Home > When You First Arrive
When You First Arrive: The Basics
Arriving At Princess Juliana Airport or at the Dr. A. C. Wathey Cruise
Facilities
Updated March, 2009
How This Site Works:
Our new website is logically organized into three main sections: Before You
Fly Down, When You First Arrive, and While You're Here. When
you click any of those section names in the "Navigation Bars" at the left or at
the top of each page, you're taken to the main page for that section (that's
where you are). Scroll well down this page and you'll see the titles of
all the articles in this section of our site, with some of the copy. (This
particular section has none . . . but it will. "Before You Fly Down" has
many.) Click to access articles of interest. We're constantly adding new
articles, so check often. Most recently edited articles are always listed first.
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AIRPORT SECURITY / PASSPORTS:
Since 9/11, airport security has much tougher and passports are required.
Allow at
least two hours in the airport, preferably three hours, when leaving the
U. S. for security before your flight time. In your carry-on baggage, don't put
anything that security agents may find problematic. Carry on only what you really
need; check all other baggage. Report any remotely suspicious activity you see
anywhere IMMEDIATELY. You may also want to look under your seat; if you see
anything there that doesn't belong there, give it to a flight attendant before
the plane leaves the ground (applies whenever and wherever you fly).
IF YOU ARE
ARRIVING BY SHIP, explicitly follow the instructions of your ship's crew.
SIGN UP FOR
OUR FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER; when we have more information related to flying
(bargain fares, revised procedures, safety precautions, etc.) our mailing list
gets that info quickly. There is no charge to join the list. The newsletter is
issued every Monday (Tuesdays on holiday weeks). WE WILL NEVER SELL OR
RELEASE OUR MAILING LIST TO ANYONE. To receive the newsletter, just type
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IMPORTANT:
Everyone who joins our free list receives a confirming email. You must
"confirm" to be added to our list (to prevent someone else from signing you
up). Once confirmed, you're in.
The links below
may be of interest:
[In Before You Fly Down]
St. Maarten and St. Martin Timeshare Condominium & Vacation Rentals -- For Rent or Sale by Owners
HOW THIS PAGE WORKS: Members of JMB Website Supporters can post free timeshare rental / sale ads here. Members who own timeshare weeks must provide the exact dates of the week being rented since many renters do not know what week numbers mean. When submitting an ad, you must EXACTLY follow the format we use below. Ads should be submitted to the email address supplied to JMB Website Supporters; submit ads as far in advance of the "use" date as possible (a year ahead isn't too soon).
Get The Most Out of Your Vacation With All The Benefits of JMB Website Supporters Membership
This is the page where you can learn why thousands of St. Maarten / St. Martin travelers have joined JMB Website Supporters! Member benefits include big savings on airfares, car rentals, dinners, phone calls, hotel and condos reservations, fun activities, and lots more.
St. Martin / St. Maarten Hotels, Resorts, and Timeshare Resorts
Includes St. Maarten hotels, resorts, inns, timeshare condos, luxury villas by the sea, and more.
"Associate Memberships" In JMB Communications: What's In It For You?
About Associate Memberships in JMB Communications and donations to keep St. Maarten Weekly News and the Timesharing in St. Maarten Email Forum coming.
Low-cost airfare to St. Maarten/St. Martin/SXM!
We are frequently asked how you can find the lowest airfares. We have one red-flag warning to everyone who is searching for the lowest fares: if possible, never search at the last minute. Hunting for low airfares when you have a tight short-term deadline is the worst way to buy tickets...
Discount St. Maarten Airfares
Check this article to see airfare information and to get phone numbers where you can buy dependably low airfares...
Summit Resort: Our Favorite Hotel/Timeshare in SXM
We visit St. Maarten often enough to have selected accommodations which feel a bit like home -- friendly, comfortable, and convenient. Usually, you'll find us at Summit Resort, on a hilltop in the Cupecoy area overlooking Simpson Bay Lagoon. We first went there 24 years ago on a charter. It's a great place, totally rebuilt after 1995 Hurricane Luis. Summit offers both hotel accommodations and timesharing with all the amenities.
Jeff Berger's St. Maarten / St. Martin Hotels & Resorts Information and Discount Reservations Center
Great rates & immediate confirmations from 35 "SXM" hotels. What could be simpler?
This page enables you to make online reservations at hotels on the French Side and the Dutch Side. All hotels are listed in alphabetical order according to which side of the island they're on. We've even listed Orient Beach hotels separately under French Side Hotels and we're providing an Orient Beach map so you can see exactly where they are.
