First time to St. Martin....Lots of kids

[NTHC]

We have confirmed for Easter two units at the Royal Palm Beach Resort. We will have son(senior in high school) plus two of his friends and daughter(11) with a friend.

Please send ideas and advice. Should we get a car for the boys? Is that an option? Daughter and I need to take certification dive. Any suggestions? Kids both chose this island because they love airplanes and want to watch them arrive and depart. Best place for this? Hubby and I like to get out of the tourist areas and talk to locals. Does anyone have a favorite spot? I may think I need to have a pretty ring. Who is reputable?

You guys have given us so much great advice and ideas over the years so I am anxiously awaiting your answers.


Thanks,
Cindy

 

[Jbart74]

We have confirmed for Easter two units at the Royal Palm Beach Resort. We will have son(senior in high school) plus two of his friends and daughter(11) with a friend.

Please send ideas and advice. Should we get a car for the boys? Is that an option? Daughter and I need to take certification dive. Any suggestions? Kids both chose this island because they love airplanes and want to watch them arrive and depart. Best place for this? Hubby and I like to get out of the tourist areas and talk to locals. Does anyone have a favorite spot? I may think I need to have a pretty ring. Who is reputable?

You guys have given us so much great advice and ideas over the years so I am anxiously awaiting your answers.


Thanks,
Cindy

Wow! That's a lot! I don't think your kids can drive a rental car if they are under 18.

I absolutely have to recommend my Dive Master from my last trip because he was the best I have ever encountered in the Caribbean. You can find him here: http://www.divestmaarten.com Dive Safaris was fantastic! (I wish I could remember his name... I'll have to dig out my dive book and get back to you)

There is a bar, I think 18 is okay to drink/gamble on the island, called Driftwood Beach Bar with fantastic (crazy) views of incoing and outgoing planes from Noon to 5pm.

I also recommend the casino on the SW side of the Island through the golf course, but only because we happened to win $2000 there in a completely random way. We took our money back to the Divi Little Bay Resort where we were staying and bought a whole slew of White Gold rings, bracelets, and other trinkets. Best day of my adult life was spent drinking rum at that jewelry counter and counting out $100 bills. Great fun!

And make sure you get over to the french side, if you aren't staying there, and have some meals in Marigot. Best food ever, anywhere, I promise!

Have fun!

 

[tombo]

The Sunset beach bar is by the airport and they have a chalk board listing the arrival and departure times for the jumbo jets. People leave the bar, walk down to the beach at the end of the runway to watch the jets fly overhead as they land, and then go back to the bar. Go to you tube and type in st maarten plane landings to see some videos of it. The sunset bar was damaged badly during the hurricane but I think it has re-opened.

Also be aware that part of Orient beach and many other beaches are clothing optional. I am sure your teenage boys will like that but not sure if mom and dad will agree that they (or especially the 11 year old girls) should see the tourists and locals sunning in all of their natural glory. Be aware that the trip could be educational for your group in many ways, and your children and their friends might have some beach stories to tell when they get home.

 

[Blondie]

No to the boys driving- they drive like MANIACS on the island! But, the good news is that you have a number of good restaurants walkable so the boys won't feel confined. Also, on the beach of the resort just walk left and when you hit the main road it is a minute or two up the hill to Pelican where there is a casino. Leaving the resort via the front door, on the street there are many restaurants as well. A great floating bar called Lady c across the street from the resort- great pizza there- and Lee's, just across the street for great seafood and realxing lunches.

 

[stmartinfan]

SXM is a great place for these ages - lots of wonderful beaches and activities. If they are interested in watersports, parasailing, etc., Orient Beach is a great location, plus a beautiful beach with lots of bars, restaurants, beach chairs, music and people watching. (It's my teen girls favorite beach to spend a day.) Yes, because it is on the French side of the island, you will find people more casual about sunbathing topless and one end of the beach is a naturist resort. I've been taking my kids there for more than ten years, and for us and many others it's not an issue. But be sure you tell your teens not to be rude gawkers, though.

