Cruise Destination: St. Maarten

Great Bay Beach, St. Maarten

St. Maarten is a popular Caribbean destination known for it's great beaches and duty-free shopping.  Also known as Saint Martin or Sint Maarten, St. Maarten is one of the smallest islands in the world that is divided between two nations, the Netherlands and France.  If you travel to St. Maarten as a cruise port of call, you will disembark on the Dutch portion of the island.  St. Maarten is not as visually stunning as other Caribbean islands such as St. Thomas or St. John.  However, the friendly attitude of everyone we met on the island, combined with the great beaches and shopping, made St. Maarten my favorite stop on our cruise!  I am not alone in loving St. Maarten; it is currently the fastest growing port of call in the Eastern Caribbean. 

What to Expect

Most visitors to St. Maarten arrive by cruise ship to the A.C. Wathey Pier & Port Facility.  The easiest way to reach the main shopping area of Philipsburg from the cruise port is by ferry.  While it is possible to take a 20-minute walk into Phillipsburg, ferry tickets only cost $3 each way, and it is a fun ride!  On our ferry ride, speakers pumped a catchy "Welcome to St. Maarten" reggae tune, while the ferry operators enthusiastically welcomed us to their island.  They were well aware that tourism is the lifeblood of St. Maarten. If you have any questions about the best shops, beaches, or bars on the island, I'd suggest asking the ferry operators.  They are working off of tips, so it is in their best interest to offer you great advice!

Downtown Philipsburg is where most tourists flock for duty-free shopping on electronics, alcohol, and jewelry.  While neither my wife or myself are passionate shoppers, we did enjoy walking the narrow streets of the bustling shopping district.  Most shops are located in and around Front Street.  One shop offered free samples of the St. Maarten's specialty drink, Guavaberry Rum, which I would highly recommend sampling.  My wife and I were able to find a great small print made by a local artist in an art gallery/museum. 

Downtown Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Because of it's small size, it is easy to catch a taxi to any of the beaches on either the Dutch or French side of St. Maarten/St. Martin.  Popular beaches include Dawn Beach, Cupecoy Bay, and the clothing-optional Orient Beach.  My wife and I wanted to stay close to port, so we simply rented some chairs on the mile-long white sand beach of Great Bay, which parallels Front Street in Philipsburg.  The local restaurants were willing to serve us food and drinks right on the beach, which made relaxing even easier.  Public restrooms on St. Maarten are few and far between, so you will need to patronize on of the local restaurants or risk having to pay to use a bathroom elsewhere.  The only real drawback of Great Bay was that we were never out of view of the cruise ships at port, dampening our image of being in an "island paradise."  However, the easy access sand, sun, and shopping made St. Maarten my favorite cruise stop in the entire Caribbean.    
  

Just the Basics

Great Bay, Philipsburg, St. Maarten

• How to get there: St. Maarten is serviced by over a dozen cruise lines.  You may also fly into St. Maarten on major airlines, which arrive at Princess Julianna International Airport. 
• Currency: US Dollar, Euro, and the Netherlands Antilles Guilder.
• Advice: Shop, relax on the beach, and taste the local specialty, guavaberry rum.  Like most other Caribbean islands, prices on everything on St. Maarten can be negotiated.