Tips for Enjoying St. Maarten / St. Martin for People With Disabilities
My husband, Marty, has Chronic Progressive
Multiple Sclerosis. What this means is that his Multiple Sclerosis symptoms will
continue to progress. Currently Marty uses a wheelchair all the time. This can
make some things difficult for travel.
St. Maarten / St. Martin Free Weekly Newsletter
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about our FREE weekly nesletter. Yes. It really is free...
Vacation Packing List
Depending on where you're going, who is going with you (spouse / significant other / parents / grandparents / friends / kids) you'll want to change this list. However, if you've ever forgotten anything important and then been faced with the cost of replacing it while away, that can be a pain. We hope this list helps!
How To Obtain a Passport
Passport rules have changed! If you have no prior passport or one issued over 15 years ago, adult or child, you need...
About Your Safety in St. Maarten / St. Martin
Is there crime in St. Maarten? Unfortunately the only place where we think there ISN'T crime these days is Antarctica. The crime rate is lower than many other islands. We have always felt quite safe there, but the island is not crime-free and savvy tourists always take precautions. (It's paradise, not utopia.)
Timesharing Calendar
Saturday to Saturday Weeks through 2011
St. Maarten / St. Martin Wildlife
One of the fascinating things about SXM is its abundant wildlife. This section gives you a glimpse of some of it... updated 2009.
Jeff Berger's Discount St. Martin Hotel Reservations Center
This page and the one you can link to above enable you to make online reservations at hotels on the French Side and the Dutch Side. All hotels are listed in alphabetical order according to which side of the island they're on. We've even listed Orient Beach hotels separately under French Side Hotels and we're providing an Orient Beach map so you can see exactly where they are.
Online Air, Car, and Hotel Reservations Center
The same company that owns both Expedia and Travelocity runs our simple, easy to use reservations system. Our system is much simpler and easier to use. A couple of clicks, and you're there. It's Reservations Made Simple*.
An Overview of St. Maarten/St. Martin History & Culture
The history of the Caribbean is filled with stories of colonial imperialism where islands changed hands from country to country. St. Maarten was no ace in the imperial holdings, but had its share of skirmishes and smoky gun battles, which caused the island to change hands many times between the Spanish, Dutch, English and French powers.
St. Maarten / St Martin "First Things First"
The inside scoop on all the little details the travel brochures forget to mention…
International Timeshare Condominiums For Rent or Sale
International Timeshare Condominiums For Rent, Sale, or Swap
Airlines Flying to St. Maarten / St. Martin, and How To Get Low-Cost Airfares
We are frequently asked how you can find the lowest airfares. We have one red-flag warning to everyone who is searching for the lowest fares: if possible, never search at the last minute. Hunting for low airfares when you have a tight short-term deadline is the worst way to buy tickets. Some people join JMB Website Supporters expecting to find low airfares overnight. If sales are underway [wholesale, retail, or unadvertised], they'll succeed. On the other hand, if sales are not underway when you are looking for fares, you will have to be patient to find the fares you want.
Philipsburg As A Cruise Ship Port
Coming Soon - this page is currently under construction.
St. Maarten on the Cheap
Coming Soon - this page is currently under construction.
St. Maarten / St. Martin Frequently Asked Questions
St. Maarten / St. Martin FAQs is Under Construction
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Low Airfares
St. Maarten Gifts/Souvenirs 2006 Early-Bird "Pre-Holidays" Sale
Pictures & Order Form for: T-Shirts - Sweatshirts - Tank Tops - Oversized Fluorescent Green Sxm Euro Oval Luggage Tags - "Fly Me To St. Maarten!" License Plate Frames - White/"Tropical Raspberry" Sxm Canvas Beach Totes - New Edition Sxm Euro-Oval Stickers - Genuine Coleman® Drink Coozies - Tropical Hair (Or Wrist) "Twisties" - St. Maarten Keychains, and more.
Medical Preparations for Travel To St. Maarten / St. Martin
Perhaps two years ago, we first mentioned "emergency medical evacuation." This story tells you what "medical evacuation" has to do with you, and why taking care of this before your next trip is so important.
First a brief personal note. In 1996, I contracted "Ciguatera" (which I had never heard of) in the tropics. I won't tell you all the symptoms (you may be having your morning coffee and a bagel), but I lost about 40 lbs in a month. Andy at Baywatch on Orient Beach later told me he saw a guy fall off a stool at a restaurant, overcome by Ciguatera. (Google it). Bottom line, I got better and am fine, but it could have been much worse....
Jeff Berger's St. Maarten Singles Connection
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