maho beach st maartin

[wvufan]

Joyce Prince does about the same thing as Bernard. It was the best such tour we ever had and we have been on 17 cruises. Felt like we spent the day with our favorite sister. Plenty of time for Orient, sightseeing, and then Maho.

 

If all you want is Maho, just take the bus.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[tropicbird]

A couple of FYIs....

 

The beach that is shown in many of the previous photos is not there anymore. It apparently washed away, so what remains is the rip rap rocks that were used to build up the shoreline. See the St. Martin board under "ports of call" for updates on the return (if any) of the sand. This makes a trip to Maho more about the planes and less about sitting on the beach, although there are other beaches within walking distance that can be enjoyed.

 

While watching the narrow-body airliners land is cool, you really want to see one of the Boeing 747s or Airbus 330s land. They really are that much more impressive. The KLM 747 flight usually lands around 12:30 p.m, but it can be early (or late). Most days the other jumbos land too late to see and still make it back to the ship (although sometimes there is a charter 747 that lands early enough).

 

Check the morning of your scheduled arrival (using the ship's internet) at http://www.flightstats.com. Search for "arrivals" for airport code "SXM". Since the KLM 747 should already be in the air, you should have a reasonably accurate arrival time. You can also pick out the other bigger planes' anticipated arrival times. You are looking for equipment that starts with "73X", "75X" or "3XX". These will be Boeing 737, Boeing 757, and Airbus (319, 320, 321, 330) respectively. All the Airbus' but the 330 are smaller planes. There is a chalkboard at Sunset Bar with the arrival times, but it's not always up to date, and if you arrive to read it and see that the jumbo is already on the ground, it's too late.

 

The KLM, Air France and Corsair planes will fly in from the east (from over the island) and loop out over the ocean to line up for the approach at SXM. You'll have 5 minutes or so from the time you see the plane fly by to get set up for your photos.

 

The road construction is causing return times from Maho to the pier to be as long as an hour and a half, so plan accordingly to ensure that you don't get that wonderful view of the back of your ship as it sails into the sunset!

[Peace2U]

We took a taxi there for $45 rt for the two of us. Don't go in the mornings as there aren't too many landings until the afternoons. We made that mistake.

[MikeNJ1109]

A couple of FYIs....

 

The beach that is shown in many of the previous photos is not there anymore. It apparently washed away, so what remains is the rip rap rocks that were used to build up the shoreline. See the St. Martin board under "ports of call" for updates on the return (if any) of the sand. This makes a trip to Maho more about the planes and less about sitting on the beach, although there are other beaches within walking distance that can be enjoyed.

 

While watching the narrow-body airliners land is cool, you really want to see one of the Boeing 747s or Airbus 330s land. They really are that much more impressive. The KLM 747 flight usually lands around 12:30 p.m, but it can be early (or late). Most days the other jumbos land too late to see and still make it back to the ship (although sometimes there is a charter 747 that lands early enough).

 

Check the morning of your scheduled arrival (using the ship's internet) at http://www.flightstats.com. Search for "arrivals" for airport code "SXM". Since the KLM 747 should already be in the air, you should have a reasonably accurate arrival time. You can also pick out the other bigger planes' anticipated arrival times. You are looking for equipment that starts with "73X", "75X" or "3XX". These will be Boeing 737, Boeing 757, and Airbus (319, 320, 321, 330) respectively. All the Airbus' but the 330 are smaller planes. There is a chalkboard at Sunset Bar with the arrival times, but it's not always up to date, and if you arrive to read it and see that the jumbo is already on the ground, it's too late.

 

The KLM, Air France and Corsair planes will fly in from the east (from over the island) and loop out over the ocean to line up for the approach at SXM. You'll have 5 minutes or so from the time you see the plane fly by to get set up for your photos.

 

The road construction is causing return times from Maho to the pier to be as long as an hour and a half, so plan accordingly to ensure that you don't get that wonderful view of the back of your ship as it sails into the sunset!

 

Gotta nit-pick just a bit ... please forgive me ... it's an A340 Heavy from Paris, not the A330 :)

 

Michael

[tahqa]

No there are no ship excursions that will take you to Maho Beach (Sunset Bar & Grill)..Take a taxi at the pier..you will see many of them going to this location approx $9.00pp one way in a shared van taxi..Just remember to head back by 2:00pm due to traffic....Enjoy

 

There are ship excursions that will go to Maho Beach. I took the 4x4 Safari and Beach Escape excursion last week off of Freedom and we spent about 30 minutes at Maho. Granted, it's not a lot of time... so if you want more time than that you're better off with other options.

 

A couple of FYIs....

 

The beach that is shown in many of the previous photos is not there anymore. It apparently washed away, so what remains is the rip rap rocks that were used to build up the shoreline. See the St. Martin board under "ports of call" for updates on the return (if any) of the sand. This makes a trip to Maho more about the planes and less about sitting on the beach, although there are other beaches within walking distance that can be enjoyed.

