What to do in St. Maarten Cruise Port

THE GEN X WANDERER / What to do in St. Maarten Cruise Port

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Where to Stay in St. Maarten

Obviously, if you are cruising, you are only docking for the day, but if you are planning to stay in St .Maarten, check out this map for accommodations! And also I’ve included all the best beaches (star icon). If you want to add excursions to your trip, visit my list of curated experiences just for you for St. Maarten in my Viator Shop.

What to do in St. Maarten Cruise Port

My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on the Celebrity Beyond cruise. If you are wondering what to do in St. Maarten cruise port, this is the honest version, complete with a less than ideal rental car and a plane we missed by mere seconds. And oh yes, we did the Aqua Class which I highly recommend on the Celebrity!

So, what to do in St Maarten cruise port if you only have one day? Let’s get into it. I will also cover what to do in Philipsburg, St. Maarten (the Dutch side) on a cruise, since that is where your day most likely starts and ends.

A Quick History of St. Maarten

Here’s a little history, because it makes the island more interesting. St. Maarten / St. Martin (abbreviated or informal forms) is the general term to describe the whole island together but it is one island comprised of two countries. The southern half is Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The northern half is Saint Martin, a French territory. There is no border wall. There is a welcome sign and a noticeable improvement in the baked goods.

People lived here long before anyone showed up with a flag. The Arawak and later the Carib peoples were here first. Columbus is traditionally said to have spotted the island in 1493 on the feast day of St Martin, so he named it after the saint and kept sailing. He was not big on staying. In the 1600s the Dutch and French both wanted it, mostly for the salt ponds, and the Spanish had a go too. In 1648 the French and Dutch agreed to share it under the Treaty of Concordia.

The legend about how they split (popular folklore): A Frenchman and a Dutchman supposedly started at the same spot and walked in opposite directions to mark the border. The Frenchman walked faster because he drank wine. The Dutchman drank gin and took naps. The French side ended up a bit bigger. Historians will tell you the real story was less cute, but I am going with the gin.

Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side, was founded in 1763 by John Philips, a Scottish captain who sailed for the Dutch. It sits on a narrow strip of land between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. Salt and plantations drove the early economy, built on the labour of enslaved Africans. Slavery was abolished on the French side in 1848 and on the Dutch side in 1863. Hurricane Irma hit hard in 2017, and you can still see rebuilding in places. Today the island runs on tourism, and you, with your lanyard and your sunscreen, are the economy.

Water Taxi

Your first decision is how to get to Philipsburg, by walking (15-20 min) or by water taxi. If you are sailing with Celebrity, you can take a water taxi to Philipsburg for about $7 USD per person round trip. It is cheap, easy and drops you near the boardwalk, which makes it a great choice for what to do in Philipsburg St. Maarten on a cruise. Taxis and organized excursions are also available, and plenty of people will happily park themselves on a beach chair and never think about it again.

I’m usually one of these people, because kids… but this vacation we were kidless for the first time in what felt like a quarter century. So today, we decided to rent a car.

New to Cruising? Don’t miss my informational articles below so you can get sailing!

• Ultimate Cruise Packing Guide + Itinerary! Free Download
• Fear of Cruising? You’re Fears are Probably all Wrong
• First Time Cruising? Let’s Put Your Mind at Ease
• Prone to Seasickness? Choosing the Right Cabin Matters!

The $150 USD Jeep Cherokee that Did Us Dirty

There’s a car rental place right outside the exit area of the cruise terminal. So let me set the scene. We negotiated, because that is what you do and it’s my husband’s most favourite past time, and we bartered the price down to $150 USD for a Jeep Cherokee.

To make a long story short, this was one of the worst cars on the entire planet as you can see in the video. Every single warning light on the dashboard was blinking orange. It also felt like someone threw all the sand from Maho Beach into it.

The car rattled, it shook and it felt like at any moment it was about to die. Did it get us around the island? Yes. Did it get us up and down 90 degree hills? Yes. Did I enjoy every second? Also Yes. But new fears were unlocked at unprecedented levels.

If you are considering a rental as part of what to do in St. Maarten cruise port, here is my advice. Bargain all you like, but look the car over before you hand over cash. Take photos, check the tires, ask about insurance and ask exactly where to return it. You have a ship to catch, and the ship will not wait for your Jeep if it breaks down somewhere.

