No Orient...what's next?

[Karysa]

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.

 

 

The pollution concern reported was sewage overrun after a significant rainfall. The problem was never reported that it was so bad that "everyone" would get sick if they ever swam there.

[Karysa]

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.

 

 

Good for you to do this. Did you ask them for reports or just a thumbs up? If this problem has been fixed you would think that the work done and the water testing results would have been documented in the Daily Herald which is the island newspaper.

 

I'm sure Gary will try and get any updates and results.

 

I really hope that it's true. The businesses there could use the boost and the residents would love to have their beach back!

Edited March 27, 2017 by Karysa

[willcruiseanythyme]

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.

 

REALLY? Well, they would sure lose a heck of a lot of business if they sent guests to an unsafe area or beach and people started getting sick. Do you really think that people would keep booking with them? Wow. But hey, if you don't want to go there, once again, don't.

[willcruiseanythyme]

The pollution concern reported was sewage overrun after a significant rainfall. The problem was never reported that it was so bad that "everyone" would get sick if they ever swam there.

 

 

Did I miss something? All of your posts are pretty negative about the beach so if it was or is so bad then people would have been getting sick? NO? This beach had many people there. Swimming in the water even. Amazing.

[Karysa]

Did I miss something? All of your posts are pretty negative about the beach so if it was or is so bad then people would have been getting sick? NO? This beach had many people there. Swimming in the water even. Amazing.

 

I don't think that " I must have gotten sick from the water that I swam in a couple of days ago" is the first thing that people think of when they get sick on a cruiseship so no I do not believe that we would hear about people getting ill after swimming here. Even if it wasn't " the food that I ate" or "the people that don't wash their hands before touching the tongs after going to the restroom", that's where our minds go when we get sick on a cruise. Most of the time I think that those are the ways that we get sick. NOT always though.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Karysa
sp

[Mjasp]

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.

 

Where is this beach (and the name) exactly and where do we get a water taxi?

[gtaylor]

Where is this beach (and the name) exactly and where do we get a water taxi?

 

You find the Water Taxi at the Cruise Facility, as you exit the pier, proper.

 

It will take you to Great Bay Beach, which is what is referred to in the above posts.

 

It is also the beach that several of us avoid because of concerns of water quality.

 

Great beach, questionable water.

 

gary