 

As of last week the beach is about 30 - 40 feet wide.

[BillOh]

As of last week the beach is about 30 - 40 feet wide.

 

That's consistent with what I remember from May. Orient was a better beach, but there was enough beach at Maho that I could have had a good time had we had more time there. The tour spent too much time at Margiot shopping. (I know other people probably liked it that way. )

[crusinpsychRN]

There is a lot of road construction going on near Maho, so I would HIGHLY suggest you take a tour or else be VERY sure you leave in plenty of time to allow for traffic jams.

 

It was like that years ago when I was there. They're slower than Florida fixing roads.:eek:

 

I thought this was going to be the dumbest thing ever and I had so much fun. It's amazing.:D

 

But then again I played mini golf in Cozumel when Sally owned it...

[UNV-IT!!!]

What's a good time to arrive?

[sunnyflorida13]

Hi ,

I am going to be going on the Freedom Of the Seas in 2 weeks to St. Maarten with my daughter . I am 55 and my daughter is 27. We are contemplating on a Shore excursion through the ship or reserving with Bernard. We want to get an island tour , go to Marigot and a beach. Due to that it is just the two of us we were kinda afraid to venture out with a private tour. Unfortunately the ship excursions really are not offering what we want but Bernard is. Can you tell me how was the tour with Bernard ? And if you felt safe. Thank you I would appreciate any suggestions you might have .

[OldJerseycruiser]

Sunnyflorida13,

 

We went on Bernard's Tour in February and can honestly say that we didn't even think about feeling unsafe. We are from the UK and tend to be more aware than normal if anything doesn't feel right. All the drivers were really friendly and informative. If you go, make sure you find the French patisserie in Marigot, it has the best cakes and we live on an Island a few miles from France! The beach stop was fun and we also saw the big planes arriving at Maho beach. The drivers are very aware of getting people back to the ships in time and know alternative ways there to facillitate this.

[sunnyflorida13]

OldJerseycruiser,

 

Thank you so much , you have given us a peace of mind. We are going to go ahead and book with Bernard . His tour is exactly what we are looking for and you can't beat the price. Freedom of the Seas offers some excursions but double the price and they don't go to Maho . I'll keep everyone informed when we get back , leaving on Sunday Dec. 4th. Can't wait :)

[gcvt]

It was like that years ago when I was there. They're slower than Florida fixing roads.:eek:

 

I thought this was going to be the dumbest thing ever and I had so much fun. It's amazing.:D

 

But then again I played mini golf in Cozumel when Sally owned it...

 

So they won't be done by February then ;)

[topcop]

Would like to share our experience in going to Maho Beach.

 

We were there last Tuesday, Dec. 6 and boarded a taxi at the cruise port along with another couple and lady riding alone. The sign said $20 for up to 2 people and $18 for 3-5.

 

As we started out the couple asked how long to get to Sunset Beach. When the driver responded that it was probably going to be over an hour, the guy got very upset. "Why weren't we told that while waiting in the hot sun," he demanded. "If I want to see planes, I'll look out my window at home." He then demanded to be dropped off. As the driver tried to get into the shopping district, she hit some traffic, which only aggravated the guy more.

 

When she finally got to a place to let them off she explained she could not take us any further. The driver was nice and explained that it was not worth it to just take three people. We understood. She then flagged down a bus (mini van) and said it was going the same route and would only cost $2 per.

 

As soon as we got out of the commercial district we hit traffic. It just crept along. The driver made several stops and each person getting onboard was very friendly.

 

After about an hour we entered another commercial district (about 4-5 miles from the airport) and the traffic started moving. The driver left us off about a block from the Sunset Bar.

 

We saw lots of planes and got great pictures.

 

Now, elsewhere on one of these post it was suggested to use only red shirted taxi drivers.

 

Well, when we were leaving the beach the one red shirted driver was taking a lunch break but suggested one of the other non-red shirted drivers. That driver offered to take us back to the port for $18. He said using just red shirted drivers was BS. That they were just part of an association.

 

This driver was also very friendly and got us back in 35 minutes. We ran into a little construction in the commercial district outside the airport, but all the heavy traffic was going in the opposite direction as it was when we headed out.

[Bogos22]

How do you book a tour with Bernard's Tours?

[gtaylor]

How do you book a tour with Bernard's Tours?

 

Website.

 

gary

[shancan911]

Last February (2011), I recall the drive to be just over 30 minutes. Is the construction the same as the ? More? Less? We've been a few times, and are taking 10yr old DS this time. Need to make it work for him :-)

[WarmWaters]

A couple of FYIs....

 

The beach that is shown in many of the previous photos is not there anymore. It apparently washed away, so what remains is the rip rap rocks that were used to build up the shoreline. See the St. Martin board under "ports of call" for updates on the return (if any) of the sand. This makes a trip to Maho more about the planes and less about sitting on the beach, .