Driving Around Philipsburg and the Dutch Side

Once we got going, we drove around the Philipsburg area and took in the island at our own pace. This is the real perk of having a car. You can stop where you want, turn around when you miss something and avoid waiting for a tour group to finish photographing the same palm tree.

Traffic can get heavy once you are in town, near gridlock because the streets are one way, narrow and single lane. Drive on the right, same as at home in Canada, and keep a close eye on the clock. Give yourself a generous cushion before all aboard.

The Simpson Bay bridge near the airport can open for boats, which can hold up traffic for a while. Factor that in when you are planning what to do in St. Maarten cruise port on a tight schedule.

Maho Beach: We Missed the Plane by Seconds

Now for the main event. Maho Beach sits right beside the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, and it is famous because big planes come in extremely low over the sand to land at Princess Juliana International Airport. People stand on the beach and look straight up as jets pass overhead. It is on every list of what to do in St Maarten cruise port, and for good reason.

We got there, walked onto the sand and did the usual tourist thing of gazing up expectantly. Someone nearby told us the plane just left!

Here’s a tip before visiting Maho Beach: check the arrival schedule before you go. Several of the beach bars are known for posting arrival times, and the huge jets are the ones you want to see. Plan around that if you want to get that incredible shot.

Even without the plane, it is a lovely beach with soft sand and turquoise water, and you can grab a drink and wait for the next one. If you only have time for a few stops while figuring out what to do in St. Maarten cruise port, definitely make this one of them. If you scroll to the bottom of this post, there are several Viator excursions that I curated for you and some of them have Maho Beach as a stop.

Harold Jack Viewpoint

After Maho Beach, we ended up at a pretty high viewpoint at Harold Jack Viewpoint (also known as Bell’s Lookout Point), and this was the incline that tested our Jeep to the max.

At Harold Jack Viewpoint on Cole Bay Hill, you’ll find a bronze statue of a man sitting quietly and looking out over the ocean. The statue honours William Henry Bell II, also known as “Willy the 7th” because he was the seventh child in his family.

In 1949, William and several family members bought the 300-acre Cape Bay Estate, which was made up of former plantations. The purchase was an important moment for local land ownership in St. Maarten. Sadly, William died suddenly just a year later, at only 33 years old. The statue was placed there in his memory, overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea.

Back to Philipsburg: Shopping, Boardwalk

We finished the day back in the tourist shopping area of Philipsburg. That is, Front Street, with jewellery shops, duty free liquor, souvenir stands and enough T shirts to clothe a small country. If you skipped the Jeep, this is also where the best of what to do in Philipsburg St. Maarten on a cruise lives. Stroll the boardwalk along Great Bay, browse the shops, grab a cold drink and people watch.

US dollars are widely accepted on the Dutch side, which makes it easy when you are doing math.

Quick Tips for What to Do in St. Maarten Cruise Port

• Know your all aboard time and aim to be back before that.
• Bring some cash, sunscreen, a water bottle and a hat.
• Check plane arrival times before you head to Maho Beach.
• If you rent a car, inspect it closely, as in turning it on, take photos and confirm insurance.
• Skip the car if you want zero stress and just book through Viator excursions instead.
• Take the water taxi from your cruise ship to Philipsburg, if you don’t want to walk all the way.
• If you have extra time, cross to the French side for a change of scenery and better baked goods.

Is Renting a Car Worth It?

Honest answer? It depends on your tolerance for chaos. If you want to see more than one spot in a short day, a car gives you freedom. If you want an easy day, take the water taxi to Philipsburg and keep it simple, or again, book a Viator excursion. Either way, the answer to what to do in St. Maarten cruise port is the same: see the planes, see the water and be back on the ship on time.

St. Maarten Interactive Map

Things to do in St. Maarten

Disclaimer*: Booking through Viator is a great way to explore beyond the cruise line’s offerings, often with more flexibility, unique experiences and generally much cheaper. However, it’s important review: pickup location, proximity from the cruise port, excursion timing, travel time and return time to ensure everything aligns with your ship’s “all aboard time”. Cruise ships will not wait for passengers delayed on independent excursions. All third-party excursions are your responsibility.