Would love to try to answer as many St.Maarten questions as possible...

[RDMOREU]

Hi and Welcome Back! Hope you had a wonderful trip! Dolores

[xsnowman99]

Snoopy leogirl: I am wondering about New Year's Celebrations in St. Martin. We will be on the Wind Surf arriving (we hope!!) in Marigot. We love to come to St Martin. My husband has a favorite restaurant onthe main street almost across the street from the taxi stand. You sit outside and they do lobsters, prawns on an outdoor huge barbeque grill. My question is if he will probably be able to do that early on New Years (like around 6 or 6:30) of if establishments basically close down except for reservations only for New years Eve celebrations. We just want to eat dinner there, then head back to the ship for the later festivities. Thanks for your help.

 

Also, regarding your post on there being road work, which side is that. We may not even venture over to the dutch side...just prefer Marigot. Also, I think I remember that there is a mall somewhere up the hill from the port of Marigot? I have been to the one just under the fortress. Is there another shopping spot that is good?

 

Thanks for your help. This has been a great thread with all of your input! Lynn

[syndyj]

Can you please furnish me with the following taxi rates?

 

Local bus fare from Phillipsburg to Marigot

 

Taxi from Marigot to Orient Beach

 

Taxi from Orient Beach to Cruise Ship Port

 

Also, where is the local bus stand located?

[bUU]

This is a great thread!

 

I've been trying to find a way to arrange something rather narrow and specific for our cruise in February. There are several ways to integrate a port excursion that includes a hike from Loterbie Farms (to Pic Paradis), but they all have other "stops" along the way, that from our perspective only take-away from what we want to do. We don't want to be rushed from our hiking so we can go see the Butterfly Farm (which I'm sure is nice, but not necessarily what we want to do on St. Martin).

 

What I do know, besides the excursions that have the hike as a part of them, is that we can rent a car and do the hiking on our own. I'm a little leary about that, for a couple of reasons. I understand that renting a car in St. Martin is a bit unreliable, and the roads aren't the kind of roads we're used to driving, so there is a safety concern.

 

I suppose we could get a taxi from the port to Loterbie Farms, but I'm not sure how much that would run, and I don't know how we'd get back!

 

Another concern about doing this on our own is that I cannot find any topological hiking trail maps, so I can be sure not to get lost.

 

Any advice or information that would help us resolve this dilemma would be greatly appreciated!

[snoopy_leogirl]

I read on another thread that the shops on St. Maartin close in the afternoon. Does anyone know if this is correct? I've got a tour scheduled in the morning, but will re-schedule if I need to shop in the morning.

 

Thanks, Bev

 

 

Shops that are specifically on Front Street, are always opened straight from about 9:00 a.m./9:30 a.m. till about 6:00 p.m. They don't close for lunch or anything like that. Most shops on the French Side however, are closed for lunch. They close around 12:30 p.m./1:00 p.m. and re-open around 2:30 p.m or some even open at 3:00 p.m. Other stores located throughout the island are mostly opened throughout the day as well. The main problem is with the French Side. All the boutiques and most stores there close for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours for lunch.

[snoopy_leogirl]

SNOOPY:

 

Thanks so much for volunteering info on St Maarten. My wife and I will be there from a ship from 9am-6pm. We looked at the ship tours and either they take up most of the day, leaving little or no time for shopping, or they seem quite expensive. Do you have any suggestions for what we can do on our own and still leave a couple of hours for shopping on Front St. By the way, about 10 years ago, we spent a week onthe island; at that time we visited Marigot on the French side and some of the beaches on the French side. Thanks again!

 

Ship tours should be booked through the ship but most of them I am guessing, would be snorkeling/scuba diving, boat trips, bus tours of the island etc. I think this actually mainly depends on your interests. If you like to walk and shop, of course go to Front Street. If you like to explore a little, take a bus tour of the island which most tourists do. They take you to the most scenic points and take you around the island. I heard its nice. YOu might want to visit Pic Paradis also. Its the highest peak on St.Martin and is located on the French Side. Also, visit Marigot again. It has changed a lot over the past 10 years and Front Street will be even more strange to you since there are so many more new stores there now. If you like beaches, visit Orient Beach. Its an optional nude beach but its very very popular with tourists and locals. Or if you want to opt for a more quiet and non-nude beach, visit DIVI Little Bay Beach which is about a 5 -10 minute drive from Front Street/the docks.

