# At St Kitts now and attending our Preview Tuesday April 28th at 9 AM...any Questions?



## ngmaui (Apr 27, 2009)

Hello, just wanted to let you know that my family is at St. Kitts Beach Club staying in an amazing trade into a 3 Bedroom Ocean Side unit.  We plan on attending the owners preview tomorrow morning (Tuesday April 28th) at 9 AM.  I just wanted to open things up to everyone and see if there are any questions that you would like me to ask during our meeting?

The weather has been beautiful so far and the resort is amazing.  My family is having a great time so far.  Got to love Marriott...they know how to build resorts  

Also, what are people valuing their Marriott points for these days?  Money is tight and the $100 resort credit sounds nice right now but I believe that the 15,000 rewards points do have more value.  Thanks in advance for your advice.

Nate


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## gores95 (Apr 27, 2009)

I always take the cash!!!   I see you also live in the NE...how expensive was it to fly to SKB?  I think we would have to change in either SJU or MIA.

We have been to Frenchman's Cove but not SKB...does there seem to be enough activities to keep kids happy?

Have fun!


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## ngmaui (Apr 27, 2009)

I am quite the traveler for work and at the time of booking our tickets, I had almost 800,000 Delta Miles so we are traveling on FF tickets.  If I had paid cash anytime over the last 2 months it would have been between $1000 and $1200 per ticket...quite a bargain for only 42,500 miles each.  We connected in Atlanta and Delta only has one flight per week to St. Kitts.  They fly down and back on Saturdays.

Our kids are very young, a 2 year old and 1 year old twins...all boys so they are no able to do the kids club but they had a great time in the pool yesterday which has some nice shallow areas and today we are trying out the beach.  And I know what everyone is thinking...we are crazy to travel with 3 little kids but we did bring on set of grandparents with us for extra sets of hands.  We also got one seat for the twins so we did not have to hold them the entire trip.  

It turned out that the flight had some open seats so between our 6 seats for the 7 of us I put us in 3 window seats and 3 aisle seats and brought all the carseats on the plane so everyone had a seat and room to spread out.

Nate


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## CMF (Apr 27, 2009)

Please ask about the internal trade system and the effect on owners that purchased externally.  I love hearing about this.

Charles


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## BobG7734 (Apr 27, 2009)

Enjoy SKB...we were there last month and love it!  It reminds me of what Aruba was 25 years ago...island is very geared up for tourism and the locals are very friendly and accomodating  Great restaurants if you get to go out.

What are the current prices?

There are direct flights from JFK and the prices were in the $375 range when I booked them 9 months in advance...according to our flight attendent, SKB subsidizes AA to keep them flying direct.


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## Vacation Dude (Apr 27, 2009)

ask them why would anyone buy there if they will be held hostage to the airlines for flights


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## DanO (Apr 27, 2009)

What percent of the timeshare inventory is sold?


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## thinze3 (Apr 27, 2009)

CMF said:


> Please ask about the internal trade system and the effect on *owners that purchased externally*.  I love hearing about this.
> 
> Charles



Make sure you have a pen and pad in front of you and let them know you are writing down the details. Be sure to add, "How do you spell your last name again?"  Five bucks say they will change their wording to include "probably" and "most likely".


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## ngmaui (Apr 27, 2009)

thinze3 said:


> Make sure you have a pen and pad in front of you and let them know you are writing down the details. Be sure to add, "How do you spell your last name again?"  Five bucks say they will change their wording to include "probably" and "most likely".



Good idea Terry, I will do that  

Nate


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## SueDonJ (Apr 27, 2009)

CMF said:


> Please ask about the internal trade system and the effect on owners that purchased externally.  I love hearing about this.
> 
> Charles



Somebody pass me the ducktape, quick!  Or lock me out of this thread, or send my computer a virus, or .... :hysterical:


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## SueDonJ (Apr 27, 2009)

thinze3 said:


> Make sure you have a pen and pad in front of you and let them know you are writing down the details. Be sure to add, "How do you spell your last name again?"  Five bucks say they will *change their wording to include "probably" and "most likely"*.



Hey, that's what you told us to do here while Dave is gone!  Aren't we all supposed to be adding that to every post we answer about MVCI?  At this rate there will never be anything on this board that can ever be believed!


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## GregT (Apr 27, 2009)

I would love to know if they plan to build out the second set of villas -- my understanding is they built out the first set (which is what is now being sold), but have put the adjacent set on hold pending improvement in the economy.

Any updates on their plans would be appreciated.  

How's the beach?  Is the water calm (and safe for little swimmers?  We have 8/6/4 year olds).

Thanks!


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## ngmaui (Apr 27, 2009)

GregT said:


> I would love to know if they plan to build out the second set of villas -- my understanding is they built out the first set (which is what is now being sold), but have put the adjacent set on hold pending improvement in the economy.
> 
> Any updates on their plans would be appreciated.
> 
> ...



