jumpy

We're booked into a one-week catamaran sail in March and we were wanting to spend a few days in St. Maarten as well. As I've looked at the TTOL website it's becoming very apparent that a lot of the beaches and resort places are clothing optional. We are not stuffshirts at all but we have no interest in being on a nude beach or a resort where there's no clothing required in a pool. I was reading last night about a place where there's a series of private pools and the people asked other guests sitting around the pool area whether they'd mind that he and his wife swam in the nude. The guests said they were nude as well so everyone was in the pool nude. I'm wondering about etiquette here - if this happened to us, I would mind. Would I have the right to say that I don't want them to swim in the nude or not, since I'm a paying guest at the resort as well? We'd rather stay at a place where this isn't a concern - in fact, we might just decide to do the sail and leave St. Maarten without spending extra time there. Everybody can do their thing and I respect that however I don't want to be in a position where it's uncomfortable. Thank you for your comments.
Please, no comments about us 'lightening up'!!!

Statia

I live near St. Maarten/St. Martin and travel there frequently...even with young children at times....and have never seen any complete nudity unless I was specifically on Orient Beach. That is the only clothing optional beach on the island.

You will see the occassional topless woman on the French side beaches, or perhaps at a swimming pool, but I have never seen people completely nude other than at the clothing optional area of Orient Beach. Perhaps the resort referred to in your post was at Orient Bay as I'm sure there would be nude swimming at resorts in that area.

I have stayed in many places on the island, and other than Orient I have never seen anyone completely nude either in the pool or on the beach, so I don't think you will have a problem.

cartera

We stayed at Grand Case Beach Club and there was no nudity and not much toplessness. We visited Baie Rouge and there was no nudity there either. I think C/O is limited to certain beaches or more remote beaches like Long Bay. I highly recommend Grand Case Beach Club. The beach there is small but the water is great and there is good snorkeling nearby at Creole Rock.

RAB

Orient Beach is clothing optional, but the only hotel on it that is nude is Club Orient. At one or two of the other hotels on it, you may find the kind of thing you were referring to, but it is not general on the island. It is much harder to find a place where you can be nude than to find one where nobody is; that is probably why you find them emphasized on some forums. Pick a Dutch side or a Grand Case hotel and it will not be an issue; even at most of the Orient hotels it will not be either, although there you may see nudity on the beach. Topless is not uncommon at pools and beaches, particularly on the French side, depending on the particular guest population at the time.

semiramis

One thing that you should know is that a LOT of TTOL regulars are naturists - therefore they are obviously going to emphasize CO opportunities. We stayed in a hotel on Orient beach last year. Our hotel specifically prohibited nudity in the pool and at their bar/restaurant and for users of their loungers. Most hotels have this sort of rule. If you are concerned just check the policy at the hotel you intend to stay at. At our hotel a woman wanted to sunbathe nude (no problem for us) but was told by staff to put her bottom on. Club Orient is the ONLY Naturist resort on Orient beach. A couple of the restaurants near Club Orient allow nudity. I am unaware of the other resort you referred to. Of course if you stay on Orient beach you WILL see nude people walking by and swimming in the ocean but most people will be wearing bathing suits (a lot of women will be topless on the beach as this is the European custom). No hotel would prohibit topless sunbathers at their pools or using their loungers. However every topless women I saw put on her top to go to the restaurant.
We have friends who are Naturists and they only swim au naturel in the ocean and even then only in front of Club orient where nearly everyone is nude.
As others have pointed out, one would not see nudity at Grand Case or most other beaches. (Cupecoy is the only other CO beach that I am aware of.) Toplessness is very common and you will see it on every beach and at swimming pools.