Have Fun!

[snoopy_leogirl]

We'll have about 9 hours on St Marten in early December. Here's what I'd like to do -- a short horseback ride, Orient Beach, the Fort, Maho Bay, and Dawn Beach. We'd probably like to spend a couple of hours at Orient and just have a drink and snap some pix at the other two. Does this sound doable? Also - I was there last year and hired a taxi for several hours. This particular one was one of the white shirted ones as opposed to those who wear orange shirts. She went by Virgin Mary and was the best. I almost want to say her cab was #439. Is there any way for me to check out whether she's still there? Thanks so much and I can't wait to get back to St Martin

 

To find out if she's still here, call 147 or 54-24049 when you reach here and ask for her taxi number. They should be able to help you out. But its funny you mentioned that she wore a white shirt because most taxi drivers I've seen here, are orange shirts.

As for your plans, I think it is doable but it will take you the entire day and you have to keep moving because all of the places that you mentioned are pretty distant from one another. It will take you a while to get from place to place and then to spend some time in each place will take a while too. Your choices are very nice though and I am sure you will have a good time as long as you give yourself a set amount of time in each place and move on.

Good Luck!

[snoopy_leogirl]

PurrSusan,

 

WOW! It will be very hard to get you to buy jewelry on the French Side in one hour plus, as Kal mentioned, the exchange rate of the Euro and Dollars might be a bit problematic. However, I can tell you that certain stores on the French Side accept US$ the same as they accept Euro's. They take it 1 to 1 so that its much easier for you and you don't end up losing anything.

I hope that you find stores from the map because jewelry stores there are a lot harder to find than on Front Street. Try Leena's Jewelry Store. I am not sure you will find what you need but try it out anyway. Also, for the beach wraps and bags on the French Side, try T-Shirt World. You will find what you are looking for there. These both stores are located on Rue General De Gaulle, Marigot. Its a central location so they are not far.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Snoopy Leogirl--

 

Do you have any suggestions for seeing the island on the cheap? What is the public bus system like? Are there nice snorkeling beaches within walking distance of the pier, or available by bus or an under $10 taxi ride?

 

Thanks!

 

Seeing the island cheap, yes you can take the public buses. They are small buses compared to those that run in the USA but of course, that's because we have a tiny population. I don't think that they charge more than a dollar or two, one way, depending on where you are going. A few good snorkeling beaches are DIVI Little Bay, Dawn Beach, and Maho Bay. DIVI is the closest beach to the pier and its about an 8 minute drive. Maho and Dawn Beach are about 25 and 20 minute drive respectively. DIVI is nice though, I think you'll like it.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Snoopy,

I'll be on the island in January with my family. We are hoping to tour the island a little and maybe do the beach thing. One thing we will be looking for is cigars and wine. Where are some good places to buy both?

Thanks for your help!

 

Cigar buying places:

 

French Side -

T-Shirt World. They have a built in humidor and a very nice selection of Cigars (mainly Cuban). They also ship cigars worldwide.

 

Dutch Side -

Golden Gift Shop. They have a smaller selection but they have the basic cigars.

 

Wine is a bit harder for me to say. Try out Le Grand Marche Supermarket. Also, try out this place on the French Side in the alley next to Leena's.

Not too sure about the wine selections though.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Snoopy: My hubby and i are coming down Aug 22 for a week and staying at the royal islander club la plage at Maho beach. Do you know anything about it? We are trading a timeshare and hope this is a good one. We would like to do some other islands around St. marten for day trips, to do beaching and snorkeling. Any suggestions and let us know how to get there and prices if you have any.

Hope you had a great vacation, you will be busy anwering all these posts because you are so good and everyone wants your help. Thanks for doing all this work for us.

 

Barb

 

 

Sorry but by the time you get this, its already too late since you will be here and perhaps even returned back home. Hope you figured out what you needed to know. :o

[snoopy_leogirl]

Do you think I should get a tour from the ship or book one on my own? Any suggestions?