Since this is the Atlantic Side the water is a little rough.  Nothing like I am used to on the NH Coast line since they have a man made break wall but it is still too aggressive for our 3 under 3.  I would think the 8/6/4 year olds would be fine though as long as they have some swim experience.  The waves that make it through are real little but so are our twins who just started walking this last month.  Our 2 year old is confortable with the water but not a good swimmer yet.  I have heard and checked out that many of the other beaches are even more protected and much safer for little kids.  My wife and I drove to a few of them yesterday without the kids to investigate a little.

I will add your question on the build out plans to my list for tomorrow morning.

Nate


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## thinze3 (Apr 27, 2009)

SueDonJ said:


> Hey, that's what you told us to do here while Dave is gone!  Aren't we all supposed to be adding that to every post we answer about MVCI?  At this rate there will never be anything on this board that can ever be believed!





OOOPS! That's a double.


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## skidoc (Apr 27, 2009)

I have twins (now 8) and a 13 year old; I remember traveling with the twins to Bermuda when they were 6 months old (and my older child was 5).  You are incredibly brave!!!!!


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## griffer331 (Apr 28, 2009)

I am arriving this Fri.  How many Marriott Rewards  points are they offering to take the tour?


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## icydog (Apr 28, 2009)

griffer331 said:


> I am arriving this Fri.  How many Marriott Rewards  points are they offering to take the tour?




Do you take points in lieu of cash when you take a tour? I always take the cash, or certificates if that is what they are offering. It is like found money to us. We use them judiciously for lunches making them last a little longer.


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## ngmaui (Apr 29, 2009)

griffer331 said:


> I am arriving this Fri.  How many Marriott Rewards  points are they offering to take the tour?



Hello, sorry I did not respond yesterday...busy day.

They are offering:

1) $100 in 4 x $25 Gift certs to be used onsite as well as many offsite restaurants and stores
2) 15,000 MR points
3) Free Golf at the onsite course

We took the $100...I know the points have more value but we need $$ in hand these days with money tight.

Nate


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## ngmaui (Apr 29, 2009)

*Results from our Preview*

Well, our preview was very nice.  We met with a great Guy, Dave, who has worked for Marriott for a long in doing restaurant development work for many of their resorts on the islands and who has lived in St. Kitts now for 8 years.  VERY low pressure sales and the time flew by talking with him.  Before we knew it, almost 2 hours had passed.

I questioned him on internal trading and any booking changes and he had NO knowledge on either that he was willing to share.  He was not the BS type and would not even talk about projects that he is currently working on for Marriott (like the Ritz development work here at St. Kitts) that he would mention but not confirm since anything could happen.

I also asked about the Sales here and he said they are around 60% sold and currently selling built inventory as well as the to-be-converted 2 more buildings that will happen in 2010.

About additional build out...they are only planning 2 more building conversions near the current buildings and then they are done leaving 88 2 and 3 bedroom (1 per building only) units for the timeshare side and around 350 hotel rooms.

Pricing with the 25% discount was much more affordable than I imagined.  We got prices for a few options here with the discount:

2 bed Garden View Platinum = $23,175
2 bed Garden View Gold = $16,800

3 bed Ocean View Gold = $27,600
3 bed Ocean Side Gold = $33,675

These prices are actually lower than preconstruction pricing here.  That 2 bed GV Gold unit would be a pretty cheap Trader I think.  Maintenance fees are around $1300 for 2 bedrooms and $1700 for 3 bedrooms.

Well, that is what I have and sorry but I cannot add or confirm any details for the ongoing discussions in the other thread.

Nate


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## Eric (Apr 29, 2009)

maybe someone should ask you why you would be so arrogant to someone you didn't even know. 



Vacation Dude said:


> ask them why would anyone buy there if they will be held hostage to the airlines for flights


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## Vacation Dude (Apr 29, 2009)

ngmaui said:


> Pricing with the 25% discount was much more affordable than I imagined.  We got prices for a few options here with the discount:
> 
> 2 bed Garden View Platinum = $23,175
> 2 bed Garden View Gold = $16,800
> ...



Those really are fantastic prices especially compared to the Marriott Marco Island prices.

I would be very upset if I bought pre-construction and now the prices are lower.

I still would be hard pressed to recommend buying at this location as it is hard and expensive to get to.



Eric said:


> maybe someone should ask you why you would be so arrogant to someone you didn't even know.



Why would you ASSume that I am arrogant just for suggesting "ngmaui" to ask a sales rep to justify reasons to buy in St Kitts when the "wild-card" for getting there via unstable airlines and super-high prices may outweigh the cost of buying the timeshare.


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## ngmaui (Apr 29, 2009)

Vacation Dude said:


> Why would you ASSume that I am arrogant just for suggesting "ngmaui" to ask a sales rep to justify reasons to buy in St Kitts when the "wild-card" for getting there via unstable airlines and super-high prices may outweigh the cost of buying the timeshare.



Luckily, like the island, my sales guy Dave was very laid back and completely agreed that for right now our Maui unit is all we need since through interval we get our main trade and our bonus week each year (I know it is not guarenteed but so far we have gotten one every year we have traded) giving us 2 weeks of Timesharing per year.  Perfectly fine for our family.  Any more would be a waste right now.

