Reflection review with photos - Day 4 - January 1 and St. Martin

Pre-cruise Day

Reflection review with photos - Day 1 - Miami

Reflection review with photos - Day 2 - At Sea

Reflection review with photos - Day 3 - New Year's Eve & San Juan

Celebrity Reflection, New Year's Cruise, December 2012 Photos

Day 4 – Jan. 1 – St. Martin

Today’s Random Notes

• We each took our iPhones, and our iPads (we’re a geeky family I guess), so we wanted a WiFi package. We saved 25% using our Captain’s Club coupon, and bought two 50 minute packages. We didn’t finish using the second package, as we all had trouble connecting on the last day. Most of the time the WiFi worked well – quite quick, and only occasionally ‘down’. I posted photos to Facebook daily and the process was very fast, and I often received email replies almost instantly.

• We loved not having to ‘sign out’ towels, or be limited to only one towel each by the pool, as had been the case on Mariner of the Seas. We also had beach towels in our room to take off the ship.

The day began with breakfast outside of course, in beautiful St. Martin. Last time we were on this pretty island we did the America’s Cup, and after that we went to the Sunset Bar (not the Sunset Bar on the ship!) to watch the planes land. This time we decided to first check out Marigot, on the French side of the island, and then return to the Sunset Bar so our son could see the planes land, and have lunch there.

It was a beautiful day when we docked in St. Martin. Walking off the ship, most people noticed two beautiful yachts moored close to the Reflection. One, the Al Mirqab, is apparently one of the largest and most luxurious yachts in the world – it was quite impressive. It even has an indoor swimming pool!

We walked to the taxi stand to grab a cab to Marigot. I knew most things would be closed, as it was New Year’s Day, but we wanted to see the town. The taxi stand was quite well organized and well run, with signs for different destinations, and taxi rates posted. We had to wait about 15 minutes as we were the only three initially who wanted to go Marigot, and they like to have a full van. Eventually another five people joined us, and off we went. Because there were 8 of us, the fare was $7 each. The drive was quite pretty, with good views as we went over the winding, hilltop roads.

Once we got to Marigot, well, there wasn’t really much to do or see. Almost everything, except a couple of very busy coffee shops or bakeries, and an open market selling tee shirts and hats, etc., was closed. So we walked around for about ten minutes, looked a the yachts in the harbour, and then went back to the tax stand to get a cab to Maho Beach. I was a bit disappointed – I had expected Marigot to be charming, but really it wasn’t. I’m sure I would have liked it much more if all the stores and restaurants had been open.

The drive to Maho Beach was also very interesting, with some lovely views. All our taxi drivers on St. Martin were great – polite, interesting, and good drivers. When we got to Maho Beach, at about 11:15, it was already pretty busy and the beach was really full. The planes had just started to land, and we managed to find stools with a good view of the action. I love airplanes and airports (an interest I inherited from my Dad), so I could stay there all day watching planes land and take off. I know it’s not something that appeals to everyone, but for me it’s a great and inexpensive excursion! We got drinks from the bar, and started taking photos with our phones and my camera. It’s funny to see hundreds of people all taking photos of the sky at the same time. The big event that everyone waits for each day is the arrival of the first jumbo – KLM. I think it was due to arrive around 1 pm, but it was about 30 minutes late. It really was amazing to see this enormous plane fly so low over the beach, and hundreds of people. We also watched a plane take off, and blasting people down the beach into the water. I’ll never understand why people want to do that – doesn’t appeal to me in any way, it just looks very painful! We ordered lunch – burgers and chicken strips, and left shortly after the KLM plane landed. I took a lot of photos and you can see them on my Flickr page if you’re interested.

We hopped into our last taxi of the day to head back to the shopping area in Phillipsburg. Most of the stores, bars and restaurants were open there. We weren’t looking for anything in particular, but were hoping to find the store that sold Apple products – we had the address, but couldn’t find it. So we just wandered along the water, and then walked back to the port. While walking we saw three mountain goats leaping around the cliffs beside the main road. They blended into their background very well, so we probably wouldn’t have noticed them if the people in front of us hadn’t been taking photos of the goats.

Back at the port, and almost at the ship, I wanted to stop into a jewellery store that I went to last time we were in St. Martin, that sells Pandora. The charms are the same price, but there is no tax. We pay 13% sales tax here in Ontario, so it’s worth it for me to buy Pandora there. I had to wait for quite a while another couple looked at charms, necklaces and bracelets, but that gave me time to look through the Pandora catalogue and study all the cases and decide what I wanted. Eventually it was my turn, and I quickly made my selection, paid, and we walked the five minutes back to the ship where cold towels and ice water were waiting on the pier for us. I always love returning to a ship after a day in port – it feels like coming home.

