Recommended Things To Do

Tigerman4LSU · October 28, 2005

We will be coming in on the Mariner of the Seas in December. My wife and I are going to rent a jeep for the day from Hertz. Any recommendations for the following:

* What beaches to hit?

* Where to go for lunch?

* Where to go shopping? I promised my wife I would get her a ring.

Any other suggestions are more than welcome.

George

Zeno · October 28, 2005

We will be coming in on the Mariner of the Seas in December. My wife and I are going to rent a jeep for the day from Hertz. Any recommendations for the following:

* What beaches to hit?

* Where to go for lunch?

* Where to go shopping? I promised my wife I would get her a ring.

Any other suggestions are more than welcome.

George

#1 Personally my favorite beach is Orient Beach

#2 Lots of beach front restaurants to choose from on Orient Beach. Seafood is generally a good choice and desserts are usually great. Note lunch wll NOT be cheap. If you want fairly cheap, cheerful, very caribbean and open-air and with pretty decent food - Pedro's at the south end of the beach (next to the naturist resort) is just that and sometimes has entertainment. The ribs are pretty good and the rice and beans very good. Don't go there if you are bothered by nude people. People often wander over from the Naturist resort for lunch - as long as they have something to sit on Pedro's welcomes everyone.

#3 Shopping (ESPECIALLY for jewelry) Philipsburg (where the cruiseship docks - do this on your way BACK to the ship

Suze17 · October 29, 2005

I love St. Maarten!! My husband and I have been there many times-for a vacation and several times as a port-of-call. I agree with the previous poster that Orient Beach is the best. Many good food choices on the French side-have some fries! I have had alot of luck shopping in Philipsburg-from jewelry to souvenirs. Do not miss the Guavaberry Emporium-have a Guavaberry Colada and try the spiced rum! The traffic is rough along the main shopping drag in P-burg, so it probably would be best to turn in your vehicle, than walk around town before returning to your ship. Although you have the day planned already, I have to endorse the Golden Eagle Out-Island Sail-a tour offered there. If for some reason you end up not renting a jeep, this is a phenomenal trip. You'll have a great day in St. Maarten-enjoy!!-Sue

gtaylor · October 31, 2005

We will be coming in on the Mariner of the Seas in December. My wife and I are going to rent a jeep for the day from Hertz. Any recommendations for the following:

* What beaches to hit?

* Where to go for lunch?

* Where to go shopping? I promised my wife I would get her a ring.

Any other suggestions are more than welcome.

George

Since you have the jeep, get out of Philipsburg.

As I have posted here in other threads, I would recommend trying Dawn Beach if the winds aren't too rough, and you might end up spending the day there. We love Ms. B's for the beach and the food.

You have to see Orient, so go there next. I can't recommend Pedro's anymore, as it seems that they have raised their prices too much. Right next door is the Pirate, and I would visit there for drinks and eats, instead.

You have to at least drive through Marigot, just to see it, and if you yearn for a burger or such, seek out our friend John at Toro's Corner, on the corner of the marketplace complex next to the parking on the Marigot waterfront for a decent burger and a cheap Red Stripe.

Travel on around the island towards Baie Rouge or cut back to Philipsburg from here depending on your clock.

Save lots of time for Philipsburg and shopping for Booze. perfume, tablecloths and jewels as you decide. Our jeweler is at Shiva's, there on Front Street. If you are interested in fine jewelry or special diamonds, this is the place to shop. Ask for Gary and Mary Ann's special discount. Seriously!

gary

david2673 · November 4, 2005

George,

Last time we were there we had a great day. Hit Orient beach in the moring and early afternoon. Then off to Maho Beach to watch the planes land. You gotta have a beer at the sunset beach bar. It is the small patio at the bottom left of this picture.

http://www.sunsetbeachbar.com/Members/torch/phot_1122162430/DSC_SXM10284P.jpg/photo_view

It is the best place in the world to watch aircraft. If you are interested I can try to find the aircraft schedule so you can time your visit with a 747 landing or taking off.

Have a good one.

David

Tigerman4LSU · November 5, 2005

George,
Last time we were there we had a great day. Hit Orient beach in the moring and early afternoon. Then off to Maho Beach to watch the planes land. You gotta have a beer at the sunset beach bar. It is the small patio at the bottom left of this picture.

http://www.sunsetbeachbar.com/Members/torch/phot_1122162430/DSC_SXM10284P.jpg/photo_view

It is the best place in the world to watch aircraft. If you are interested I can try to find the aircraft schedule so you can time your visit with a 747 landing or taking off.

Have a good one.

David

David,

We will be there on December 15th. I am planning to bring my digital SLR to hpefully get some great pictures.

How is life in British Columbia? It is on my list of places that I want to live in the near future. I have been there once and loved it.

George

texancruzer · November 6, 2005

yummmmm - a cold red stripe sounds terrific.... drank a few on Jamaica !

CaribbeanBlue · November 6, 2005

If your going to be shopping for a ring do your homework prior to your trip. educate yourself about the qualities that you will be looking for. Set a budget and stick to it. Contact a few of the jewelers a few weeks prior to your trip and ask a few questions. By doing this you will have set up a dialogue with them. Let them know which day you will be on island, they will have a few pieces set aside for you. This is how to get your best deal. They know you are a serious buyer and will try their best to accomidate you.

I'd encourage you to shop first thing in the morning. Traditionally the first sale of the day is very important to the shop owners. If you are lucky enough to be the first sale of the day they will bend over backwards, even to the point of taking a loss to make the sale. It sets the tone for the day, how their day will go. If the first customer walks out without buying they will have a poor sales day. If the first customer buys, good sales all day.

If you find the piece you want to buy they will hold onto it until you are back from your day at the beach, or they can have it delivered to your ship. The end of the day can be very hectic in the shops, best to bargain when its more laid back in the morning.

Top ring sales this year are in Diamonds, Burmese Rubies, and of course Tanzanite. Larger Diamonds are getting harder and harder to find in the US, especially in high color and clarity. The prices of the larger diamonds have been sky-rocketing. In the Caribbean many of the stores have had large diamonds in stock for many years. They sell them for just above what they bought them for..... Buying larger diamonds in the Caribbean is going to be incredibly fun this year!!!

CaribbeanBlue

http://www.*****.org

david2673 · November 6, 2005

Hello George,