From the Ship
Cruise Port to Simpson Bay
Twenty-five minutes, unless the bridge is open — and on this route, more than any other, that is not a detail.
The route where the bridge decides everything
Every route from this port is affected by the Simpson Bay bridge. This is the one where it decides the day.
The bridge crosses the channel between the lagoon and the sea, and it lifts on a published schedule to let boats through. While it is up the road does not go around — it stops.
Twenty-five minutes becomes forty-five. On a port day with a fixed all-aboard, that matters, and it is the reason we would rather plan this route than improvise it.
What is there
The lagoon and the marinas. Simpson Bay Lagoon is one of the largest in the Caribbean and a genuine centre of the yachting season. Watching the bridge open, with the boats moving through, is a better spectacle than it sounds.
The beach. A long stretch beside the airport approach, calmer than Maho and far less crowded. Real sand, decent swimming, and bars along the back of it.
Restaurants and bars, close together and walkable, which makes it a good lunch stop — better than eating near the terminal and more varied than Maho.
Aircraft, from the end nearest the runway. Not the famous low pass over the sand, but the planes are there and you can sit down.
Who it suits
People who want a comfortable, easy day rather than a spectacle. Lunch, a swim, a walk along the lagoon, back to the ship without a long drive at either end.
It also pairs well with Maho, which is ten minutes further west. Maho for the aircraft in the early afternoon when the arrivals bank comes in, then Simpson Bay for a proper lunch and a calmer swim. That is a good use of a nine-hour call.
Who it does not
If you want the definitive Maho photograph, go to Maho. If you want the best beach within reach, that is Mullet Bay. Simpson Bay is the sensible all-round choice rather than the memorable one, and it is worth being clear about that.
Back on board
Guaranteed, and on this route we build in the bridge specifically. Your return is timed against the published openings, not against an optimistic drive time.
What it costs
The official tariff from the cruise port to Simpson Bay is $20 for one or two passengers, then $8 per person for three to five and $7 each above.
Six people pay $42 each way — $84 for the round trip, without a driver waiting. See the full rates.
Questions people actually ask
How far is Simpson Bay from the cruise port?
About 25 minutes on a clear road. The bridge is the variable — when it opens for boats, the road stops, and that adds fifteen to twenty minutes.
When does the Simpson Bay bridge open?
On a published schedule, several times a day, and separately in the morning and afternoon. The times are the sort of thing locals know and visitors discover. We plan around them.
Is Simpson Bay beach good?
It is a long stretch of sand right beside the runway approach, calmer than Maho and much less crowded. Not spectacular, but a perfectly good swim and easy to combine with lunch.
Can I watch planes from Simpson Bay?
Yes, from the far end nearest the airport, and without the crowds at Maho. You do not get the low approach over the sand that Maho is famous for, but you get the aircraft and somewhere to sit.
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Checked and updated 4 September 2026.