sweets2323 Posted February 5, 2018 #1 Share Posted February 5, 2018 ******Just an FYI****** If you are going to St. MAARTIN, the only tour you can get at the port is a taxi tour. St MAARTIN was very regulated. If you want any excursions Please pre book or book with the cruise line for st MAARTIN There was absolutely no one waiting around with signs inside the port. Prebook island tours and excursions were the only people waiting NEXT to the ship as you walked out with signs. Once you enter the port, there will be NO companies walking around at all. We decided to take a taxi tour for $30 a person in a closed van. We walked to the end of the port where there was a line of taxis and the prices were on the board. No negotiation. Set prices. We did the private tour so we paid $30 instead of $25 (we didn’t share the van because it was closed in and we wanted room). There was six of us. I was surprised not seeing anyone waking around inside the port. The taxi tour i think is still less than paying on the ship/ The tour was nice and we went to many places. I’ll post pix later. I just got off the ship Sunday Sent from my iPhone using Forums Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 5, 2018 #2 Share Posted February 5, 2018 We were hoping to take a tour, either public taxi or private van, to see the beaches on the French side. Would like to see Orient, Anse Marcel, Grand Case, Marigot and then get dropped off in Phillipsburg to shop and have lunch - maybe 2-3 hours. Any advice how to arrange this? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweets2323 Posted February 5, 2018 Author #3 Share Posted February 5, 2018 The taxi are all regulated and they have buses and cars. We did the taxi and we did want to share because it was 6 of us and the bus was closed in. Therefore, we paid $30 instead of $25 per person for a private van. They can take you to all of the stops you mentioned in 2.5 hours. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted February 5, 2018 #4 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Thanks for sharing this. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 5, 2018 #5 Share Posted February 5, 2018 The taxi are all regulated and they have buses and cars. We did the taxi and we did want to share because it was 6 of us and the bus was closed in. Therefore, we paid $30 instead of $25 per person for a private van. They can take you to all of the stops you mentioned in 2.5 hours. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Did you prearranged the private van or find one at the pier and negotiate the price? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweets2323 Posted February 5, 2018 Author #6 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Did you prearranged the private van or find one at the pier and negotiate the price? Sent from my iPhone using Forums In St. Maarten there was no negotiation with the taxi prices. The prices are printed on the board. As you walk up the operators are there and the taxis are lined up in the curb. And they pull up in order. I found one at the pier/port. When I walked out of the ship, the only people i saw were pre booked tours with signs. Once I walked inside the port, there were no one hanging around like most ports. Very very quiet... then I walked to the side and I found the taxi set up. I asked the taxi why is it set up this way, he mentioned that is set up this way to protect the tourist from being scammed etc. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 5, 2018 #7 Share Posted February 5, 2018 In St. Maarten there was no negotiation with the taxi prices. The prices are printed on the board. As you walk up the operators are there and the taxis are lined up in the curb. And they pull up in order. I found one at the pier/port. When I walked out of the ship, the only people i saw were pre booked tours with signs. Once I walked inside the port, there were no one hanging around like most ports. Very very quiet... then I walked to the side and I found the taxi set up. I asked the taxi why is it set up this way, he mentioned that is set up this way to protect the tourist from being scammed etc. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Sorry, I misunderstood your post. Thought you used a private van for your tour and paid $30pp . I guess you used a “public” taxi for your tour Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweets2323 Posted February 5, 2018 Author #8 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Sorry, I misunderstood your post. Thought you used a private van for your tour and paid $30pp . I guess you used a “public” taxi for your tour Sent from my iPhone using Forums It was a taxi but I requested a private van because I didn’t want to share. So it wasn’t necessarily a tour company, but in reality it did the same thing. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 5, 2018 #9 Share Posted February 5, 2018 It was a taxi but I requested a private van because I didn’t want to share. So it wasn’t necessarily a tour company, but in reality it did the same thing. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Thanks for the the clarification. One more question- how long did you use the taxi for the $30pp? We have only 4 people, guess that would add to the cost/person Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweets2323 Posted February 5, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted February 5, 2018 I forgot to take a picture of the price list, but the price goes off the amount of people and $5 more for a private taxi The tour was for 2.5 hours. Their taxi’s but it’s a tour as well. It’s cheaper to do the tour unless you want to go to more than one place. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnorkelAway Posted February 5, 2018 #11 Share Posted February 5, 2018 While tour operators cannot meet you in the port area, if you arrange a private excursion with a private tour operator online or otherwise, you can easily meet them just outside the port gate. The exit from the port area is not that much farther from the ship than the taxi stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtfnl Posted February 6, 2018 #12 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Thank you Sweets2323, you have been very helpful on my quest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrentD Posted February 8, 2018 #13 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Highly recommend Bernard's Tours on St. Maarten if you're looking for an island tour. $40/pp and was excellent when I used them. I was a solo cruiser that trip, and only shared the tour with a couple from Germany, so it was practically a private tour. http://www.bernardstours.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 8, 2018 #14 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Highly recommend Bernard's Tours on St. Maarten if you're looking for an island tour. $40/pp and was excellent when I used them. I was a solo cruiser that trip, and only shared the tour with a couple from Germany, so it was practically a private tour. http://www.bernardstours.com/ They just quoted me $300 for 4 people for 3 hours. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtfnl Posted February 8, 2018 #15 Share Posted February 8, 2018 They just quoted me $300 for 4 people for 3 hours. Sent from my iPhone using Forums He quoted me $50 pp for my group of 30. Bernard's Tours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talex831 Posted February 10, 2018 #16 Share Posted February 10, 2018 They just quoted me $300 for 4 people for 3 hours. Sent from my iPhone using Forums That sounds like the private tour rate. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynay Posted February 12, 2018 #17 Share Posted February 12, 2018 They just quoted me $300 for 4 people for 3 hours. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Ouch!!:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrentD Posted February 14, 2018 #18 Share Posted February 14, 2018 They just quoted me $300 for 4 people for 3 hours. That's a private tour price. It's listed on their website for much cheaper per person (when NOT booking a private tour). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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