Any Suggestions for St. Maarten shore excursions?

[palmgirl]

Going to St. Maarten in January on the Westerdam. Anyone know of a good shore excursion?

Thanks for any help!

[gizmo]

Hi Palmgirl,

How are doing? Tell you husband we said hello.

A popular excursion is the Americas Cup Yacht races. You get to race in one of those multi million dollar 12 meter boats. I haven't done it myselft since my back was out the last time I visited St. Maarten but I did talk to pax who did it and they gave it a thumbs up.

There is good shopping at St.Maarten also.

Have a good cruise,
Giz

[Krazy Kruizers]

You didn't mention what type of activity you are interested in.

But we love to spend time at Orient Beach.

[bicker]

I've had a hard time figuring out what to do on St. Maarten. We're not beach people, nor are we interested in sailing, yachting, power boats, etc. Our choices at other ports are either jungle hikes or historical walking tours, but I haven't found much by way of that on St. Maarten. I'm almost thinking I'd be best considering it another at-sea day and just stay aboard ship. Any ideas?

[gizmo]

On one trip to St.Maarten we took a taxi tour of the island and got dropped off at Marigot. I was not impressed. There are some shops, had lunch there and it was very pricey but worth every penny.

Other trips we stayed on the Dutch side and shopped. There are casinos and some good places to eat, that are more reasonable than Marigot. Shopping is good.

There is a butterfly farm excursion that some people seem to like.

There are stables for horse backing riding.

I don't know if bicker means biker but you can rent a Harley at
http://www.h-dstmartin.com/main.htm


Check out the St. Maarten boards there is some good info there.

[bicker]

No, bicker doesn't mean biker. :)

However, horseback riding may be a possibility. Thanks for the idea!

[gliles]

Going to St. Maarten in January on the Westerdam. Anyone know of a good shore excursion?

Thanks for any help!
2 words Golden Eagle!

[palmgirl]

Thanks everyone your help is appreciated. :)

Gizmo, say HI to Mr. Gizmo. Thought about you both when hearing about the Rotterdam. Thanks for your help.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Palmgirl, I'm not sure what you want to do but in reading the St. Maarten forum I saw people recommending car rentals for St. Maarten. You need only your U.S. driver's license which is good. The most recommended was "Best Deal Car Rental". They have one day car rentals just for cruise passengers right at the pier and you can take a look at www.portcars.com (http://www.portcars.com/).

They have mostly Toyotas and we rented a Jeep Wrangler for $65 for the day (not including taxes). They put $13 on our credit card as a deposit and that was that. I got an email confirmation from St. Martin Online. Very efficient.

[gliles]

The other thing we have always wanted to do was go to Maho beach and watch the planes come in, they are right over your head. However each and every time we go to St Maarten, we end up on the Golden Eagle Catamaran and have a great time. The crew has always been great and the beach they take you to is wonderful. Although this time the excursion is called "Golden Eagle Catamaran Sail to Tintamar" so I don't know about that, normally it is just called "Golden Eagle Caramaran" so we shall see but I expect it to be just as nice. Anyone out there can tell me about Tintamar?

[HeatherInFlorida]

Gretchen, we were so close to booking that excursion. Looked wonderful, but the car rental really seemed like a great idea to me. Let me know how Tintamar turns out! The very name is tantalizing:D

[gliles]

Gretchen, we were so close to booking that excursion. Looked wonderful, but the car rental really seemed like a great idea to me. Let me know how Tintamar turns out! The very name is tantalizing:D
Heather, I sure will. As I said, we have been on the Golden Eagle many times but never to Tintamar...so now let's see...I have to remember to tell you which night is Dutch night and how the tour was, are you keeping a list? ;)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Heather, I sure will. As I said, we have been on the Golden Eagle many times but never to Tintamar...so now let's see...I have to remember to tell you which night is Dutch night and how the tour was, are you keeping a list? ;)
Yes, I am:D . And now there's a 3rd: Is the turqoise cabana still there?;) So it's 1) Dutch Night, 2) Tintamar and 3) turquoise cabana.

