Resort Pass

[green eyed lady]

Update...I emailed the Sonesta Great Bay resort and here is the response:

 

Thank you for your email.

The cost of our day pass is US $ 65 for adults and US $ 30 for children.

The pass includes usage of our pool and beach facilities, unlimited eating and drinking at the restaurants and bars.

The port is approximately 10 minutes driving distance away from the hotel.

No, you don't need to purchase the pass ahead of time, upon arrival at the Front Desk you can ask to purchase your pass.

 

Hoping to have informed you sufficiently and feel free to contact us for any additional information.

[Karysa]

Update...I emailed the Sonesta Great Bay resort and here is the response:

 

Thank you for your email.

The cost of our day pass is US $ 65 for adults and US $ 30 for children.

The pass includes usage of our pool and beach facilities, unlimited eating and drinking at the restaurants and bars.

The port is approximately 10 minutes driving distance away from the hotel.

No, you don't need to purchase the pass ahead of time, upon arrival at the Front Desk you can ask to purchase your pass.

 

Hoping to have informed you sufficiently and feel free to contact us for any additional information.

 

For those not familiar with Great Bay beach this is the beach in town with documented pollution issues.

[green eyed lady]

For those not familiar with Great Bay beach this is the beach in town with documented pollution issues.

 

Oh I didn't know that :eek: Thanks for the info

[wallie5446]

Oh I didn't know that :eek: Thanks for the info

 

Which is why we are going to the Sonesta at Maho Beach, same pkg.

 

here is the web site; http://www.sonesta.com/MahoBeach/

Edited August 7, 2013 by wallie5446

[Karysa]

Which is why we are going to the Sonesta at Maho Beach, same pkg.

 

here is the web site; http://www.sonesta.com/MahoBeach/

 

The best of both resorts..Maho in the morning for plane watching and beach swimming and Great Bay resort around 2 or 3 for a swim in the pool and a few preboarding cocktails would make this pass a very popular choice with many cruisers. Let us know if they honor the Maho Sonesta resort pass at the Great Bay Sonesta in the afternoon when you go.

 

To me only one is not a good deal. I wouldn't swim in the sea in Great Bay therefore making it a pool only day and the taxi fare and having to leave before 3 ( in most cruisers cases) from Maho makes this resort less appealing on its own as well. Since eating breakfast on the ship seems better than the resorts offerings from what I have heard and read, combining the two resorts is the only way that it seems like a possible good deal and good way to spend the day on the island to me.

 

I hope that you really enjoy your day.:)

[wallie5446]

1992 was our 1st time into St Martin, 2003 joined CC, and had never heard about the day pass program till a few weeks ago. The while watching ABC's the Lookout last night, it had a segment about all inclusive resorts, and to ck them out at oyster.com, so we do. And there we find the Sonesta Maho rated 4 stars and the only down side to a week there is the days when the property is flooded with 'day pass' guest from the cruise ships!:eek: Turns out they have been offering this for quite some time.

[Karysa]

1992 was our 1st time into St Martin, 2003 joined CC, and had never heard about the day pass program till a few weeks ago. The while watching ABC's the Lookout last night, it had a segment about all inclusive resorts, and to ck them out at oyster.com, so we do. And there we find the Sonesta Maho rated 4 stars and the only down side to a week there is the days when the property is flooded with 'day pass' guest from the cruise ships!:eek: Turns out they have been offering this for quite some time.

 

How far back did you see the mention of daypass visitors at the Maho because my sister has visited a few times in the last decade and she never heard of a day pass at the Maho until I mentioned it to her. She does not visit the island from Dec - May though which is when there are a large number of cruiseships in port so that might be the reason that it never seemed an issue to her.

 

Here's a thought. Could the resort guests be complaining of the cruise passengers visiting Maho beach. It is a very popular spot the last few years but I have not heard of a daypass at the resort until recently. BTW during my sisters visit this summer, for the first time she was given a wrist band to wear at the resort that indicated that she was an AI guest. Not sure if this is coincidence or an indication that the daypass is indeed a new thing.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Karysa

[js]

Update...I emailed the Sonesta Great Bay resort and here is the response:

 

Thank you for your email.

The cost of our day pass is US $ 65 for adults and US $ 30 for children.

The pass includes usage of our pool and beach facilities, unlimited eating and drinking at the restaurants and bars.

The port is approximately 10 minutes driving distance away from the hotel.

