Following covid protocol while dining

Not an enjoyable way to spend $12,000.00 for a week vacation with the ever increasing restrictions.

Agreed. Sitting on one of the many beaches on SBH with a favorite book is a big part of our vacations. However, if this becomes the ONLY activity allowed, I’m sure I can find many (less expensive) beaches closer to home that would easily fulfill this requirement.
 
The attractions of St. Barths for tourists are many and varied. As they say, different strokes for different folks. For me and my family, we truly enjoy dining at a variety of restaurants which can be witnessed in our pics and posts over the years. We enjoy breakfast treats at the bakeries, varied by Le Jardin, L'Isoletta and a spurge at Manapany. Truly enjoy receiving Andy's daily special posts everyday and choosing where to enjoy a nice lunch special. Dinner's are extraordinary, easy to fill up seven of our rotation favorites in a week capping off with L'Esprit on our final night ritual.
No shopping for the girls in boutiques. No night caps at our favorite bars.
Postponing our upcoming March trip. Not an enjoyable way to spend $12,000.00 for a week vacation with the ever increasing restrictions. Waiting for the nonsense to end.

Now I’m not so devastated about canceling our trip. These new restrictions would have never worked for us. Going out to dinner every night, visiting the bakery every morning and having a daily nightcap at the Bonito bar are the highlights of our trip!
 
Agreed. Sitting on one of the many beaches on SBH with a favorite book is a big part of our vacations. However, if this becomes the ONLY activity allowed, I’m sure I can find many (less expensive) beaches closer to home that would easily fulfill this requirement.

We feel the same. We are scheduled to arrive on March 13, but if we cannot even take breakfast outside of our room at our hotel, it's hard to see the point. I wonder if many travelers will simply ignore the restrictions -- I don't think most people would be unwilling to eat at a single restaurant or enter a single shop for a full 7 days, even if they are then staying longer and will be "free." Perhaps more visitors stay for an extended period than I realize. At any rate, we are grateful to our hotel, Le Village, which is allowing us time to wait and see how things progress (instead of adhering to the usual 45-day cancellation policy, which would require us to decide by this coming Wednesday or lose our deposit). But given the state of the world, it appears unlikely that things will improve during the rapidly dwindling window enough to warrant easing of the current restrictions or allow us to feel confident that we'll be able to have a true, carefree St. Barth's vacation. So with heavy hearts, we are starting to accept that we will likely have to cancel, and maybe we'll be able to squeeze something in later in the spring if the pace of vaccination increases and numbers start to drop. Sigh.
 
We cancelled our trip to arrive on 2/13 a couple months ago. Was constantly having second thoughts but NOT now.
Like others have said, eating out every night is the reason we go on vacation.
Hope they get it figured out by the fall.
 
Two questions: 1. Is the 2021 Bucket still on.
2. Does it matter whether you have had the vaccine?I

My questions relate to the January 19 pronouncements by Mr. Bruno Magras.

Sorry for the confusion.

Dick
 
The Bucket is still on the calendar. Our fingers are crossed, but truthfully,nthat is not usually all that helpful.
 
Two questions: 1. Is the 2021 Bucket still on.
2. Does it matter whether you have had the vaccine?I

My questions relate to the January 19 pronouncements by Mr. Bruno Magras.

Sorry for the confusion.

Dick

1. So far so good!
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2. So far only a PCR test within 72 hours work for entry. The vaccination is not yet recognized.
 
I don't think I've yet seen any travel restrictions taking the vaccine into account, especially with it being a bit unclear if vaccinated folks can still spread the virus.
 
The whole experience last night really put a bad experience on Zion and the fact that the manager and other waitstaff clearly did not care that the lady was very sick and coughing nonstop and blowing her nose.
Another thing that really made me upset is when the lady blew her nose. She wiped the menu with her used tissues which made my stomach churn.

To answer other questions we arrived via tradewind from Antigua to SBH. We had a negative PCR Performed in our villa in Antigua by a private doctor. Our results were ready in less then 24 hours so we were well within the 72 hours.

I just want to caution everyone who is thinking about going to Zion this happened on 1/23/21.


Did you stay or leave ?
 
we have 4 children who come down with their families when we are there. They stay a week so the restrictions would cause all of them to have to cancel.
 
We stayed because we had already ordered our main courses. We ate very fast and left ASAP.
We are staying on our boat in the marina and every night the boats next to us are having massive parties. We are keeping to ourselves.
 
