No Orient...what's next?

[willcruiseanythyme]

So, if we wanted a beach fairly close to the cruise pier that offered chairs and umbrellas, beautiful swimmable clear water, and less people....what's the best choice? (Don't want Orient or topless either.) Thanks!

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

[Gopher1934]

We used to go to Orient but now we just use the beach area as we get off the water taxis

we normally pay $20 for 2 chairs and umbrella My wife likes to lay in the sun I like to move around this allows us to do this. We normally are in St. Martin 2 times a year. If you like beer they sells buckets of beer very inexpensive i think it was 5 beers for around $10. many places along the beach area to get lunch or a snack. This is our favorite location in the Caribbean.

[willcruiseanythyme]

We used to go to Orient but now we just use the beach area as we get off the water taxis

we normally pay $20 for 2 chairs and umbrella My wife likes to lay in the sun I like to move around this allows us to do this. We normally are in St. Martin 2 times a year. If you like beer they sells buckets of beer very inexpensive i think it was 5 beers for around $10. many places along the beach area to get lunch or a snack. This is our favorite location in the Caribbean.

Thank you, that will be our choice!

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

[crewsweeper]

The boardwalk beaches can be crowded if several ships are in. Another roption is to get a taxi at the port and have them take you to Divi Bay Resort. It's on the other side of great Bay where the ships dock and will have good water (there has been past reports of sewage in seeping into Great Bay near shore) less crowds and you don't need a reservation.

[LadyBerard]

We like to go to Mr. Busby's on Dawn Beach.

[mrpayroll]

The boardwalk beaches can be crowded if several ships are in. Another roption is to get a taxi at the port and have them take you to Divi Bay Resort. It's on the other side of great Bay where the ships dock and will have good water (there has been past reports of sewage in seeping into Great Bay near shore) less crowds and you don't need a reservation.

 

 

This is our new " go to " place in St. Martin..Taxi ride is cheap and not very far from port.

[gidgetgoes]

do you know if divi bay resort does day passes? or of another place on the island that does? we're interested in a resort for the day. thanks!

[crewsweeper]

do you know if divi bay resort does day passes? or of another place on the island that does? we're interested in a resort for the day. thanks!

 

You just show up. There's a stand where they rent loungers and umbrellas. And you can go to the bar and restaurant and buy food and drinks. I don't believe they offer any A.I. type packages. We've just showed up.

[willcruiseanythyme]

do you know if divi bay resort does day passes? or of another place on the island that does? we're interested in a resort for the day. thanks!

I looked into that awhile back. The only resort that did day passes was one on Great Bay Beach. They book out way in advance so there was nothing available for our dates and I checked 4 months out. Go to the website resortsforaday.com.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

[Wilson]

Does anyone have feedback on Sonesta Great Bay Beach? They have an AI option that is appealing, but what's up with the contaminated water?

[willcruiseanythyme]

Does anyone have feedback on Sonesta Great Bay Beach? They have an AI option that is appealing, but what's up with the contaminated water?

We'll be there next week. I can post an update. We've been there before and it was absolutely beautiful! Never saw any contaminated water.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

[gtaylor]

We'll be there next week. I can post an update. We've been there before and it was absolutely beautiful! Never saw any contaminated water.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

 

I will refer to a post from my good Cruise Critic friend (that I have actually met :)) from some time ago, but facts are facts.

 

gary

[willcruiseanythyme]

I will refer to a post from my good Cruise Critic friend (that I have actually met :)) from some time ago, but facts are facts.

 

gary

That's fine but I never saw contaminated water! If you don't want to swim there, don't. It's quite simple. I'll still post my review though. If it's OK with you.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

[gtaylor]

But that is EXACTLY the point. You can't SEE contaminated water.

 

You can swim there, I (and others) won't.

 

Feel free to post.

 

gary

[Wilson]

We'll be there next week. I can post an update. We've been there before and it was absolutely beautiful! Never saw any contaminated water.

 

Thank you!

 

I will refer to a post from my good Cruise Critic friend (that I have actually met :)) from some time ago, but facts are facts.

 

gary

 

Interesting. I would hope that in 6 years they would have corrected this problem. :eek:

[navybankerteacher]

That's fine but I never saw contaminated water! If you don't want to swim there, don't. It's quite simple. I'll still post my review though. If it's OK with you.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

 

 

"See" contaminated water??? What would you have to "see", to make you think there might be contamination?

