Ship time in St. Maarten vs. local time?

[shutterbug63]

This is something I always get confused about. I know ship time is Eastern, but does it stay on Eastern in St. Maarten or switch to local time? Trying to figure out if we're going to have any shopping time based on the excursion we've booked. We'll be in St. Maarten on the Regal in March.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

What difference does it make? You'll have the same number of hours either way.

[shutterbug63]

What difference does it make? You'll have the same number of hours either way.

 

Because when a tour operator not booked through the ship tells me the excursion ends at 3:30 local time, I'm not sure what time ship time that is and how quickly I'll need to get back on the ship. We were in St. Maarten two years ago on a different line and I don't remember what the time difference was.

[paul929207]

Princess usually adjust the ship time to match the local time.

[tml1230]

Princess usually adjust the ship time to match the local time.

 

thats been our experience also…good question ! have a safe voyage, St. martin is a hoot.

[RoobyDoo]

I agree that ship time is generally adjusted to local time (although there might be rare exceptions of which I'm not aware). In any event, your daily newsletter will confirm whenever the ship time will be adjusted to local.

 

St. Maarten is in the Atlantic Standard Time zone (AST), which is 1 hour later than EST (for example, 9:00am EST is 10:00am in St. Maarten). Also, I believe that St. Maarten/St. Martin do not utilize Daylight Savings Time. So if you're ever there during that period, local time and EDT would be the same.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

Princess usually adjust the ship time to match the local time.

My point exactly, so it doesn't make much difference who you book a tour with assuming the ships time is the same as island time. (and it always is).

[shutterbug63]

Princess usually adjust the ship time to match the local time.

 

Thank you so much. That's the answer I was looking for. We've only sailed Royal Caribbean and they do not adjust to local time. Good to know Princess is different. :-)

[geoherb]

My point exactly, so it doesn't make much difference who you book a tour with assuming the ships time is the same as island time. (and it always is).

The ship's time has always matched local time for us in St. Martin. The Princess ports where there has been a difference in time for us were Costa Rica and Cozumel. It made a big difference in Costa Rica since we were meeting a local guide booked independently by a couple on our roll call. The guide wasn't there on time because the ship was an hour ahead of local time.

[Happy2Crews]

St. martin is a hoot.

 

Would love to hear why. Will be visiting next month on Regal. What did you do, where did you go? Any pictures?

 

Thanks :)

[OCruisers]

Princess ships normally are on AST (Atlantic Standard Time) in St. Maarten. ;)

There are so many good options there, it's always hard for us to decide which to do. :D

LuLu

[fishywood]

On Eastern and Southern Caribbean sailings that spend most of the week in the Atlantic time zone Princess has lately been in the habit of setting the clocks forward the very first night leaving Ft Lauderdale (thus getting the lost hour out of the way at the beginning) and not moving back until the night before returning, giving the crew the extra hour to prepare for turnaround day. Only complication would be being off an hour at Princess Cays.

 

Bottom line is still always check the Patter; each captain decides which night to change or not. I have been on Princess ships that did not match port time in Limon, Huatulco, Cozumel, and Princess Cays.

Edited December 21, 2014 by fishywood

[tml1230]

Would love to hear why. Will be visiting next month on Regal. What did you do, where did you go? Any pictures?

 

Thanks :)

 

we first discovered the island on a one day stop off the old NCL Norway many years ago…liked it so much we started going back for a week at a time for many years…then my wife ...against my will, dragged me kicking and pouting (in a manly way) to Paris ….well now... it is France every April for the month so we haven't been back to St. Martin….the character of st martin is unique in that its half french and half dutch …it is run down in some areas but has incredible beaches, including a clothing optional one on the french side which draws ton of cruise ship passengers.

 

at the end of the cruise dock you can rent a car for the day and drive around the island yourself for $50….plenty of roadside good food, $1 beer joints and the occasional goat in the roadway….local drivers there drive like they are in a nascar race….leave yourself tons of extra time to get back to the cruise ship as traffic is VERY heavy on the main road around the island….have a safe journey...

[skynight]

You will be on local AST in St. Maarten. Realize that if you will be there March 8th or later, Eastern Daylight Time and Atlantic Standard Time will be the same.

[shutterbug63]

You will be on local AST in St. Maarten. Realize that if you will be there March 8th or later, Eastern Daylight Time and Atlantic Standard Time will be the same.

 

We will be. We're on the March 15 sailing. Being on the same time is going to make things much easier for us.