What to see & do in St. Maarten?

[Must Cruise]

Help.... Any information on what to see or do.....Sailing to Eastern Caribbean in Jan. 2008.

[The Big Booper]

You should re-post this in the Ports of Call section under St. Martin, if the mods don't move it automatically.

[DonnaK]

We just walk off the ship - There are little shops along the pier and a nice little beach at the end (it's less than a mile walk, but you can take the water taxi for $5 per person for an all-day ticket). We get two beach chairs and an umbrella for $10, and they throw in two soft-drinks/bottles of water.

 

The main shopping district runs for a few blocks behind the beachfront, and we find it better than St Thomas for bargains and merchandise.

[KarinaGW]

You should re-post this in the Ports of Call section under St. Martin, if the mods don't move it automatically.

 

And then Big Booper will give you wonderful detailed answers like he did when I posted there.

 

But, I loved St. Martin. I did chicken out of self-touring for my first visit there and took a ship's tour. It is my favorite port to date.

 

I talk about St. Martin and have pix inmy Explorer link below....it's Day 5. You find the pictures by clicking the island's name next to the day number.

[cdpteach]

Wow, Karina...your review is extensive...and WONDERFUL!!! We'll be on the 9 day on Explorer in August!!! I love your pix and descriptions!!

 

THANK YOU !!

Cynthia

[CruiseCrAzieS]

We took a taxi to Maho beach and had an absolute blast!! We had sand, rolling waves that kicked out butts and stole our sunglasses:cool: :D , outdoor bar, lounge chairs, and SUNSHINE...what more could you ask for?? The people in our group absolutely voted Maho in St.Maarten the highlight of the cruise "stops!"

[cruzobsessed]

knowing very little about who you're traveling with and what your cruising style is....i'll just tell you what we've done both times in st. martaan.

we get off the ship by 9:30. take a cab for a very short ride to DIVI LITTLE BAY. it is the beach of an all inclusive. once there we rent chairs and umbrellas, snorkel equipment and if you want jet skiis.

the beach is very nice and you can see the ships n port.

then around 12:30'ish we take another cab over to MAHO BEACH. to get the real drift of this place go to this link

unless you've grown up near an airport that also has a beach....you've never seen anything like this. there is a burger place called the SUNSET BAR AND GRILL. you can eat lunch while you are amazed. and that's what we do:D

oh we're a family of 4 (2 teen boys)

[Radiomark]

If you want to go to downtown St Maarten, take the water taxi. Unlimited trips back and forth all day. My daughter got her hair braided in St Maarten. There are great beaches on both the Dutch and French sides of the island. The nude beaches are on the French side which is why we stayed on the Dutch side...

 

Have fun. It's a wonderful island. We were there in January and it was pretty hot.

 

Mark

[mimipearl]

I love the Butterfly Farm tour. The butterflies are really beautiful and will sit on your hand, but the whole tour was fabulous. The butterfly farm was just a small part of the whole bus trip. It was a beautiful overview of the island on both sides.

[jerseygirl63]

We did the 4 X 4 excrsion through RCCL. We had a great time. since there was four of us we got our own jeep and the guide was very informative. We stopped at two beaches and had lunch at the last one. Great day!

[jules815]

We did the "Afternoon Beach Bash" excursion to Orient Beach last June. It was the perfect afternoon at a beautiful beach. They provided us with a nice, cushioned lounge chair and unlimited rum punch. The water is such a beautiful light blue color. We had our girls with us, 12 and 16, and they went para sailing there. The next time we visit St. Maarten, I wouldn't hesitate to book this excursion again.

[Agilitydog]

We did the Kayak and Snorkle tour through RCI. It was a lot of fun but a little strenuous as you kayak to a beach, swim out to a reef to snorkle, swim back and then kayak back to the first beach. There were a few young kids who did fine though, so it might have been all those drinks the night before that made it tougher for me and DH. The snorkeling was okay but not the best I've ever seen.I don't remember which beach it left from but it was on the Dutch side and may have been a Yacht Club.

