! EEEEEWWWWWWWWWW! So, put me down for KEEP IT!