This was definitely a painless presentation similar to our refreshers we have had at Maui.

Nate


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## thinze3 (Apr 29, 2009)

Eric said:


> maybe someone should ask you why you would be so arrogant to someone you didn't even know.



Eric, I just went back and read about a dozen or more of your posts, and have concluded that you just do not have anything nice to say anymore.  

It seems that you browse Tuggers' posts looking for a reason to "fire back" at their opinions. Yes, I agree that most Tuggers (me) are a little harsh in their words toward Marriott's sales staff (you), and toward Marriott's ever-rising fees, and towards the Marriott Rewards changes, etc... BUT, that's all they are - words expressing people's feelings.

I wish you wouldn't take it so personal, and chime in every now and then with something a little more useful. It would be nice to have an insider's point of view here on Tug.


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## Eric (Apr 30, 2009)

Point taken. You look very nice today  



thinze3 said:


> Eric, I just went back and read about a dozen or more of your posts, and have concluded that you just do not have anything nice to say anymore.
> 
> It seems that you browse Tuggers' posts looking for a reason to "fire back" at their opinions. Yes, I agree that most Tuggers (me) are a little harsh in their words toward Marriott's sales staff (you), and toward Marriott's ever-rising fees, and towards the Marriott Rewards changes, etc... BUT, that's all they are - words expressing people's feelings.
> 
> I wish you wouldn't take it so personal, and chime in every now and then with something a little more useful. It would be nice to have an insider's point of view here on Tug.


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## Vacation Dude (Apr 30, 2009)

Ok, children - back to the original topic.

I think it is hard to justify purchasing a timeshare in a remote place like St Kitts. I am not sure why Marriott chose this location as the #1 problem (or rate limiting step for you college grads) is transportation to this remote (non-US) island. There are also some crime issues there, but that may be overblown.

However, St. Kitts is a perfect location for trading into - remote, sexy, exotic, exclusive.

Sure, there are always going to be people that want to visit EVERY year (or at least think they will), but these people are probably a very small segment of the population and why buy something when you have no control over transportation getting there and take such a large risk.

Now Hawaii is also hard to get to, but it is in the USA and there is no problem with flights (even thought they can be expensive). My point is that buying in St Kitts has many wildcard factors that may cause timeshare owners great headaches and hardships that would be avoided if they bought in Orlando, Vegas, Hawaii, Florida, etc. and simply traded into St Kitts on occasion.

This is a topic where I would be happy to eat crow and be proven wrong, but I simply can't recommend anyone taking such a risk and buying there.


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## BobG7734 (Apr 30, 2009)

Vacation Dude...I strongly disagree with you; from your comments it seems that you have not visited the island.  SKB is easy to get to with direct flights from JFK, MIA and several other locations.  There is minimal crime on the island...certainly less than Aruba and various US spots where there are MVCIs.  It is easier to get to from the east coast than Hawaii.  The island is tourist friendly and that has been the island industry beginning about 5 years ago.

For much more info on SKB visit this site:

http://myislands.myeyez.net/index.shtml?17


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## stevens397 (Apr 30, 2009)

I know what you mean.  I got an offer a few years ago to tour and stay in a new development in Exuma in the Bahamas.  They gave us a 4 bedroom mansion for 4 nights.  Getting there was a frigging nightmare - no flights from NY, only tiny puddle hoppers from Florida cities.  They stress the exclusivity and privacy and maybe, just maybe, if I was constantly bombarded by papparazzi, it would mean something to me.  

The development was awful and we ended up moving over to the Four Seasons but again, I could not imagine all those people went there.  I need a real good reason to be in the middle of nowhere!  

When I got the first info on this resort from my salesman, I looked into the flights and realized it would never work for us.  But to each his own!



Vacation Dude said:


> Ok, children - back to the original topic.
> 
> I think it is hard to justify purchasing a timeshare in a remote place like St Kitts. I am not sure why Marriott chose this location as the #1 problem (or rate limiting step for you college grads) is transportation to this remote (non-US) island. There are also some crime issues there, but that may be overblown.
> 
> ...


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## Latravel (Apr 30, 2009)

Thinking about what you said, I remember when we went to a presentation at Timberlodge when we purchased our unit.  We were looking for another timeshare that has lots of points and a good trader.  The sales rep mentioned St. Kitts.

It's a very good trader.  With the price so low and the relatively low maintenance fees, it's actually a pretty good option to purchase.  I might consider it for the future.  If I can't find decent airfare, I'll just trade it for a place that is offerring better fares.  You pretty much could trade to anywhere with these St. Kitts units.

I think the downside is that the maintenance fees might go up substantially after they sell out.  Right now, they are lower that other islands, such as Maui.  I could see the mf's going up to $1800 or more once Marriott sells out.


