Need help planning my day!

[eragsjr]

Will be in port from 12-9 pm on a RC cruise. Last time we went to Orient Beach and then on to Marigot for some shopping and a late lunch at the Marina. Loved every minute! Did not have any time to shop in Phillipsburg. I was thinking that maybe this time we should get off the ship and shop for a couple of hours in Phillipsburg then cab it to Orient Beach for a couple of hours of sun (and Guavaberry Coladas!) and then maybe to Marigot for an early-ish dinner (6 pm?) and then back to the ship. Or maybe skip Marigot and have dinner someplace in Phillipsburg. I just really want to shop in Phillipsburg this time. We need to get our rum. Are there liquor stores that will send back to the ship? Thanks for all your help in advance. I've learned so much just reading through everything for the last hour!

[gtaylor]

Do you really want to shop and then carry your purchases to Orient and beyond?

 

Since you've already experienced Marigot, what I would do is have breakfast (even perhaps an early lunch?) before you arrive and then get off the ship and grab a taxi straight to Orient.

 

Get in your beach time (personally I think 'a couple of hours' is way too little) and then return to Philipsburg. Note: if you're in need of more food at this point, (probably not) decide if you want to grab something on the beach or wait until town.

 

Now you've got plenty of time for leisurely shopping (and drinking, if desired).

 

There are several shops that will deliver liquor back to the ship, but shop for booze immediately, as some may have a cut-off time for delivery. I don't know how it works for ships that stay as late as yours.

 

You could then return to the ship to drop off your purchases (or not) and then return to have an enjoyable dinner on the Boardwalk or elsewhere in town, to suit your tastes.

 

gary

[The Big Booper]

We took the Explorer cruise with the strange SXM port time in May 2007. Our experience was that the Phillipsburg stores started closing down between 5:30 and 6 PM. Even the public restrooms right next to the downtown water ferry dock were closed and locked at 6 PM. Most of the stores at the pier stayed open until 7 PM.

 

Never leave anything in a parked rental car even in a place with lots of foot traffic going by such as the areas behind Pedros or Bikini at Orient Beach. So, as Gary suggested, beach before shopping.

[eragsjr]

Thanks for your responses. I agree, I could spend all day at Orient but there's so much wandering to do and so little time. I always hit the liquor stores first to avoid lugging bottles around. I thought someone might have a favorite liquor store to recommend. My concern really was the time that the shops close in Phillipsburg. I recalled them closing around 5 pm and just wanted to fit it all in.

[gtaylor]

We usually shop for liquor at either Caribbean Paradise or Splash, across from each other on Front Street. Actually, all of these shops are very close together.

(click)

 

For high-end stuff there is Gulmohar's.

 

I know that Ram's delivers to the ship.

 

gary

[eragsjr]

Fabulous! Thanks so much. And thanks to everyone who posts on these boards for all the wonderful info. Have a good day!