# St. Martin...which resort?



## IngridN (May 21, 2009)

After spending the first 2 weeks in May in Aruba (Surf Club) for the past 7 years, I'm getting bored and need to explore some of the other Caribbean islands.

Was in the palapa line last week and struck up a conversation with someone who had spent the previous week at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort in St. Martin and raved about the resort and the island...sounds very interesting and I'm looking into spending next May there instead of Aruba, trading my SR unit.  

Must haves are (we're easy to please)

1.  resort on the beach
2.  shade & tradewinds (lots of it...DH fries in the sun)

We'll rent a car, so location is not much of an issue.  Have no problem with driving to dinner, etc.

Activities will be relaxing on the beach catching up on reading, a little snorkeling, relaxing on the beach, dinners out or on the balcony, relaxing on the beach, repeat with some shopping and exploring the island thrown in.  In other words, lots of beach time.

Any input on the Oyster Bay Beach Resort or the others listed below are greatly appreciated.  Pros and cons (resort and island) as well as ease of trading into the resort.  

II offers the following resorts (* are II pineapple designations)

1.  Divi Little Bay Beach Resort
2.  Sunterra's Royal Plam Beach Resort
3.  St. Maarten Sea Place
4. *Oyster Bay Beach Resort
5. *Pelican Bay Marina Residences
6.  Pelican Resort Club
7. *Royal Islander Club La Plage
8.  Flamingo Beach Resort
9.  Great Bay Beach Hotel & Casino
10. Mary's Boon Beach Plantation
11. The Ocean Club
12.*Rainbow Beach Club
13. Royal Plam Beach Hotel
14. Wyndham Sapphire Beach Club

Ingrid


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## krmlaw (May 22, 2009)

go to traveltalkonline.com

there is a st martin board there that is super active that will give you great advice ...


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## skidoc (May 26, 2009)

Cant say enough great things about Oyster Bay Beach Resort; you'll be out of high season by then so you should be able to get an oceanfront unit; awesome beach, really nice people in a quiet part of the island.  I'd go back in a second!


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## RIMike (May 26, 2009)

*I agree!!!*



skidoc said:


> Cant say enough great things about Oyster Bay Beach Resort; you'll be out of high season by then so you should be able to get an oceanfront unit; awesome beach, really nice people in a quiet part of the island.  I'd go back in a second!



I liked Oyster Bay so much after my trade into I picked up a unit on Ebay...I have stayed at others on the island....it is still my favorite


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## IngridN (May 27, 2009)

Thank you Doc & Mike; sounds like Oyster Bay is a winner.  I've been checking II for availability and that is about the only resort available. I see another one on occasion, but can't remember the name of it.  Either the others I listed are too small or I can't see them due to the quality filter. I'm looking for the entire year just to get an idea of availability.

krmlaw...I'll check out the site you suggested as soon as I get a breather...unfortunately, taking a 2 week vacation means working long hours to get caught up!

Ingrid


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## rsnash (May 27, 2009)

*Go for it!*

We enjoyed Oyster Bay a lot. Since we also loved St. Martin, I made sure to check out some of the other resorts while we were on island. The only other one I would consider trading into was Divi. Granted, we didn't see them all, but I didn't care for the ones in the major resort areas or near the airport. If any are ever built on the French side, I might go for that in future. But, as long as you don't mind the slightly longer drive to dinner in the evening, I loved the location of Oyster Bay. 

If you are sure your room will be ready when you arrive (i.e. you are arriving at or after official check in time), stock your groceries at Ram's Supermarket on the way to the resort. 

I also recommend Poulet D'Orleans restaurant and the Dinghy Dock just across the bay (boaters (very) casual outdoor bar & grill), for when you don't want to drive too far. However, we circumnavigated the entire island at least 3 times during out week. It's a very doable driving island.


