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Any update on Maho Beach by the airport?


bender031177
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We will be there in late December and I will report back what I see. I've been monitoring the scheduled flights of the 'big' planes on Google for the day we are there and they went from 10 arrivals and 9 departures (before 4:00 PM when we have to head back to the ship) to 2 arrivals and 2 departures. So, air traffic, at least for the day we are the has dropped a lot.

 

It could pick up by February, but I suspect they will still be in recovery mode and the demand will not be a whole lot different in Feb than Dec.

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We will be there in late December and I will report back what I see. I've been monitoring the scheduled flights of the 'big' planes on Google for the day we are there and they went from 10 arrivals and 9 departures (before 4:00 PM when we have to head back to the ship) to 2 arrivals and 2 departures. So, air traffic, at least for the day we are the has dropped a lot.

 

It could pick up by February, but I suspect they will still be in recovery mode and the demand will not be a whole lot different in Feb than Dec.

 

I see you are on Independence 12/21/2017 too :) What is the site where you can monitor the flights? Would really like to see some planes and wondering what will be the best time to hit Maho beach. Thanks if you can share the info!

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Hi MrsFinland. Yes, we are on the Indy too and really looking forward to it! There is not a 'easy' way to do it, but here is what I figured out. At any of the travel sites (Expedia, Trip Advisor, Google Flights, etc) you can enter a non-stop, one way flight from a major city to SXM (airport code for St Maartin) on Dec 25. Mostly you will get 'no results found', but if you do find something you know that is a big plane on Dec 25.

 

The cities that traditionally have non-stop flights include New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Amsterdam, Paris, Charolotte, and Atlanta - but not all of those cities have them on Christmas Day. So far I have only found two flights - one from New York and one from Atlanta. They arrive at 12:13 (JetBlue) and 2:51 (Delta).

 

To see the departure times, just do the same thing, but use SXM as the Departure and (major city) as the arrival. Also, only two flights so far on Dec 25 departing at 1:35 (JetBlue) and 4:00 (Delta)

 

Seeing the planes land is quite an experience, but seeing, and feeling, them take off is a whole different level and that is really what I am trying to do this time. If I see anything different show up between now and when we leave, I will be sure to post it on our Roll Call.

 

Here is the actual URL that I used: https://www.google.com/flights but, like I said, any of the websites you can book flights on should work.

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Brilliant. We will probably see you there! The one question I still have is 'how much sand is left?' I know most of it was washed away with Maria and I am hoping that at least some will be back by the time we get there. Being sandblasted by a jet taking off is part of the experience of Maho Beach. Being pebble or rock blasted does not sound like something I would enjoy.

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Maho has not had much sand for years and the hurricane destroyed just about everything that was left. One Video (from Nov 10) shows that much of the fence damage (along the airport) has yet to be repaired and you can see lights and other debris along the fence line.

 

Hank

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Is the restaurant opened?

 

I heard it was destroyed.. Have no clue if they will ever rebuild...or have made any progress to reopening. Also noticed that Celebrity canceled a Jan 15 visit (by one of their ships) because they do not believe the port or island will be ready to receive visitors.

Hank

Edited by Hlitner
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we’re making a stop in St. Martin in Feb 2018 and are wondering about the condition of Maho Beach?

 

 

 

And is there much air traffic in and out of the airport?

 

 

 

Go to sunset bar and grill FB page....pictures of beach looking good!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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Maho had plenty of sand in January 2017 - it has always amazed me how quickly the sand returns after a storm and turns that pile of rocks back into a beach.

 

Most large planes - from US and Canadian cities - and occasionally from Paris and Amsterdam - arrive between noon and two PM - and, after turn-around, take off between two and four PM.

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Hi, just back. Not much sand left at Maho but plans are to dredge and fix the beach. The Sunset Bar is open and looks great.

 

 

Definitely lighter on flights than it used to be; Air France plans to return in January though KLM is already there.

 

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Chief Content Strategist

Cruise Critic

 

PS This story, which was posted last week, may answer some questions: Live From St. Maarten -- https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8225

 

Brilliant. We will probably see you there! The one question I still have is 'how much sand is left?' I know most of it was washed away with Maria and I am hoping that at least some will be back by the time we get there. Being sandblasted by a jet taking off is part of the experience of Maho Beach. Being pebble or rock blasted does not sound like something I would enjoy.
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Hi, just back. Not much sand left at Maho but plans are to dredge and fix the beach. The Sunset Bar is open and looks great.

 

Definitely lighter on flights than it used to be; Air France plans to return in January though KLM is already there.

 

PS This story, which was posted last week, may answer some questions: Live From St. Maarten -- https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8225

 

Thanks Caroline and great article by the way. At least they are making strides in the right direction in regards to Maho Beach and the sand. Hopefully there will be enough sand there to enjoy both the beach and the plane(s) at the end of December when we visit.

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