We always go to Meghan's Bay when in St. Thomas. There is no need to book a shore excursion for this beach. Numerous taxis at the pier and at the beach take passengers to and fro for a set price that is posted. We spent a morning at beautiful Meghan's Bay and returned to the ship for lunch. There is a large downtown area to shop but we did not visit. Traffic is extreme, especially when multiple cruise ships are in.
St. Maarten knows how to run a port. Modern and upscale with much to see and do. We scheduled the Golden Eagle Catamaran shore excursion as we have for many years while in this port. As we wrote in our review, shore excursions have risen to a price where they are no longer a value for the money spent. From $45 pp. years ago to $84 pp. in December 2012