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## stmartinfan (May 28, 2009)

We own at Divi Little Bay, and love that location.  I've never stayed at Oyster Bay but have visited the area.  Personally, I prefer Divi for convenience to lots of things on the island, but I think Oyster Bay would be a nice location to stay as well.  I'm not a fan of the location of some of the other resorts - those near Simpson Bay or the Maho area, but that's just me.

If Divi becomes an option, just wanted to let you know that they have completed the renovation of the resort, so all the units have been updated. Divi has very generous sized units, making them comfortable for a week's stay. They have also done grounds work, so the resort was looking the best I've seen it in the 10 years we've owned there.  (We were there for spring break this year.)


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## gorevs9 (May 28, 2009)

stmartinfan said:


> We own at Divi Little Bay, and love that location.  I've never stayed at Oyster Bay but have visited the area.  Personally, I prefer Divi for convenience to lots of things on the island, but I think Oyster Bay would be a nice location to stay as well.  I'm not a fan of the location of some of the other resorts - those near Simpson Bay or the Maho area, but that's just me.
> 
> If Divi becomes an option, just wanted to let you know that they have completed the renovation of the resort, so all the units have been updated. Divi has very generous sized units, making them comfortable for a week's stay. They have also done grounds work, so the resort was looking the best I've seen it in the 10 years we've owned there.  (We were there for spring break this year.)



I concur.  We stayed at the Divi in 2008; it was a great place away from the hustle and bustle of Simpson Bay.  My only pet peeve was that the turn-off from the main road wasn't well marked.  You only miss it once or twice, then your "set for life".  

Have they re-opened the other pool?


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## IngridN (May 28, 2009)

Does the Divi have palapas and plenty of shade?  That's a must for DH.  The other resort that pops up occasionally in II is ....La Plage if I remember correctly.

Thanks.

Ingrid


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## Susie (May 29, 2009)

*Little Bay*



IngridN said:


> Does the Divi have palapas and plenty of shade?  That's a must for DH.  The other resort that pops up occasionally in II is ....La Plage if I remember correctly.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Ingrid



I also own at the Divi and love it there!  Everything renovated.  The only problems I have is the television reception...if tv is extremely important to you this is not the place.  They have about 5 or 6 channels.

The water is very calm.  They have plenty of umbrellas and chairs and the beach boys can set it up.  If your unit winds up on the Great Bay side, there is a very large patio with tons of shade and a cool breeze and you can watch the cruise ships coming in and out.  On the Little Bay side, your patio will be in the sun, but you do have a view of the sunsets which you do not have on the other side (I prefer the Great Bay side for the reasons above).  Beautiful landscaping also.  I believe LaPlage, although new, is not on the beach.


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## IngridN (May 29, 2009)

Thank you so much everyone for you input.  Both the Oyster Bay and Divi sound great and fit our requirements...no need for a TV for us.  Nice, but not necessary.  The only requirement is that it *must be on the beach* and there must be sufficient shade as we spend most of the time relaxing on the beach with a bit of shopping and touring the island thrown in.  Will discuss with DH this weekend and make a decision and put in our request.

Ingrid


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## RIMike (Jun 10, 2009)

*Remember they are on different sides of the island*



IngridN said:


> Thank you so much everyone for you input.  Both the Oyster Bay and Divi sound great and fit our requirements...no need for a TV for us.  Nice, but not necessary.  The only requirement is that it *must be on the beach* and there must be sufficient shade as we spend most of the time relaxing on the beach with a bit of shopping and touring the island thrown in.  Will discuss with DH this weekend and make a decision and put in our request.
> 
> Ingrid




FYI: Divi is on one side and Oyster Bay is on the other side of the island.  Beaches are different depending on which side of the island.


