How this itinerary sounds? Is it too much / rush for a day?

[dorakk]

Hi all,

 

We will be in St. Maarten from 8 - 5 on a Thursday.

 

Base on the research we did (btw, this board is really helpful), we came up with the proposed itin below. We will be doing this on our own, relying on Taxi or buses.

 

I do have a few questions regarding transportation time and fare (see below), any help will be appreciated.

 

Morning

1. Taxi to marigot ($18), spend 2 hrs there wondering around the market.

2. Taxi/bus to Mullet Beach (??) and enjoy some beach time (2hr?)

 

• Can someone advise me how much is the taxi fare from marigot to mullet? Or is it easy to take the bus?
  

Afternoon

3. Walk to Maho Beach then watch the plane landing

 

• How long is the walk? I heard it's less than 10 minutes, is it true?
  

2-2:30pm

4. Taxi or bus back to Philipsberg, do some shopping

 

• How much time I should allow for transportation back to port?
  

4pm

5. Walk back to the ship

 

What do you think about this itinerary? Is this too much or too rush for a day?

 

Another alternative is to join Bernard group tour...but we aren't really group tour types, we prefer doing it on our own and enjoy more flexibilities. Private tour is out of the question as there's only two of us, it's way too expensive for private tour.

 

FYI - there will be 5 ships (including ours) on the port that day, see below:

 

 

07:00 15:00WESTERDAM

08:00 17:00CELEBRITY SOLSTICE

08:00 18:00NORWEGIAN DAWN

08:00 17:00FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

13:00 19:00COSTA ATLANTICA

 

Thanks a lot!

[racingfandj]

FYI - there will be 5 ships (including ours) on the port that day, see below:

 

 

07:00 15:00WESTERDAM

08:00 17:00CELEBRITY SOLSTICE

08:00 18:00NORWEGIAN DAWN

08:00 17:00FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

13:00 19:00COSTA ATLANTICA

 

Thanks a lot!

 

I'm looking forward to your responses as I'm on here researching the same. How did you find this information about other ships? Thanks in advance!

 

Jill

[airlinerob]

I'm looking forward to your responses as I'm on here researching the same. How did you find this information about other ships? Thanks in advance!

 

Jill

 

How can I find who is in port next Thurs?

[snowbirds2]

As of this coming Thursday March 22nd?

 

There are several websites - I checked Cruise TT - looks as if it's going to be a busy Port Day - 5 ships and one of them is the mega Allure of the Seas! (5,400 pax)

 

http://cruisett.com/ports.php?PortID=511&date=43

 

Don't shoot the messenger!;)

[ibcnusoon]

Hi all,

 

We will be in St. Maarten from 8 - 5 on a Thursday.

 

Base on the research we did (btw, this board is really helpful), we came up with the proposed itin below. We will be doing this on our own, relying on Taxi or buses.

 

I do have a few questions regarding transportation time and fare (see below), any help will be appreciated.

 

Morning

1. Taxi to marigot ($18), spend 2 hrs there wondering around the market.

2. Taxi/bus to Mullet Beach (??) and enjoy some beach time (2hr?)

 

• Can someone advise me how much is the taxi fare from marigot to mullet? Or is it easy to take the bus?
  

Afternoon

3. Walk to Maho Beach then watch the plane landing

 

• How long is the walk? I heard it's less than 10 minutes, is it true?
  

2-2:30pm

4. Taxi or bus back to Philipsberg, do some shopping

 

• How much time I should allow for transportation back to port?
  

4pm

5. Walk back to the ship

 

What do you think about this itinerary? Is this too much or too rush for a day?

 

Another alternative is to join Bernard group tour...but we aren't really group tour types, we prefer doing it on our own and enjoy more flexibilities. Private tour is out of the question as there's only two of us, it's way too expensive for private tour.

 

FYI - there will be 5 ships (including ours) on the port that day, see below:

 

 

07:00 15:00WESTERDAM

08:00 17:00CELEBRITY SOLSTICE

08:00 18:00NORWEGIAN DAWN

08:00 17:00FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

13:00 19:00COSTA ATLANTICA

 

Thanks a lot!