No, you don't need to purchase the pass ahead of time, upon arrival at the Front Desk you can ask to purchase your pass.

 

Hoping to have informed you sufficiently and feel free to contact us for any additional information.

 

Hi! Back to planning the next cruise I see lol. Its on RCCL is that correct? We booked the Getaway yesterday since we really wanted to try the Haven. We are going next August although leaving for the Sky in March. Your cruise is sooner right? Hope your kids are making out well their first few weeks of marriage. I guess Ill see you on these threads. Its just my family and my mom so without any little ones we can do the day passes :)

[wallie5446]

Karysa it does not give a time only said, "Cons

Average-size rooms with unexceptional decor

Crowded and noisy, often with day groups from docked cruise ships taking over the restaurants and pools"

[Karysa]

Karysa it does not give a time only said, "Cons

Average-size rooms with unexceptional decor

Crowded and noisy, often with day groups from docked cruise ships taking over the restaurants and pools"

 

Not sure if that has anything to do with the bracelets that now have to be worn by the resorts AI guests. I have never heard of any cruise excursion that went to the Sonesta Maho. The Maho resort actually has an AI package and a resort only package so perhaps they had resort crashers who bought food and drinks and swam in the pool and now they are trying to end that practice and have a daypass for sale. Some resorts have gone to a cashless and credit cardless system and all extra purchases need to be charged to one's room. not sure if this is the case at the Maho.

[gtaylor]

I asked my friend Joyce Prince about this and she just happened to have a meeting with the Sonesta Manager yesterday.

 

This was her response:

The day plan is Breakfast, Lunch and drinks all day at the bar from 7am to 5 pm and that is $65.

 

They dont really have beach chairs. However, they can get towels, if they dont have and this is for anybody, not just cruise ship passengers.

 

They also have a night plan which includes dinner and drinks up until midnight for $80.

 

gary

[Karysa]

I asked my friend Joyce Prince about this and she just happened to have a meeting with the Sonesta Manager yesterday.

 

This was her response:

The day plan is Breakfast, Lunch and drinks all day at the bar from 7am to 5 pm and that is $65.

 

They dont really have beach chairs. However, they can get towels, if they dont have and this is for anybody, not just cruise ship passengers.

 

They also have a night plan which includes dinner and drinks up until midnight for $80.

 

gary

 

Again this is different information then what is coming out of the front desk staff.

 

They need to get this together.

 

On July 23rd at the Maho Sonesta I was told that the cost of both the day and night pass was $65. Both DS and I were told different info on what was included in the daypass. The cost of the daypass seems to be the only consistent info that is coming out of the Maho.

 

I also saw chairs at the beach. Not many, but some.

 

Do they even start serving breakfast at 7?

 

 

Gary do you happen to know if Joyce mentioned to the manager the conflicting info on the daypass that many here on cc have reported getting from the Maho resort in the last couple of months?

[gtaylor]

karysa,

 

Yes, the Manager's comments were in direct response to the fact that conflicting information is being dispensed.

 

Are you certain that the beach chairs you saw were from the Sonesta? I thought they kind of shared beach with the Royal Islander???

 

gary

[Karysa]

karysa,

 

Yes, the Manager's comments were in direct response to the fact that conflicting information is being dispensed.

 

Are you certain that the beach chairs you saw were from the Sonesta? I thought they kind of shared beach with the Royal Islander???

 

gary

 

Gary,

 

That is great news then. This sounds like progress.

 

During my quick tour my DS pointed out to the beach area and said that's "our" beach. It's not a very big area. There were chairs with blue umbrellas but no way could that be enough for 2 resorts the size of the RI and Sonesta. I will ask her More about the beach. They are like us and were not at the resort very much during the day so I don't know if she saw how busy it was in the early afternoon when people are beaching it.

 

Do you happen to know if Joyce asked if people can use both Sonesta properties when they purchase a day pass?

[wallie5446]

 

Do you happen to know if Joyce asked if people can use both Sonesta properties when they purchase a day pass?

 

When I called the front desk at both property's they both said the pass was good for both hotels.

[Zeta3]

We are planning on doing the Sonesta Great Bay pass in December. Following this thread in case there are any updates before we go.

 

We have no desire to go near the beach water so no worries about the pollution.

[markel201235]

Does anyone have any knowledge if either of these resorts still offer the day pass. We will be docked next week from 7 AM- 6 PM and are looking for a place to lay around the beach and have some good food and drinks.

 

Mark