I'll sure let you know if there's anything else you can do for me on your cruise!:rolleyes:

[arzz]

I have been to St. Martin a few times -- did the butterfly farm once and I really enjoyed that -- took a taxi ride to the french side and did lunch and shopping (also nice) -- last summer on the way to and from the butterfly farm I saw absolutely beautiful beaches so if you can find out which are the right ones and you are a beach person I can also recommend that

I like the people there

My husband did the yacht race and had the time of his life -- and virtually any island is good for a good sail boat/catamaran booze cruise or snorkle/sail

Last summer my travel companion did an all day eco hike and lunch on St. Martin and said it was the best thing she did on the whole cruise.

Hope that helps -- St. Martin is high on my list of preferred ports and we have been on many caribbean cruises and into many ports. Visit the straw market. On the French islands like St. Martin and Martinique you can occasionally find some unusual and inexpensive items in the straw markets -- not just same old, same old.

[gliles]

Yes, I am:D . And now there's a 3rd: Is the turqoise cabana still there?;) So it's 1) Dutch Night, 2) Tintamar and 3) turquoise cabana.

I'll sure let you know if there's anything else you can do for me on your cruise!:rolleyes:Good, because I won't remember. It is always nice to know that someone is going before you to check things out but I have been trying to show my DD pictures of the ship and she wants nothing to do with it, she wants to be surprised.

[bicker]

Last summer my travel companion did an all day eco hike and lunch on St. Martin and said it was the best thing she did on the whole cruise.
Arzz: Do you happen to know how she arranged that excursion? with whom?

[arzz]

OK, I confess, the eco hike was taken on a different cruise line (Princess) -- my much younger friend was afraid that the HAL crowd would be too old for her -- the person who led the hike was someone who has lived on the island for several years, but the hike was a cruise line excursion

Not sure how you would connect with it if HAL doesn't offer a similar experience. Wish I could help more.

[AirGorilla]

The other thing we have always wanted to do was go to Maho beach and watch the planes come in, they are right over your head. However each and every time we go to St Maarten, we end up on the Golden Eagle Catamaran and have a great time. The crew has always been great and the beach they take you to is wonderful. Although this time the excursion is called "Golden Eagle Catamaran Sail to Tintamar" so I don't know about that, normally it is just called "Golden Eagle Caramaran" so we shall see but I expect it to be just as nice. Anyone out there can tell me about Tintamar?

Tintamarre is an island located off the northeast corner of St. Martin, on the French side. It has a good beach, some wild goats and sometimes a group from Club Orient on a day trip to that island. (Yes, they are!)

The Golden Eagle stays at Tintamarre for about an hour.

[allen.crawford]

When we were in St. Martin, we rented a car, stopped at a depaneur (grocery store), bought some wine, cheese, a baget, grapes, and sliced meats. We drove to Orient Beach, had lunch on the beach, and then headed back to the port, making a couple of stops along the way to shop.

We would do it all over again!

[Orcrone]

When we were in St. Martin, we rented a car, stopped at a depaneur (grocery store), bought some wine, cheese, a baget, grapes, and sliced meats. We drove to Orient Beach, had lunch on the beach, and then headed back to the port, making a couple of stops along the way to shop.

We would do it all over again!That sounds like a great idea. Could you give me details on how to go about renting a car? Did you reserve ahead of time or just get it after getting off the ship? If reserved ahead of time, how did you find the rental company? And finally, do you remember the approximate cost?

Thanks,
Marc

[HeatherInFlorida]

Marc, see my #9 post above. I even gave you the website!!!:D

[Orcrone]

Marc, see my #9 post above. I even gave you the website!!!:DHeather,

Thank you very much. You made it real easy. But now a couple more questions. How easy is it to find things there. For instance a grocery store followed by a beach. Also, I normally don't get the optional insurances (CDW, Liability). Would it be a good idea to purchase these here to be on the safe side, or should my home policy be sufficient (minus any deductable).

