borntocruiseforcedtowork

Traffic WAS bad but at New Years this year which is the highest of high seasons the traffic was not bad at all. Before Irma there was the Flamingo, Sapphire, Cliff, Royal Palm and Divi and Belair and Simpson Bay resort and the list goes on. Before and after Irma is two completely different islands. For now at least.

It's so sad how much damage Irma did. :( I was a little skeptical about going in the Spring, but decided it would be fun even if everything is not how it was. Thanks for letting me know about the traffic though, that is helpful!

:cool: We rented a car through Kenny’s car rental when we stayed on the island. He met us at the airport, we got a car right out of the lot and we drove all over the island without any problems. Thoroughly enjoyed riding around in the car I will say. The roads are very easy to navigate and it is quite difficult to get lost. Just keep driving and you’ll eventually go all the way around the island

Thank you very much! I will look into that. Just seems like a much more relaxing way to go, and would probably see more of the island :)

A couple of years ago we flew in and rented a car through Hertz. They picked us up and brought us to the agency which was really close to the airport. They were very nice and I used my phone to Video a walk around the car and the gentleman even helped point out a few bumps in the car. It was fast and easy. We dropped the car at the cruise terminal (we had rented a condo on the beach for a week followed by a weeklong cruise) which was painless as well. I never needed the video again but was happy I had taken the time to do it just in case.

The video is a great idea! Thanks for the info :)

We had a timeshare condo in St. Maarten. We spent 2 weeks there every year ... for years. We never rented a car. Always used taxis. They know where they are going and traffic can be pretty bad there.

Good to know... Thank you very much!

I haven't done this yet, but I would love to. Off the top of my head, I can think of a couple of port stops I regretted getting off the ship. One time I only made it to the end of the pier and headed back, so I guess that almost counts as staying on board. I can say it was amazing to basically have the ship to myself. Everyone flocks to get off the ship, but very few consider just staying put.

There are a couple of cruises I have looked at recently, and had the idea to just stay onboard. To me, it makes perfect sense.

I think packing cubes are an excellent idea. If anything leaks in your suitcase, all your clothes will stay dry! They also allow you to see what is in them easily without searching too much.

Hi,

I just wanted to ask for some advice on rental cars in St Maarten. There are a couple of questions I have... Are there shuttles to the airport (provided by the rental car companies) from the Philipsburg port? Which companies are best? Currently I have a car booked through Alamo at the airport, and just wondering if I should change my booking.

Any info from other cruisers who have done this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! :)