Pat, Many vacationers like myself own at a specific place & week and can't trade off their vacations.

If I am mistaken, please correct me, but from what I have seen so far from all the responses, those that have truthfully said "no" to returning do not own anything, whether it be a timeshare or condo and normally stay on the quieter side of the island for their entire trip. The only ones I could see who own and are not returning are the Oyster Bay people because of the remoteness of their location and they also can switch thru RCI and II if they wanted to.

So then here is a new question:

NEW QUESTION:
Who will not be returning to the island anytime soon due mostly to the crime issue and not the Euro issue and do you own a timeshare or condo on the island?

Bob, your situation seems very different than most to be locked into your unit without any alternatives unless you prefer not to join II or RCI so now you puzzle me.

[www.vrbo.com]

Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

Our trip to SXM for Dec 2008 is booked and paid for, so we will making that trip. I think Richard would have skipped this year if I had not insisted (we own a timehare). I have a feeling that he may win next year when he suggests another destination...timeshare or not.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
bettenan from beautiful bucks county (pa)

john,
If I can, excuse me if I overstep myself, instead of mentioning a "Euro" issue, can I suggest to mention an "Economic" issue since people can find themselves in difficulty already in the States with their finances, etc... and with the inflation (including the raising price of the flight tickets) could revise their idea of coming down.
So the question then would be "Who will not be returning to the island anytime soon due strictly to the crime issue and not an economic issue, and do you own or not a timeshare, or property on the island"?


Kind Regards,
Philippe



[www.facebook.com]

I'm not returning SPECIFICALLY due to crime. We'll take a vacation but, sadly, it won't be SXM.

Contessa

Bob owns a timeshare on the French side which is apparently not affiliated with either RCI or II, so he cannot trade.

I have to be honest and say that, if I did not own three timeshare weeks, I might feel differently about my decision. Even though I can trade (I would have to re-institute my RCI membership to do so), I bought my weeks fully intending to use them at my home resort and not trade. I'm still inclined to do so.

John Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If I am mistaken, please correct me, but from what
> I have seen so far from all the responses, those
> that have truthfully said "no" to returning do not
> own anything, whether it be a timeshare or condo
> and normally stay on the quieter side of the
> island for their entire trip. The only ones I
> could see who own and are not returning are the
> Oyster Bay people because of the remoteness of
> their location and they also can switch thru RCI
> and II if they wanted to.
>
> So then here is a new question:
>
> NEW QUESTION:
> Who will not be returning to the island anytime
> soon due mostly to the crime issue and not the
> Euro issue and do you own a timeshare or condo on
> the island?>
> Bob, your situation seems very different than most
> to be locked into your unit without any
> alternatives unless you prefer not to join II or
> RCI so now you puzzle me.



Answer: I can say if we had not already booked (non-refundable tix) I believe Richard would have taken a hard line on trying to trade our time share/unit for somewhere else. I have never been successful with trading, but I have feeling I'll be trying again for next year.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
bettenan from beautiful bucks county (pa)

BobP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pat, Many vacationers like myself own at a
> specific place & week and can't trade off their
> vacations.

Bob,

We own specific units during specific weeks at a specific property and we have the option of using our time as we own it; or - doing internal exchanges (which wouldn't really help much given the topic of discussion here); or - banking with RCI or II and exchanging anywhere else we want to go.

Are you saying that your timeshare on the French side won't allow you to make exchanges? If that's the case then I get what you're saying but I'd just never heard of a timeshare working that way before.

But regardless of all the above, we still choose to [hopefully] enjoy our timeshare vacations this November and again and next April, too.

For all those who choose not to return, I respect your reasons for your decision and certainly your right to go where you feel more comfortable and for those who have personally been a victim of island crime, I can certainly understand how you would make choices based on those happenings and once again, let me reiterate, I hope down the road I never find myself having to make the choices you've already been forced to make.

Respectfully,

pat




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2008 08:50PM by pat.

John Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not every visitor of the island frequents these
> message boards.....
>
> And this is not to disrespect either message board
> but...
>
> Thank goodness. I'm beginning to believe that
> going around with blinders on can lead to a
> happier and more stress-free life, being that not
> having blinders on doesn't seem to work anyway and
> it only creates undue stress in the meantime.
>
> My motto of the day...In the short time we have on
> earth, live life to it's fullest. If not, then
> resolve yourself now to a very stressfull yet dull
> life of constantly looking over your shoulder.
>
> Have a good time MarcG!!!!

