Help me plan.

We are planning our first cruise, and will be stopping in St. Martin on Wed. 11/24/04. I am the typ eof person who likes to have everything planned out and know what I'm going to do. Please give me suggestions on how to plan our day, and about how much it will cost. We are a pretty young couple who don't drink. We like to relax rather that walking around all day, and not spend a ton of money. Give me a schedule that we can go by for the day. We know we want to go to Orient Beach ( unless there is a better one), eat lunch, go to Maho Beach at a good time to watch the planes, shop some, and eat lunch somewhere. (but not necessarily in that order). What taxis, ferry's, etc.. should we take, and in what order. Thanks for your help.

Our first time is on 11/6 so consider that when I suggest you at least take a look at Joyce Prince. She is reasonable and can offer most any service.

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OK - here are some approximate costs etc.
Head to Orient Beach first (why - less busy in the AM and the big planes don't land at the airport till PM. Get a taxi from the taxi dispatch area - well signed with prices listed. Prices vary depending on the number of people. If you get in a van with others, the price can be as cheap as $5 pp (one way). The drive to OB will take about 15-20 minutes depending on traffic. On the beach you can rent loungers and umbrellas at one of the beach bar/restaurants (the price varies somewhat - so if you want you can shop around a little for the best deal you can - DO NOT pay more than about $20 for 2 loungers and 1 umbrella and you can find cheaper ) Lunch costs at OB vary depending on the restaurant (I believe Pedro's and Baywatch are about the cheapest and the food is good.) Relatively speaking lunch will not be cheap - count on spending at least $10 each (no alcohol). After Orient Beach you have a couple of choices (If you have eaten lunch there I would proceed to Maho Beach - big planes start to land after 2PM). Getting form OB to Maho may not be straightforward - most group taxis are headed back to the cruiseship docks or to Phillipsburg (Phillipsburg is the place for shopping - so you may want to grab a cheap group taxi there - do a little shopping and then grab another taxi to Maho (Sorry but I am not sure of the fare between Phillipsburg and Maho beach) OR you may be able to find a driver to take you directly to Maho Beach from Orient Beach (no idea how much this would be)
BTW Maho Beach is about a 10-15 minute drive from Phillipsburg. The cruiseship docks are just at the edge of Phillipsburg.
Hope this helps.