 

Wow, this is a tricky question for me. Tours booked off the ship have the obvious advantage of being cheaper. But, then, if they are delayed in any instance, you may be left back and the ship can be gone without you. We had that huge risk when we were in Alaska so we decided to book tours only from our cruiseline just for the added safety of never being left behind. I know that once you are off the ship here, you can book tours at the pier. Here's one more thing. If you have almost a whole day in port here, book a private tour. You will be fine, but try to get the earliest timing which will assure you that you will be back ahead of time.

[snoopy_leogirl]

I have a question. Can you buy delft pottery on St. Maarten? I have started a small collection and am always looking for new and interesting pieces to add to it.

Thanks for the info.

 

There's a store located on Front Street that sells only Delft Pottery. It has a lot of stuff in it, all delft. Its located close to Tommy Hilfiger and Effy New York. After you pass by Effy and Tommy Hilfiger, you keep walking for another 30 seconds, and look on the left hand side of the street. Or if you are coming from the other side of the street, you should continue to walk by Polo Ralph Lauren and Lipstick, and its right after that on the same side of the street. Voila! You can't miss it.

[snoopy_leogirl]

What is the weather like in Nov? We will be there on the10th of November. We will also be visiting St.Thomas and the Bahamas.

 

Weather in November: HOTTTT!

Another easy way to put it, all year round, St.Maarten weather ranges from 80 to 90 degrees. In the evenings its a tad bit cooler, maybe between 75 to 80 degrees. We never experience all seasons, except for Summer which is pretty much all year round. uggh. :rolleyes:

[snoopy_leogirl]

Snoopy

 

Great thread you have going here. I have reserved the Randon Gig boat which leaves from the Peg Leg Pub. This will be in October and I was then told that it is a 20 minute cab ride to get there from the ship. Is this true? There will be 11 of us and I want to get us all there for a reasonable price. Help!

 

Thanks!

 

Kal's right. Its just about 20 minutes or maybe 25, depending on traffic.

[snoopy_leogirl]

We will be going to St. Maarten on our cruise in October. I'm looking for great snorkeling excursions for us to go on. One issue (may not be a major one, depends) is that I am in a wheelchair. I know that most won't be accessible but I can be carried... I'm a small woman. Any suggestions?

 

Oh jeez, this is something that I have no clue on how to answer. I don't know if they accommodate people on wheelchairs. That's a big problem that we have here. I admit it. We're not always well prepared to handle people that are handicapped. I know in the USA, that you have privileges almost everywhere you go, and that's so wonderful. I think the best thing that you can do is to try and research through search engines on the web and find snorkel places here that can help you out, or try to call them or e-mail them for more info. Sorry I wasn't able to help much but good luck! :)

[snoopy_leogirl]

My Husband and I will be in St. Martin in Early November. Could you please tell me where the best places to gamble are?

Teri

 

 

There are actually a lot of casinos here considering that we are such a small island but a few of my favorite casinos are: Princess Casino in Port De Plaisance and Casino Royale in Maho. Also, Atlantis Casino in Cupecoy isn't bad. There are several casino's on Front Street but I have barely been to any of them, though lots of tourists visit them.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Snoopy,

Hope you had a good time on your cruise. Do you know anything about Lord Sheffield snorkling cruises? We are going the end of August. I don't want to bring my teen and pre-teen boys to nude beaches. I cound not handle watching them stare. My DH and I were there a few years ago and loved it. But it is not for them yet.

 

 

Nope, I haven't really heard of Lord Sheffield snorkeling cruises but as long as you have done your research on them, you should be fine. If you have their contact info, try to call them or e-mail them and ask if they visit nude beaches. I hope that you are able to find out what you need to know. :D

[snoopy_leogirl]

We will be visiting St. Maarten in Dec. 04. Any advice for excursions for a handicapped person? She is in a wheelchair, but has very limited walking mobility. I would appreciate any info you can provide.

 

 

I just posted something similar to this, but I hope to try to help you out as much as I can. I don't think that you should have a problem with the wheelchair at all. Most people will be willing to help you out if you have any problems. Also, I think that it might be easier of you take a taxi to Front Street instead of walking because the walk will take you at least 15 minutes and it may be harder when you are helping out someone that is handicapped. Also, the weather can be a bit weary and hot so be careful. Also, most businesses/restaurants are on the ground floor here so don't worry about having to climb up steps or anything major like that. You should be just fine.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Are all the beaches "Nude Beaches?" I will taking my grandkids and don't want to see that! LOL They're parent would kill me!