We are staying on our boat in the marina and every night the boats next to us are having massive parties. We are keeping to ourselves.

I recall seeing a photo of yachts at the quay a couple of months ago, including your “boat” among them. It looked quite stunning! I imagine it to be a happy place to keep to yourselves. Enjoy your remaining time here.
 
Tonight we went over to Zion. Big mistake on our part.
We got there early and there was only one table eating.
About 15 mins later a table comes in. Spaced apart but one woman is visibly sick. Blowing her nose nonstop wiping her used tissues on the menu and coughing nonstop.
We spoke to the manager about them having someone There who is visibly sick and they did not care and said they would give us the food to go. It’s just upsetting because I was in Antigua for a week and every where we went protocols were followed. I feel like allowing someone who coughing sneezing and sick during a pandemic is risking exposing everyone else.

As an inveterate fan, and early supporter, of Zion, I confess that I was dismayed by the experience that you described because it's not consistent with my acquaintance with Zion personnel to think that ". . . someone [was] There who is visibly sick and they did not care . . .." Moreover, I'm entrenched in my belief that "there's always at least two sides to every story." So, in dining tonight at Zion, I inquired about the situation . . . which was clearly recalled among the staff.

Another side to the story is that the manager is acquainted with the "visibly sick" patron and asked about her condition. It seems that she is a chef on the island and had three Covid tests in the preceding seven days in order for her to be allowed to continue working. Producing copies of her recent negative test results, including one done on the morning of this event, the manager was satisfied that it wasn't necessary (or appropriate) to ask her to leave the restaurant.

Of course, in view of highly wrought emotions arising from the pandemic and the enormously disturbing loss of life and lives undermined by it, some may reasonably conclude that it was poor judgment for this chef / guest to dine in a public space when she was "lowing her nose nonstop." The fact of the matter, however, in my opinion, is that the restaurant manager acted appropriately, and the restaurant does not deserve, under the circumstances, to be portrayed in a particularly unfavorable light. A broader portrayal of the situation includes information that wasn't immediately apparent in the posting that began this thread.
 
thanks Dennis. there are indeed 2 sides to every story. this throws a different light on Zion. However, tests, no tests, if someone is blowing their nose and making another diner feel threatened, then the diner should of left.

I remember seeing a member on here outside of maya's to go one day doing the same thing, and I decided not to go in that day, I waved and went into the superette. I was pretty sure this member did not have covid, but still I feel this member should have left and not stayed. we all have to make choices.
 
As an inveterate fan, and early supporter, of Zion, I confess that I was dismayed by the experience that you described because it's not consistent with my acquaintance with Zion personnel to think that ". . . someone [was] There who is visibly sick and they did not care . . .." Moreover, I'm entrenched in my belief that "there's always at least two sides to every story." So, in dining tonight at Zion, I inquired about the situation . . . which was clearly recalled among the staff.

Another side to the story is that the manager is acquainted with the "visibly sick" patron and asked about her condition. It seems that she is a chef on the island and had three Covid tests in the preceding seven days in order for her to be allowed to continue working. Producing copies of her recent negative test results, including one done on the morning of this event, the manager was satisfied that it wasn't necessary (or appropriate) to ask her to leave the restaurant.

Of course, in view of highly wrought emotions arising from the pandemic and the enormously disturbing loss of life and lives undermined by it, some may reasonably conclude that it was poor judgment for this chef / guest to dine in a public space when she was "lowing her nose nonstop." The fact of the matter, however, in my opinion, is that the restaurant manager acted appropriately, and the restaurant does not deserve, under the circumstances, to be portrayed in a particularly unfavorable light. A broader portrayal of the situation includes information that wasn't immediately apparent in the posting that began this thread.





Thanks for taking the time to get to the heart of this initial post. I feel strongly that anyone in the food service industry should have known better to be out in public dinning while seemingly visibly "sick". I have to go over this sort of stuff with my catering team constantly regarding their health when going into a home to do what is now an intimate sized event. This chef should have known better. On the other hand, I would be mortified if someone felt compelled to call out my business on a public forum without knowing all the facts. Such reporting can ruin a restaurant during these troubling times. I get asked frequently from potential incoming friends/clients what is going on down here with openings and closings. I refrain from passing on that information unless I have heard it directly from the owner. We are presently hardly going out as there are just too many things I see that are bothersome to me. I am not down here for the food and do not need to eat every meal out but I do understand that doing so is important to many people. If I had a yacht on the quay I would be happy dinning al fresco!
 
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