Back on board, we went – as was our pattern – to the Sunset Bar to watch the sunset, and the other ships sail away, and eventually our sail away. We were docked beside the Norwegian Epic, which we have a fondness for only because we keep seeing her. We’ve been beside her or close to her in France, and Spain, and Italy and Miami, and at least two of the islands on this cruise. I think she’s quite an ugly ship, on the outside, but it’s always fun to check out another cruise ship in port, and the Epic is certainly different! She DID look beautiful as she sailed away from St. Martin.

Dinner on New Year’s day for us was in the Opus Dining Room. I really love the dining room on the S Class of ships – so elegant and quite romantic. And dinner was very good – I can’t remember what I had for my main course, but my salmon quenelles appetizer, and chocolate meringue dessert were both excellent.

After dinner we went to the Momentum show in the Reflection Theater – a similar show to the one we had watched on the first formal night, with singing, dancing and Cirque style acts. Again, it was very good and very professional.

This was the roughest night of the cruise – the ship was ‘rocking’ a bit, and I was glad I was wearing low heeled shoes. I’ve never yet felt sea sick on a cruise so it didn’t bother me at all, but it may have bothered others. I quite like the motion when I’m falling asleep at night.

We ended the night in the Ensemble Lounge watching Jefferson Ang.

We called it a night a little early (at home I'm in bed by 10 most nights, but on the ship we were rarely in our beds before midnight), as we were all looking forward to arriving in a new (for us) port the next day, St. Thomas, and our 8:45 excursion.

Enjoying your review, looking forward to more. Thanks for posting the pictures, they are awesome.

Thank you for taking the time to post - we leave on Jan 19th and your review is a great pre-cruise experience!!!

Great review, thanks.

Thank you so much for your informative and interesting review! I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Thanks for the report!

I'll be posting Day 5 - St. Thomas, this morning.

If anyone has any questions, just let me know.

Thanks for posting your review. :)

The drive to Maho Beach was also very interesting, with some lovely views. All our taxi drivers on St. Martin were great – polite, interesting, and good drivers.

Thank you for your wonderful review! A couple of questions: where did you catch the taxi's in Marigot and Maho, were the easy to find, and what were the fares? Thanks!

Thanks everyone, and thanks for reading!

Derf, taxis were easy to find In all those places. At the port in St Martin just walk through the little shopping area and follow the signs for taxis. There's a large covered taxi stand there. The fare was $7 each but it may be a bit more or less depending in how many are going.

Marigot there is also a taxi stand right by the water. The fare to Maho was about $25 before tip I think. At Maho taxis are always outside the Sunset Bar. I think it was about $20 but here's a site with more details.

http://stmartin-guide.info/getting.around/taxis/

Hi, great review!! We are on the same intinerary (from FLL) on Silhouette in 12 days.

What store did you get Pandora in on St Martin? I am also from Ontario (Burlington area via Toronto) and would love to save a few dollars!

Thanks Momto5!

The store is called Boolchands Harbour, in Harbour Point Village.

Have a wonderful cruise on the Silhouette.

Hi, great review!! We are on the same intinerary (from FLL) on Silhouette in 12 days.

 

What store did you get Pandora in on St Martin? I am also from Ontario (Burlington area via Toronto) and would love to save a few dollars!

Thanks Momto5!

 

The store is called Boolchands Harbour, in Harbour Point Village.

 

Have a wonderful cruise on the Silhouette.

Thanks! I bought my emerald earrings at the Boolchand's in St. Thomas a few yrs back. They still send me a Christmas card-lol!

Wow - I've been twice and no card for me! :D

Just leave lots of time for it - both times I've shopped there I've had to wait at least 10 or 15 minutes for someone to serve me. The Pandora counter is always busy!

Thanks! I bought my emerald earrings at the Boolchand's in St. Thomas a few yrs back. They still send me a Christmas card-lol!

WOW Maho is crowded!! How many ships were in port that day!??!

Love the photos

I only remember seeing the Norwegian Epic, but it's a monster. There may have been others but I didn't notice them. But I was surprised how much busier Maho was than when we were last there, in February of 2009. That day there were not many people actually on the beach.

WOW Maho is crowded!! How many ships were in port that day!??!

Love the photos