Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

sint maarten cruise port

Large cruise ships usually dock at Philipsburg in St. Maarten, whereas smaller ships sometimes visit Marigot, the capital of the St. Martin. The island is well known for its shopping, gambling and beautiful beaches, so those who choose not to do a shore excursion should be able to find lots to do. Mullet Bay Beach, situated in the southwest of the island, is about 14 km from the cruise port, approximately a 30-minute drive. This beach is known for its calm, aquamarine waters, and soft sandy shores. It's a favorite for both relaxation and water sports and is equipped with amenities like beach bars and restaurants.

Party at Maho Village in Sint Maarten

You can also enjoy spectacular views over the Caribbean and the nearby islands of Isla de Pinel (Pinel Island), Petite Clef, Ile Tintamarre, and Caye Verte. You don’t need a passport when crossing the border from the Dutch to the French side of the island. Before your cruise, you should check entry requirements if you require a visa for St. Maarten. Quieter times to book a Caribbean cruise are May to June and November. You can enjoy fewer crowds and lower prices but a higher chance of rain. The worst time to travel in the Caribbean is during the peak of hurricane season, from August to October.

Orient Beach

On one of the three beaches, you can lie down on such a nice beach bed and stare at the rolling waves. Kindly note that due to the devastating Hurricane Irma that hit the island in September 2017, a lot of the island was damaged and is still recovering. Therefore, some of the popular attractions you might want to see or activities you may want to engage in might not be available when you visit. This nature reserve has a variety of lush plants, birds and marine life. The biodiversity represented on this side of the island is simply amazing. Be one with nature, visit the great outdoors of St. Martin and enjoy a truly unique tropical paradise.

Private Catamaran Tour

These tours take you to beautiful offshore islands such as St. Barths and Tintamarre for quality beach time and snorkeling. They highlight the island’s beauty and give you a glimpse into the world below. Then the climax of it all comes when you enter the crystal clear waters of the ocean and start galloping around. This is a fun family bonding adventure that you will absolutely love. Most cruise lines offer this excursion but you can check out local tour operators such as Lucky Stables. This is the most convenient beach for a cruiser not wanting to wander far from the cruise terminal as it’s located just a short distance from the cruise port.

On Bonaire, you can dive and snorkel beautifully and Aruba has very beautiful long beaches. But Sint Maarten still has that unique combination of two flavors in one destination. One of the first ‘yellow’ destinations in this Covid period is Sint Maarten and Saint Martin. These two are located together on one island in a crystal clear blue-green Caribbean Sea. Combined with the easy day trips to, for example, the uninhabited island of Pinel, you can combine so many experiences in one Cruise Port. There are plenty of small islands to explore near St. Maarten and what better way to do so than on a private yacht/catamaran tour around the island.

Before beginning your tour of the place, you will go through an information corridor where you will learn about each of the birds from photograph displays. For just $10 per adult or $5 per kid, you will absolutely enjoy this incredible place. The sanctuary also has a herb garden where you can learn a lot about the herbs of the island and a cool small museum showing relics of the past century. Thus, it affords people the chance gaze at the belly of giant 747s as they fly extremely low over the beach to touch ground at the runway. That explains the strange photos you might have seen of planes flying at almost an arm’s length above people on a beach. Enjoy the picturesque scenery of the vast blue waters, and the lush green countryside as you zoom your way down the mountain.

sint maarten cruise port

Off-Road Island Adventure

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This unique exhibit showcases movie memorabilia from iconic films like Star Wars, Superman, and The Terminator. This fun tourist attraction is a treat for movie enthusiasts and travelers alike. Fort Amsterdam, a historical fortress on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, was originally built in 1631.

Philipsburg Courthouse

The Great Bay beach is sandy, long, and beautiful, boasting crystal clear, warm water. There is an option to rent beach beds and umbrellas from the locals, but if you prefer you can relax in the shade of one of the countless seafront cocktail bars. These attractions provide great options for families with children and are easily accessible by foot from the St Maarten cruise port. For inspiration and the best hotels in Sint Maarten and all other cruise ports, visit our website. SXM is an abbreviation that you will regularly encounter on Sint Maarten.

We’re prepared for the future in cruises.

Great Bay Beach is the closest beach to the cruise port in St. Maarten and is within walking distance. After the hour-long horseback ride, you cool off on one of St. Maarten’s spectacular beaches. In some cases, you can swim on horseback in the warm, calm waters in the secluded bays around the island. A shore excursion to the Parotte Ville Bird Park lets you enjoy the tranquil surroundings of St. Maarten’s lush tropical landscapes. The sanctuary is home to various exotic birds, including parrots, black-headed caiques, ring-neck parakeets, macaws, and cockatoos. Fort Louis is a historic fort located on the French side of the island of St. Maarten.

Here are some of my top tips on how to get to various destinations while in port in St. Maarten. The Port of St. Maarten is one of the few ports in the world that can accommodate Genesis-class cruise ships. Additionally, the port has several booths for passenger screening, making disembarking exceedingly efficient. I’ve compiled this guide to St. Maarten for anyone visiting the Caribbean island on a cruise.

If you are looking for a non-touristy one-on-one experience with nature, then this is the place to go. Whom you can feed with unique cups of seeds while knowledgeable, caring guides tell you more about them. However, if you fancy more private and secluded beaches, you can charter a boat to the nearby island of Anguilla. Anguilla is endowed with virgin beaches that feature pristine white sandy stretches. Though airplane watching at Maho beach is an out of the world experience, it is not something that you want to experience for long. That’s why you should head on over to the adjacent Mullet Bay beach just nearby, which is sheltered from the noise and activities of the airport.

You can also marvel at the colorful coral reef fish swimming around you. If the noise of jet planes is too much, head to the nearby beach of Mullet Bay. Mullet Beach is excellent for families and kids due to its calm, shallow waters, and moderate currents.

But it is also nice to watch the beach guests enjoying the sea and sun uninhibitedly. The relaxing of the Caribbean; the residents are not left with a pound. Where Europeans often prefer to be bone-thin (want!) and are ashamed of two millimeters of fat, everyone here is very proud of the often full body and that is shown carelessly. This uninhabited paradise can be visited during the day by ferry but also by private boat.

This prevents some taxi drivers from taking advantage of cruise ship passengers. If you wish to explore St. Thomas on your own Taxis are fairly priced and can literally take the cruise ship traveler to all highlights, beaches, main sites and attractions. One single pier (545 m) accommodating 4 ships simultaneously was one pier too few. Opened in 2009, the Harbour Group of Companies upgraded the port by building a second pier. St. Maarten is now one of the few ports able to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships – the Genesis-class vessels. Port Philipsburg St Maarten cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month.

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