Travel Restriction Process and Timing

Hey folks! We are scheduled to head to SBH on 3.20 and like everyone else, monitoring the travel ban and trying to sort out our plans. We have a deposit into our agency for our villa, and the balance was due this past week. We have not been asked to pay it, which IMO makes sense as who knows what will happen at this point. The challenge from here is that if we keep our eggs in the SBH basket hoping things are open by 3.20 and it turns out to not be viable, then we will be going nowhere. By contrast, we could abandon SBH now and make alternate arrangements (likely just staying inside the US), and risk losing the deposit outright. I am sure many folks are contemplating similar things...

The above background leads me to this simple question: Is there any clarity on when additional decisions or information will be taken/released? I have read comments around moving the date for reopening from late Feb to March 15, but I am less clear whether or not there is any official timetable for making such decisions. Ideally, we would at least wait until the next decision point before making our own choice. If anyone is clear on the process, if there even is one, would appreciate the intel. Thanks!

I am not sure how you could lose a deposit on a villa, if indeed the island decides not to let in tourists.

The scenario I am imagining is one in which the island reopens on 3.15 and we have made alternate plans because there was no clarity, so the rental company would argue that we could have come. If it is in fact fully closed at 3.20 I would expect the deposit to at least roll forward somehow. Anyway, I am just trying to understand if there are any actual known dates related to when decisions will be made.

The decision to open is in France's hands. As soon as a decision is made it will be posted here but the villas and airlines will know too.

I am clear on the fact that this rests with France. Is there any known timetable or next announced point of an update, or is it just open ended with no real clear next decision point?

Peter
The Forum is doing it’s best to keep us apprised of the latest information. There are no timetables or planned updates. The island authorities are doing everything they can to open the island up as soon as possible.
I suggest you talk directly with your Villa Rental people. Generally the villa agencies and owners have been very fair..

OK if there are no known next dates for decisions, then we will just likely go ahead with making alternative plans as we do not have flexibility on travel dates given children school breaks... Thanks!

PeterHarris said:

OK if there are no known next dates for decisions, then we will just likely go ahead with making alternative plans as we do not have flexibility on travel dates given children school breaks... Thanks!

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There is a persistent rumor of a 3/15 lifting. I spoke to an island business person yesterday and she was hopeful for March 15th.

JEK said:

There is a persistent rumor of a 3/15 lifting. I spoke to an island business person yesterday and she was hopeful for March 15th.

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Hmm

JEK said:

And you reference a rumor as the source. We all have a responsibility to our dear readers to help interpret what gets posted. Many new posters looking for answers and posting unsubstantiated dates isn’t helpful to their plight.

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andynap said:

Hmm

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Hope springs eternal and her name is Brigitte :heart1:

didier said:

I am not sure how you could lose a deposit on a villa, if indeed the island decides not to let in tourists.

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Businesses in St. Barts tend to seem much more understanding and flexible of these circumstances. We’ve had to change dates quite a few times for trips this past year, sometimes by just a day or two to accommodate flight schedule changes and others by many weeks to deal with border closures like we’re experiencing now. In each instance, everyone from Tradewind to our hotel was incredibly accommodating, and we were never penalized.

I had a much less pleasant experience with a trip to Iceland that had been scheduled for last August. Despite booking the trip well before covid was ever even known about, the hotel we were to stay at refused to allow us to reschedule our trip or receive a refund. We were happy to let them keep our money and had just asked to postpone to 2021, but they refused, stating that we had booked a nonrefundable room. When I repeatedly begged them to understand that it was their country banning me from entering, and that surely they could keep my money and reschedule the trip, they responded with a decline, but noted that they would “give us a great discount when we returned next time.” Anyone want to guess which hotel we are NEVER staying at in Iceland now?

I think hoteliers and villa owners, especially larger companies, in St. Barts are well aware of how the optics of these tough decisions play and impact customer loyalty.

We also have a villa booked for April and our cancellation date was 20th February after that date I was told we would have an option of booking the villa at a later date if we canceled but no refund. I gave notice to cancel before the 20th and was told by the agency they were waiting for this weekend to see what information was announced at the meeting. We still want to go but I’m not prepared to try and slot into availability to this one villa. I don’t mind holding on till March to hear but I am expecting a full refund as I did give notice. I also don’t understand how they can not give a full refund if the island isn’t open. �� for a March opening...

Hi Peter,
We are in a similar circumstance with an arrival date of 2/27. With no official date on reopening we were forced to cancel for now. Our villa agency, and airlines (JetBlue & Tradewinds) were all understanding and accommodating. These are such uncertain times...I do not believe any rental agent or airline would want to lose your future business.
We are looking forward to rebooking our holiday as soon as we are able to. Good Luck!

didier said:

I am not sure how you could lose a deposit on a villa, if indeed the island decides not to let in tourists.

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St Barts Blue in 2020 required payment in full and then would not process any refunds. Their claim was that while the island was not open to visitors, the villa itself was and therefore they had met the terms of the lease. The other villa rental agencies - Eden Rock, Sibarth, Wimco - were much more flexible I understand.

Hello StevieT
Did you ask for a postponement to a later date?

The agency I spoke with last month about renting on St Barth during these uncertain times admitted that it would be "up to the villa owner" whether we would receive a refund, offered a rescheduling or if we would lose our payment. They were confident that it would not be just a flat out loss of payment, but they were not willing to put it in writing. It really felt to me like a conversation the agency needed to have with the owners and just insist on at least an 18 month rescheduling window, but the agency didn't want to own the problem. I can sympathize from the villa owners perspective, if they normally fill up most weeks in the high season then rescheduling this year's renter for next year is exactly like a full refund to them from a loss of revenue situation. But from a pragmatic business point of view, if the agencies don't force the issue on the owners, it will be the agencies that the renters refuse to deal with in the future.

StevieT said:

St Barts Blue in 2020 required payment in full and then would not process any refunds. Their claim was that while the island was not open to visitors, the villa itself was and therefore they had met the terms of the lease. The other villa rental agencies - Eden Rock, Sibarth, Wimco - were much more flexible I understand.

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Good to know. It will simplify the villa search process in the future. With that kind of customer service attitude, there's no need to ever look at any St. Barts Blue property. Ever.