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## Carlsbadguy (Apr 30, 2009)

*Room locations at Newport Coast*

Anyone have any suggestions on requests for better room locations at Newport Coast


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## tlwmkw (Apr 30, 2009)

Flights to the Carribean are becoming harder to come by as airlines try to save money and fewer people want expensive vacations.  Many of the old flights have been cancelled and the ones that remain are more expensive.  That is just a fact that you can verify by looking at number of flights and drop off in numbers of people flying to the islands- it's been reported all over the place.  Even Hawaii is feeling a drop off in tourism because of increased price of flights, drop in the economy, and loss of carriers.  IMHO Vacation Dude is correct on this- I too would be nervous buying in the islands at this time.

tlwmkw


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## dougef (Apr 30, 2009)

howard said:


> Anyone have any suggestions on requests for better room locations at Newport Coast


I suggest starting a new topic - you have posted in the wrong place.  maybe the moderators can move this.


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## ngmaui (Apr 30, 2009)

I got to St. Kitts very easily using FF miles on delta and I have talked to a number of people here that paid less than $600 direct from JFK on American.  This island is VERY up and coming with lots of upscale development in the works.  Yes it is still pretty old school with less than ideal roads and some poverty but it does feel safe, even with little kids, has some amazing beaches and great long term potential.  If we had the money we would consider buying since we feel this island will surpass aruba in popularity eventually.  With service from Delta, American and US air from the east coast the island has a great start.  Our family agrees that this is NOT Maui but we have still had a great time.

JMHO but sounds like others may agree.

Nate


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## Latravel (Apr 30, 2009)

_"Flights to the Carribean are becoming harder to come by as airlines try to save money and fewer people want expensive vacations." _

The bad economy won't last forever.  Eventually, travel will return to old levels.  We have to think long term since most people keep their timeshares for quite a while.


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 30, 2009)

Yes, I always assumed Eric is a salesperson for Marriott.  There are better ways to defend Marriott than slam others' opinions.  But that is MHO, which is not worth much.  

I took an argument with Eric off of the boards once, through private message, and he was rude to me and said for me to never PM him again.  

Nevertheless, Marriott is a great system, and it sounds like the OP had a good experience with his salesperson, which is great, unlike our last experience, and I do mean LAST.


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## taffy19 (Apr 30, 2009)

ngmaui said:


> Luckily, like the island, my sales guy Dave was very laid back and completely agreed that for right now our Maui unit is all we need since through interval we get our main trade and our bonus week each year (I know it is not guarenteed but so far we have gotten one every year we have traded) giving us 2 weeks of Timesharing per year. Perfectly fine for our family. Any more would be a waste right now.
> 
> This was definitely a painless presentation similar to our refreshers we have had at Maui.
> 
> Nate


I agree that our updates anywhere at the Marriott Resorts have always been low pressure but very informative. We had a recent update at the MOC in Maui and also a workshop for exchanging. It was mentioned there that St. Kitts is becoming their most requested resort now.

I also agree that buying a resort mainly for use and preferably in driving distance is the best choice to make as driving, flying or exchanging is only getting more expensive. Also, places that are popular today may not be so tomorrow because so many other resorts have been built in that same area too or other places are more popular today for summer or winter vacations.


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## taffy19 (Apr 30, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Yes, I always assumed Eric is a salesperson for Marriott. There are better ways to defend Marriott than slam others' opinions. But that is MHO, which is not worth much.
> 
> I took an argument with Eric off of the boards once, through private message, and he was rude to me and said for me to never PM him again.
> 
> Nevertheless, Marriott is a great system, and it sounds like the OP had a good experience with his salesperson, which is great, unlike our last experience, and I do mean LAST.


Cindy, I just read your post. Where was your presentation? At our last update, our salesman assumed that we were going to buy that second week and there was a second person with him but when we told him that we had no intention at all, they may have been disappointed but they didn't show it. Both were very professional. We have been to some presentations that were really bad.


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## thinze3 (Apr 30, 2009)

iconnections said:


> Cindy, I just read your post. Where was your presentation? At our last update, our salesman assumed that we were going to buy that second week and there was a second person with him but when we told him that we had no intention at all, they may have been disappointed but they didn't show it. Both were very professional. We have been to some presentations that were really bad.



We've only had one bad experience - at Ocean Pointe. Depending on our mood upon arrival, we may do it again at Ko Olina in July.  I wonder if Westin offers preview incentives?