[Safetyal]

And ladies can drink for free at Sunset Beach at Maho, but there is a catch...;)

[cruzobsessed]

hey safetyal.......should i tell them or will you....:D :D

[KreiderCarter]

One of my favorite excursions of all time was the Americas Cup Regatta. It was a ton of fun.

 

This year we are doing the Loteri Farm Treetop Tour....but since we haven't done it yet I can't really suggest it.

[Must Cruise]

Thanks for all the information... It looks like there is a lot of fun to be had for DH and I. Sorry, I am not sure how to move or re-post this thread.

 

Thanks again.... I loved the photos and the reviews.

[cdpteach]

Can't wait for our cruise!!! Thanks for all the info....I will be with a big group in August....

DH and I have a 4 year old girl....the Butterfly garden and a beach sound great for her. I watched the video of Maho Beach....amazing...but I don't think that's for me!!!

Thanks again!

Cynthia

[Arizona Laura]

Maho Beach is great. When we were there did not see anyone topless.

To experience the planes coming in is awesome. Some people in our group of 14 weren't that excited to see the beach but everyone when we were leaving said they were glad they went.

A bunch of guys stood along the fence surrounding the airport at the end of the runway and when a plane was taking off they held on for dear life as the plane accelerated its engines. Not the best air to inhale but it is amazing to see.

Nice bar too..

[Safetyal]

hey safetyal.......should i tell them or will you....:D :D

 

 

You go ahead. But let's hope if they elect to do it, it is very warm otherwise it could be a bit nippy!! :eek:

[alphakitty]

When DH and I were there recently we rented a jeep and drove all over the island. We stopped at Orient Beach for a couple of hours. Had lunch in Grand Case at a "lolo", drove to another beach, Friar's Bay and then through Marigot and to Maho and back to Phillipsburg. We had plenty of time, got back to the ship early and really got to see the island. It was easy driving, we always felt safe and the scenery was spectacular. $85 for a jeep for the day picked up right off the cruise dock with no reservation.

[paggerscorvette]

We were there on Friday 3-30-07 on the Adventure. We did the 4 wheeler excursion, if you enjoy this type of excursion, book it - it was wonderful even in the rain

[jules815]

When DH and I were there recently we rented a jeep and drove all over the island. We stopped at Orient Beach for a couple of hours. Had lunch in Grand Case at a "lolo", drove to another beach, Friar's Bay and then through Marigot and to Maho and back to Phillipsburg. We had plenty of time, got back to the ship early and really got to see the island. It was easy driving, we always felt safe and the scenery was spectacular. $85 for a jeep for the day picked up right off the cruise dock with no reservation.

 

Okay!! Now that sounds like fun! Seriously, I think this is what we'll do next year!

[Iwantsun]

Safetyal: And ladies can drink for free at Sunset Beach at Maho, but there is a catch...;)

 

cruzobsessed: hey safetyal.......should i tell them or will you....:D :D

 

Safetyal; You go ahead. But let's hope if they elect to do it, it is very warm otherwise it could be a bit nippy!! :eek:

 

I think I know where this is going, but just to make sure... What's the catch?

 

By the way we did the America's cup Regatta and it was great!

[gamecockvic]

I have been there 3 times. Take the water taxi into town. Take a taxi to Orient Beach. The ride is about 15 minutes and there are plenty of taxis to go back to the ship. Your driver will likely ask to pick you up at a specified time. The beach is huge with plenty of chairs to rent reasonably and water craft rental. The water is crystal clear and the waves are fairly large. Warning, a portion of the beach is topless. Unless you have a major problem with that, it should not be an issue.

 

Come back and shop in the town area. Women will be asked numerous times about braiding their hair. A very beautiful harbor. Have a great time there!

[CruiseCrAzieS]

You go ahead. But let's hope if they elect to do it, it is very warm otherwise it could be a bit nippy!! :eek:

 

safetyal ~ NO!!! You can't turn your back on "the code" ;) ....What happens at Maho Beach.... STAYS at Maho Beach!! :D Except a few pieces of clothing!! :o Topless...WHO'S topless??!! :D