Need help planning day in St Maarten!

I want to see both the French and Dutch sides of the island and so am thinking of taking a 9:00 am, two and a half hour, tour booked through the ship (Serenade of the Seas, in St Maarten on Friday, Dec.9/16). If we're back at 12:30 pm, does it sound do-able to take a taxi to the Sunset Beach Bar on Maho beach and be there just long enough to see a few large planes come in, then head back to Philipsburg to do some serious shopping? The ship leaves at 4:00 pm, so would need to be back on board between 3:00 and 3:30.

Is it easy to get a taxi back from the Sunset Bar?

How long a walk is it from the main shopping area in Philipsburg back to the ship and is it easy to find your way (for the directionaly-challenged)?

Thanks.

It's been 20 plus years since I've been to St M so doing my own research for our Nov cruise. Looking @ a tour that does all these things, has good reviews and is about 4-5 hrs. Cost is $45 during our season. I believe it's called shoreexcursioneer.com. They're on TA and also on some other review sites.

Oh and DUH....the site said they would drop you off to shop in St P or return to ship. About 15" walk to ship from shopping area or $3pp cab fare.

I want to see both the French and Dutch sides of the island and so am thinking of taking a 9:00 am, two and a half hour, tour booked through the ship (Serenade of the Seas, in St Maarten on Friday, Dec.9/16). If we're back at 12:30 pm, does it sound do-able to take a taxi to the Sunset Beach Bar on Maho beach and be there just long enough to see a few large planes come in, then head back to Philipsburg to do some serious shopping? The ship leaves at 4:00 pm, so would need to be back on board between 3:00 and 3:30.

Is it easy to get a taxi back from the Sunset Bar?

How long a walk is it from the main shopping area in Philipsburg back to the ship and is it easy to find your way (for the directionaly-challenged)?

Thanks.

Getting from Maho back to Philipsburg in the afternoon can take an hour or more. You would need 15 min (taxi) or 30 min to walk from Philipsburg to the ship. You would have to leave Maho somewhere around 1:30 to allow just 15 minutes for shopping in Philipsburg. Returning from your tour by 12:30 means the earliest you could get to Maho would be about 1:00.

If you were lucky, you might catch a plane coming in, but that is a lot of hustling for a chance to see a plane land plus do some quick shopping.

I think we are on your cruise. We once did a tour with Bernard's Tours that was an island tour with some time at Maho. Very good day. Wev may be doing it again this year.