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. 

Labadee Haiti

Labadee, Haiti, hammock and beach

 Labaee, Haiti was the last stop on our cruise aboard the Celebrity Eclipse last December.  Labadee is a private port that is leased to Royal Caribbean International.  Royal Caribbean spent millions to turn Labadee into a private paradise, with white sand beaches, palm trees, and even hammocks. Visiting Labadee will not give you a window into the "real" Haiti, but it is a great place to relax for a day. 

What to Expect

Celebrity Eclipse at Labadee, Haiti

The only way to get to Labadee is as part of a cruise port stop.  Your entire experience on Labadee will be controlled by the cruise company, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  Local Haitian musicians will provide music while you enjoy the white sand beaches in a hammock or beach chair.  Waiters take drink orders right on the beach.  A cafeteria-style lunch will be provided.  If you like to shop, there is a small market where local artists sell their painting, carving, jewelry, and other crafts.  For the kids, there is an aqua park.  A zip line hangs high above the beach for adventurous souls.  As long as the sun is shining (Labadee weather is nearly always great), Labadee is a Caribbean paradise. 

Sunset over Labadee

I had mixed feelings about visiting Labadee.  Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas.  At the time of our visit, there was an outbreak of cholera killing thousands of Haitians.  The country had not fully recovered from the devastating January 2010 earthquake.  Labadee is separated from the rest of Haiti, both physically and economically, through use of fences and a private security force.  You cannot visit any other part of Haiti if your cruise line stop in Labadee.   However, by visiting Labadee, you will provide Haiti with much-needed tourist income.  Royal Caribbean has provided Haiti with their largest source of tourist income for the last two decades. 

There is a small flee market in Labadee in which 200 locals are allowed to sell their wares.  The poverty of these artists is apparent in their appearance and marketing techniques (one told us "Please buy something.  I must sell something today").  We did buy a couple of amazing paintings, but could do little else to help these people.  I hope that increased tourism can help build a foundation for Haiti to begin to road to recovery.   If you are comparing Caribbean cruise itineraries and port-of-calls, Labadee is a worthwhile stop!

Just the Basics 

• Transportation: The only way to reach Labadee is by cruise ship.   
• Labadee Activities: Sing up through your cruise operator for the Aqua Park, History Tour and  Zipline.  Shopping and swimming are free!
• Labadee Accommodation: None.  There are no overnight stops in Labadee.
• Website: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ports/group/home.do?portCode=LAB 
• Advice: Spend some time shopping in the market to support the local Haitian artists.

Cinnamon Bay Beach Virgin Islands

Cinnamon Bay Virgin Islands

Our cruise ship, the Celebrity Eclipse, stopped at St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.  We had been given a tip that St. John had better beaches,and decided to give Cinnamon Bay a try.  The beach at Cinnamon Bay was amazing.  However, getting to Cinnamon Bay all the way from Charlotte Amalie may not have been worth all the hassle for only a couple hours of beach-time.  


Getting to Cinnamon Bay
After stepping off of the Eclipse in St. Thomas at Charlotte Amalie, we boarded a taxi van to take us across the island to Red Hook at a cost of $10 per person (a rate set by the government).  From there, were boarded a ferry for $6 to St. John, Cruz Bay.  There is a possibility of taking a ferry for only $12 directly from Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook, but the ferry did not run at times to fit our schedule.  From Red Hook, we took another Taxi for $7 per person to Cinnamon Bay.  Of course, we had to repeat all of those steps on the return trip.  All told, it took us three hours and $43 a person to get to Cinnamon Bay. 

Finally, Cinnamon Bay

Cinnamon Bay Virgin Islands

Cinnamon Bay was rugged and beautiful with a white sand beach, strong surf, and (best of all) FEW TOURISTS!  This is not a beach for those who want a tiki bar, steel drums, and hoards of merchants peddling crap to tourists.  There was a small campground, one cafe, a tiny shop for necessities, and a place to rent kayaks and sailboards. 
If you have the means to take a trip to St. John where you aren't at the mercy of the few hours that Cruise Line excursions offers, I would highly suggest Cinnamon Bay.  For more reasons, just look at the pictures.  Otherwise, your time and money are better spent staying on St. Thomas's beaches, such as Magens Bay. 
Website: http://www.cinnamonbay.com/home.html