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Hurricane Irma


Scubaqn
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So bummed to see the path and destruction of Hurricane Irma in the beautiful Caribbean. I booked my cruise (Saints of the Caribbean) based upon the itinerary and am so bummed. It appears St Maartin's ariport is destroyed. I am sure they will get ome stuff working to some degree in a couple of months, but having lived in FL for many years it can take some time.

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My friends in Nevis have reported that the power is back on and the island was mostly spared. Some flooding in coastal areas but leaves are still on the trees. The Fours Seasons built a 10 foot berm of sand on the beach to protect the property from flooding. Reports that most major resorts faired well. Definitely not the situation in St Martin or St Bart's.

 

 

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The first photos in from Barbuda and St Martin are heartbreaking but they WILL recover and we will be there in November. Hopefully Windstar will get involved in recovery efforts. St Martin especially has been a major port for their cruises. We will gladly participate if corporate will get something going.

 

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The first photos in from Barbuda and St Martin are heartbreaking but they WILL recover and we will be there in November. Hopefully Windstar will get involved in recovery efforts. St Martin especially has been a major port for their cruises. We will gladly participate if corporate will get something going.

 

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Well, it's not like they have Lowes, Home Depot and Costco in town. It will take months to get everything up and running. They will have to deal with insurance, environmental damages, etc. While tourism provides the majority of the economy, I don't think I'd like to be in their way when they starts the cleanup. They will rebuilt for sure.

 

Prayers to all affected.

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Cleanup on Caribbean islands takes a long time. Thinking seriously about my January sailing. Many years ago, we used to stay in St. Croix for a week in April. That was until Hurricane Hugo devastated the island. We contacted the hotel. They assured us that the hotel was okay. We kept our reservation for the following April. We figured by then everything would be cleaned up and open. WRONG!!! We flew into a mess. Lots of blown apart structures. Most buildings that were still standing had blue tarps on the roofs. Trees were blown apart. Not much vegetation. Bees were everywhere stinging people. People got water out of centrally located cisterns. Many restaurants and shops remained closed. Cruise pier was gone. Sadly, it was the last time that we went to St. Croix. St. Croix is part of the US. I cannot imagine how long it will take Caribbean islands to rebuild. I am waiting to see if the cruise lines announce changes. Fortunately I have not bought my plane ticket.

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It will take a full year to get back to some normalcy in St Martin. Thru sheer luck my next cruise is Caymans, Columbia and the ABC's. Feb 2019 I go to St Martin among others. The only saving grace is the island is part of France and the Netherlands and not independent so the resources, money and commitment will be there.

 

 

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Exactly my thinking. St-Thomas and Tortola also damaged beyond belief. Our cruise in feb. to SanJuan, St-Martin, St-Thomas, will get a major make-over. I see Cozumel, Riviera Maya and Belize instead.

 

 

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Exactly my thinking. St-Thomas and Tortola also damaged beyond belief. Our cruise in feb. to SanJuan, St-Martin, St-Thomas, will get a major make-over. I see Cozumel, Riviera Maya and Belize instead.

 

 

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Hi...noticed on your signature that your Feb cruise is on Celebrity. We are sailing on the Equinox Jan 20 and scheduled for St Maarten. I wonder if they'd maybe just swap out for another island in the area....Would Antigua or Martinique be an option?

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St. Maarten is very slow doing anything. Even before Irma, they still had abandoned properties that were blown out by previous storms. They were never rebuilt.... Dawn Beach, Mullet Bay, and La Belle Creole were all beautiful hotels that never rebuilt. With the airport out and the cruise pier gone, it doesn't look like St. Maarten will be a good place to visit. Thinking about canceling my winter Caribbean cruise and doing something else.

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If you go on the CC news there is a list of ports. St. Martin's airport is open air transports are flying in. The runway was not badly damaged also it stated that the cruise port was in fair shape. I think in 2-4 months they will be up and running. Economically they have to, mabe I am an optimist. The hotels are worrisome.

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If you go on the CC news there is a list of ports. St. Martin's airport is open air transports are flying in. The runway was not badly damaged also it stated that the cruise port was in fair shape. I think in 2-4 months they will be up and running. Economically they have to, mabe I am an optimist. The hotels are worrisome.

 

Yes, you are hyper-optimistic with a 2-4 month timeframe. And I, too, am an optimist. Maybe a year?

 

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St. Maarten is very slow doing anything. Even before Irma, they still had abandoned properties that were blown out by previous storms. They were never rebuilt.... Dawn Beach, Mullet Bay, and La Belle Creole were all beautiful hotels that never rebuilt. With the airport out and the cruise pier gone, it doesn't look like St. Maarten will be a good place to visit. Thinking about canceling my winter Caribbean cruise and doing something else.

 

 

 

You're right, hurricane Luis in 1995. However, the cruise pier (concrete) is still there and used by the military and humanitarian ship. Same goes for the airport. The runway is usable both most equipment wiped out. Last Canadian just left sxm last night. Not going to accept tourist for a while.

 

 

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