wowzz Posted August 21, 2017 #1 Share Posted August 21, 2017 We are visiting St Maarten in early December on Arcadia. On the same day, another 5 cruise ships will also be in port, so the place will be heaving. With that number of passengers in port, is it even worth getting off the ship, let alone taking a tour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnorkelAway Posted August 21, 2017 #2 Share Posted August 21, 2017 Yes - it is worth it to most people. Do not let the number of possible cruisers on shore deter you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovevacadays Posted August 22, 2017 #3 Share Posted August 22, 2017 Absolutely. We had 9 ships in port while we were there. This is a beautiful island and one of my favorites. I can't imagine staying on the ship. We did Joyce Prince as a private tour and loved it. But, there are cheaper options. Look through this thread as well as Trip Advisor. We didn't find it too crowded. Yes, when we returned from our tour Phillipsburg was hopping but we still found a bar on the boardwalk to enjoy some drinks and food with a view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyboy Posted August 22, 2017 #4 Share Posted August 22, 2017 Very much worth it. Not all passengers will get off at the same time. Nor will everyone be in the same excursion nor place at the same time. Enjoy St. Maarten! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesteg Posted August 22, 2017 #5 Share Posted August 22, 2017 What other ships do you think are there? I only see 3 on Dec 4th: http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/St_Martin__St_Maarten/511-Philipsburg/December_2017/ If you look down the second column, you'll see that ~6800 is not close to the maximum for Philipsburg so you ought to be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted August 22, 2017 Author #6 Share Posted August 22, 2017 Thanks everyone for your help. Mike - according to 'crew centre' Britannia will also be in port, plus Viking Sea, although no port tines given for the latter, so only 4, possibly 5, and not as bad as I originally thought. Am considering booking Bernard's Tours - seems to get good write ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCruisers Posted August 22, 2017 #7 Share Posted August 22, 2017 It's rather normal for St. Maaten to have lots of ships in port. Enjoy your day there! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted August 22, 2017 #8 Share Posted August 22, 2017 Not always the number of ships. 2 Oasis ships = 6 2000 passenger ships. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2trvlnow Posted August 22, 2017 #9 Share Posted August 22, 2017 What other ships do you think are there? I only see 3 on Dec 4th:http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/St_Martin__St_Maarten/511-Philipsburg/December_2017/ If you look down the second column, you'll see that ~6800 is not close to the maximum for Philipsburg so you ought to be fine. Except that site is highly inaccurate. They don't show that the Britannia and the Viking Sea are also in port. That adds about 4500 to 5000. But I have seen more than that there. No site is perfect. I use this site when I am looking several months ahead: https://www.cruisetimetables.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesteg Posted August 22, 2017 #10 Share Posted August 22, 2017 Interesting, I've never had an issue with cruisett, though admittedly I probably wouldn't notice an issue unless it were something I'd personally find notable like The World. I will save the link. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navybankerteacher Posted August 22, 2017 #11 Share Posted August 22, 2017 The problem of "too many" permeates everything. cars on I-95, ships in port, passengers on ships, people on the Lexington Avenue subway, tourists in the Sistine Chapel --- you name it. Life is crowded - and it's only going to get more so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookie848 Posted August 23, 2017 #12 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Absolutely. We had 9 ships in port while we were there. This is a beautiful island and one of my favorites. I can't imagine staying on the ship. We did Joyce Prince as a private tour and loved it. But, there are cheaper options. Look through this thread as well as Trip Advisor. We didn't find it too crowded. Yes, when we returned from our tour Phillipsburg was hopping but we still found a bar on the boardwalk to enjoy some drinks and food with a view. We used Joyce as well and really enjoyed our day with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melsblue Posted August 24, 2017 #13 Share Posted August 24, 2017 We are visiting St Maarten in early December on Arcadia. On the same day, another 5 cruise ships will also be in port, so the place will be heaving. With that number of passengers in port, is it even worth getting off the ship, let alone taking a tour? Of course it's worth it, you paid for a vacation!! Forgot a few but here's the majority: Carnival Ecstasy 1994 Carnival Triumph 1997 RCL Voyager of the Seas December 1999 RCL Explorer of the Seas November 2001 RCL Navigator of the Seas April 2002 & November 2002 RCL Mariner of the Seas November 2003 RCL Explorer of the Seas April 2004 RCL Navigator of the Seas April 2005 RCL Freedom of the Seas April 2006 RCL Mariner of the Seas November 2006 Princess Crown June 2006 NCL Pride of America (formerly Pride of Hawaii) June 2007 Celebrity Solstice December 2008 RCL Oasis of the Seas May 2010 NCL Epic June 2010 RCL Jewel of the Seas April/May 2011 RCL Oasis of the Seas June 2012 Carnival Pride November 2012 RCL Jewel of the Seas May 2013 RCL Independence of the Seas June 2013 RCL Freedom of the Seas May 2014 RCL Explorer January 2015 NCL Getaway May 2016 RCL Adventure of the Seas December 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted August 24, 2017 Author #14 Share Posted August 24, 2017 Thanks again - we have booked the 3 hour cycling tour (although I think it may be nearer to 4 hours in our case!). Hope the crowds will stand well back as I try and pick up speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 26, 2017 #15 Share Posted August 26, 2017 Don't worry how many ships are in port. Just have a nice time. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinCons Posted August 29, 2017 #16 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Except that site is highly inaccurate. They don't show that the Britannia and the Viking Sea are also in port. That adds about 4500 to 5000. But I have seen more than that there. No site is perfect. I use this site when I am looking several months ahead: https://www.cruisetimetables.com/ Wow; according to this site my Oasis is the only ship in each of our three ports on our sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadarocks Posted August 29, 2017 #17 Share Posted August 29, 2017 For St Maarten this is the site I look at: http://201.220.14.28/sxm/MainMenu.aspx?ShipScheduleType=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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