St. Martin Island Tour Excursion Reviews

Best tour ever! Great driver/guide nicknamed "Mailman". He was so funny, generous (with his home brewed rum-punch and beers) and knowledgable. We went to an Iguana Park, fabulous Orient Beach (pity too short a time), then to Maho Beach and watched planes landing a few feet over our heads!! We ate super gateau in Sarafina's in Marigot Town. Bus was mainly Americans apart from us and we all had a great time. Thanks again Mailman.

Provider: Independent Operator

Found a local driver to take us to watch the airplanes landing and taking off from the beach. A great experience to say the least. Was on my bucket list. You get blown across the beach as the jets take off in front of you and land over your head. It was mobbed, but fun. One f the most dangerousness airports. Good island tour, but driver was not a guide, but a fill in, so he had little to say.

Provider: Independent Operator

Should have been a tour with a visit to semi submersible submarine to view coral and fish but this part was cancelled due to high winds. The tour was ok - you see the Dutch side and the French with an hour in the French capital Marigot.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

We thought we liked St. Kitts the best and the tour was very good, but St. Marten was the best of the islands we have visited in the Caribbean. Our guide David Taylor who turned out was a cousin of the Rosevelt from yesterday. There was only our group of four on the tour another couple cancelled made our day. It was a private tour for only $40 pp. 3.5 hrs turned into 5. Visited lots of locations he was always there when we wanted him. Allowed us to visit things we wanted couldn't have been better. Water and Beer included

Provider: Independent Operator

This tour only stopped at the beach, but the tour guide was very informative and entertaining, telling us all about the monuments we passed along the way, as well as any other interesting tidbits of information on sites we passed. Once at the beach, we could rent chairs and umbrellas, little one-person boats, etc. There was a bar and beach restaurant. It was very nice and not overly crowded. There were a few topless sunbathing women, but we saw no total nudity here. It was family-friendly.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

We booked our last our with Bernard's Tours and our tour guide was David Taylor another informative and personable guide. We drove from the Dutch side to the French side. On the way, we stopped at an iguana farm. On the French side we stopped for shopping and some lunch and continued on to Orient Beach one of the prettiest beaches that I have visited for 1.5 hours of beach time. We then drove back to the Dutch side and saw the airplanes landing at Maho Beach. This was another adventure seeing the aircraft flying so close to the highway.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

St. Maarten- We're not in America anymore! After waiting thirty minutes for our tour of the island, we were on a packed van ready to tour the French & Dutch sides. We booked a tour with Jo Junie Tours (web site is not available now). The site promised a tour personally by Jo in his Jo Junie Tour bus. This was not the case. After asking the information booth where Jo was, we were pointed to a big guy standing on the steps...I asked if he was Jo and he said yes...asked my name and then asked for the $40 each. It all felt so shady...he was not at all the nice, outgoing man in the video. He said we were his only tour so he'd put us on another bus; his site said no matter how many people make a reservation, he'd personally tour them around. We had to follow a man that speed walked away from us. He was escorting others on busses like cattle, forgetting us. I spoke up "What about Jo Juni Tours?" He literally said "WHO?" Please. Jo came over and I said "hey Jo...what about us." They talked in Dutch or French and then Jo said "get on this bus." The driver, Sexy (who was awesome) had room for one...I said I wanted my money back, I wasn't going on a separate bus from my girlfriend. It must of appeared to be a scene when a Security Guard came over...the tour folks quickly made it right (maybe the guards enforce a standard). We were at the back of the bus and had to rub up against other passengers (sorry again)...I soon made a joke of it "Do you want the wedding tackle or the exit?" The group was great, we all had fun...Sexy, our driver, knew the island like no other...and the rum punch did that...punch you in the face! The island has seen better days, that's for sure. We toured an iguana "farm," or someone's property with an overload of them, caged chickens and chained up dogs (I felt so bad for the dogs). We headed to a few other spots, after touring the run down island. We landed at Orient Beach; once you walk on the sand, you will be "welcomed" by men and women selling towels, chairs, jewelry and anything else they have. Beach chairs are $20 each...unless you say no thanks...then it becomes $5 each. We played in the water; you can rent jet ski's or parasail -- we did neither. The beach bar was fun, the food was overpriced microwavable chicken or fish; pass on it. After about an hour and a half, we headed to "Airport Beach" to see the big jets land. There is no beach under the airplane path; don't believe the pictures...its all giant rocks. There is a beach near, but its to the left of the flight path. You CAN stand close by or at the bar and take pictures & video. I stood behind the jet as it took off...great experience...take your hat off; mine flew off and some man caught it! We saw an American Airlines jet land, but missed the giant jets. We stopped in Marigot for a quick snack at Sarafina's...and a few minutes later had to be back on the bus. We sat in traffic for about 45 minutes passing up an opportunity to shop for souvenirs; we didn't want to miss the ship and everyone was hot and tired. All in all, St. Maarten is beautiful at times, other times it's a typical third world banana republic. Be cautious of time as traffic can get bad in the afternoon. (Booking excursions on your own is available and much cheaper; the cruise companies say availability is limited, but there is ALWAYS room and more than one excursion operator.)