John,

You are one very wise person. Thanks for perhaps the best quote I've read so far on this subject.

Respectfully,

pat

Contessa, this is exactly what we need to know and get as "message" to go throught... being sure that people choose not to come back strictly (or specifically as you stated) because of the crime issue and not for other reasons...

Bob... Your timeshare is I beleive in Anse Marcel. Aren't they affiliated with RCI or II like the majority of timesahre resorts? because if they are, then I don't see how it should be different for you than for the other timeshare owner around the globe through those two clubs. I maybe wrong though, since I didn't owned a timeshare in a loooong time ....

Kind Regards,
Philippe



[www.facebook.com]

> NEW QUESTION:
> Who will not be returning to the island anytime
> soon due mostly to the crime issue and not the
> Euro issue and do you own a timeshare or condo on
> the island?

We own timeshare and do NOT plan to go back in 2009 because of the crime.

So sorry Philippe...you are right...it should specify "and not an economic issue".

And now we have 1 timeshare owner (busy side) who will absolutely, undeniably not return to SXM whatsoever and 1 non-timeshare owner (quiet side) who won't as well and both due to crime.

Hmmmm....so right now it's a tie...this will be interesting to see who will break the tie...

Who will not be returning to the island anytime soon due strictly to the crime issue and not an economic issue, and do you own or not a timeshare, or property on the island"?

[www.vrbo.com]

Life is not a child's game of follow the Leader. Instead, life is more about finding one's own purpose in life....your life's plan, and then making a positive difference on earth.

I will not return unless there is a change in the air re the crime situation. Not the crime as much as the impression I am getting of the inability of the authorities to control it. I don't want to offer solutions as I have no knowledge of the politics, finances of the island, but just think that there are other options for us re vacations. Vacation elsewhere are probably more expensive for the overall experience so ours isn't a financial choice.

However, once you make or make the decision not to go there or anywhere it is easier to justify your decision by bringing up other factors. The same can be said if you decided to go. We as humans always justify our purchases/decisions. "I really needed another pair of shoes to go with my new slacks". Jeez I probably didn't need the slacks.

With due respect to anyone who doesn't want to return (myself included) we don't need anyone else to side with our decision as if numbers of people with the same decision add credence to our decision. You go or you don't go. If I am the only visitor that doesn't return I would not change my mind as I had decided earlier based on the feeling I had last January when I was there. I always thought that when the people looked at you there was always a sense that they had a serenity about them. Last year it was there for us, and this year I sensed whether real or imagined that there was a different look about as if they were checking me out almost like the fox looking at the chickens in a coop looking for a hole in the chicken wire. I am not paranoid by nature and consider myself rather astute in characterizing people.

I think the series of events that have happened in the last three weeks have really brought home the dangers that are present in this world, as staunch promoters of the island became victims. This brings on the attitude if it happened to them I can be a victim too. Before many of the posters here and the other SXM site really had the attitude it happened to them but I am vigilant and I will be safe. Suddenly after he attack on Kim and Bruce there was a new reality and then Barb in broad daylight kind of drove a nail in the coffin for alot of posters.

As a final comment"Things change and never is a long time"! So I hope.

I had the right to remain silent...but I didn't.

[burlingtonscwt.wordpress.com]

I purchased my French side time share for Pres week directly from the owners/management. I notify them directly and not thru RCI or whatever. Yes, the management company is connected to RCI. But our purchase has nothing to do with RCI and any changes I need I contact the management.Since the ts units are limited I purchased from a couple who wanted to sell that week and live in Paris.The management handles the transaction for both parties.With Maggie's RCI membership occasionally we've been able to add extra days to our vacations but have to contact RCI for availablity.Its easier to just pay the day rate to extend our trips and use RCI for our Nov trips but staying elsewhere that RCI has open.Our lease is for 99 yrs and we intend to go every yr.HaHa....Hey John,Another option is vacationers can spend 90% of their time at the hotel/time share property. Yrs ago many visitors spend their entire vacation using the hotel beach, restaurants & activities.For many there was no reason to leave the hotel especially if they didn't rent a car.Hotels shuttled guests to casinos and restaurants too.Crime may force vacationers to spend their vacations at a hotel like yrs ago.

I have decided to pass on my November visit . I am going to keep an eye on what happens before I decide on April, I am already searching for other places to spend
my money.

I specifically will not return in November to the crime events since my April visit.

The exchange does not bother me because I was visiting when the Canadian dollar was .67 to a US dollar. If ya wanna go ya just go.

My thoughts

Michael