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## Vacation Dude (Apr 30, 2009)

First of all, I have traveled extensively in the Caribbean, Bahamas, BVIs, etc. and love it there. I just think that there is a difference in visiting and buying a long-term timeshare commitment. I am merely posting my concerns and am not trying to win a debate on buying there. Also, there are so many great places to visit there, sticking to only St. Kitts is a little stifling. However, my main concern is the price of travel via aiplanes. I used to get cheap flights to the Cayman Islands and that disappeared, then I went to Turks and those prices have gone way up. Heck, even getting to the Bahamas is a hassle these days. At least Hawaii is controlled by the US and is very consistent.




tlwmkw said:


> Flights to the Carribean are becoming harder to come by as airlines try to save money and fewer people want expensive vacations.  Many of the old flights have been cancelled and the ones that remain are more expensive.  That is just a fact that you can verify by looking at number of flights and drop off in numbers of people flying to the islands- it's been reported all over the place.  Even Hawaii is feeling a drop off in tourism because of increased price of flights, drop in the economy, and loss of carriers.  IMHO Vacation Dude is correct on this- I too would be nervous buying in the islands at this time.
> 
> tlwmkw



I have also noticed may old flights that are no longer offered.



rickandcindy23 said:


> Yes, I always assumed Eric is a salesperson for Marriott.  There are better ways to defend Marriott than slam others' opinions.  But that is MHO, which is not worth much.
> 
> I took an argument with Eric off of the boards once, through private message, and he was rude to me and said for me to never PM him again.
> 
> Nevertheless, Marriott is a great system, and it sounds like the OP had a good experience with his salesperson, which is great, unlike our last experience, and I do mean LAST.



Funny, Eric just sent me a nasty PM and told me never to e-mail him again (even though I never e-mailed him).

Edit - Eric just sent me another threatening PM stating fantasy will quickly become reality (whatever that means).


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## m61376 (Apr 30, 2009)

ngmaui said:


> I got to St. Kitts very easily using FF miles on delta and I have talked to a number of people here that paid less than $600 direct from JFK on American.  This island is VERY up and coming with lots of upscale development in the works.  Yes it is still pretty old school with less than ideal roads and some poverty but it does feel safe, even with little kids, has some amazing beaches and great long term potential.  If we had the money we would consider buying since we feel this island will surpass aruba in popularity eventually.  With service from Delta, American and US air from the east coast the island has a great start.  Our family agrees that this is NOT Maui but we have still had a great time.
> 
> JMHO but sounds like others may agree.
> 
> Nate


I agree that St. Kitts is becoming increasingly popular and many people who have traveled to Aruba for decades liken it to Aruba of 25 years ago. I think that the big difference in long term potential is that Aruba's climate is consistent year round and St. Kitts is in the hurricane belt. Whether that will negatively impact its growth in the long term is anyone's guess. Probably will become increasingly popular in peak season but I think there will always be a low season there.


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## mruss (May 1, 2009)

Have they opened another grocery store or at least cleaned up the one by the airport?  That was the most disappointing part of our vacation- didn't want to buy anything in there. Otherwise, loved the resort!


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## rickandcindy23 (May 2, 2009)

iconnections said:


> Cindy, I just read your post. Where was your presentation? At our last update, our salesman assumed that we were going to buy that second week and there was a second person with him but when we told him that we had no intention at all, they may have been disappointed but they didn't show it. Both were very professional. We have been to some presentations that were really bad.



Emmy, it was in Orlando, at the Horizons Marriott there.  The salesman was a terrible liar.  I recounted my experience here on TUG, which created quite a stir.


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## dougef (May 2, 2009)

mruss said:


> Have they opened another grocery store or at least cleaned up the one by the airport?  That was the most disappointing part of our vacation- didn't want to buy anything in there. Otherwise, loved the resort!


Interesting comment!  We were there last summer and took a taxi to a grocery store.  Normally we buy stuff for all breakfasts and a few lunches.  The store was awful.  They either did not have things we needed or what we wanted was already past the expiation date.  Wound up buying soda and water.  Then we had to buy the daily buffet breakfast at the hotel every day - costly but pretty good.  And there really was no Marketplace for the timeshares.  Just a few things in the hotel gift shop.  The most pathetic Martetplace I have encountered at a MVCI property.

We did have a very nice trip - and dinners were excellent.  The food thing was just an inconvenience and cost.


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## Cathyb (May 2, 2009)

Where did Marriott buy their products for breakfast?   I wonder if someone there could give you some ideas?


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## mruss (May 2, 2009)

We are used to making breakfast and lunch pretty much every day at our other resorts and maybe 3 dinners.  The power at the store had been out for most of the day so frozen items were defrosted, cold items warm and the fruit and veggies were infested with bugs. It was really bad. I am disappointed to hear nothing has changed. Guess that might be a good business for someone!  We were thinking about using Omaha Steaks and sending a big package for the week- I wonder if it would clear customs and how much it would cost.  We learned at the end of our week that Marriott does have a meal service plan but I can't remember how much it is- does anyone know? Thanks so much,


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## brother coony (May 2, 2009)

I will be at St Kitts Morriott next april, just ckeck flights on American And US air, US air shows 1 flight per day For $657.00 one stop in Charlotte NC from JFK NY 9.15 min flight time with 3.15 min stop over in NC
American has 3 Daily flights from JFK with stop over in San Juan of 1.13min
total flight time 6.53min for $539.20 both are with all taxes included, American also has 3 flight from JFk with stop in Miami but its 8 hr flight time Delta fly there and United also, there dont seems like there is a problem getting to or from USA  to St kitts, as quite a few airlines fly out of Miami,
This is spring break 2010 prices, seems good to me Did not check Air Jamaica, but am told they fly direct from New York to St Kitts Daily (1 flight)
 these are way better Prices than east coast to Hawaii ,(sorry Vacation Dude)
and Aruba at spring break time