Provider: Independent Operator

Super tour of both sides of the island, and some time to shop and have lunch on french side. The bus driver and tour guide Jose was awesome!!!!!!!

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

We boarded an air conditioned bus near the pier and had a great tour guide teaching us about the dutch and french sides of the island. We spent most of the day on the french side and our first stop was the Doudou Rum Factory which was really enjoyable. They make artisan rums with local ingredients. They were pretty liberal with their samples which was nice! The next stop was a perfumerie, Le Tijon and then a cooking demonstration at a restaurant on the main strip. We had some great samples during the demonstration of Colombo Chicken, conch and bananas flambe. We had an extra hour or so to eat lunch afterward but we balked at the $27 price per plate for lunch! So, we headed down the street to try to find where the locals ate. We found a wonderful place where they had big BBQ pits with meat grilling and fresh fish cooking. We had the stuffed crab, cooked plantains and red beans and rice. It was a delicious meal and much less expensive than the tourist places up the street!! Overall, we really enjoyed this tour. It gave us a feel for the culture and we hope to go back again!

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

This tour is highly rated on Cruise Critic and Tripadvisor so we signed up. Our driver was nicknamed "Mailman." We had an amazing day. We did some shopping at a flea market as well as on a mountain top (amazing store with all kinds of reasonably priced souvenirs and their world famous daquiris). We hit Orient Beach (half nude). There were a few old guys showing it off and one big heavy set gal. Nothing much to see. We also hit the beach where the planes fly right over your head. There is a great bar right there on the beach. Mailman had plenty of water, coke, diet coke, sprite, local beer and of course, his killer rum punch. We had a blast. Cost was $40.00 per person.

Provider: Independent Operator

Very nice tour. Only cost $24. Booked this once we were on the ship. You travel in a van and stop at some great photo areas and you get the see the most expensive to the poor areas. Shopped a little in the french side and did more in Phillipsburg when the trip was over. You constantly are hounded for hair braiding , tours, or just to browse into their shops. Ate at the Hard Rock and a heads up that the tip is already included , even for just 4 people and there are no free refills on any soda or ice tea, and we weren 't told about this. We all bought something here also. It's a great value for the cost.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Took Bernards Tour. The tour was ok and the driver was great. Can't say we were impressed with the Island. It was beyond crowded (7 ships in port) the traffic was a mess. The Island is filthy and congested. We went to Orient beach and you could hardly move, Mahoe to see the planes come in, kind of neat but too crowded to enjoy. Marigot market was crowded as well, you get the picture.. St Maartin... we will not be back.

Provider: Independent Operator

Was thoroughly unimpressed with the Island of St. Maarten. We took a bus tour of the island and about 90% of it was mired in poverty and squalor. The roads were narrow and unkempt, the scenery was overgrown and filled with trash. The island used to have flourishing industry and agriculture but now derives all of its income from tourism. As such, they should make a better effort to clean it up.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Provider: Independent Operator

After reading numerous positive CC reviews, we selected Bernard to show us around St. Martin. His associate "Sugar" picked us up in a very large tour bus and we drove off into the hills. First stop was a local farm where we were given lettuce to feed to the many iguanas. Sugar had many interesting stories and pointed out a home owned by Harry Belafonte. Driving to the French side of the island, we stopped at the clothing-optional Orient Beach. Sugar explained to the right of the parking lot was the totally nude bathing area while to the left was just topless. Most of us opted for the left side renting beach chairs and umbrellas for $5 each. Sugar had plenty of beer, water and rum punch on board which was helpful after a seaside stop to see the sea urchins. A local gathered them up for us to hold and he even opened one up to serve raw to the braver, or foolhardy, of us to try citing the enhancement properties they have. A stop at Maho (?) Beach to eat, drink and enjoy watching airliners landing just over the beach to the nearby airport. Lots of fun.

Provider: Independent Operator