Your daughter and friend would likely enjoy a visit to the Butterfly farm, which is located near Orient. Try to go on a day with fewer cruise ships, so you don't arrive just as a bus load of cruisers does.

An activity our teens loved was the Rhino Riders. They are like a jetski built into a dingy. Fun for jumping waves, and you go on an excursion with a guide to a place to snorkel and just to ride the waves. You need to be 16 to drive your own, if I recall correctly. You'll find info on activities on Jeff Berger's website about SXM - http://www.everythingstmaarten.com/

A great resource for info on jewelry stores, restaurants, etc. is the St. Marten bulletin board on traveltalkonline. It's at http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=stmartin
If you read through old posts you'll find lots of discussions about where to buy jewelry, etc., The board has many regular posters who each have their own favorite rental car company, jewelry store, restaurant, etc., so postings asking about these topics can become quite heated! We've had good luck at DK Gems, a favorite of many, located on Main Street in Philipsburg but have bought at other places, too. Also avoid jewelry shopping on Main Street when multiple cruise ships are in port - too many people to be able to negotiate well. The traveltalkonline bulletin board has a link that shows which ships are in port each day, so check it shortly before your departure.

One place to encounter locals is at the "lolos," the small locally owned food stands. Many are in the main street of Grand Case, a city on the French side, although there are several around the island. Again, you'll find past discussions about lolos on the traveltalkonline bulletin board.

About your teens having a car - I don't know where you live, but I would never give my teens the same freedom to go off independently on SXM as I do in our MN suburb and even into Minneapolis. Crime does occur on the island, and it's too easy for teens to end up in the wrong place. And like another poster said, driving is crazy and SXM is not be somewhere a teen should be behind the wheel. I'd look for ways to give the teens some space, like while on a trip to a beach or during the day in Philipsburg, but not give them too wide a rein otherwise.

One restaurant they would like is Pineapple Petes. It has pool tables to enjoy while you're waiting and gets high marks for good food and service at fair prices.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

The Sunset beach bar is by the airport and they have a chalk board listing the arrival and departure times for the jumbo jets. People leave the bar, walk down to the beach at the end of the runway to watch the jets fly overhead as they land, and then go back to the bar. Go to you tube and type in st maarten plane landings to see some videos of it. The sunset bar was damaged badly during the hurricane but I think it has re-opened..

I thought that Sunset Beach was completely destroyed by Omar. Completely as in, the parcel where it was is now ocean and there aren't even any timbers or footings remaining.

 

[calgarygary]

According to posts over at cruisecritic, the sunset is open again but the area looks a mess. Personally, if I was going to stay on the island for a week, I would definitely rent a car as there is so much to see and do - I would maybe wait and decide after viewing driving on the island whether you want your sons to drive. Here is a link to the cruisecritic threads about St. Maarten.

 

[stmartinfan]

Photos I've seen of Sunset Beach bar show that the main small building survived but they lost all the surrounding decks and seating areas. I've seen postings that the bar area has reopened and they are working on rebuilding the rest. It has a new owner, who had taken over just before the hurricane. Bliss, the night club next door was also damaged significantly but is reopening without their restaurant.

From the photos, it looked like much of the beach area along the road had been washed away but that is likely to come back slowly as the sands shift.

 

[AKE]

Do Not Buy Any Jewellery In Sxm!

