Good News For Port St. Maarten

http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/27214-port-st-maarten-ready-for-first-post-irma-commercial-cruise-vessel-visit-by-november-11.html

That is great news, and would be incredible to start getting that income coming in again for them. We loved that port when we went earlier this year.

Thanks for the link! Looking forward to their successful rebuild.

Unless I'm nuts/senile, but the port in the photo does not look anything that I remember.

I agree that it is good news. However, I will possibly be there in early December and may well have safety concerns considering events just after the hurricane strike.

Unless I'm nuts/senile, but the port in the photo does not look anything that I remember.

I agree that it is good news. However, I will possibly be there in early December and may well have safety concerns considering events just after the hurricane strike.

Safety as in too much debris? Or safety, as in the residents may take to drastic measure to steal from tourists?

It's a really good article. Thanks for posting it.

I have tried to keep up on information coming out of the island post Irma and can tell you that there seems to be a quicker recovery on the Dutch side.

For my first visit back over New Years, we expect to spend more time on the Dutch side than we normally do.

It will be interesting to read the experiences of cruisers who port in November and December.

It seems that they have made a lot of progress in a few short weeks on the Dutch side at least.

I hope there will be more than just shopping at the port when the ships go back. Pre-hurricane Orient Beach could handle thousands of people at the beach clubs, bars, and restaurants. What conditions will you find now if you want to go to the beach and lounge on a chair under an umbrella? They are going to need good word of mouth publicity.

I hope there will be more than just shopping at the port when the ships go back. Pre-hurricane Orient Beach could handle thousands of people at the beach clubs, bars, and restaurants. What conditions will you find now if you want to go to the beach and lounge on a chair under an umbrella? They are going to need good word of mouth publicity.

There was an article that said that 60 percent of water and 80 percent of land tours were expected to be up and running when the ships start coming back.

I think they need to accept less ships per day than in recent years. Being greedy will definitely be bad for business in the long run.

If it were me going in November or December, I would get in touch with a boat excursion ASAP. With 3 or 4 ports on a cruise it would make sense to me to plan an excursion in St. Maarten and do a beach day on another island.

I have said all along that safety is the big factor and I sincerely hope that the island has prepared adequately to keep their invited guests safe. That is what would get them bad publicity to me.

If someone complains that the ride to the beach was ugly, the beach chairs weren't padded like last time and piddly stuff like that after the island is coming back from the strongest hurricane to hit land in the Atlantic on record, well it's not the island that will look bad to most readers IMHO.

Plan well. Check TA to see what's back and running before you go. See if perhaps there is a part of the island that seems like a spot that may have been less affected and more to your liking for this visit. You can always stay on the ship and pretend that it's another seaday to, but they had a hurricane. They took a big hit and you have the opportunity to be among the first back and help them out a little. That has got to give some people a good feeling.

Our sailing leaving the 12th Nov swapped STM with St Croix.

We're going to go back in April so we will make STM then. It's my favorite.

Good news on St Martin, We will be on the Freedom in Jan going to St Martin, Hope it is up and Running???

Zr. MS Karel Doorman of the Royal Netherlands Navy has arrived (Oct 1) with much needed storm relief supplies including telecommunication support, police vehicles, building materials, educational supplies, food & water!

This article is wishful thinking ! The only area that is half way decent is the port area and front street . The Dutch side is completely destroyed and the beach clubs on Orient Beach are gone as will as most of the condo's and stores are destroyed. It will be at least 6 months to a year to get things back the half way decent. Once your off the ship there will be no where to go except Front street ! The article is trying to put a good face on a bad situation at this point! Can't blame them for trying. We have a friend that owns four stores there are said that things are very bad right now and does not expect any cruise ships until jan or Feburary !

I just read a list of at least 50 restaurants open in different areas of the Dutch side and a casino, a mattress store, ACE (hardware, furniture, bed and bath etc) store and multiple grocery stores open as well. I have not heard much at all about the French side but Sky's the Limit which is one of the Lolo's in Grand Case is apparently open as well.

I have not seen pictures of any beaches recently but if there are a few beaches in decent shape then chairs and umbrellas and BBQ's and coolers and a port-o-potty shouldn't be far behind.

I would be interested in learning if the boattrips and tours are really going to be ready as this is very important before ships come.

With roads open and running water and electricity things do seem to be moving in the right direction.

4 smaller hotels in Simpson Bay and one on Dawn Beach are apparently open for business now.

Every day the list gets longer. :)

4 smaller hotels in Simpson Bay and one on Dawn Beach are apparently open for business now.

 

Every day the list gets longer. :)

That is great news. I loved our visit there last December. I know it will take time for the island to recover but it is good that step by step recovery is happening.

 

...

 

. The Dutch side is completely destroyed ...

 

We have a friend that owns four stores there are said that things are very bad right now and does not expect any cruise ships until jan or Feburary !

Have you any concept of what the words

"COMPLETELY DESTROYED" mean?

The cruise terminal has been accepting relief ships and the airport relief planes for some time.

Commercial flights are expected to resume on Oct. 10, and cruise ships on November 11. Hardly possible at facilities which have been "completely destroyed".

Panic and dramatic death, doom and despair comments do no good for anyone.

This article is wishful thinking ! The only area that is half way decent is the port area and front street . The Dutch side is completely destroyed and the beach clubs on Orient Beach are gone as will as most of the condo's and stores are destroyed. It will be at least 6 months to a year to get things back the half way decent. Once your off the ship there will be no where to go except Front street ! The article is trying to put a good face on a bad situation at this point! Can't blame them for trying. We have a friend that owns four stores there are said that things are very bad right now and does not expect any cruise ships until jan or Feburary !

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I saw a picture of Orient Beach at the Kontiki which looked to be gone but in the. Ack ground some of the new clubs built with reinforced block looked to be intact roof included. It us possible so will be open in November.

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I'd be willing to go to spend a day on the beach and pump whatever money I can back into their destroyed economy

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