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To and from Maho Beach

cgags47

By cgags47,
in St. Martin/St. Maarten

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cgags47

cgags47

Posted
Posted

Hey everyone,

Im taking a RCL cruise in May and we stop at Phillipsburg, St. Maarten. My friends and I really want to go to Maho Beach because we heard there is a great bar over there, and to see the planes coming in. Does anyone have any advice on getting to Maho from the cruise pier, and also any advice on getting back. I've heard you have to time it right to make sure you get back on to the ship in time.

 

Thanks!

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MDSue

MDSue

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It's easy to just grab a cab to Maho. Make sure you get there in time to watch the jumbo jets arrive. I believe they come in in the early afternoon. Someone may be able to post a link to the schedule [it may not be the same as ship time]. The bar next to the landing strip is called Sunset Bar [formerly Sunset Beach Bar].

I was there two years ago and the bar had a nice band playing and the food and drink were decent. The beach is small but nice enough to lounge on and swim. They have chairs and umbrellas for rent if you like, or you can just hang out at the bar.

There are not always taxi's waiting to take customers back, so you may want to arrange with your original taxi to pick you up at a designated time [of course there is no guarantee the driver will show up]. I understand there is also a bus stop close by but I haven't tried that way.

I loved watching the planes come and go- We are going back this spring and plan to visit again.

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cgags47

cgags47

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Thanks for the help! Yea, we have to go see the planes, I am planning on becoming a pilot, and one of our friends who is coming with us is a pilot. His dad is a pilot, my dad was an air traffic controller, so yea...we have to see the planes!!

 

I'll try to figure out what time is best to leave to get back to the ship. Setting sail at 6:00 pm means we need to be back on board by 5:00 pm, so we will probably have to leave that beach by 3:00 pm. Does that sound right?

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The Big Booper

The Big Booper

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Thanks for the help! Yea, we have to go see the planes, I am planning on becoming a pilot, and one of our friends who is coming with us is a pilot. His dad is a pilot, my dad was an air traffic controller, so yea...we have to see the planes!!

 

I'll try to figure out what time is best to leave to get back to the ship. Setting sail at 6:00 pm means we need to be back on board by 5:00 pm, so we will probably have to leave that beach by 3:00 pm. Does that sound right?

 

Yes, leave at least 90 minutes to get back. There is terrible congestion in the afternoon and the Simpson Bay drawbridge can stay open a bit which makes things even worse. It won't be that bad going there in the morning but don't let that fool you.

 

The cab fare with 4 people should be $7 pp one way. If you get put in a large van cab with others then the fare drops to $6 pp. As far as getting back to the pier just follow the access road to the other side of the runway where there are several larger buildings including time share hotels. Cabs congregate there and you should be able to get one going back fairly easy.

 

 

____________________________

The Revenge of Curt!

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Karysa

Karysa

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Posted
Hey everyone,

Im taking a RCL cruise in May and we stop at Phillipsburg, St. Maarten. My friends and I really want to go to Maho Beach because we heard there is a great bar over there, and to see the planes coming in. Does anyone have any advice on getting to Maho from the cruise pier, and also any advice on getting back. I've heard you have to time it right to make sure you get back on to the ship in time.

 

Thanks!

 

A taxi would be the easiest way for you to get to Maho Beach. Some people plan to spend the day there and others go in the afternoon for a couple of hours to see the big jets. There are other beaches near Maho that you may want to visit as well. Mullet Bay and Simpson Bay beach are the two that are closest to Maho. March and April tend to be a little busier on the island than May is so the traffic will reflect that. Also, since that is not high yachting season the bridge at the Simpson Bay Lagoon would probably open less frequently which would also help with traffic flow. If you left at 3:30 I think that you would have lot's of time to get back to the ship in May.

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pcl_cruiser

pcl_cruiser

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A taxi would be the easiest way for you to get to Maho Beach. Some people plan to spend the day there and others go in the afternoon for a couple of hours to see the big jets. There are other beaches near Maho that you may want to visit as well. Mullet Bay and Simpson Bay beach are the two that are closest to Maho. March and April tend to be a little busier on the island than May is so the traffic will reflect that. Also, since that is not high yachting season the bridge at the Simpson Bay Lagoon would probably open less frequently which would also help with traffic flow. If you left at 3:30 I think that you would have lot's of time to get back to the ship in May.

 

 

We are going in June on the Oasis, is this infor still the same for that time as well?

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Karysa

Karysa

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We are going in June on the Oasis, is this infor still the same for that time as well?

 

Here are the bridge opening times that I found. Remember that it is not carved in stone and can be adjusted as needed.

 

Dec-April: 9, 9:30, 11, 11:30, 16:30 & 17:30

 

May-Nov: 9:30, 11:30 & 17:30

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mitsugirly Great Review Rare

mitsugirly

Posted
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How far away is Mayo from where the ships dock? I'm going to be on the new NCL Epic in September.

 

I've been looking at a map of the island and was just wondering how close it is to the port?

