water taxi St. Maarten and Allure question

[iluvsunandsand]

hi,

just read that Allure of the seas docks at the Crown Bay dock in St. Maarten. Can anyone confirm?

Also,how far is the water taxi to St. Maarten (Phillipsburg) ?

I'm trying to plan for my elderly parents cruise in a few days and the water taxi would be helpful . thanks for any info!

[iluvsunandsand]

oops, I just realized I got my info mixed up, the Crown Bay Dock is St. Thomas

[janetz]

hi,

just read that Allure of the seas docks at the Crown Bay dock in St. Maarten. Can anyone confirm?

Also,how far is the water taxi to St. Maarten (Phillipsburg) ?

I'm trying to plan for my elderly parents cruise in a few days and the water taxi would be helpful . thanks for any info!

 

 

The Allure docks at Crown Bay in St. Thomas, not St. Maarten. ;)

 

 

5 minute walk to the water taxi.

Edited April 22, 2014 by janetz

[Clarea]

hi,

just read that Allure of the seas docks at the Crown Bay dock in St. Maarten. Can anyone confirm?

Also,how far is the water taxi to St. Maarten (Phillipsburg) ?

I'm trying to plan for my elderly parents cruise in a few days and the water taxi would be helpful . thanks for any info!

Allure docks at Crown Bay in St. Thomas.

 

In St. Maarten, the water taxi takes just a few minutes to get to the center of town. It saves about a mile walk. However, it's still a bit of a walk from the ship to the water taxi.

[BillOh]

The Allure docks at Crown Bay in St. Thomas, not St. Maarten. ;)

 

 

5 minute walk to the water taxi.

 

And 10 more minutes walk if you bypass the water taxi and just walk period, or you can spend 20 minutes waiting for the next water taxi. If you're not mobility impaired, just wanted to let you know its a short walk. It's no more than a 1/2 mile walk.

 

I lied! If you start at the point off the ship where you must decide to walk toward the water taxi or walk to the road, measure to the point where the water taxi drops you off, its .54 miles.

 

Edited April 22, 2014 by BillOh

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

The walk to the water taxi could be a challenge for the mobility impaired depending on how impaired. For example, a half mile with a walker could be a challenge, plus it is usually pretty hot.

 

We have been to Saint Maarten many times and have never had to wait twenty minutes for a water taxi to go to the town, but it can take ten or fifteen minutes to catch one to return to the ship's docks.

 

We were in St Maarten just two weeks ago and there is one new sleek modern water taxi that is much more comfortable and much easier to enter and exit. If your parents do have mobility issues, it might be worth your while to wait for that water taxi, but the folks at the dock tend to try to que up passengers really fast and get you to board quickly.

 

As for foregoing the water taxi and just hiking into town, we have done that, but I found it a bit uncomfortable because traffic is flying by, there isn't much shade, the sidewalk was narrow and not in the best of repair. We did that a few years ago. Perhaps the sidewalk has been improved. I still think the water taxi is the better way to go to town if you have mobility impaired folks with you.

[The Big Booper]

On our last stop in St. Martin, we lucked out when coming back to the pier from downtown and took the new boat, much easier to navigate for people with mobility issues with no steep step ups and step downs.

 

The older fleet, they would need help getting on or off.

 

It is easier to get to the taxi stand and cab into downtown. For older people the fare is worth it.

 

There are shuttle trams going up and down the pier which drop you off at the pier exit. From there it is a short walk to the taxi dispatch area.

[Crzy4my2]

We just got back Sunday. It is a bit of a walk from the boat to the water taxi. Not bad but could be for someone with a walker. We had no wait for the taxi heading to St. Maartin and maybe a 5 minutes coming back.

[janetz]

And 10 more minutes walk if you bypass the water taxi and just walk period, or you can spend 20 minutes waiting for the next water taxi. If you're not mobility impaired, just wanted to let you know its a short walk. It's no more than a 1/2 mile walk.

 

I lied! If you start at the point off the ship where you must decide to walk toward the water taxi or walk to the road, measure to the point where the water taxi drops you off, its .54 miles.

 

 

Your right Bill. We have done that walk. :)

Edited April 22, 2014 by janetz

[TravelerThom]

And 10 more minutes walk if you bypass the water taxi and just walk period, or you can spend 20 minutes waiting for the next water taxi. If you're not mobility impaired, just wanted to let you know its a short walk. It's no more than a 1/2 mile walk.

 

I lied! If you start at the point off the ship where you must decide to walk toward the water taxi or walk to the road, measure to the point where the water taxi drops you off, its .54 miles.

 

How did you get that aerial photo with the walk overlayed on top of it? I'd like to be able to do that.

 

Doesn't the water taxi also stop at the Town Pier (middle of Phillipsburg, near the Courthouse)?

 

Thom

[joepeka]

How did you get that aerial photo with the walk overlayed on top of it? I'd like to be able to do that.

 

Doesn't the water taxi also stop at the Town Pier (middle of Phillipsburg, near the Courthouse)?

 

Thom

 

It looks like Google Earth; it has a feature called "Ruler" that allows you plot distances. Also, you're right: the water taxi does stop at the Town Pier but I think there are also some that stop where he has indicated on the map.