Hello all. I hope the recovery efforts are going well. I watched the whole thing unfold in horror. SB has become our go to vacation spot and we have even considered retiring on the island. I am confident that eventually it will be restored to its previous glory.
Which brings me to my question... I rented http://www.wimco.com/villas/villa.aspx?pid=903980 through Luxury Retreats not too long before the storm hit, booked flights and even invited another couple (as we usually do) to share in the beauty. Immediately after the devastation became apparent, I started messaging the rental office about changing our booking. They were not ready to rebook me elsewhere and wanted to take a wait and see attitude. But my feeling is that visiting as a tourist during a period of massive reconstruction, we would not be doing anyone any favors. Even if our villa is intact, there are roads that may be in need of repair, infrastructure missing, restaurants, marinas and shops will still be rebuilding...it just seems to me we would be getting in the way of reconstruction efforts instead of contributing to the economy. Is there any word from any government officials on the logistics and a recommendation not to travel to SB for the short term future to allow things to get back to a semblance of normal? I am getting this vibe from Luxury Retreats that they are going to hold me to the booking because they are normally johnny-on-the-spot when you send them an email but right now they are very slow to reply, and this concerns me greatly. (They are located in Canada, so not affected by the storm.) Not just for us but for our guests as well as anyone else with near immediate future travel plans. Our dates are 11/25 through 12/2. Thanks in advance for any advice. The residents of SB are in my thoughts daily.
Which brings me to my question... I rented http://www.wimco.com/villas/villa.aspx?pid=903980 through Luxury Retreats not too long before the storm hit, booked flights and even invited another couple (as we usually do) to share in the beauty. Immediately after the devastation became apparent, I started messaging the rental office about changing our booking. They were not ready to rebook me elsewhere and wanted to take a wait and see attitude. But my feeling is that visiting as a tourist during a period of massive reconstruction, we would not be doing anyone any favors. Even if our villa is intact, there are roads that may be in need of repair, infrastructure missing, restaurants, marinas and shops will still be rebuilding...it just seems to me we would be getting in the way of reconstruction efforts instead of contributing to the economy. Is there any word from any government officials on the logistics and a recommendation not to travel to SB for the short term future to allow things to get back to a semblance of normal? I am getting this vibe from Luxury Retreats that they are going to hold me to the booking because they are normally johnny-on-the-spot when you send them an email but right now they are very slow to reply, and this concerns me greatly. (They are located in Canada, so not affected by the storm.) Not just for us but for our guests as well as anyone else with near immediate future travel plans. Our dates are 11/25 through 12/2. Thanks in advance for any advice. The residents of SB are in my thoughts daily.