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## dms1709 (Jun 18, 2009)

Which one is on the side where the water is calmer??  Thanks

Donna


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## Zac495 (Sep 13, 2009)

Do they both have A/C? Silly - but a must for hubby.
Do they have a pool with a bar/snack food? THANKS


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## stmartinfan (Sep 13, 2009)

Divi does have air conditioning.  There is an outdoor bar/restaurant (with shade) by the largest pool, and the second pool has a bar and restaurant located nearby, down a few stairs.  The third pool is small and close to some of the units, so there is no bar/food service there.  

Divi's beach is nice and generally is pretty calm.  It's long enough that there are often waves in one stretch but not the other.  The island has so many wonderful beaches that most people spend a least a couple of days exploring different ones.  It's small enough that it's easy to drive to different beaches and they are all lovely - just different in personality, from Orient, which is packed with great restaurants, water sports, etc., to some that are much quieter and without any services.  Just depends on what appeals to you.  But that's one of the real charms of St. Maarten, all the different beaches.


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## jlwquilter (Oct 14, 2009)

I was just thinking about St. Maarten as a vacation location a few weeks ago. It's great to then see a thread on it! I haven't done any real research on it yet so please forgive the dumb questions.

Is it easy to travel between the French and Dutch sides and get a flavor of each? Are they different enough that you feel the difference in base culture? Is this a good location for snorkeling (DH is really into it and DD is learning)?

Best times to travel there if there's a choice?

Thanks.


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## Larry (Oct 14, 2009)

IngridN said:


> After spending the first 2 weeks in May in Aruba (Surf Club) for the past 7 years, I'm getting bored and need to explore some of the other Caribbean islands.
> 
> Was in the palapa line last week and struck up a conversation with someone who had spent the previous week at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort in St. Martin and raved about the resort and the island...sounds very interesting and I'm looking into spending next May there instead of Aruba, trading my SR unit.
> 
> ...



The nicest and newest timeshare on this list is Pelican Bay Marina Residences although this is on Pelican resort property this was built by Royal Resorts recently and is comparable in quality to Royal resorts in Cancun. 

After that I would consider the following;

1) Royal Palm
2) Oyster Bay
3) Divi
4) Royal Islander
5) Flamingo


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## JillC (Oct 14, 2009)

*Pelican Resort*

My mother wants to give me her week 14 at Pelican - can't afford maintenance anymore.  I've heard that you can trade to their sister resorts for a nominal fee.  Is there any truth to that, and if so, which resorts can you exchange to?


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## timesharejunkie4 (Oct 14, 2009)

JillC said:


> My mother wants to give me her week 14 at Pelican - can't afford maintenance anymore.  I've heard that you can trade to their sister resorts for a nominal fee.  Is there any truth to that, and if so, which resorts can you exchange to?



I think there is some trade system thru ISCO but I have not tried to go thru them for a trade into another Royal Resort. I believe there is some trade preference thru II as I was able to get trades to the Royal Sea Aquarium in Curacao in July 09 and have an upcoming exchange to Royal Haciendas in August 2010. I got each of these trades within two weeks of placing my request, each time more than one year in advance. I did have to pay the regular II exchange rates.


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## stmartinfan (Oct 14, 2009)

The island is small enough that it's easy to visit any part of it.  There is a small boundary marker, but otherwise you only know that you've gone from one country to the other when driving because of a change in the road surface.  Exploring and visiting some of the great beaches - which you'll find on both sides - is part of the fun of a SXM visit.

There is still a difference in the "feel" of the two sides - While most workers/waiters/etc. can speak English on both sides, French is used by the locals on that side, and French items are commonly available in stores and groceries.  You'll also find wonderful French cuisine available throughout the French side.  One of our favorite places to eat is the Marina Royale area in Marigot, which has a whole series of restaurants with outdoor tables arranged in a row around the marina area.  In March, one of our favorite meals there is fresh mussels flown in on the daily flight from France.  You'll also share the space with locals and French tourists, so the neighboring conversations and chic dress will remind you of the French location.  The other major French side city, Grand Case, is famous for its collection of wonderful restaurants - an amazing number for the size of the town, most known for their cuisine.

