SeaTrailer

Getting from the cruise port to Mullet on your own will not be a problem. Taxis abound.  To be safe i would discuss with your driver about picking you up at a prearranged time.  Mullet is not as built up as other beaches.

Also be forewarned that Mullet can have two extremes on any given day.  It can be as calm as a lake or very rough surf.

Enjoy

I would avoid Kim Sha.  Lot's of debate on the water quality there.  Might I suggest Karakter?  Very nice beach and great food.

If this is your first visit to St Maarten, why go to Anguilla when St Maarten has so much to do.  There are several zip lines in operations, Orient beach is making a comeback and there are multiple beach-side businesses for chair rental and food.  The downtown are is great for shopping and my favorite beach is Karakter.  You can also just ask a taxi driver to take you around the island.

Enjoy!

I'm not sure what everyone is looking at but I was able to find the March 15th cruise on the Celebrity site and got through the reservation process up to the payment screen where I stopped,

Karakter Beach is my favorite!  Nice beach, good food and drink, wonderful staff.  Closer than Pinel which I also do like.

Mr Busby's is gone and many other restaurants there (Big Fish, Canoa, etc.) are closed. The Infinity restaurant at Oyster Bay Beach Resort is open as well as Mama's Pizza on the other side of the Marina.

Lots of rumors about rebuilding but no one knows for sure. A section of OBBR will open June 1st. The Westin is totally gutted

The beach itself from recent pictures I have see still looks pretty rough and I do not thin anyone is renting chairs and umbrellas right now.

Very sad.

Unfortunately Orient Beach was totally wiped out from Irma and rebuilding has really just started. There is very little on the beach itself. I am sure that is why most excursions are not going there.

From everything I read the French side is coming back much more slowly than the dutch.

Both your choices are open and looking very good! If you want a pure beach day, obviously Pinel would be your choice. Loterie Farm offers a pool, shade and good food.

You cannot go wrong with either choice!

Right up front I will admit that I am biased towards St Maarten. We have been going every year since 2009, except for last year. Yes, still lots of damage but plenty of places are open and you can enjoy yourself. If you want a beach experience go to Karakter Beach. My favorite on the island. Good food for lunch and a great beach.

We visited Antigua for the first time last November and I was not impressed at all. If that is ever on our itinerary again, I would probably not get off.

Everyone has an opinion!

Enjoy your cruise.

Thanks for the report so far. Great information!

I'm not sure I feel that Celebrity offering "fee" activities can be classified as nickel and diming. Everyone has different interests. While I would possible pay for a wine tasting I'm not sure I would pay for other things. To each, their own.

Interesting that an entire specialty restaurant was closed for a private party. Had not heard of that before.

If your husband likes cigars, have him go to DAS cigars in St Maarten. Has a small shop right there in the port area. Ask for Andi. All hand rolled cigars and very good!

Enjoy the cruise!

Have a fabulous cruise. Will be following your posts closely as we will be on the Equinox in 5 weeks!

Thanks everyone for the replies. Much appreciated

Does anyone know if there is a cosmetic mirror in the Veranda cabins? My wife does not want to pack one.

Thanks

How very sad you could not look past the obvious damage and enjoy the island for what it is. Is it 100%, Nope not even close. But the beaches that have facilities (Kim Sha, Karakter and others) are still lovely and scenic. Many fine restaurants are open, even the Lolos in Grand Case where you can get an excellent meal cheap.

The people have been out of work for almost 6 months now and this is their high season. There has always been people standing out on the sidewalk, especially at jewelry stores, trying to entice you to come in. No different than in St Thomas. Might they be a bit more aggressive now, perhaps but they are trying to simply feed their families.

I venture to say if you go to St Barts or Anguilla you will find damage there as well.

I'm sorry some of you did not enjoy your visit. i wish I could go there tomorrow!

Could not disagree with Dwiight1 more. Many hotels/resorts are indeed still closed but since you are on a cruise, who cares? Many restaurants have reopened and you can get a fine meal now.

I'm not sure if anyone is doing a sunset cruise, I can certainly find out if you wish. When will you be there?

I can tell you that the reports I have been seeing all state the the people of SXM are so grateful for the tourist who come in and despite what happened right after the storm, safety is not an issue.

We spent 2 days in Old San Juan after our NCL cruise in November and never saw the first beggar!

Yes there was a lot not open but for the shops and restaurants we visited the people could not have been more pleasant and friendly! Just walking around the area was a fantastic experience.

For those interested in a beach day, might I suggest Karakter Beach. Adjacent to Mary's Boon (near the airport) it has a fantastic beach and servers breakfast, lunch and dinner. A favorite spot. They worked extremely hard to get back up and running and their first "event" was to host Dutch Marines who helped in the initial recovery efforts.

Downtown restaurants that I know are open are the Holland House and Blue Bitch Bar both right on the boardwalk.

Not sure what you are asking let's go cruising?

Several fine dining restaurant have just reopened in Grand Case. Karakter Beach has posted the Christmas menu for Breakfast and Lunch/Dinner and the Blue Bitch Bar has reopened on the boardwalk. I am seeing posts almost every day about another reopening. Now they just need customers!

Not sure why Celebrity is so far behind the curve. Several cruise ships have already stopped in St. Maarten. Restaurants and shops are reopening daily Several beaches including Karakter, Mullet and Kim Sha are ready for visitors.

It is certainly not 100% but neither is St Thomas and everyone seems to have returned there.

Maho has no sand although I have heard they are bringing some in, Karakter is in great shape. They just posted their Christmas Menu on Facebook. You will have a visit.

Unfortunately Pinel was totally wiped out. I think I recall reading they have a temporary setup but I have heard nothing about the boats that takes you over.

If Celebrity is selling an Excursion to Orient, they may have made their own arrangements for chairs and umbrella. Right now there is np place on the beach to get food or beverage. That may change but I doubt by March.

There is absolutely nothing at Orient Beach except for sand and water. All the restaurants/bar were wiped out and there are no other facilities on the beach. While there is a lot of progress elsewhere, it will be many months before Orient Beach is ready.

In the event you are unaware, Royal has started stopping in St Maarten this month.

Next there are several excellent beaches to visit right now. These include Karakter and Mullet. I would highly encourage a visit to Karakter.

Finally, many restaurant and stores are reopening daily. The boardwalk appears to be in excellent shape. I would not be hesitant is going there right now, plenty to enjoy.

As to Orient Beach, my understanding is new regulations are being proposed before anyone can rebuild. Yes I believe it will be months before restaurants/bars will reappear on the beach. Right behind the beach there is a shopping area near where La Playa was. These is an Italian restaurant that has already reopened so some progress is being made.

As to still going to the beach itself. yes, I agree that if you are fine with sitting on a towel and enjoying the water it is a great beach to visit!

Every week some place on St Maarten reopens. With all the demands on resources it will take time but in my opinion this island is still one of the top to visit!

As we own a timeshare there we have been following the recovery efforts very closely. The first cruise ship (Viking Cruises) arrived today to much fanfare.

Everyday another restaurant announces they have just opened or about to. Orient Beach was totally wiped out and will not have any establishments open for many months. Karakter Beach (one of our favorites) is a great alternative and they are fully open.

The boardwalk looks to be in very good shape and many stores/restaurants are open.

While the island will not be 100% for some time, it is my opinion that cruisers will have an excellent visit!

When you upgrade on board, can you just upgrade yourself or must both of you still go higher?

Thanks