 

The KLM, Air France and Corsair planes will fly in from the east (from over the island) and loop out over the ocean to line up for the approach at SXM. You'll have 5 minutes or so from the time you see the plane fly by to get set up for your photos.

 

 

We there about 10 days ago and the beach was lovely, there is a few rocks next to the bar area but plenty of sand on the beach, it was great ! We sat on the beach and swam in the ocean, it was a great beach.

 

While there, the big Air France plane came in, and it did not come in over the island 1st, it came straight from the ocean side. You can see the lights of the plane for a couple of minutes before its really near, which give enough time to get ready for a good photo op.

 

You can stand directly under the flight path of the incoming planes, many people have been doing that with the heavy Air France plane with no sandblasting. Sandblasting and being blown off your feet, is a big possibility when the big planes take off.

 

A few nice photo op is to have someone you want in the picture with the plane, stand down lower near the water or in the water, with their hands waving in the air (the water is lower than the sandy beach area). That makes for a beautiful picture of someone and the incoming plane.

 

We loved our time there, seeing the planes, it was a highlight for us in St Maarten.

[KALCJ1]

Last February (2011), I recall the drive to be just over 30 minutes. Is the construction the same as the ? More? Less? We've been a few times, and are taking 10yr old DS this time. Need to make it work for him :-)[/quote

 

We went to Maho the week of Thanksgiving. This was our 1st time cruising with teenagers and thought they would enjoy it. There were several ships in port and we waited quite a while for a taxi. It took about 85 minutes for us to get there due to the construction. I was very disappointed that the taxi driver never mentioned anything about construction until we were stuck at the top of the mountain. I tend to get car sick and would not have gone had I known! When we got to the beach I was so sick and it was so crowded that we took a few pictures and got back in the taxi to go back to port. The round trip taxi ride for 4 with tip was $90. The return trip took about 25 minutes...thank goodness. All in all, it was worth the torture ride in the taxi for a few great pictures!!

[gtaylor]

Last February (2011), I recall the drive to be just over 30 minutes. Is the construction the same as the ? More? Less? We've been a few times, and are taking 10yr old DS this time. Need to make it work for him :-)[/quote

 

We went to Maho the week of Thanksgiving. This was our 1st time cruising with teenagers and thought they would enjoy it. There were several ships in port and we waited quite a while for a taxi. It took about 85 minutes for us to get there due to the construction. I was very disappointed that the taxi driver never mentioned anything about construction until we were stuck at the top of the mountain. I tend to get car sick and would not have gone had I known! When we got to the beach I was so sick and it was so crowded that we took a few pictures and got back in the taxi to go back to port. The round trip taxi ride for 4 with tip was $90. The return trip took about 25 minutes...thank goodness. All in all, it was worth the torture ride in the taxi for a few great pictures!!

The main traffic congestion has eased, as they suspended the bulk of new work on December 9th.

 

From the Cruise Facility to Maho should be on the order of 30 - 45 minutes.

 

That said, there is always a traffic concern from Maho back into Philipsburg in the afternoons. I would depart Maho no later than 2:45 in most circumstances.

 

Round trip taxi for four should have been $72, plus tip.

 

(click)

 

gary

[shancan911]

Thanks for the replies! 85 minutes? :-O I hope not. There'll be a group of us, probably 12 or so going. It's really the only thing DS has asked to do this trip. He's seen our photos and heard our stories, and wants to see for himself. Sounds like we'll plan to head out early. With the new landing strip being built. This may be our last opportunity for it to be what we remember.

[tjbarney]

Thanks for the replies! 85 minutes? :-O I hope not. There'll be a group of us, probably 12 or so going. It's really the only thing DS has asked to do this trip. He's seen our photos and heard our stories, and wants to see for himself. Sounds like we'll plan to head out early. With the new landing strip being built. This may be our last opportunity for it to be what we remember.

 

When is the new landing strip going to be finished? We will be there on June 2nd and really want to see the planes come over us on Maho Beach! That's a Saturday and I've read that is one of the better days beyond Sunday, and we will be the only ship in port that day. TIA!

[Cafabi]

The main traffic congestion has eased, as they suspended the bulk of new work on December 9th.

 

From the Cruise Facility to Maho should be on the order of 30 - 45 minutes.

 

That said, there is always a traffic concern from Maho back into Philipsburg in the afternoons. I would depart Maho no later than 2:45 in most circumstances.

 

Round trip taxi for four should have been $72, plus tip.

 

(click)

 

gary

 

I heard that the work was deferred until March. We will be there March 13. Does anyone have any information or predictions for that time? I have never been to this island before. Thanks.

[zmatt]

Has anyone been to the beach recently, is the sand back on the beach or is it still rock?

[UNV-IT!!!]

Has anyone been to the beach recently, is the sand back on the beach or is it still rock?

 

I was there in dec and there was sand.

[mizzmoo]

Has the traffic congestion improved any? We'll be there in 3 weeks and would love to go.