The Dutch side is more Americanized in feel, but still has the flavor of being out of the U.S, with goats munching along the side of the road.  It also has great restaurants, so you can get wonderful meals there, too. 

Euros are the currency on the French side, while U.S. dollars are used on the Dutch side, so depending upon the rate of exchange, French side bills can be higher. You'll also find the French attitude toward beach attire carries over to SXM beaches on the French side - topless is acceptable and on one section of Orient Beach (and a few other very private beaches) clothing optional is OK.

SXM isn't known for snorkeling, but there are a few areas where you'll see a small amount of fish.  There used to see a few fish if you'd swim out from the Divi timeshare beach, but some of that area got damaged in the last hurricane, and I haven't heard if it's come back.  There are some snorkel tours you can take that will give you a little better options, and a day trip on a catamaran to Prickley Pear island (uninhabited island) is a fun trip and a way to get some better snorkeling.

We've only been on SXM in March, which is a great time, but people vacation there year round.  The island does get hit by hurricanes, so some people try to avoid that season (late summer - fall).  Many of restaurants will close for a month or more during slow season (generally late summer) to give owners a break; you'll still find places to dine, but that is a consideration for some people.  It's a popular cruise destination, so it's busiest from fall through spring.  






jlwquilter said:


> I was just thinking about St. Maarten as a vacation location a few weeks ago. It's great to then see a thread on it! I haven't done any real research on it yet so please forgive the dumb questions.
> 
> Is it easy to travel between the French and Dutch sides and get a flavor of each? Are they different enough that you feel the difference in base culture? Is this a good location for snorkeling (DH is really into it and DD is learning)?
> 
> ...


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## Transit (Oct 14, 2009)

IngridN said:


> palapa line


Any resort that dosen't have this would be my first choice.


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## RIMike (Oct 14, 2009)

*Yes*



JillC said:


> My mother wants to give me her week 14 at Pelican - can't afford maintenance anymore.  I've heard that you can trade to their sister resorts for a nominal fee.  Is there any truth to that, and if so, which resorts can you exchange to?



Royal allows all the resorts to be traded in between them.  If you are not sure how to do that, just call Royal Resorts, you  mother should have that information and talk with them about trading your week internally.

For what it is worth, I really enjoy my Royal Resorts, but I would choose another resort on St. Maarten to go to instead of Pelican...I think I called it the "ugly step-sister" of the group in my review from my staying there.  However, the Pelican Residences are wonderful I hear.   But my choice on St Maarten is Oyster Bay Beach Resort located on the back side of the island.


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## dchilds (Oct 14, 2009)

JillC said:


> My mother wants to give me her week 14 at Pelican - can't afford maintenance anymore.  I've heard that you can trade to their sister resorts for a nominal fee.  Is there any truth to that, and if so, which resorts can you exchange to?



What building is her unit in?  We have three beach front units at Pelican in the Flamboyant building.  It's not as new as the Marina Residences, but I would rather stay on the beach than down the road 200-300 yards from the beach in a fancy highrise.

You can trade your Pelican week for Royal Resorts weeks in Cancun.  We've banked several of our Pelican weeks with II, and always get a bonus week.


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## JillC (Oct 15, 2009)

She has owned three weeks of Pelican for at least 15 years.  Two weeks are in B building (14 and 15); other unit is a 2 BR I think in D (Sept?).  She has already given away week 15 and the Sept. one to my other siblings, leaving week 14.  Last year was the first year ever staying at the Pelican.  I, myself, like to travel around and not stay in one resort every year.  Thus I was wondering about the Royal Resorts.  I will see what she has for information on trading this.  I have never been to Cancun and would like to see it sometime.


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## jlwquilter (Oct 15, 2009)

StMartinFan - thanks for all that info!! I am going to look into this more. Late March is a good time for us - DD's spring break - although I bet getting an exchange there at that time will be really tough.