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## ngmaui (May 3, 2009)

Hey Everyone, Sorry I was not able to check on where Marriott gets their food but our experiences with the IGA were fine.  Yes, when we went on Saturday evening, things were pretty cleared out by the weekend influx of tourists but there was nothing that was not available, just low stock.  Milk, eggs bread etc were all fine.  The store is better than the IGA in downtown Aruba that I visited in 2004 (I here there are new grocery up by the Marriott now).  Yeah, it is not a Shaws, Wegmans, Price Chopper etc but how much can everyone expect from a small island with really not a ton of tourism yet.  It will get better I am sure.  The IGA was stocked up much better when I went over on Thursday, since I am sure they gear up for the weekend.

Oh, and expiration on my Milk was May 8th that I bought middle of last week...not bad.  And the fresh baked whole wheat bread they had in store (made locally but not sure if in the store) was nice and hearty.  My family liked it.

Flight home was a tough long day yesterday with the kids but we survived to travel another day.  Thanks everyone for your questions and info...

Nate


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## Cathyb (May 3, 2009)

Latravel:  Living on the West Coast -- getting to St. Kitt's is a nightmare even though it is a quaint island.  We were just there briefly -- flying over from Antigua for the day.  We saw the Fort and did an island tour -- but if you are not into sunning, what else is there to do for a whole week?


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## Cathyb (May 3, 2009)

Wow -- threatening emails, now that is going too far (Eric).


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## Cathyb (May 3, 2009)

rickandcindy:  We had a poor one in Maui about 2 yrs ago.  Just as we sat down to our 'Owner Update', the sales guy replies -- Why are you here, very abruptly. He proceeded with an 'attitude' until I finally told him he had an attitude.  That magic word changed the whole scenario and he was an Angel after.


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## Vacation Dude (May 3, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> Latravel:  Living on the West Coast -- getting to St. Kitt's is a nightmare even though it is a quaint island.  We were just there briefly -- flying over from Antigua for the day.  We saw the Fort and did an island tour -- but if you are not into sunning, what else is there to do for a whole week?



Look, St. Kitts is a nice place to visit ONCE, but I would not advise anyone to actually buy a timeshare there.

I actually prefer the island of Nevis as The Four Seasons there is incredible.



Cathyb said:


> Wow -- threatening emails, now that is going too far (Eric).



Yes, he has sent me several threatening PMs, but I can handle myself. I am an ex-military guy with real combat experience in Nam I look forward to his challenges. I am 100% certain that his bark is worse than his bite.


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## Eric (May 3, 2009)

If anyone would like to logon to my PM account and read what vacation dude has emailed me, let me know. I promise you, you will see the old guy in a whole new light. Besides being a biggot and a racist, he is living in a fantasy world about peeling potatoes 40 years ago in the war





Vacation Dude said:


> Look, St. Kitts is a nice place to visit ONCE, but I would not advise anyone to actually buy a timeshare there.
> 
> I actually prefer the island of Nevis as The Four Seasons there is incredible.
> 
> ...


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## Eric (May 3, 2009)

correction


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## taffy19 (May 3, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> rickandcindy: We had a poor one in Maui about 2 yrs ago. Just as we sat down to our 'Owner Update', the sales guy replies -- Why are you here, very abruptly. He proceeded with an 'attitude' until I finally told him he had an attitude. That magic word changed the whole scenario and he was an Angel after.


:hysterical:  I guess, there are the good and bad ones everywhere.


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## lovearuba (May 3, 2009)

*ST Kitts*

So I am very interested in St. Kitts, not to purchase because I have learned my lesson and will never purchase another timeshare but I would rent from someone or exchange into it.  

Would you say there are enough activities to keep teens entertained or is it too quiet?


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## ngmaui (May 3, 2009)

lovearuba said:


> So I am very interested in St. Kitts, not to purchase because I have learned my lesson and will never purchase another timeshare but I would rent from someone or exchange into it.
> 
> Would you say there are enough activities to keep teens entertained or is it too quiet?



Boy, it is a little hard for me to comment on teens right now since my 3 boys are all under 3 and it has been a long time since I was one.  What do teens like to do these days?  There is free internet on the TS side so that is a bonus.  It is wired so I brought a router to have wireless all over my unit.  The pools are nice but not crazy exciting since no slide.  They did have Pool and beach volleyball which looked fun.  Not sure on what amenities are available in the kids club since mine were too young.  Beach is right there so easy access if they like the ocean.  And of course they have the tour trips to Nevis, Snorkeling the Rainforest and many others.  There is also a brand new Movie Theater in Basseterre which is a plus.  For the adults it is pretty quite there so not for the big party people, though drinking spots are a plenty.  Oh and I think there was a disco onsite but we did not make it there.

So it is hard for me to make a recommendation to you but hopefully my descriptions can help you make a decision.

