For many, the idea of traveling across the Caribbean, experiencing diverse cultures, and enjoying luxurious stays at resorts where the staff knows your name sounds like a dream. For Sue and Steven Bastarache, this dream is a delightful reality thanks to the Divi Vacation Club.
We chatted with Sue Bastarache about her experience as a President’s Elite member, and how it’s given her a new sense of home.
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, the Bastarache’s first experience with Divi was on St. Maarten in 2016. “We initially stayed at another property, but we were eyeing Divi Little Bay the entire time,” Sue recalls. “The next year, we stayed at the Divi and joined the vacation club on the spot.”
One of the standout benefits of being a Divi Vacation Club member, according to Sue, is the flexibility it offers. “Booking vacations through other companies didn’t feel like we were coming home. At Divi, we feel like we’re side-by-side with people who are doing the same thing,” she explains. This sense of community and familiarity is something Sue and her husband cherish deeply. They’ve visited six of the seven Divi properties, and just recently did their first inter-island trip from Aruba to Bonaire in January. “The staff is amazing. As soon as they see us, they know us by name, whether it’s a server or someone else. It’s just a different caliber of service.”
Since the Bastaraches have hopped all around the Caribbean with Divi, we asked Sue what sets each island apart from the others. “Aruba is where we go when we want to be busy — though we could go and just do the beach if we wanted to. We’ll stay at Village Golf or at Phoenix and it’s just walking distance from everything in town. We go to St. Maarten for the culture, and we went back last year to experience Oceans, which was incredible. And Bonaire is just different,” she says fondly.
“Bonaire is 100 percent our home,” she declares. Sue shares how her experience at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort evolved from learning to scuba dive to forming deep connections with the staff. “Now, the staff knows we’re coming, and we actually get hugs from them. Whether it’s Oscar at the front desk or Ricardo, we know them all. Celine will reach out to me to grab a coffee while we’re there. It’s extremely safe and very friendly. As a woman alone, I could walk into town, come back, have a swim, and relax.” The happy couple even had their vows renewed right on the beach at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort in 2025!
While Sue agrees that each island offers its own culture, hotspots, and unique appeal (“Once you dive in Bonaire, you truly cannot go anywhere else”), she concedes that, “The common denominator has to be the people. On every island, we are humbled by the positivity, warmth, and friendliness we are surrounded by.”
Though they travel at least 3 weeks a year, Sue and her husband have capitalized on the flexibility of their Pure Points to share the joy of travel with family and friends. “I’ve used my extra points to book my daughter an incredible trip to Hawaii, and we used them to book 10 rooms in Vegas for my other daughter’s wedding. It cost me next to nothing. We love that we can do that — and it’s truly such a simple process.”
The Bastarache’s journey with the Divi Vacation Club is a testament to the enriching experiences and cherished memories that come with being a member. Whether it’s diving in Bonaire, exploring the culture in St. Maarten, or enjoying the vibrant life in Aruba, the possibilities are endless and endlessly rewarding.