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## stmartinfan (Oct 15, 2009)

Like many travel destinations, SXM has seen its tourism levels drop significantly because of the recession, so getting an exchange might be easier now than some years.  The other issue with going there is the cost of airfare...-Jet Blue and a couple of other carriers serve the island from the East Coast, and from Minnesota, we can use Sun Country, a charter service, but fares tend to stay pretty high during the peak season.  Getting a direct flight from a U.S. city that avoids a transfer in San Juan is the best way to go, if at all possible.  The island is also a destination for European travelers, especially the French, so there are nonstops that come in daily from Europe.



jlwquilter said:


> StMartinFan - thanks for all that info!! I am going to look into this more. Late March is a good time for us - DD's spring break - although I bet getting an exchange there at that time will be really tough.


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## JillC (Oct 22, 2009)

Thanks for all your advice.  We've decided to stay on St. Maarten for two weeks in March.  We already have one week at the Pelican; and now we're considering a different resort for the second week.  Sounds like Oyster Bay and Little Divi would be possible choices.  We may not rent a car though so does anyone know if either of those resorts are within walking distance of restaurants?  We like the location of Pelican - so many restaurants to walk to, and we love the Buccanneer at the bottom of the hill.


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## RIMike (Oct 22, 2009)

*OBBR*



JillC said:


> Thanks for all your advice.  We've decided to stay on St. Maarten for two weeks in March.  We already have one week at the Pelican; and now we're considering a different resort for the second week.  Sounds like Oyster Bay and Little Divi would be possible choices.  We may not rent a car though so does anyone know if either of those resorts are within walking distance of restaurants?  We like the location of Pelican - so many restaurants to walk to, and we love the Buccanneer at the bottom of the hill.



OBBR has two resturants on the premises and in the area are other resturants close by that could be reached by walking or taxi.  One of the reasons I really like OBBR is because it is away from the crowds on the other side of the island.  You might wish to look up St Martin/Dawn Beach and see what all is offered near the resort.


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## stmartinfan (Oct 24, 2009)

Divi has a restaurant on the property, and several nights does a manager's reception with free drinks and a theme night with music, like lobster night and a Caribbean buffet night.  Restaurants in Philipsburg are a close drive or cab ride away, but it's pretty long walk and one I wouldn't want to make at night.  We find it a quick drive to all the restaurants along the road to the airport and the Maho area, too, and often go to Marina Royale in Marigot.


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## JillC (Oct 25, 2009)

She is in Building B.  Nice view of the ocean.  I love it there.  Have stay in building in back of that one as well.


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## GrayFal (Nov 4, 2009)

*I will ask the mod to close my other thread*

4 women traveling - too isolated, Oyster Bay Resort?



GrayFal said:


> I just wanted to get opinions if others who have been there think we could 'make our own fun' there? We would be visiting in late fall.
> I am reading that a taxi to town/casino is $30+ each way so we would consider going there 2 nights during our stay.
> 
> Sorry, this posted before I completed my questions about Oyster Bay Resort.
> ...



I rent a car in Aruba and am comfortable on those roads - how is the driving in SXM compared to Aruba?


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## caribbean (Nov 4, 2009)

My preference would be:
1) Royal Islander La Plage
2) Royal Palm
3) Divi
4) Flamingo


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## stmartinfan (Nov 5, 2009)

We've been to both Aruba and SXM.  I would consider SXM roads worse than Aruba.  SXM is hiller, so depending upon where you're headed, you'll get some twists and turns on narrow roads that you'll share with some rather wild local drivers.  The traffic can also be heavy in many places with limited parking, so you need to be a confident, no-hesitation driver to get around.  My husband is OK driving there (and has driven lots of places around the world); I would drive there only if absolutely necessary and not at night.  




GrayFal said:


> 4 women traveling - too isolated, Oyster Bay Resort?
> 
> I rent a car in Aruba and am comfortable on those roads - how is the driving in SXM compared to Aruba?