Nate


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## eric. (May 4, 2009)

I am too poor to travel to St Kitts, but can easily make it to Orlando


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## marksue (May 5, 2009)

Having been to St Kitts I would never want to own timeshare on the island.  It is not a safe island.  The food is expensive and not very good.  The pool at the Marriott was over crowded.

The resort is beautiful, but not an island I will ever go back to.  As for teenagers, there is absolutly nothing for them to do.  Our friends brought thier teenager with them and she hung with us all the time becuase there was nothing to do and you wouldnt want her or any teenager leaving the resort.


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## BobG7734 (May 5, 2009)

MarkSue...apparently you did not try some of the very good eating establishments on the island.  We found them to be excellent (Marshalls for one).  Even Blu at the Marriott was very good, and they take the 2 4 1 dining certificates,

I do not know why you and VacationDude are dissing SKB so badly...I may be biased since I own there but love going back every year,  BTW there is minimal crime on the island so your info on that is wrong.

More info:

http://myislands.myeyez.net/index.shtml?17


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## marksue (May 5, 2009)

My comments are based on my experience when at ST Kitts.  WHile there an American was killed in his dorm room by a local residence and lots of talka bout breakin's on the island.  We were told by Marriott to be careful where we went and to make sure we were always in a group of more than 2 when ever possible.  As for the restaurants, the Marriott was good, but I don't like eating at the hotels so we went based on Marriott recommendations and the food was expensive and not worth it.  

I for one am not going back to St Kitts.


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## tlwmkw (May 5, 2009)

Marksue,

You own in Aruba and the things that you say about St Kitts could also be said of Aruba.  Friends of ours had a very bad experience there with robbery and wouldn't go back again, not to mention the girl who was killed or abducted a few years ago (Natalie Holloway).  Each island has its pros and cons.  St Kitts is less tourist oriented at this time but I'm sure that will change (some would say that is good and some would say that is bad).  You can have bad experiences with crime anywhere in the world and you should always be careful when traveling.

tlwmkw


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## lovearuba (May 5, 2009)

*st kitts*

Hi
I am interested in St. Kitts but I will make sure that when I plan to go, I do not take my teens.  It sounds like a relaxing vacation but too relaxing for my energetic teens.  Thanks for all the input


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## Latravel (May 5, 2009)

Personally, St.Kitts is too slow for my tastes.  I've never stayed at the Marriott but i've been to the island.  It seemed like the only thing to do was go to the Marriott.  I'm sure many people like the idea of just relaxing at the resort and sunbathing, but I like to have more things to do/see.

I mentioned St. Kitts because it is a very good trader.  Since there are few units and many people want to go, you can imagine how good the trading power.  In my opinion, it would be a resort you buy to visit once in a while, and trade most of the times.  We did not end up buying only because I don't want to own at a Caribbean island.  I'm afraid of the maintenance fees.


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## normab (May 5, 2009)

*just my 2 cents worth*

Having been to Marriott St Kitts TS and having done a TS sales preview after owning, I can add my thoughts to the mix.

We found the salesperson at St Kitts exceedingly pushy--as pushy as the one we had about 7-8 years ago at the Orlando Horizons.  Too pushy compared with other Marriott sales people we have had over the years.  We decided to go since we had bought the property unseen, but we won't make that mistake again.  

Regarding the Island, we found it perfectly safe and the IGA food store was adequate.  It is not as developed for tourists as many of the other islands, so you have to be realistic about what to expect.  There are fewer flights and they are a bit pricier depending when you book.  We also think that it might be too tame for some teenagers, but it's hard to generalize since there are lots of water activities.  The resort doesn't have a pool slide but the walk-in pools are great for familes of small children.

We think it is definitely a great resort for adults wanting a relaxing/romantic vacation.  We saw several families with small children and they were having a blast too!

As any vacation destination, it depends what you are looking for.  We tried Aruba, but it wasn't our cup of tea--too windy to enjoy eating alfresco, walking anywhere, even sitting on the beach!    We have really enjoyed our vacations on other islands in the Caribbean, and they were totally different than SKB.


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## m61376 (May 5, 2009)

Nice that we have so many choices! Different strokes for different folks, as they say- some like it real quiet, some prefer more activity. Normab doesn't care for Aruba because of the wind and the breeze is one of the reasons I prefer Aruba; I find it very comfortable to lie on the beach or by the pool, take walks on the beach, etc., because of the breeze.

Aruba is one of the safest islands but, as pointed out, you have to exercise caution anywhere. I hate when people bring up the Natalie Holloway thing though. While certainly a horrible tragedy, it is not a reflection of the island's safety but of youthful stupidity; she never should have been allowed to leave a bar alone in a drunken state. That's a recipe for disaster wherever you might be. 

Aruba is generally considered safe throughout most of the island, although there are a few spots (like everywhere else) that caution is best exercised. 
Many of the other islands are really only safe in the resort areas.


