St. Maarten Cruise Excursions

We are based at the terminal. The whole job is getting you somewhere good and back before the gangway lifts.

What a port day is actually made of

The advertised hours are not the hours you have.

Take a typical call: in at 8am, all aboard 5pm. Nine hours on paper. Take 30 to 45 minutes for the gangway and the walk off, and 30 minutes of margin at the end, and you have about seven and a half hours of real time.

That is plenty. It is only a problem if nobody tells you, and you plan the day as though it were nine.

Where people go, and how long it takes

Destination	Each way	Worth a port day?
Philipsburg	10 min	Yes, and you can walk or take the water taxi
Maho Beach	18–25 min	Yes, if the planes are landing
Simpson Bay	25 min	For lunch and the lagoon, yes
Mullet Bay	25–30 min	The best swimming beach within reach
Marigot	30 min	Yes on a market morning
Grand Case	35 min	Better as an evening, but a fine lunch
Orient Bay	45 min	Only if the beach is the whole point

Those are real driving times on a clear road. Add for Simpson Bay traffic on a heavy port day, and for the bridge.

The routes, each written properly

Cruise port to Maho Beach — the aircraft, and when not to bother
Cruise port to Orient Bay — the long one, honestly assessed
Cruise port to Grand Case — the shortest two-country day
Cruise port to Marigot — market days and French shopping
Cruise port to Simpson Bay — where the bridge matters most
Cruise port to Mullet Bay — the swim
Beaches near the cruise port — all of them compared
Build your own port day — several stops, your order

Back on board, guaranteed

We plan the return from your all-aboard time, not from when you feel like leaving. You tell us the ship and the time; we build the day inside it.

If something on the road goes wrong, it is ours to solve. That promise is worth exactly as much as the operator making it, which is why we would rather you booked with someone who lives here than with a platform in another country.

What it costs

Per vehicle, with the waiting included — which is the part that matters most on a port day. A taxi that drops you at Maho is not a taxi that is there when you want to leave, and the rank at a beach on a four-ship day is not a queue you want to be standing in at half past three.

The official tariff charges per person above two passengers: a family of six pays $48 each way to Maho, $96 for the round trip. See the full rates.

Questions people actually ask

Will I get back before the ship leaves?

Yes, and we guarantee it. Your return is set by working backwards from your all-aboard with margin built in, not by hoping. We are based at the terminal and the ship schedule is our schedule.

Is a private tour better than the ship's excursion?

It is more flexible and usually better value for two or more people, because you are paying per vehicle rather than per head. The ship's excursion has one real advantage: if it is late back, the ship waits. With any independent operator, including us, that protection is the operator's promise rather than the cruise line's — so it matters who you book with.

How much time do I actually have ashore?

Less than the port hours suggest. Allow 30 to 45 minutes after docking for the gangway, and be back 30 minutes before all aboard. A nine-hour call is really about seven and a half.

Where is the cruise terminal?

Pointe Blanche, about 10 minutes from Philipsburg. It is a genuine walk to town — 25 to 30 minutes along the boardwalk — or a short water taxi ride across Great Bay.

Everything under this

A Sunset Drive in St. Maarten The best places to watch the sunset on St. Maarten, and a driver to get you to one and home again. For late all-aboards and for anyone staying on the island.

Beaches Near the Cruise Port Every beach within reach of the St. Maarten cruise port, with real drive times and an honest verdict on which is worth your port day.

Build Your Own Port Day A private shore excursion in St. Maarten with your own driver. Choose the stops, change your mind, and be back on board in time — guaranteed.

Cruise Port to Grand Case Grand Case from the St. Maarten cruise port: 35 minutes, the best lunch on the island, and the shortest version of a two-country day.

Cruise Port to Marigot Marigot from the St. Maarten cruise port: 30 minutes, the waterfront market, and a completely different town from Philipsburg.

Cruise Port to Mullet Bay Mullet Bay from the St. Maarten cruise port: 25 to 30 minutes, and the best actual swimming beach within reach of a port day.

Cruise Port to Orient Bay How long Orient Bay takes from the St. Maarten cruise port, what it costs, and whether it is the right use of a port day.

Cruise Port to Simpson Bay Simpson Bay from the St. Maarten cruise port: 25 minutes, the lagoon and the marinas, and the one route where the bridge schedule genuinely decides your day.