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## TomR (Nov 6, 2009)

I would add one word to stmartinfan's post.  She said SXM roads are worse than Aruba.  I would say that SXM roads are *FAR* worse than Aruba. I have only visited Oyster Bay resort twice.  It looked very nice to me and so did the beach, but it is isolated in my opinion. You would either have to do a lot of driving or spend some big bucks on taxi's if you wanted to get away from the resort at night. 

If I were you, I would consider timeshare resorts in the Maho or Simpson Bay area.  Driving at night in those areas is much easier and, depending on the resort, you may not have to drive far, or even drive at all.  From the Royal Palm you can walk across the street to many good restaurants.  From the Pelican or Flamingo, you may have to walk down a hill to get to the same restaurants, but it is not that much of a walk.  Besides there are some other good restaurants and fun spots right there at the resorts.  From the Royal Islander you have a choice of several restaurants and shops to walk to and a casino as well.  I don't mind driving in St. Maarten during the day. We often go over to the French side then.  But at night, I restrict my driving to the Maho/Simpson Bay area.  Maybe it is a sign I am getting old. 
Tom


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## tombo (Nov 6, 2009)

My parents stayed at the Belair Beach Hotel (next door to the Divi) and they ate at the restaurant at the divi (short walk on a connecting sidewalk) and the restaurant at the Belair. They liked the food and prices much better at the Belair. If you stay at the Divi you have 2 restaurants within walking distance and my parents walked to Phillipsburg a couple of times during the day and they said it wasn't a bad walk (and both are over 75 years old). I will be staying at the belair this spring for the first time so I can only relate second hand experiences from my parents until I return from my first SXM trip in 2010.

Have a great trip and post about your experiences after you return to give me some more advance advice on what to do when I visit SXM.

P.S. They said the snorkeling by the Divi was very good and that every day snorkeling boats would drop people who paid for a snorkeling trip off there to snorkel. My parents just walked over and snorkeled for free right at the same area every day.


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## GrayFal (Nov 6, 2009)

Thank you all, I will cross Oyster Bay off because of the location.


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## scooter (Aug 9, 2010)

dchilds said:


> What building is her unit in?  We have three beach front units at Pelican in the Flamboyant building.  It's not as new as the Marina Residences, but I would rather stay on the beach than down the road 200-300 yards from the beach in a fancy highrise.
> 
> You can trade your Pelican week for Royal Resorts weeks in Cancun.  We've banked several of our Pelican weeks with II, and always get a bonus week.



I am not sure that you can use the internal trade within Royal Resorts in you did not buy the week from them. As it is a gift from the original purchaser, I would ask. You can certainly trade through II, but the membership and trade fees would apply.


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## dchilds (Aug 10, 2010)

scooterjuanita said:


> I am not sure that you can use the internal trade within Royal Resorts in you did not buy the week from them. As it is a gift from the original purchaser, I would ask. You can certainly trade through II, but the membership and trade fees would apply.


I just checked the Pelican website, and these are the rules.

Rules are:
good standing - all fees current
make request at least 90 days before your unit/week
you can't trade up, but can trade down to improve availability
first come, first served
no guarantee on location (beach front for beach front)
can't rent out or externally exchange the trade


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## scooter (Aug 13, 2010)

Larry said:


> The nicest and newest timeshare on this list is Pelican Bay Marina Residences although this is on Pelican resort property this was built by Royal Resorts recently and is comparable in quality to Royal resorts in Cancun.
> 
> After that I would consider the following;
> 
> ...



Just remember Royal Islander is RIGHT on the runway. It's like the landing planes are going to drop into your lap.

We will be staying at Royal Palm Beach next 2 weeks. I will get back with a review!