Thanks, Marc

[Cinder]

I signed up for the golden eagle, so I'm glad folks like it. I will report on Tintamarre after my 10/30 cruise. On the internet, it said it's a flat island of 80 acres.

[allen.crawford]

That sounds like a great idea. Could you give me details on how to go about renting a car? Did you reserve ahead of time or just get it after getting off the ship? If reserved ahead of time, how did you find the rental company? And finally, do you remember the approximate cost?

Thanks,
Marc

We booked in advance. I don't have the details since it was Dec '01 when we were on the cruise. I do know that we found the company by doing a Google search. I believe the price was around US$40 for the day. We thought it was a good deal!

Allen

[HeatherInFlorida]

Heather,

Thank you very much. You made it real easy. But now a couple more questions. How easy is it to find things there. For instance a grocery store followed by a beach. Also, I normally don't get the optional insurances (CDW, Liability). Would it be a good idea to purchase these here to be on the safe side, or should my home policy be sufficient (minus any deductable).

Thanks, MarcMarc, you give me too much credit!!! How do I know???:D I found you a car ... what do you want from me???;) And seriously, why do you need a grocery store??? I'm stymied!!!

Firstly, have you looked at the St. Maarten forum? There's a gal who posts a lot who lives in St. Maarten and gives all kinds of info about what to see, the good beaches, etc. Also you can google St. Maarten and get info and maps. Plus, I would expect the car rental place will have maps and info. Half the fun is exploring. St. Maarten is a particularly civilized island so I don't think it should be too difficult.

As to the insurance, you probably saw they have a very reasonable insurance thru TravelGuard which they give you a link to when you book. It costs $10 for the day. I plan to call Amex and see if we're covered in St. Maarten by using our Amex. I'll also call our Allstate guy to see about that. Or you can just pay the $10 and forget it. From what I read, there's no deductible with their insurance so it might be a good idea.

[flgirl]

When we were in St. Martin, we rented a car, stopped at a depaneur (grocery store), bought some wine, cheese, a baget, grapes, and sliced meats. We drove to Orient Beach, had lunch on the beach, and then headed back to the port, making a couple of stops along the way to shop.

We would do it all over again!
Isn't Orient Beach a nude beach? My mom loves those kind of places:eek:
No way in H*** would I go to one!!!!!

[iluvcruzin]

flgirl - Orient Beach is not all nude. There is a big sign when you enter the beach.. clothing optional to the right - everyone else to the left. There are other beaches if this isn't up your alley.

[dewhit6959]

Dear Orcrone;

Make sure and read these travel auto policies carefully BEFORE you purchase. Many of these policies are SECONDARY COVERAGE. Also, most policies will not cover four wheel drive vehicles and some vehicles that we do not consider off road vehicles,i.e. Suzuki Samuri. (That means, they do not cover the vehicle period.)
If it is involved in an accident in a parking lot, you are SOL. In that case, bonds will have to be posted and this can resemble a legal shakedown. Some of the travel insurance programs offer optional car liability policies that are very reasonable, however, read these policies word for word as well. Most, do not cover exotic vehicles, and as Americans, we don't share the same views on exotica, as the underwriters of these policies. Many European coverage policies will list vehicles they do not cover that Americans assume to be standard use vehicles.
Finally, if you are going to visit very many locations on a given island, consider parking locations and costs. Parking near many attractions cost more than down the road or across the way. We were inclined to rent a vehicle and after advice from a seasoned islander, we decided to make the most of our time and enrich the local cab company and be able to add to the rum retailers bottom line! Also Orcrone, I believe you are a diver ? Consider the value and lug factor of your gear.

[Orcrone]

Dewhit,

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll definitely have to be careful. You're right, I am a diver, but I don't think I'll be diving at St. Maarteen. DW doesn't dive, so I'm limiting my diving to two of the five ports.