 

st_maarten_islandmap.gif

 

Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

Also, is it as congested in September? 90 min to head back seems like a long time. I'd hate to miss the boat. :eek:

 

Someone mentioned Simpson Bay and Mullet Bay. What is there to do there? Just another beach? Prettier? Details please.... :)

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Karysa

Karysa

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How far away is Mayo from where the ships dock? I'm going to be on the new NCL Epic in September.

 

I've been looking at a map of the island and was just wondering how close it is to the port?

 

st_maarten_islandmap.gif

 

Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

Also, is it as congested in September? 90 min to head back seems like a long time. I'd hate to miss the boat. :eek:

 

Someone mentioned Simpson Bay and Mullet Bay. What is there to do there? Just another beach? Prettier? Details please.... :)

 

I am really bad with maps but I roughly know where the port is. To the best of my knowledge it around the point from Great Bay. You can walk to great bay in 15-20 minutes from the port.

September is low season on the island and the ship, boating and tourist traffic will be considerably less. An hour at that time would give you enough time from Maho but most people want to have a buffer and I have heard horror stories about traffic in St. Martin. I have never visited Simpson Bay beach but I have heard good things about it lately. There is a new bar that apparently serves really good food and it is supposedly a lovely beach which long and not crowded. I never found an access point to get to that beach but I am going to seek one out on my visit in March. If you are going by taxi it should be no problem I am just thinking about a safe area to leave my rental car. I will report back in March about Simpson Bay Beach. Regarding Mullet Bay Beach, it is just past Maho and I think it is a lovely beach. The bathrooms were disgusting however when I was there in 20008 but the beach was beautiful and the snorkeling to the left by the rocks was decent. To be honest people do not go to Maho because it is one of the best beaches on the island. The planes are the big draw here.

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mitsugirly Great Review Rare

mitsugirly

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September is low season on the island and the ship, boating and tourist traffic will be considerably less.

 

Thank goodness. Glad to hear that the tourism is down at that time. This could turn out to be a good trip after all. (I was originally going to go in June, but the Epic didn't set sail until July...and I'm in school. So, that was out of the question and I had to wait until Sept)

 

I have never visited Simpson Bay beach but I have heard good things about it lately. There is a new bar that apparently serves really good food and it is supposedly a lovely beach which long and not crowded. I never found an access point to get to that beach but I am going to seek one out on my visit in March.

 

Definitely keep me informed after you go. It's within walking distance of Maho right?

 

If you are going by taxi it should be no problem

 

Does it cost much for a taxi there I wonder?

 

To be honest people do not go to Maho because it is one of the best beaches on the island. The planes are the big draw here.

 

I figured that by the looks of all the videos I've seen on youtube of the beach and the planes coming in...it didn't look very appealing or very big. So, I figured it had to be the planes. I'm a photographer (on the side), so I can't wait to get some pictures of the planes coming in.

 

Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it. :D

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Karysa

Karysa

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I am not sure about walking from Simpson Bay to Maho but I have heard that it is a rather easy walk from Mullet through the Maho shopping area to Maho Beach. I heard that it takes about 10 minutes give or take. I will post about Simpson Bay Beach when I get back. I am staying near Simpson bay so I will definitely check it out when I am on vacation. Search this forum for taxi rates because I have seen them posted not that long ago but I did not pay attention to the prices as we don't use them.

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frommichigan

frommichigan

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We were just in St Maarten on January 12 and went to Maho beach. The beach is beautiful and not very crowded. We were there from 11:30 to 1:30.

 

For our transportation there a compact car rental was only $40 for the whole day plus gas. Were able to fit four people in it comfortably and this also gave us the freedom to check out other beaches on the island as well. Traffic was not that bad, it may take some getting used to for some but we had no problems. You can also haggle with the car rental companys. I believe because we did not rent a car first thing in the morning when everybody got off the ship we were able to get a better deal.

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mitsugirly Great Review Rare

mitsugirly

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For our transportation there a compact car rental was only $40 for the whole day plus gas. .

 

Wow, that seems pretty cheap and a great deal. Is the car company right as soon as you get off the boat?

 

Where all did you go and how long did it take you to get there?

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Sandyrella

Sandyrella

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Thanks for the help everyone! So, 3:30 seems to be the right time to leave Maho. Getting a cab shouldn't be too hard of a task either. Thanks again!

 

Just be careful of how many ships are in port with you that day. We have 6 ships in port on March 3rd which roughly translates into 17,000 people (although they won't all get off the ship). We have been advised to leave Maho at 2:30 latest.

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cgags47

cgags47

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We are looking into Benard Tours to help us get around. We really want to go see the planes land, that is the only thing we are getting off the ship for in St martin!

I am too. You can book a custom tour with him, which is what I might end up doing. I would just want him to pick us up early, drop us off at Sunset Bar & Grill, and then pick us back up in the afternoon. It will be a little more expensive, but at least I'll have someone coming to pick us up at a specific time, without having to try to hail a cab.

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