Cruises to St. Maarten

4,939 Reviews
St. Maarten (Photo:Sean Pavone/Shutterstock)

About Cruising to St. Maarten

St. Maarten is busier than ever, as cruise lines call on Philipsburg with their biggest ships. (Sometimes there are a half-dozen in port at one time.) There's also more to do once you disembark, with shopping and beaches serving as the primary attractions.



That can be viewed as either good news (more shopping choices, better deals and more beach activities) or bad news (more people) for this port of call, which, along with neighboring St. Martin, makes up the world's smallest island inhabited by two countries.



St. Maarten, like many other Caribbean islands, was spotted by Christopher Columbus in 1493. But the island's real history began with French and Dutch settlers who divided the island in 1648. They have lived side-by-side ever since. St. Maarten, governed by the Netherlands Antilles until 2010, is now a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (along with Aruba, Curacao and the Netherlands), while St. Martin is part of the French West Indies. What's particularly fun is that you can easily swing back and forth from the Dutch to the French sides and enjoy the best of both.



On either side of the mountainous island, lovely beaches -- including the famed clothing-optional part of Orient Beach -- rival the best in the Caribbean. Plus, duty-free prices for electronics and liquor in Philipsburg might be the best deals around.



  • More about St. Maarten

  • Why Cruise to St. Maarten?

  • St. Maarten Cruise Port Facilities?

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Star Pride
Windstar's stretched Star Pride (Photo/Melinda Crow)

7 Night
Windward Islands Surf & Sunsets 7d Sju-sju

127 Reviews
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Celebrity Beyond
C E L  B Y  Drone  Aerial 6 (7)

7 Night
7 Nt St. Maarten Usvi & Puerto Plata

160 Reviews
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Celebrity Ascent
Celebrity Ascent (Photo/Celebrity Cruises)

7 Night
Eastern Caribbean Holiday

40 Reviews
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Enchanted Princess
Enchanted Princess (Image: Princess Cruises)

10 Night
Caribbean - Eastern Cruise

144 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

21 Night
Perfect Caribbean Escape

1,028 Reviews
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10 Night
Caribbean - Eastern Cruise

144 Reviews
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10 Night
Caribbean - Eastern Cruise

1,020 Reviews
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Cruise Critic Favorite

14 Night
Southern Caribbean

1,028 Reviews
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7 Night
Eastern Caribbean Cruise

8 Reviews
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10 Night
Caribbean - Eastern Cruise

1,873 Reviews
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9 Night
Eastern Caribbean - Miami

2,156 Reviews
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8 Night
Labadee, St. Maarten & Usvi

1,947 Reviews
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12 Night
Eastern Caribbean - New York

3,266 Reviews
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14 Night
Caribbean - Other Product

332 Reviews
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7 Night
Southern Caribbean - San Juan

77 Reviews
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More about St. Maarten

Why Cruise to St. Maarten?

Pros:

This island is shared by St. Maarten (Dutch) and St. Martin (French), giving visitors two ports in one

Cons:

You'll need to take your passport with you if you plan to visit both places

Bottom Line:

This destination is ideal for cruisers who like to maximize their time in port

St. Maarten Cruise Port Facilities?

A five-minute walk from the cruise terminal (going toward Philipsburg) takes you to the small boat marina named Dock Maarten -- pun intended. There, you'll find shops, water taxis and boat tour operators and a popular waterfront bar and grill, Chesterfield's.



Slightly farther, Philipsburg's pedestrian-friendly downtown is a definite duty-free shopping destination; great buys can be found on electronics, liquor and jewelry.

Good to Know?

Tourists tend to be robbery targets, so don't flash valuables or cash, and do not leave anything valuable in a car or on the beach.

Getting Around?

On Foot: The main on-foot attraction at the base of the pier is a set of duty-free shops. After that, it's a 20-minute walk into downtown Philipsburg. For a more scenic view, take a brief water taxi ride from the port to Captain Hodge Pier at the foot of the boardwalk. Then, continue your on-foot exploration from there.



Taxis: Taxi operators in St. Maarten are under government regulation. Passengers at the port facility queue up under signs designating per-person rates and destinations -- everything from one-way to Philipsburg to a full island tour. Charges are based on two passengers and destination. Additional passengers cost extra. Check out the Dutch St. Maarten Taxi Association for more information.



Vehicles range from standard taxis to large vans and open safari-style vehicles, and rates are per vehicle, so you'll pay less if you have more people. The per-person savings aren't that huge, so if you are on a tight schedule and don't know your taxi-mates well, it's probably best to go it alone (they might pipe up that they want to add an island tour or a detour to the beach).



Water Taxi: A water taxi operates between the cruise pier and the heart of downtown Philipsburg; the cost is reasonable, and a roundtrip discount is often available.



By Rental Car: This is a destination where renting a car can be a benefit (particularly if you have four or more people and want to see sights on both St. Maarten and St. Martin). There are a handful of agencies at the cruise pier.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

The local currency is the Netherlands Antillean guilder on the Dutch side and the euro on the French side, but U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Banks and ATMs are readily available, and most establishments take credit cards (although you'll have to pay cash at the smaller beach bars).

Language?

Although the official language is Dutch for St. Maarten and French for St. Martin, virtually everyone speaks English.

Where You're Docked?

The Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities, St. Maarten's pier and cruise terminal, is a boon to cruise passengers, especially those who find tendering unpleasant, inconvenient or physically challenging. In most cases, ships will dock there, where it's less than one mile to the heart of Philipsburg. (Inexpensive water taxis are available for those who don't want to walk.) On busy days when lots of ships are in port, tendering to Little Pier, right in the center of Philipsburg, is a possibility.


St. Maarten Cruise Reviews
Love St. Maarten but traffic is getting terrible on the island it took over an hour to get to Moho beach which used to take 20 min. It also seems that due to you tube and the internet in general Moho beach which useRead More
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ib101
We traveled on Wonder of the Seas to St Maarten. We enjoyed a shore excursion that included Little Switzerland cheese shop, a French bakery, a rum maker, and a bbq restaurant for lunch. I would recommend this shoreRead More
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CookiePixie
We did the “Spirit of St Maarten Luxury VIP Snorkel” booked through Princess for $130/person. While “Luxury” and “VIP” are definitely exaggerations, it was a nice boat, big enough to handle the large number of passeRead More
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mikepowie
St. Maarten was terrific. We just wish the stop had been a little longer so we could have seen more.Read More
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Demotage

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