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## jwq387 (May 7, 2009)

*st. kitts*



Latravel said:


> Personally, St.Kitts is too slow for my tastes.  I've never stayed at the Marriott but i've been to the island.  It seemed like the only thing to do was go to the Marriott.  I'm sure many people like the idea of just relaxing at the resort and sunbathing, but I like to have more things to do/see.
> 
> I mentioned St. Kitts because it is a very good trader.  Since there are few units and many people want to go, you can imagine how good the trading power.  In my opinion, it would be a resort you buy to visit once in a while, and trade most of the times.  We did not end up buying only because I don't want to own at a Caribbean island.  I'm afraid of the maintenance fees.



Royal St. Kitts golf course, on-site, is one of the premier golf courses in the Caribbean. Since I live in Cleveland, not in NYC or other Eastern cities, it is somewhat of a pain to get to St. Kitts. We could have bought OV Gold in Aruba 5 years ago for $16,500, but didn't want to deal with the hassle of getting there. Same would go for St. Kitts, but we will vacation there someday.


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## WINSLOW (May 8, 2009)

normab said:


> Having been to Marriott St Kitts TS and having done a TS sales preview after owning, I can add my thoughts to the mix.
> 
> We found the salesperson at St Kitts exceedingly pushy--as pushy as the one we had about 7-8 years ago at the Orlando Horizons.  Too pushy compared with other Marriott sales people we have had over the years.  We decided to go since we had bought the property unseen, but we won't make that mistake again.
> 
> ...


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## griffer331 (May 10, 2009)

We just returned yesterday from St Kitts, our first visit.  We traded our Aruba Ocean Club week to stay.  I liked St Kitts.  Very laid back.  With that being said, I would have liked more action around the Marriott.  It is the only resort on that side of the island.

Played golf on Fri.  Teed off at 10:30 by myself and saw one other golfer during the entire round.  Actually played 21 holes and was back at the Marriott pool by 1:30.  Course was in terrific shape with beautiful holes right along he Atlantic.

Our arrival at the airport on Fri was another thing.  If they want to attract more tourism they need to get a better system at baggage claim and customs.  They only had 2 inspectors checking people arriving and it was utter chaos.  People did not know which line to get into.  One inspector got tied up with a local bringing 5 huge duffel bags of stuff to the island and it must've taken him 30 mins to figure the duty charges.  I realize the deal about island time but this was ridiculous.

The weather was a little spotty with a lot of overcast and a few rain showers.  It was also very windy and the ocean was very rough in front of the Marriott.  I was a little surprised at the water temperature in the Ocean as it was a little cold compared to Aruba.  But we go to Aruba in Sept and thought that could be the reason for the difference.

The units themselves were beautiful.  1400 sq ft, 2 bedrooms, garden view on the 1st floor of the Brimstone building overlooking the north pool.   I think the most people we ever saw at this pool was 6 people so getting a lounger never was a problem. We spent most of our pool time at the main pool were there was a lot more activity not to mention the swim up pool bar.  I hope the Ocean club refurbishment will bring those units up to the same level as St Kitts.  As of know there is no comparison.

We enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the island and will probably return sometime in the future.

As for the discussion about airfare, we live in Atlanta and the cheapest I could find was around $600 per person which I thought was excessive.  We ended up cashing in Marriott rewards points for the travel package and flew American through Miami for 70,000 miles We just returned yesterday from St Kitts, our first visit.  We traded our Aruba Ocean Club week to stay.  I liked St Kitts.  Very laid back.  With that being said,  I would have liked more action around the Marriott.  It is the only resort on that side of the island.

Played golf on Fri.  Teed off at 10:30 by myself and saw one other golfer during the entire round.  Actually played 21 holes and was back at the Marriott pool by 1:30.  Course was in terrific shape with beautifull holes right along he Atlantic.

Our arrival at the airport  on Fri was another thing.  If they want to attract more tourism they need to get a better system at baggage claim and customs.  They only had 2 inspectors checking people arriving and it was utter chaos.  People did not know which line to get into.  One inspector got tied up with a local bringing 5 huge duffell bags of stuff to the island and it must've taken him 30 mins to figure the duty charges.  I realize the deal about island time but this was ridiculous.

The weather was a little spotty with a lot of overcast and a few rain showers.  It was also very windy and the ocean was very rough in front of the Marriott.  I was a little surprised at the water temperature in the Ocean as it was a little cold compared to Aruba.  But we go to Aruba in Sept and thought that could be the reason for the difference.

The units themselves were beautifull.  1400 sg ft, 2 bedrooms, garden view on the 1st floor of the Brimstone building overlooking the north pool.   I think the most people we ever saw at this pool was 6 people so getting a lounger never was a problem. We spent most of our pool time at the main pool were there was a lot more activity not to mention the swim up pool bar.  I hope the Ocean club refurbishment will bring those units up to the same level as St Kitts.  As of know there is no comparison.

We enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the island an will probably return sometime in the future.

As for the discussion about airfare, we live in Atlanta and the cheapest I could find was around $600 per person which I thought was excessive.  We ended up cashing in Marriott rewards points for the travel package and flew American through Miami for 70,000 miles for 2 tickets.


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