Sonesta Great Bay Day pass for 25pp or just take water taxi to Great Bay?

Is the Sonesta Great Bay resort worth the 25pp day pass or is it better to just take the water taxi for 6pp to Great bay and do your own thing?? Anyone done the day pass thing??

What's included in the day pass?

gary

Day pass for 25pp includes 2 drinks, lunch(buffet), use of lounge chairs, pools and some watersports.

Just one more question -- does that include transportation?

gary

No that does not include transportation, but the website says they can provide transportation from the ship for 8.pp if you want....

OK.

The $8 pp is the standard taxi rate to the Sonesta/Divi area.

I can't recommend anyone going into the water of Great Bay because I have serious (researched) problems with the probability of pollution in the bay.

That would be anywhere along Great Bay Beach and at the Sonesta Great Bay Resort.

If you're ok with just the pool there, then ok. If you're ok with just sunning on the beach anywhere along Great Bay, then ok.

As you state, you could take the Water Taxi downtown for $6 pp. Actually, you could walk it in 20 minutes or so, each way. The beach is at the heart of Philipsburg.

There are many options for beach chair rentals and cheap drinks along the beach, but I can't price them as we don't go there.

Some great choices for lunch there in downtown Philipsburg, as well. I can recommend if you're interested.

But I wouldn't go into the water anywhere there.

OK, $25 pp plus $8 pp for the transportation, so we're looking at $66.

What else could we get for that?

Taxi to Orient for two, round trip (wait for the taxi to fill) = $24.

Let's stay at Orange Fever

Chair, umbrella and first drink of choice, $7 pp x 2 = $14

Hamburger, fries, salad, $8 pp x 2 = $16

Additional Beer and a rum punch $2 + $4 = $6

I think that totals to $60.

It's not just the money, and I'm just trying to illustrate that it doesn't have to be expensive to visit Orient.

Orient Beach is an experience not to be missed. I'd recommend it in any event, but in this case it looks like you could save enough for another round of drinks.

gary

hi was wondering what water sports are available on orient beach any info much appreciated

OK.

 

The $8 pp is the standard taxi rate to the Sonesta/Divi area.

 

I can't recommend anyone going into the water of Great Bay because I have serious (researched) problems with the probability of pollution in the bay.

 

That would be anywhere along Great Bay Beach and at the Sonesta Great Bay Resort.

 

If you're ok with just the pool there, then ok. If you're ok with just sunning on the beach anywhere along Great Bay, then ok.

 

As you state, you could take the Water Taxi downtown for $6 pp. Actually, you could walk it in 20 minutes or so, each way. The beach is at the heart of Philipsburg.

 

There are many options for beach chair rentals and cheap drinks along the beach, but I can't price them as we don't go there.

 

Some great choices for lunch there in downtown Philipsburg, as well. I can recommend if you're interested.

 

But I wouldn't go into the water anywhere there.

 

OK, $25 pp plus $8 pp for the transportation, so we're looking at $66.

 

What else could we get for that?

 

Taxi to Orient for two, round trip (wait for the taxi to fill) = $24.

 

Let's stay at Orange Fever

 

Chair, umbrella and first drink of choice, $7 pp x 2 = $14

Hamburger, fries, salad, $8 pp x 2 = $16

Additional Beer and a rum punch $2 + $4 = $6

 

I think that totals to $60.

 

It's not just the money, and I'm just trying to illustrate that it doesn't have to be expensive to visit Orient.

 

Orient Beach is an experience not to be missed. I'd recommend it in any event, but in this case it looks like you could save enough for another round of drinks.

 

gary

Gary

Thank you so much for the details. We have a group of 8 and I am "kinda" in charge of the details on the islands and this has really helped ALOT!!! I thought I had read somewhere else about the water quality at Sonesta Great Bay and that would be a real bummer if we did not even feel comfortable walking in the water or doing any watersports. I think we will do exactly what you recommend and go to Orient in the am and maybe Maho in the afternoon for a bit.

Is "Orange Fever" a good place to hang out at Orient???

Again..thanks for the great details!!

Linda

Is this area the more modest as in just a topless area or fully naked ?

It looks great however, I do not want to take my DS where there will be fully naked people. Please no snide comments. He is my DS and we will raise him the way we want to.

Thanks.

Gary - I've read a little about the water quality at Great Bay as well. Have you read anything about Little Bay? We have a room reserved at Divi Little Bay to use as a day pass.

Thanks!

Gary

Thank you so much for the details. We have a group of 8 and I am "kinda" in charge of the details on the islands and this has really helped ALOT!!! I thought I had read somewhere else about the water quality at Sonesta Great Bay and that would be a real bummer if we did not even feel comfortable walking in the water or doing any watersports. I think we will do exactly what you recommend and go to Orient in the am and maybe Maho in the afternoon for a bit.

