See All St Martin / St Maarten Conversations, Please recommend an all inclusive 5* adult only resort. With accessible and cost-effective pricing, the St Maarten water taxi is the perfect choice for travelers seeking a convenient and scenic way to navigate the island. Back on the van, more rum punch, and were off to the Dutch side again. I signed up for Maho Beach, Orient Beach, and Marigot. I got bored and went into the casino where he parked and won his tip. Once you have your ticket, you'll be shown to the ferry to board. Airplanes create quite humungous jet blasts when theyre taking off, and so it seems fairly logical that you shouldnt stand too close. Marie Wegener - DSDS-Gewinnerin 2018 . Then one thing to include in your list of things to do is to visit one of the islands finest beaches. It is about five miles or less than 20 minutes away. There will be a bus by shortly, though there is no schedule as they are independent operators. Phillipsburg to Maho Beach - 5 ways to travel via train, bus - Rome2rio Again, look for signs point the way. Simpson Bay Beach is a long half-moon of white sand located by a fishing village. Kim Sha is a popular starting point for dive and excursion boats. It is a lot of fun to watch the planes. Beaches In St Maarten Near Cruise Port (The Ultimate Guide), Living In The Caribbean (Pros & Cons Fully Explained). ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-111089564', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');St Martin are independent operators who generally are very friendly and professional. Our bus driver and tour guide Eddie Miller was outstanding as he was informative and hilarious. Arriving aircraft must touch down as close as possible to the beginning of runway 10 due to the short runway length of 2,180 metres (7,152 ft ) resulting in aircraft on their final approach flying over the beach at minimal altitude. The driver was informative, fun and very accommodating to our needs. That was cool. Simply contact us via email reservations@shoreexcursioneer.com within 14 days of your missed excursion date for a deposit refund. Not sure if they are operating after Irma. An Inexpensive, Easy, and Relaxing Port Day at Great Bay Beach in St Our first stop is the Oyster Bay Resort, a beautiful turquoise painted resort around what use to be a bay full of oysters. This is a popular spot to catch great views of Simpson Bay. For the St. Maarten Beach Bum Combo to Orient and Maho Beaches,we issue full refund for your deposit or full payment to us if: Looking for a sensational day at the beach? Thank you SOOOOO much for the great information. Maho Beach and Orient Beach. Then find Back Street. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. You could also take a taxi or rent a car. Orient Bay Beach is excellent for water sport activities such as snorkeling and many individuals prefer it for swimming and sunbathing than Great Bay Beach. Preview. A-OO A-OO A-OO!! - are taxis readily available at the cruise port, or do I need a reservation, or call when we get there? Pbx: +1-721-542-0108 visitstmaarten @ shta.com Just taking a walk to look at the incredible yachts docked here would be fun. Thanks again! Nap time, in style. You didn't ask, but I would only go to Maho beach if I really wanted to see airplanes. We passed Princess Juliana International Airport and arrive at Maho Beach. I can provide a contact for taxi if you like that costs 15. Its longer and broader than Great Bay Beach. Learn the best things to do at the port of Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Taxis may not be waiting on your return, but your friendly local Maho beach bar (I would highly recommend Guy's) should be able to call one for you. The water, though, is nice, fairly calm, and enjoyable for swimming. . When we arrived there, I was told they left about 1 hour prior. I had the pleasure of going on this tour last week (July 5, 2016) while on my cruise vacation with RCCL. Two kids parasailed for $80.00 (not sure if that's good or not, they just wanted to try it). The following are some of our articles which we believe may be suitable for you. I'm guessing the challenge is to find your driver in the crowd and to then get through the self made traffic jam. Ask a question. It's around 20 dollar from cruise port to main beach (Maho Beach). The tour took longer than expected but was still able to get to the ship on time. Visit the villages of Grand Case and Marigot before . Learn about the culture and history of the island from your guide while enjoying complimentary beer, water and soda. Best Things to Do in St. Maarten on a Cruise (2021) . Also, on the return, be aware that there is a drawbridge that could add some time (don't want to miss the ship.) Surprised how picturesque the island is and well worth exploring. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund. What are the ins and outs of taking a taxi? The sun was scorching hot and getting into the cool water melted away the crazy sweaty energy of the beach bar. Here, we walk around a flea market as Im looking for a pharmacy. They were aware of the Harmony arrival times and told us the tour will be waiting for us to arrive. You should be able to walk it in 20 minutes or so, if so inclined. Take a taxi or the Water Taxi to downtown Philipsburg. Could take water taxi from here instead, I think. Thank You:). Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! Take the ferry from Sint Maarten to Anguilla Take the ferry from Anguilla to St. Martin Take a shuttle bus from St. Martin to Saint Martin Airport 2h 20m 1 alternative option Drive Drive from St Maarten Airport (SXM) to Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa, Grand Case 19 min Quickest way to get there Cheapest option Distance between Thank you for a great day. Port Philipsburg (locode ANPHI) is the country's principal port and largest city, with population around 2,000. Rejser Beskeder Log p As such many individuals are fascinated with plane spotting in this area. As a result, it is hugely popular with visitors taking photos and videos. Each airplane came in so low over the sand that it felt as if you could almost reach out and touch them as they rumbled onwards to the tarmac across the road. Water taxi/tour to Maho beach? Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. We didn't get any history of the island. This was worth the money. Good tour, covering the whole island of St Maarten, both Dutch and French sides. . 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Can you take a water taxi to Maho Beach from cruise port? . In this post we will explore the top 5 beaches to visit if you are in St Maarten on a cruise. MAHO BEACH is a beautiful beach on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, in the country of Sint Maarten. It lies right in from of the city of Philipsburg. You can be just as close to the planes at most airports as you are to the planes at Maho if you are out in the water. Unlike the not-so-long-ago days of haggling a price with your taxi driver, prices are set, and after paying for your return taxi, youll be given a wrist band in the style of a package holiday. Should be the same price on the return. Air-conditioned, fully licensed, and insured transportation! Rick, our driver and guide, was very informative and had a good sense of humour, pointing out places of interest and explaining the history behind them as well as the history of the island. Although the distance between St Maarten cruise port and the Airplane Beach isnt particularly far, there is almost always traffic to contend with. :), I know it's been awhile, but thank you for the excellent directions for taking the bus and the options getting to the bus stop. Going on a (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? It is about seven miles north of the Philipsburg cruise port. . The water was much cleaner but still rough and crowded. . By Staying Focused, January 14, 2018 in St. Martin/St. Orient Bay is a fairly quick drive by taxi, rental car or excursion bus from Philipsburg. There were a few small boat tours which started near the cruise terminal and anchored (their is no pier there to dock) for a couple of hours and serveda snack. It is located in the heart of the downtown capital Philipsburg and is about 3km from the cruise port. Divided in 1648, French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten coexist peacefully with no border crossing or customs procedures. The very handsome french pharmacist asks about his symptoms and gives me a box of liquid packets. Perfect combination of relaxing beach and excitement from the Pla. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Get notified by e-mail when a reply is posted. Note that the beaches are not wheelchair accessible due to the sand. St. Maarten Amigo Tours | Orient & Maho Beach Bum Tour Few facilities or commercial establishments are available nearby. King David was the best tour guide. Bus, train to Philadelphia, fly 9h 50m. Seemed to have a platform that looked like a dock. Other options are to take a city bus to a really big mall nearby. Got to Maho beach just in time to see 5 big planes land. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. My friends Karen and Donny were here recently and got a great videoIm going to try to do the same. Fun way to see both the Dutch and French sides of the Island. BTW, for what it is worth, the beach is just fine. . Our (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? . It's about a half hour drive and there are plenty taxi's at the port and Maho Beach to get you back and forth. Grand Case Beach Club or La Playa Orient Bay? ST MAARTEN AIRPORT SXM | St. Maarten / St. Martin Wish our guide gave more information about the wonderful island. . One Day Itinerary in Philipsburg St Maarten - Calculated Traveller Magazine ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-84536363', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Renting a car is usually much cheaper and it's what we would do. This was our 4th booking with SE and will continue to use them when cruising! Large Anse is the best beach near to Grenada cruise port. We were there twenty minutes early and saw no guides. Where do you catch a cab or the bus? Id like to have spent more time with him, just looking into his blue eyes made me think he could cure Toms cold! So if you if you are considering a cruise for your next Caribbean vacation, check out How To Cruise For Less. The taxis on (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Once you arrive, you'll have 2 hours to spend as you see fit. Porto corner-shrine Today, there are two of everything here, school systems, utilities, housing systems, languages, even two different names for the island. Wife didn't like the noise and crowds but it was so fun and funny to watch nuts from around the world along the runway. Harold Jack look out point, located on Cole Bay Hill, is a 10 minute drive from the cruise terminal. This was a nice tour around the island and a great way to get familiar with the island. Otherwise, look for signs at the mall pointing toward the $5 water taxi. Walking around the puddles, trying not to start the day with wet sand in my shoes, we boarded the van. I had previously had an image of a fairly peaceful wide open white sandy paradise with crystal clear water, palm trees, and every now and again, an airplane zooming low overhead. By the time we got to the beach we didn't have much time to spend there. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. But be aware that some people have been hurt by the jet blasts. CONTACT US. Beach was beautiful and not crowded and tons of sea glass to find! Quickest way to get there Cheapest option Distance between. Also, is it difficult to catch a cab back in the afternoon? There are a few shops in the new cruise terminal. . . sara what messages do you have today in spanish; chicago fire paramedic list; grimsby telegraph deaths; letchworth recycling centre webcam Tell the driver Maho Beach and you pay when you get off. I trust that you have found this information useful if your plans are to visit a beach while on a cruise to St Maarten. We are going to be there next month and are planing on doing the bus thing too. Take the bus from Easton, PA to Newark, NJ. This course provides detail tips and techniques on how to save money while cruising onboard, onshore as well as the importance of insurance. Lucius was a wonderful guide. This tour was a perfect way to spend the day and see the sights of the whole island! Re: Taxi - cruise port to Maho Beach 1 year ago Save Our entire family seemed to get an endless supply of pop, water and beer on this tour. 5 1/2 hr tour covering both Dutch & French highlights of the island. That was very silly of me. When the owners of the boats collected on their insurance, they just left the boats were they were on moved on. 60K subscribers in the Cruise community. 10 due to the short runway length of 2,180 metres (7,152 ft ) resulting in aircraft on their final approach flying over the beach at minimal altitude. St Maarten has one major road and it is not uncommon for there to be huge traffic congestion especially on afternoons. Fly from Philadelphia (PHL) to St Maarten (SXM) PHL - SXM. Great Bay Beachs location is ideal if you want to enjoy the beach as well as take advantage of the excellent duty free opportunities available on the island. We were happy to see others waiting. distance from st maarten airport to cruise port By After having breakfast on the ship, walk outside the pier area past the St Maarten port sign on the right towards the walkway on the left that says "Water Taxi." We rented a jet ski and had a great time on it. Weather conditions or equipment failure prevents the operator to run the excursion. BTW, for what it is worth, the beach is just fine. There was indeed white sand and crystal clear water, but Maho Beach is also one of the most-visited beaches in St Maarten, mainly due to the fact that its built directly next to the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport. Maarten Followers Staying Focused 134 December 28, 2014 #1 Posted January 14, 2018 I'm was told about a. -Googlemaps will show you the distance and drive time between any two points. Persons born and living on the Dutch side (Sint Maarten) carry Netherlands Antilles passports, while the French side (Saint-Martin), issues French passports and conducts its business in a more European manner. and that would be the easiest way to get there and back without a hassle. The taxi drivers wouldn't take us until we had more people in the taxi van so we waited FOREVER until a few people who also wanted to go to 7 Mile Beach came along. Is it close to the pier? Any advice about St. Maarten beaches starts with three of themGreat Bay Beach, Orient Beach and Maho Beach. . I believe the tour is called "Airport Adventure SXM", https://www.greatbayferry.com/adventure-excursions. Aburkhard7. Anyone with an interest in diving might consider either Little Bay or Kim Sha beaches. Guana Bay Beach, located on the southeast coast of the island, offers great views of St. Barthelemy and is used for wind and kite surfing. The waves made Orient Beach fun. Late afternoon traffic can be a complete gridlock going thru Simpson Bay. They did send another driver, however, we missed out on a lot because of the time lost. It is narrow, generally extremely crowded (especially when there are lots of cruise ships in port), and there are plenty of tacky bars offering neon-coloured cocktails, beers, and baskets of fries and chicken wings. And yet there really is just a simple wire fence separating the road from the runway. Due to traffic congestion on afternoons, remember to give yourself sufficient time to return to the ship. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. the beaches were great and our driver/host, was even better. Would you advise against it? Would anyone happen to know if Maho is walking distance from AUC? The journey should only take about 20 minutes, but we spent almost double that crawling along in a long line of cars. The chairs and umbrellas were great. It is easy to spend the day going back and forth between the beach and shopping or dining. The journey is way too long to walk it, and costs around $15-20 per person depending on how many are in the car. . There was a nice place to eat and have drinks right at the beach. Is parking an issue at Maho Beach? Experience a breathtaking time of low landing airplanes, Maho Beach is unusually close to the threshold of a runway, and is directly under the flight path, resulting in aircraft on their final approach . Maho Beach is def a must see at least once while visiting the island but know it's a very busy beach and hard to really get a good spot to relax. I didnt find any app for St. Maarten taxis. I t was out in front of Sunset Bar and Grill. This is your ticket to the beach and back; the taxi will drop you in the car park close to Maho Beach, and taxi vans regularly take passengers back from the exact same spot. distance from st maarten airport to cruise port 6 of us in total on this tour. You'll get back on the return bus on the other side of the street from where you got off. For visitors by car, it is recommended to park in Bobby's Marina towards the Cruise Port, or at the Pondfill Boulevard. We disembarked around 9am, and walked around the little shops in the secure area of the port. The beach is great for swimming but at times can be rough so definitely one has to be cautious with children. How Is the Transportation in Sint Maarten? Maho beach was fun , because of the Airplane traffic and the over experience. Does anyone know about this and what it may be called? I would not do the bus if you have limited time available. Easy to do.:). Tom is getting sicker, and Im out of Mucinex. I need some help for deciding between Maho, Mullet or Orient???? Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! We always suggest you depart the resort at least 2 hours prior to your ship's scheduled departure time. American Airlines Aircraft landing over Maho Beach The bus must have been designed for school kids because it was very cramped. Philipsburg St Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) - CruiseMapper Clive was a good driver and guide, but he spoke fairly softly and it was hard to hear him from the back seat of the van. Nicely explained! St Maarten is Dutch and to the north the French side is called St Martin. Id really been expecting a Dutch island. We said no thanks but they wouldn't even let us sit on a towel in the area, so we just walked around. About $20-30 per person. Take a taxi from the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Very fun, but that's a separate vacation not just a cruise stop. A aquarium taxi from the cruise . This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. River took us to a different beach as Orient beach was rough. RUM PUNCH WAS THE BEST!!! With a car you loose rime renting, navigating to an unfamiliar area , and parking at Maho can be a royal PIA. Walking to Great Bay Beach After waving goodbye to the big boat, "bye, big boat," walk through the cruise terminal area, following the signs for "downtown." You will exit the port area and take a left. St Maarten Disabled Access Review by ACV - Accessible Caribbean Vacations No, it is not necessary to take along your passport or driver's license unless noted by your cruise line or listed in the Restrictions or Notes tab for the excursion. Sign up here. Some people go as part of their private tour. The Caribe's helped too! Pic Paradis (Peak Paradise) Tours & Tickets, Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Spots in St. Maarten, Divi Little Bay Beach Resort Tours & Tickets. We love to swim there after the cruisers are gone! However with ideal conditions it would be a very nice place to relax. Anyone who walks around the Philipsburg waterfront won't find much else to see other than the beach, boardwalk, shops and restaurants. Round-trip transportation from your St. Maarten cruise ship terminal! Have lunch at the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill!! Travelers recommend Sunset Beach Bar for the best views. Visitors who take a 20-minute hike from Cole Bay Hill will reach Cove Bay, located between Cole Bay and Little Bay. Even better, this white-sand, two-mile beach is right in front of Philipsburg, capital of the Dutch side of the island. Located about 20 minutes by taxi from the cruise terminal, this white sand beach is surrounded by lush green landscape. You're driver will know the drill. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Clothing is optional because it is secluded and located by the French St. Martin border. (There are 6 cruise ships docked in St. Maarten today.) Ride in an air-conditioned van to Maho Beach on the Dutch side of this Caribbean island and Lucas Bay on the French side. Ride in an air-conditioned van to Maho Beach on the Dutch side of this Caribbean island and Lucas Bay on the French side. The Philipsburg boardwalk lies between the beach and the shopping district of the city. What are our options for getting to Maho Beach from the port? Second, our guide must have been filling in since it was so busy, because although he was very nice, he sometimes was kind of guessing throughout the day. St. Maarten: Orient and Maho Beaches Half-Day Tour The crowds of people waiting for planes to land took up almost the entire middle of the beach closest to the runway. . Fondly known as the Friendly Island, St Maarten is unique in that it is the smallest landmass divided between two nations in the world. Take a look at the end of my posting over in this earlier thread. Description. But eventually the tide came in so close that there was nothing else for it but to pack up and move on. We hurried up the pier, past the diamond and liquor shops out to the street. Getting To Maho Beach From The Cruise Port - Fastest Way!