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## stmartinfan (Aug 14, 2010)

tombo said:


> My parents stayed at the Belair Beach Hotel (next door to the Divi) and they ate at the restaurant at the divi (short walk on a connecting sidewalk) and the restaurant at the Belair. They liked the food and prices much better at the Belair. SXM.
> 
> P.S. They said the snorkeling by the Divi was very good and that every day snorkeling boats would drop people who paid for a snorkeling trip off there to snorkel. My parents just walked over and snorkeled for free right at the same area every day.




We eat regularly at Belair and Divi.  Belair's prices were better last spring. Divi recently "upgraded" the dinner menu at its restaurant, making the menu much more upscale in style and price.  We ate there one night last trip and found the meals good tasting, but not outstanding (especially given the many wonderful restaurants on the island) but pretty pricy.  The Divi prices were on a par with some of the better restaurants around the island but I didn't think the food quality was quite as good.  Despite this, we usually eat there one night during our stay for convenience.

Our meal at Belair was OK, not wonderful but OK for the price.  We liked the convenience of walking down the beach and would eat there again.

At Divi, I think some of their special nights, like lobster night or the Caribbean BBQ are probably better choices than the regular restaurant if you like buffets.  There's live entertainment and it's a fun atmosphere.  We just aren't big enough eaters to really enjoy the buffet style.

We do like Divi's Seabreeze Cafe if we're around during the day.  Burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc., but it's a comfortable setting and the prices aren't way out of line with what you'd pay off the resort.  

RE: Snorkeling.  The snorkeling off the beach at Divi is fairly good, at least for SXM standards.  But as a whole, the island doesn't have great snorkeling compared to places like Hawaii or other Caribbean islands.


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## Bucky (Aug 14, 2010)

scooterjuanita said:


> Just remember Royal Islander is RIGHT on the runway. It's like the landing planes are going to drop into your lap.
> 
> We will be staying at Royal Palm Beach next 2 weeks. I will get back with a review!



We stayed at the Royal Islander La Plage this year for two weeks and absolutely fell in love with it.  First week we stayed on the main drag side and weren't too thrilled with the additional noise.  The second week we stayed on the other side which was next to a hotel and it was much quieter.  Staff was extremely friendly.  Pool was 7ft in the deep end which seems like a rarity lately.  Yes, it is almost on the runway but during the day it was pretty awesome to watch the big jets come in and land.  Never a problem at night.  I think the last plane left out around 8pm or so.  Right in downtown Maho which was great.  We would walk out and presto, be right where the action was.  Tons of restaurants, casino and plenty of shopping.  Grocery right across the street.  We did our shopping and took one of their carts back to our room and then returned the cart. This was our first time at the Islander but I can guarantee you it won't be our last.


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## 89MustangGX (Aug 14, 2010)

Stayed at the Pelican Resort and would definitely cross that one off the list.

Toured Pelican Marina Residences and it is definitely very VERY nice. Would stay there without question.

Did not tour Oyster Bay, but friends said it was great to stay there. I ate a couple times at Mr. Buzzbee's which is right next to Oyster Bay and they were easily my favorite meals of the whole trip. Worth the trip there wherever you stay!

Adam


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## stmartinfan (Aug 15, 2010)

Bucky said:


> We stayed at the Royal Islander La Plage this year for two weeks and absolutely fell in love with it.    Right in downtown Maho which was great.  We would walk out and presto, be right where the action was.  Tons of restaurants, casino and plenty of shopping.  Grocery right across the street.



What a wonderful example of why there's never only one right answer to the question about "Which resort for me?"  We've been to SXM more than a dozen times, and enjoy visiting the Maho area for dinner and shopping.  But to me, it feels almost like a one-block long Vegas strip.  A fun place for some night time entertainment, but not at all what where I'd want to stay when I'm on a Caribbean island.  I personally love the quiet, great views, open green spaces and landscaping of a resort like Divi.  I'm not saying RI isn't a great place - it's just not the choice I'd make.  Isn't it great that an island like SXM offers the different options?


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