Just a word of warning - do NOT buy jewellery. Some stores are legit but others are not. I just went through an interesting jewellery experience there. About 10 years ago I bought a tanzanite ring on St. Maarten - brought it back and had it appraised - value was twice what I paid for it BUT the size was almost half a carat less than what I had been told. I contacted the store and it looked like the written specs (description) between two stones that I had been looking at somehow had got switched and the size, weight etc was of the other stone. The store refunded the difference in the price to my credit card. I believed that it was an honest mistake (but read on).
When we were on a cruise a few years ago we stopped in SXM and I went to one of the cruise ship recommended stores (later on I was told by one of these stores in SXM that these stores are recommended because the cruise ships apparently get a cut on all merchandise that is bought by their passengers, not because these stores are any better than others but this is only hearsay so I dont know either way). Anyhow, I bought a tanzanite bracelet ($425) and a pendant ($1000). When home I had them appraised - the bracelet came in at 40% more than what I paid, the pendant at a few hundred more. The appraiser also noted that the stones were only áverage' (unlike the first stone that I had bought 8 years earlier) and that the tanzanite on the pendant was scratched. Subsequently, after wearing the bracelet only a half-dozen times. I lost one of the tanzanites - it took some time but I did locate the parent company ( in New York City!) and they replaced the stone for free (poor workmanship comes to mind). Now I should have learned but READ ON...
This year we were once again in SXM and I thought that I would trade up my bracelet as this was noted as an option on the bill of sale. I once again went to the same cruise ship recommended store and traded up to another tanzanite bracelet with more / larger stones etc, paying a substantial amount more. When I got back home I had the bracelet appraised... it was significantly LESS in value than what I had paid and the STONES WERE COATED! (basically covered with a dye to make them look more intense). I was livid and once again located the parent company in NYC who initially denied that they treated their stones (however I had the proof in the appraisal which I sent to them). After some negotiations I settled for an upgraded bracelet which, according to the appraisal that they did on it, is equal to my $$$ investment (next week I am getting it appraised here to see what my jeweller thinks the value is). Bottom line - you can get the same, or better deals at home. I am guessing that what I experienced is not uncommon but that most people are not aware of it when they buy jewellery.

 

[Jbart74]

Jewelry issues

As I posted above, we had a great experience buying White Gold in SXM. So much so, that, when the guy at the jewelry store asked me what I would pay for two matching rings, I answered with what I thought was reasonable. He balked and said to me... "That's too much, how bout..." $200 less for both rings! This was the jewelry store at Divi Little Bay. I highly recommend those guys. And they make a mean drink for all of their customers, of course!

I have had our rings appraised here in New England and I paid 1/2 their US worth. I am a happy SXM jewelry customer. But, full disclosure, I bought all of our jewelry on casino winnings, so I really didn't care. But it was nice to get the appraisal and see that I hadn't been ripped off in SXM.

JMHO

 

[Kal]

If you want to see lots of pixs of St. Maarten, go HERE.

With a group this size and diverse, I would probably get two rental cars. It will be very difficult to get a consensus on what to do each day. A trip to watch the big jets is a must, but Saturday and Sundays are the best days. Otherwise, the traffic is fairly light given the changes in airline schedules.

With regard to jewelry, the prices are the best in the Caribbean so do not miss the chance. Just be a careful shopper and only go to the highly recommended merchants. We have shopped at Touch of Gold on Front Street for many, many years without even a hint of any problem.

There are many beaches, but Orient Beach is one of the top 5 in the entire Caribbean. DO NOT MISS IT!!

The biggest problem is where to eat. The food is fantastic and narrowing down the choice of restaurant is very difficult.

You will indeed have a tremendous time.

 

[Rod in Louisiana]

Most car rental companies will not allow anyone under the age of 25 to be listed as a driver for their cars. I WOULD NOT allow anyone to drive a car I had rented unless they were listed on the rental agreement.

 

[krmlaw]

We too are going to SXM with our DS (15) and hopefully a friend. Is it safe for them to walk around in the Maho area during the day? We are staying at the Royal Islander Club la Plage.

Thanks!

 

[DRWELLS53]

Was there in May. It was safe. A neat place and the planes landing was spectacular! Looking forward to returning again. Walk down to Mullet bay (safe, too).

 

[AKE]

The shop that we dealt was was SUPPOSEDLY reputable and RECOMMENDED BY CRUISE SHIPS, etc etc and it is on Front Street and had been around for many years so it met all the criteria.... I did some more research into this and apparently there are only a handful of owners but many many stores under different names. Most of the stuff comes from the far east. I would never waste any money there on jewellery again...