 

We want to do the same tour! Hey, St. Maarten tour guides, please set up stand tours like this!

 

We love Bernards tour but want to bypass Orient Beach for more time in Marigot and Maho and then come right back to the ship, not stop in Phillipsburgh or be dropped off for shopping. Would like to stay in Maho until 3pm. Our ship sails at 5pm.

 

We are either going to do taxi's or a private driver from Bernard. I'm waiting for him to email me back.

 

Here's a link to all of St. Maarten's taxi rates:

 

http://taxistmaarten.com/en/taxi-zones-rates.html

[dorakk]

You can also try this for finding out the port schedule.

 

http://www.portofstmaarten.com/schedule.htm

[Chance's Mom]

The quote that I got for Bernards was more than we wanted to pay for a private tour. Am waiting for Noel to get back to me. We also want more time in Marigot and less beach time at Orient. (if any!)

[MississippiMom]

The quote that I got for Bernards was more than we wanted to pay for a private tour. Am waiting for Noel to get back to me. We also want more time in Marigot and less beach time at Orient. (if any!)

 

Who is Noel? And how do I reach him?

 

Our quote from Bernard was $450 for the five of us and that is just too much money.

[ibcnusoon]

Who is Noel? And how do I reach him?

 

Our quote from Bernard was $450 for the five of us and that is just too much money.

 

I'd also like to know. Bernard quoted me $350 for 6 people for a private tour, still too much money when I calculated taking a taxi for all six of us for $150. We also just want to stop at Marigot for a few hours and then Maho for a few hours. We also do not want to stop at Orient.

 

Basically would love to find a tour just like Bernards but without the stop at Orient and utilizing that time between Marigot and Maho. The driver would have more down, there is no reason for an outrageous "tour" price.

[soaringfalcon]

I'd also like to know. Bernard quoted me $350 for 6 people for a private tour, still too much money when I calculated taking a taxi for all six of us for $150. We also just want to stop at Marigot for a few hours and then Maho for a few hours. We also do not want to stop at Orient.

 

Basically would love to find a tour just like Bernards but without the stop at Orient and utilizing that time between Marigot and Maho. The driver would have more down, there is no reason for an outrageous "tour" price.

 

I completely agree! I think the time at Maho and Marigot is ridiculously short with Bernards. The 2 hour time at Orient is a waste IMHO.

 

I think we'll end up cabbing it and doing Marigot and Maho on our own. I'll have to research Mullet Bay. I haven't looked at that.

[bedfordmom]

I completely agree! I think the time at Maho and Marigot is ridiculously short with Bernards. The 2 hour time at Orient is a waste IMHO.

 

I think we'll end up cabbing it and doing Marigot and Maho on our own. I'll have to research Mullet Bay. I haven't looked at that.

 

we enjoyed Bernards tour in February; but if I go again, I would also like to skip a couple of the stops like the sea urchin, lizard farm etc.We got different times than you about an hour at Orient, one hour Maho; one hour Marigot. I noticed Bernard had about five buses going the day we were there (about 7 ships in port). I wonder if he would consider having his drivers run different tours based upon their clients preferences and making up the buses prior based on those requests. We could have stayed longer or shorter at our stops based on majority but our bus was pretty quiet and we all wanted to do all the stops.

[Karysa]

I completely agree! I think the time at Maho and Marigot is ridiculously short with Bernards. The 2 hour time at Orient is a waste IMHO.

 

I think we'll end up cabbing it and doing Marigot and Maho on our own. I'll have to research Mullet Bay. I haven't looked at that.

 

I love Mullet it is a beautiful beach and you can walk to Maho in less than 15 minutes from there.

[TimmieLynn]

Bus from Phillipsburg to Marigot is $2 pp, I haven't done it myself but have seen in other posts you get the bus on back street. Anyone know how long this ride is?