 

Ohh don't worry, not all beaches are nudies. Only Orient Beach is mainly nude. But then again, most beaches on the French Side are optionally nude. Try to stick to beaches on the Dutch Side and you won't be exposed to that nudity. A great beach is DIVI Little Bay. Check it out! Very nice spot which I have reccommended to MANY people and I love to go there myself. Have Fun!

[snoopy_leogirl]

Hi, we will be in St. Maarten the first of Jan., My son is interested in touring your medical school (possibly wanting to attend there next fall). Do you have any information on who to contact?? Any other information would be appreciated too.

Thanks.

 

Our medical school is very popular. Lots of American students attend the med school. Here's their website: http://www.aucmed.edu/

Also, if you want to ask specific questions, call or e-mail them.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Thanks for the data... how far (drive time and $) is Cupecoy from where the cruise ship comes in?? Are there cabs there to bring you back?????

 

Cupecoy from the ship terminal: about a 25 minute drive. Cost: just a guess, about $20?!?!??!

Cabs, hmmm, no not really. But you can ask someone there to call for a cab but make sure you call for a cab at least 15-20 minutes in advance.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Hi snoopy_leogirl:

 

Thanks you for all of your very informative posts. We'll be visiting St. Maarten on the 01/03/05 sailing of the Empress of the Seas and are thinking of taking RCI's "Marigot Yachting With Lunch" tour. Please let us know whether you think this would be a good tour or not. Thanks.

 

Here is RCI's description of the tour:

 

After a narrated bus ride from Phillipsburg to Simpson Bay, you will embark a motorized catamaran yacht for a one hour scenic cruise around the lagoon to observe the luxury homes, mega yachts and beautiful scenery as you cross the imaginary border line between the Dutch and the French waters. Complimentary rum or fruit punch, iced tea, and sodas will be offered.

 

There will be two full hours to enjoy the attractive port capitol of Marigot with its sidewalk cafes, open-air markets and duty-free shops.

 

Lunch will be served at a lovely restaurant overlooking the Marina and then the party continues for the return cruise to Simpson Bay and the drive back to the ship.

 

Thanks again.

 

 

That actually sounds pretty nice to me. The lagoon cruise is always fun. I would probably do it. Lunch on the French side is always a nice experience too.

[snoopy_leogirl]

snoopy leogirl - what a great help you have been but I have a question regarding golf. Is there a course that we can play and have you or any other people played the course and what did you think of it.

 

Deb

 

Golfing: we have one course only, which is now still used by tourists mainly but ever since Hurricane Luis hit in 1995, the hotel (Mullet Bay Hotel) was closed down and to this day, its still ruined. Nothing has been done to fix it and the land out there was a golf course and its still used to play golf but it is not as pretty as it used to be. However, most of the afternoons when you drive by, you can still see people golfing so my guess is, that it is not that bad at all. Try it out, but please don't expect it to be the best golf course by any means. Though, it still looks decent and still has quite a few golfers around.

[snoopy_leogirl]

Snoopy_leogirl,

We will be arriving in St. Martin at the end of November. Our ship the Seabourn Pride is docking in Marigot not Phillipsburg. Do you have any must see things that we should do?

Thank you in advance.

mcboo

:)

 

Very recently, I think that since in October, November, and Dec there are lots more ships docking here everyday, the Dutch Side decided to send some to the French Side too. You are one of those lucky people. I don't think that this has ever really happened before. The French Side has some essential things to do. Though Marigot (French Side) is smaller than Philipsburg (Dutch Side) it has a lot to do but please try to visit Front Street on the Dutch Side which is a shopper's mecca with duty free, tax free shopping.

Here's my list for the French Side:

Visit Rue General De Gaulle and shop around.

Go to the top of the Fort. It has a very very picturesque and amazing 360 degree view from up there. But you have to climb up a few flight of steps (about an 8 minute walk).

Also, try to go to Pic Paradis. Its the highest peak on the island on the French Side but you have to drive there.

Another nice thing, walk along the waterfront in Marigot and go to tha Marina for lunch. Nice place to be. :)

Have Fun!