Is "Orange Fever" a good place to hang out at Orient???

 

Again..thanks for the great details!!

Linda

Orange Fever is at the top of my list for our next visit, but don't feel constrained. It was just an example. I highly recommend you walk a bit and pick a spot that suits your tastes. You can always wander over to a different spot for lunch if you wish. You'll notice pretty quickly when you cross into the high-rent district. :)

I thought that I had included these photos from last year in my original message, but didn't. Here they are:

(click)

gary

Is this area the more modest as in just a topless area or fully naked ?

It looks great however, I do not want to take my DS where there will be fully naked people. Please no snide comments. He is my DS and we will raise him the way we want to.

 

Thanks.

If you're referring to the beach bar(s) I referenced, yes, you will probably see toplessness there, or anywhere along Orient, but 99.9% of the full nudity is confined to the area south of Pedro's, which is nearer the right hand end of the beach when facing the water. There's even a line of rocks out into the water marking the line of demarcation.

That said, the standard taxi drop is at Pedro's, and as you get out there if you look to the south, towards the Club Orient sign, you will probably be able to see some fully nude beach goers.

(ckick)

gary

I emailed Sonesta Great Bay and got this response -

Unfortunately, you heard incorrectly, we do not offer day passes to our resort. Our resort is for the guest of the resort only.

:-(

I emailed Sonesta Great Bay and got this response -

Unfortunately, you heard incorrectly, we do not offer day passes to our resort. Our resort is for the guest of the resort only.

 

:-(

Maybe you have to go through Island Marketing. That is what my plan was. I had contacted them via email and they replied right away that there was space available for the day pass to Sonesta Great Bay. We have since decided to do something else. Here is the website for Island Marketing in St Maarten.

http://www.stmaartencruiseexcursions.com/StMaartenBeachBreak.htm

Maybe you have to go through Island Marketing. That is what my plan was. I had contacted them via email and they replied right away that there was space available for the day pass to Sonesta Great Bay. We have since decided to do something else. Here is the website for Island Marketing in St Maarten.

http://www.stmaartencruiseexcursions.com/StMaartenBeachBreak.htm

That's a different resort. Sonesta Great Bay isn't the one near the airport.

That's a different resort. Sonesta Great Bay isn't the one near the airport.

I've been trying to figure out which resort your're referring to as "That's a different resort". But, yes, you're correct that Sonesta Great Bay is not near the airport.

gary

I was referring to the resort day pass that is booked through Island Marketing. That resort is not near the airport. The Sonesta resort near the airport does not sell day passes.

If you're referring to the beach bar(s) I referenced, yes, you will probably see toplessness there, or anywhere along Orient, but 99.9% of the full nudity is confined to the area south of Pedro's, which is nearer the right hand end of the beach when facing the water. There's even a line of rocks out into the water marking the line of demarcation.

 

That said, the standard taxi drop is at Pedro's, and as you get out there if you look to the south, towards the Club Orient sign, you will probably be able to see some fully nude beach goers.

 

(ckick)

 

gary

Hello! You seem to be very knowledgeable about the beaches in St. Maarten. I, too, will be arriving in early January and thought, until now, that my family and I would just spend the day at the beach near the port. After reading this thread however I am having second thoughts. My only problem is we are a family of 6 with an 89 year old grandma. Will Pedro's be unaccessible to us? We have a walker (not a wheelchair). The nudity part doesn't bother us. Thanks for your reply.

Hello! You seem to be very knowledgeable about the beaches in St. Maarten. I, too, will be arriving in early January and thought, until now, that my family and I would just spend the day at the beach near the port. After reading this thread however I am having second thoughts. My only problem is we are a family of 6 with an 89 year old grandma. Will Pedro's be unaccessible to us? We have a walker (not a wheelchair). The nudity part doesn't bother us. Thanks for your reply.

The taxi should be able to drop you off literally a few feet away from an entrance to Pedro's, and then it would be just a couple of short steps into the place.

(click)

They have chairs and umbrellas to rent immediately in front, on the beach.

gary

we went to sonesta great bay resort recently. Took a cab into town from the ship and walked along to beach to the resort. We asked the security guy where to get the passes and he said we could use the facilities for free and to just pay for drinks, so we did! We didn't go in the sea, just used the lovely infinity pool and had a great day.

Maybe you have to go through Island Marketing. That is what my plan was. I had contacted them via email and they replied right away that there was space available for the day pass to Sonesta Great Bay. We have since decided to do something else. Here is the website for Island Marketing in St Maarten.

http://www.stmaartencruiseexcursions.com/StMaartenBeachBreak.htm

If use of the pool is included that would be ideal-- we will contact them--really want a nice calm place for lunch & a swim (in the pool) & where we could walk back into town if we wanted to... thanks...

hcat,

Note that the post that you reference is over a year old.

gary