 

Of course, if you really need visual evidence, just hang out near the stream which drains the salt pond at the east end of the beach after heavy rains. While color alone does not signal pollution, the brownish sludge which passes into Great Bay at such times certainly makes me wonder.

[Karysa]

"See" contaminated water??? What would you have to "see", to make you think there might be contamination?

 

Of course, if you really need visual evidence, just hang out near the stream which drains the salt pond at the east end of the beach after heavy rains. While color alone does not signal pollution, the brownish sludge which passes into Great Bay at such times certainly makes me wonder.

 

 

I didn't need visual evidence to keep me out of that water after hearing about the issue but man when I did see it a few years later it was very reaffirming!

[willcruiseanythyme]

I find it interesting that trip advisor reviewers over the last SEVERAL years ALL said how beautiful this beach is/was while they were there. Do you not think that the thousands of good reviews outweigh your one bad review? Perhaps the problem has been fixed? Hmmm? I have researched this extensively and have opted to return. Again, you don't have to if you are worried. So please...move on.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

[Karysa]

I find it interesting that trip advisor reviewers over the last SEVERAL years ALL said how beautiful this beach is/was while they were there. Do you not think that the thousands of good reviews outweigh your one bad review? Perhaps the problem has been fixed? Hmmm? I have researched this extensively and have opted to return. Again, you don't have to if you are worried. So please...move on.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

 

 

I have not read one person upset that people who knew about the pollution concerns were swimming at Great Bay. Who would be? Go and enjoy.

[gtaylor]

I find it interesting that trip advisor reviewers over the last SEVERAL years ALL said how beautiful this beach is/was while they were there. Do you not think that the thousands of good reviews outweigh your one bad review? Perhaps the problem has been fixed? Hmmm? I have researched this extensively and have opted to return. Again, you don't have to if you are worried. So please...move on.

 

Sent from my SM-G925V using Forums mobile app

Guess I missed something. What is your 'one bad review'?

 

gary

[Martin and Lindsey]

The boardwalk beaches can be crowded if several ships are in. Another roption is to get a taxi at the port and have them take you to Divi Bay Resort. It's on the other side of great Bay where the ships dock and will have good water (there has been past reports of sewage in seeping into Great Bay near shore) less crowds and you don't need a reservation.

 

We went to Divi Little Bay by taxi last week and it was great. We had also heard that Great Bay near the ship suffered with polution. :rolleyes:

 

We rented loungers and an umbrella and had the bar to buy drinks and food for lunch. It was a lovely relaxing day in the sun.

 

When we wanted to return to the ship we walked to where the taxi had dropped us off at the front of the Divi Little Bay Hotel and there were taxis there waiting for passengers so we didn't have to wait at all. We stopped at Philipsburg to do some shopping and then took the water taxi back to the ship.

[willcruiseanythyme]

Just got back from St. Maarten and we spent several hours at Great Bay beach. It was awesome. Clear blue water. Not very crowded where we were which was near the farthest water taxi drop off. We had clean restrooms, fresh water showers and food/drink offered. Plus shopping was very close. Asked the tour operators about the supposed water contamination, they said that it was a factor awhile back but not any more and they have fixed the issue. Figure I will believe them otherwise everyone should be getting sick from going in the water and I haven't heard that this is happening.

[Wilson]

Thx Will for posting the info on Great Bay Beach.

I sent a message to the St. Marteen Police and the Government offices of Collective Prevention Services. Each reported that the pollution was no longer an issue.

[gtaylor]

Glad that you had a great day on Great Bay willcruise...

 

Tour operators booking an excursion to Great Bay would certainly be the first to inform everyone if there were any possibility of water problems there. :)

 

gary

 

 

p.s. Wilson, would love to have that contact information.

[Wilson]

Glad that you had a great day on Great Bay willcruise...

 

Tour operators booking an excursion to Great Bay would certainly be the first to inform everyone if there were any possibility of water problems there. :)

 

gary

 

 

p.s. Wilson, would love to have that contact information.

 

Hey Gary.

 

I sent it through their Facebook pages. Both acknowledged my message and told me to give them some time to investigate my concern. One took 1 week and the other took 2. If they had both replied immediately "all is fine", I would be skeptical.