Quinn the Eskimo

We were on the Jewel of the Seas 5/25 excursion to Witenblauw and we have to say without hesitation that this was the most unique and most memorable ship excursion of all the ship excursions we have ever taken (and we've done some fabulous excursions like vineyards in Italy, etc. etc.). First, some caveats on what made it so special for us that may not apply in all cases. 1) the weather was perfect; 2) our group was small (only 8 - four couples) even by Witenblauw standards; and 3) we spent a lot of time talking and getting to know the host family, Georgia, Armando, and especially Armando Sr. They are beautiful people, wonderful hosts, fascinating to talk to, and a very special part of our stay at Witenblauw.

Having said all that, some details. You will be met at the pier by Sam (female), a British ex-pat, a consummate tour industry professional, and your tour leader. She will make sure you are completely taken care of for the day and, at the end of the day, carry out the unenviable task of dragging you, unwillingly, away from Witenblauw and back to your ship. A 10 minute ride on an air conditioned bus (with some island history and villa background expertly provided by Sam) and you will arrive at Villa Witenblauw. On arrival, you will be greeted by the family as you gawk at the beautiful surroundings, and given a glass of ice-cold champagne.

The rest of the day is sheer relaxation. The villa is everything you would expect in a multi-million dollar estate on the southern coast of St. Maarten. The furnishings, the buildings, the landscaping, everything rivals the fine luxury hotels of Europe. The view out over the turquoise waters is stunning. The salt water pool, fresh water pool and whirlpool are beautifully done in marble and Italian tiles. There are loungers and hammocks galore for shade, beautiful villa guest rooms are provided for changing, and Georgia and Armando are always attentive, always ready to take care of any need. They are expert bartenders, but my wife's favorite concoction (Long Island Iced Tea) was not in their repertoire. But, the ever-thoughtful Armando googled it, got the recipe, and in minutes was making a Long Island Iced Tea than would put any Manhattan bartender to shame.

Lunch is made by Georgia's mother (sadly, I never did catch her name) and it is a truly exquisite and elegant Italian buffet. With Andrea Bocelli playing in the background, looking out over the white stucco and the Italian-tiled pool at the blue sky and the waves, it does not take a whole lot of imagination to believe you are in Almalfi, or Portofino. Georgia's family is originally from Vicenza, Italy and Armando is an accomplished chef from Sicily. They know good food and it shows. Some of the ingredients for the buffet (mozzarella, basil, capers, olive oil, etc.) are flown in every week from Europe. The motto at Witenblauw is, "only the best." And, dessert is a guaranteed treat because the family's other enterprise on the island is a gelateria (the Carousel), and Armando oversees the dessert. We have traveled Italy and this little slice of Italian living on the shores of Dutch St. Maarten was a very special treat.

As others have said, it is not a swimming beach, but a few of our brave souls did wander out into the surf. My wife and I enjoyed walking on the beach and just taking it all in.

The price point is high, as ship excursions go, but my wife and I (and everyone else on our excursion) left Witenblauw feeling it was worth every penny. It was a memorable day that we will always cherish, and you can't put a price on that.

This is definitely worth looking at, but I was also hoping to catch some flyover time on the beach by the airport. Is it going to be practical to do both?

We just returned from the 5/25 Witenblauw excursion on RCI Jewel of the Seas. I can assure you that once you arrive at the villa, you will be having such a wonderful time that you will not want to leave to go sit at the end of a runway. If you did for some reason (weather?), wait until after lunch (you don't want to miss that) and then you would have to taxi to Maho Beach and then back to the pier. It's do-able, but I'm pretty sure you won't want to.

We just returned from our cruise and we used RomeinLimo for our tours on the Amalfi Coast and in Rome. Our drivers (Gianni in Sorrento and Vincenzo in Rome) were absolutely the best and the service was unbeatable. The guide at the Vatican (Catherina) was well worth the expense. At first I was skeptical about everything I read on these boards about RomeinLimo. They can't be that good, I thought. But they are. Go RomeinLimo. Trust me, you will not be disappointed