SXM Airport Departure MESS

[alexkrn46]

Just now, fsr44 said:

When was last call?  We're in the Retreat and wondering how late we can stay on the ship when we cruise next month (we have an afternoon flight).

Thank you!

It was around 9:45 am. we were also in the retreat and were offered to stay later in the retreat lounge. but we felt akward.  The retreat was absolutely awesome.

[fsr44]

7 minutes ago, alexkrn46 said:

It was around 9:45 am. we were also in the retreat and were offered to stay later in the retreat lounge. but we felt akward.  The retreat was absolutely awesome.

Thank you!  Given what I've heard about the airport situation, I'm willing to hang around the Retreat feeling awkward until they kick us off!  Glad you had a great experience.

[cloudchaser]

18 hours ago, alexkrn46 said:

We  flew yesterday from Saint Maarten. Thanks to the boards here we knew not to go to the airport early for our 4:30 flight. We tried to get a day room but there were none available. The Holland House will let you use their facilities and even lock your luggage but if we went to the beach I would want to take a  shower.  When we picked up our luggage we  asked our porter to see if he could find a driver to take us around the island until 1:30pm. We had a lovely morning touring the island, seeing  lovely beaches and lunch in Margot. At 1:30 she took us to the airport and the line was wrapped around the   building. I asked our driver to take us for another hour. We returned at 2:30pm. We only had to wait outside for 1/2 hour and another 1/2 inside.

Outside if you had an earlier flight, the attendents would allow them to jump the line.

It was a madhouse , you would led into one huge room.

 

I would try to minumize your time at the airport. 

Thanks for this update and recommendations.  Did you have to have the St. Maarten COVID insurance to go around the island?  I'm thinking that since we are no staying overnight we are still in-transit and do not need the insurance.  Did you pay the drivers in US dollars?  How much was you cost for the day?  Thanks again for the information.  We are also out at 4:30 and will probably follow in your footsteps.

[Shorex]

To put the condition of the SXM airport in perspective, it was named "Caribbean Airport of the Year" in 2016. 

https://www.sxmairport.com/news-20160418-SXM-Named-Caribbean-Airport-of-the-Year-2016.php

 

More photos of SXM (posted by Winair) in 2016, focusing on the departure hall, shops, and the executive lounge.

https://morepremium.com/review-winair-st-maarten-st-barths/

 

Then, in September 2017, the island was devastated by hurricane Irma. The airport was heavily damaged.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/09/07/hurricane-irma-may-have-destroyed-one-worlds-most-famous-airports/640943001/

 

 

Rebuilding and restoring the airport is taking years, but a recent $50 million loan to the airport authority means restoration should be finished by the end of 2022. So don't give up entirely on flying to St Maarten.

[FlyerTalker]

To follow up on Shorex's excellent historic note -- when Irma hit, it didn't just damage the airport.  It closed it down completely for over a month, and even when reopened, there was limited functionality - mostly incoming relief supplies.  Water and sand hit most facilities, and much of the building had to be torn down and cleaned out before rebuilding could start.  It wasn't until a year later that some arrival and departure activities even moved back into a part of the permanent structure.

[alexkrn46]

4 hours ago, cloudchaser said:

Thanks for this update and recommendations.  Did you have to have the St. Maarten COVID insurance to go around the island?  I'm thinking that since we are no staying overnight we are still in-transit and do not need the insurance.  Did you pay the drivers in US dollars?  How much was you cost for the day?  Thanks again for the information.  We are also out at 4:30 and will probably follow in your footsteps.

we paid for the insurance But nobody asked us, we bought it by mistake. The taxi tour was$90, which I thought was fair, celebrity was charging $60 for the transfer

[FlyerTalker]

53 minutes ago, alexkrn46 said:

we paid for the insurance But nobody asked us, we bought it by mistake. The taxi tour was$90, which I thought was fair, celebrity was charging $60 for the transfer

 

Maybe it's like the transit systems where they don't check everyone for a ticket, but if you don't have one when asked, there is a significant fine.  Or like driving 90 mph in a 25 zone - you're fine if there's no cop behind the tree, but if there is one.....

 

So....the question is, do you enjoy life as a scofflaw?

[cloudchaser]

2 hours ago, alexkrn46 said:

we paid for the insurance But nobody asked us, we bought it by mistake. The taxi tour was$90, which I thought was fair, celebrity was charging $60 for the transfer

Thanks for answering my questions.

[cloudchaser]

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

To follow up on Shorex's excellent historic note -- when Irma hit, it didn't just damage the airport.  It closed it down completely for over a month, and even when reopened, there was limited functionality - mostly incoming relief supplies.  Water and sand hit most facilities, and much of the building had to be torn down and cleaned out before rebuilding could start.  It wasn't until a year later that some arrival and departure activities even moved back into a part of the permanent structure.

In September 2017 Hurricane Irma deposited five embedded tornados on our east Florida costal island.  One hit our house taking 1/3 of our roof off, destroying the rooms on the north side of the house and stripping our pool enclosure off the back of our house like a broom.  And a lot of miscellaneous damage.  It took us two years to finally complete all the repairs.  I thought I was done with the problems caused by Irma but it looks like she is going to get me again at the SXM airport.  

[Fedic]

We were on the 6/12 cruise.  If your schedule allows, I would absolutely recommend staying the night in St. Maarten and flying out on Sunday.  Our airport experience on 6/20 was no waiting outside, about a 10 minute check-in at American Airlines, no security line, and plenty of seats in the gate area.  We arrived at about noon for a 2:30 flight.  

 

The hotel staff and cab driver all indicated that Saturdays are always a madhouse at the airport.  They said a lot of the timeshare stays end on Saturday, as well.

 

Also.. Celebrity did pass out the Attestation forms needed for the airport with the luggage tags the day before debarkation, so it seems like that was corrected between the first and second cruise.

[Ladyc2538]

On 6/14/2021 at 11:04 AM, BSocial said:

 In that situation, grab a taxi from the airport and go somewhere comfortable, until your departure window to check in is near.  I would imagine some travelers with later flights did just that.  
Not Celebrity’s fault for airport constraints.
 

Also think luggage valet from ship to airports will not be offered during early cruising under COVID protocols,    

I was on Royal  Adventure of the Sea 6/12 -6/19 Bahamas cruise. Royal did provide transportation for our luggage.  The luggage conveyor belts was not working so after checking in we had to bring our luggage to the end of the airport. Then we had to go through security and customs. It took all of 30 minutes. Every airline was doing its part to get people checked in and as bad as it looked it was not that bad.