WHILE INBOUND TO THE ST MAARTEN ARPT; A B757 FLC RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM SAN JUAN CTR TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE PJM VOR. AT APPROX 40 NM FROM THE ARPT THE APCH CTLR GAVE THE FLC A CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH; BUT THEY WERE ON TOP OF A CLOUD DECK AND COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. A DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE FLC'S INABILITY TO DSND VISUALLY CONTINUED WHILE THE ACFT WAS AT 2500 FT AND THE FLC WAS INTO A HVY COCKPIT WORKLOAD PERIOD. THE RPTR CLAIMS THAT PUBLISHED PROCS DO NOT MATCH ATC PROCS.

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POSSIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN ATC AND CREW REGARDING CLRNC. ATC EXPECTED CREW TO MAKE VISUAL APCH (RPT ARPT IN SIGHT) DESPITE BEING ON TOP WITH NO FURTHER DSCNT POSSIBLE; SHORT OF EXECUTING AN APCH. NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT LEFT NO CHOICE EXCEPT FULL APCH; BUT SAME WAS NOT EXPECTED BY ATC FOR SOME REASON. FINAL ATC FACILITY WAS NOT AWARE OF 'DIRECT' CLRNC GIVEN BY PRIOR ATC. SUGGESTION: IN NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT; PLTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR FULL; NON RADAR PROCS AND NOT ACCEPT WANDERING AROUND IN AN OFF-AIRWAY ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT MEA'S OR OTHER INFO. ATC SHOULD NOT EXPECT AIRLINE CREWS TO BE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH LCL PROCS; AS THEY COULD BE NEW TO THE AREA ON EVERY FLT. LASTLY; LEAD FLT ATTENDANT FORGOT CUSTOMS PACKAGE; AND HAD TO RETURN TO GATE FOR SAME. GATE AGENT SHOULD HAVE ALSO CAUGHT HER MISTAKE...(PROCS?). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN THE B757 FLC RECEIVED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC ABOUT 40 NM TO THE W; THEY TOLD THE CTLR UNABLE UNLESS THEY COULD RECEIVE VECTORS; SINCE THEY HAD A CLOUD DECK BELOW. THE CTLR SAID NO; BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE CREW NEEDED TO FLY THE FULL APCH. THE CAPT INSISTED ON THE FULL APCH INTO RWY 9; IN SPITE OF CTLR'S INSISTENCE ON A VISUAL APCH. THE DISAGREEMENT CONTINUED DURING THE DSCNT AND CLOSE TO THE ARPT. THE RPTR STATES THAT IF ATC IS GOING TO INSIST ON STRAIGHT-IN VISUAL APCHS INTO SXM; THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE A PUBLISHED ARR RTE THAT ALLOWS DSCNT TO AN IAF FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH; IN A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT.