Orient Beach & Maho Beach Combo Transportation

[danicolie]

We have been to St.Maarten a few times via cruise ship. We took Bernard's Tour twice and we loved it! However, this time we want more beach time and we don't care to see the Sea Urchin Man again, the iguanas or go to Marigot.

 

Our tentative plan is to disembark early (8:30am) and grab a taxi to Orient beach. Spend about 2.5-3 hours before going to Maho around noon to watch the planes. Have lunch at Sunset Bar & Grill (1hr) and then take a taxi back to downtown Philipsburg for some shopping before returning to the ship. All aboard is at 4pm.

 

I know that taxi's are plentiful at Maho to take you back downtown. My question is, will it be difficult to find a cab at Orient beach to take us to Maho? Also, what would be the cost?

 

I saw that Amigo tours has an Orient/Maho Beach Combo tour but they only spend 1.5hrs at each beach. An hour at Maho is plenty but we would like more time at Orient because hubby & son want to rent jetskis.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[messengerc21]

We have been to St.Maarten a few times via cruise ship. We took Bernard's Tour twice and we loved it! However, this time we want more beach time and we don't care to see the Sea Urchin Man again, the iguanas or go to Marigot.

 

Our tentative plan is to disembark early (8:30am) and grab a taxi to Orient beach. Spend about 2.5-3 hours before going to Maho around noon to watch the planes. Have lunch at Sunset Bar & Grill (1hr) and then take a taxi back to downtown Philipsburg for some shopping before returning to the ship. All aboard is at 4pm.

 

I know that taxi's are plentiful at Maho to take you back downtown. My question is, will it be difficult to find a cab at Orient beach to take us to Maho? Also, what would be the cost?

 

I saw that Amigo tours has an Orient/Maho Beach Combo tour but they only spend 1.5hrs at each beach. An hour at Maho is plenty but we would like more time at Orient because hubby & son want to rent jetskis.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Hi, Interesting enough, I'm planning the exact thing in a month! We have been there countless times and this time we are taking our 26yr old Son with us. We want to spend 3-4 hours and Lunch at Orient, then to Maho for a bit, maybe an hour then back to Phillipsburg. I found a Tour outfit that will meet us at the Pier and do just what you and I are planning for $35pp. Email me at messengerc21@yahoo.com and I will provide the name and email! I understand we are not supposed to include that info on these Posts. Regards, Mark

[danicolie]

Hi, Interesting enough, I'm planning the exact thing in a month! We have been there countless times and this time we are taking our 26yr old Son with us. We want to spend 3-4 hours and Lunch at Orient, then to Maho for a bit, maybe an hour then back to Phillipsburg. I found a Tour outfit that will meet us at the Pier and do just what you and I are planning for $35pp. Email me at messengerc21@yahoo.com and I will provide the name and email! I understand we are not supposed to include that info on these Posts. Regards, Mark

 

 

That's awesome! Thank you Mark. I just sent you an email. :)

Regards, Danielle

[BillOh]

We have been to St.Maarten a few times via cruise ship. We took Bernard's Tour twice and we loved it! However, this time we want more beach time and we don't care to see the Sea Urchin Man again, the iguanas or go to Marigot.

 

Our tentative plan is to disembark early (8:30am) and grab a taxi to Orient beach. Spend about 2.5-3 hours before going to Maho around noon to watch the planes. Have lunch at Sunset Bar & Grill (1hr) and then take a taxi back to downtown Philipsburg for some shopping before returning to the ship. All aboard is at 4pm.

 

I know that taxi's are plentiful at Maho to take you back downtown. My question is, will it be difficult to find a cab at Orient beach to take us to Maho? Also, what would be the cost?

 

I saw that Amigo tours has an Orient/Maho Beach Combo tour but they only spend 1.5hrs at each beach. An hour at Maho is plenty but we would like more time at Orient because hubby & son want to rent jetskis.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I did exactly that in 2013. We had no problem getting the taxi, but since we were alone, we paid $40 for the taxi from Orient to Maho. I think I remember it being a 30 minute ride.

Edited April 18, 2016 by BillOh

[Karysa]

I did exactly that in 2013. We had no problem getting the taxi, but since we were alone, we paid $40 for the taxi from Orient to Maho. I think I remember it being a 30 minute ride.

 

I would think that it would be 45 minutes or so from orient toMaho and longer if traffic is heavy.

[danicolie]

Thanks for all the info. Coincidentally, the poster above (Mark and family) is on the exact same ship/sailing as us and had plans to do the exact same thing. We'll be able to join in on the tour that they had already arranged through a local company.

 

Win-win! I love how the Cruise Critic connects people together.

[Karysa]

Thanks for all the info. Coincidentally, the poster above (Mark and family) is on the exact same ship/sailing as us and had plans to do the exact same thing. We'll be able to join in on the tour that they had already arranged through a local company.

 

Win-win! I love how the Cruise Critic connects people together.

 

That's great. The only thing about your day that I would be a little worried about is about the time that you are going to be arriving at Maho. If you enjoy Orient beach from 9-12 and have lunch and leave at 1 and arrive at 1:45-2 at Maho and stay 1 hr from now until the time change in the fall you most likely won't see many of the big planes landing from 2-3.

 

Honestly, if I had a ship on the line and had to be on board at 4 I would leave Maho by 2:30. It most likely will be a 45 minute drive back to the port but that stretch can be very busy so you need to give yourself a good buffer at that time of the day. You most likely will not have time for shopping on Front St but may have time to stop in at the shops by the port.

 

Just something to consider and ask your guide before you leave.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Karysa

[Akaicb]

Hi, Interesting enough, I'm planning the exact thing in a month! We have been there countless times and this time we are taking our 26yr old Son with us. We want to spend 3-4 hours and Lunch at Orient, then to Maho for a bit, maybe an hour then back to Phillipsburg. I found a Tour outfit that will meet us at the Pier and do just what you and I are planning for $35pp. Email me at messengerc21@yahoo.com and I will provide the name and email! I understand we are not supposed to include that info on these Posts. Regards, Mark

 

Hi Mark,

 

I would love to know this info as well, since this is exactly what I am looking for as well when we travel to St. Maarten in Nov of this year.

 

Would it be ok if I emailed you as well for the info?

 

However, I'm pretty sure you are allowed to provide that information in the Ports of Call forums, at least I have seen recommend other tour companies and provide their email addresses or website.

 

Thanks,

Kim

[danicolie]

That's great. The only thing about your day that I would be a little worried about is about the time that you are going to be arriving at Maho. If you enjoy Orient beach from 9-12 and have lunch and leave at 1 and arrive at 1:45-2 at Maho and stay 1 hr from now until the time change in the fall you most likely won't see many of the big planes landing from 2-3.

 

Honestly, if I had a ship on the line and had to be on board at 4 I would leave Maho by 2:30. It most likely will be a 45 minute drive back to the port but that stretch can be very busy so you need to give yourself a good buffer at that time of the day. You most likely will not have time for shopping on Front St but may have time to stop in at the shops by the port.

 

Just something to consider and ask your guide before you leave.

 

Agreed and thank you for the advice. If the other family we're travelling with agrees, I think we should leave Orient at 12noon so we can arrive at Maho for 12:45pm. We're there on a Thursday so I checked tomorrow's flight arrival schedule (Thursday) and unfortunately it looks like there's no KLM flights on Thursdays. However, from 12:45 to 1:45 seems to be a great time to see a few big planes at least. This should give us plenty of time to get back to downtown Philipsburg for a little shopping before heading back to the ship. All aboard is only at 4:30pm and we're the only ship in port that day so hopefully traffic won't be as bad. It's also not the end of the world if we have no time to shop. :)

We'll confirm all this with our guide to see what the expert has to say.

Edited April 20, 2016 by danicolie

[ama-sam]

Hi Mark,

 

I would love to know this info as well, since this is exactly what I am looking for as well when we travel to St. Maarten in Nov of this year.

 

Would it be ok if I emailed you as well for the info?

 

However, I'm pretty sure you are allowed to provide that information in the Ports of Call forums, at least I have seen recommend other tour companies and provide their email addresses or website.

 

Thanks,

Kim

 

I would also like to know the info about your tour.

 

Thanks!

[messengerc21]

Jo Junie Tours, See them on Tripadvisor.....

[Akaicb]

Jo Junie Tours, See them on Tripadvisor.....

 

Thank-you very much, I really appreciate you providing the name.

 

Have a great time on your trip.

 

If you remember it would be great to hear about your experience when you get back.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Akaicb

[idahospud]

We've done the St. Maarten Beach Bum Combo to Orient and Maho Beaches through shore excursioneer. Plenty of time on both beaches. They are also listed highly on trip advisor. Planning on using them again.

[Karysa]

Agreed and thank you for the advice. If the other family we're travelling with agrees, I think we should leave Orient at 12noon so we can arrive at Maho for 12:45pm. We're there on a Thursday so I checked tomorrow's flight arrival schedule (Thursday) and unfortunately it looks like there's no KLM flights on Thursdays. However, from 12:45 to 1:45 seems to be a great time to see a few big planes at least. This should give us plenty of time to get back to downtown Philipsburg for a little shopping before heading back to the ship. All aboard is only at 4:30pm and we're the only ship in port that day so hopefully traffic won't be as bad. It's also not the end of the world if we have no time to shop. :)

We'll confirm all this with our guide to see what the expert has to say.

 

You are welcome. I see that you changed your all aboard time to 4:30 so you will have an extra 30 minutes which is plenty of time to do some damage on Front St.. Watch out for the free champagne though, that's what got me my last sparkler. ;):D

[ama-sam]

Thank you. The information in this thread has been so useful in planning our port stop!

[danicolie]

Thanks! I will post how it went when we get back. We sail in a month. :)

[KPfromCT]

:D

Hi, Interesting enough, I'm planning the exact thing in a month! We have been there countless times and this time we are taking our 26yr old Son with us. We want to spend 3-4 hours and Lunch at Orient, then to Maho for a bit, maybe an hour then back to Phillipsburg. I found a Tour outfit that will meet us at the Pier and do just what you and I are planning for $35pp. Email me at messengerc21@yahoo.com and I will provide the name and email! I understand we are not supposed to include that info on these Posts. Regards, Mark

 

Mark, I just emailed you too!

We want to do similar, but with an hour or so in Marigot for lunch.

We will be on the Oasis in June from 8-5

 

Thinking 2-2.5 hours at Orient, 1-1.5 hours in Marigot, and then 1-1.5 hours at Maho.

 

We want to make sure we allow time for shopping back near the ship.

 

Can you please send me that information too?

 

Thank you so much!!

 

P.S. We are currently booked on Bernards, but it sounds like it people run late getting back to the bus, it cuts your time short at the next stop. No patience for inconsiderate people.:mad::D

[danicolie]

:D

 

Mark, I just emailed you too!

We want to do similar, but with an hour or so in Marigot for lunch.

We will be on the Oasis in June from 8-5

 

Thinking 2-2.5 hours at Orient, 1-1.5 hours in Marigot, and then 1-1.5 hours at Maho.

 

We want to make sure we allow time for shopping back near the ship.

 

Can you please send me that information too?

 

Thank you so much!!

 

P.S. We are currently booked on Bernards, but it sounds like it people run late getting back to the bus, it cuts your time short at the next stop. No patience for inconsiderate people.:mad::D

 

 

Mark provided the tour company above. It's a private tour arranged via Jo Junie Tours. You can google them to find their website. They also have plenty of reviews on Tripadvisor. Having personally done Bernard's twice, I would recommend that you stick with them if you want to do Marigot. They offer a great tour with all the activities that you're looking for. Thanks!

[liv2cruise4ever]

Hi, Interesting enough, I'm planning the exact thing in a month! We have been there countless times and this time we are taking our 26yr old Son with us. We want to spend 3-4 hours and Lunch at Orient, then to Maho for a bit, maybe an hour then back to Phillipsburg. I found a Tour outfit that will meet us at the Pier and do just what you and I are planning for $35pp. Email me at messengerc21@yahoo.com and I will provide the name and email! I understand we are not supposed to include that info on these Posts. Regards, Mark

 

Thanks Mark, I just emailed you!

[messengerc21]

Thanks Mark, I just emailed you!

 

Hi All, Just got back and JoJunie did an outstanding Job! Spent 3 hours at Orient, 45 minutes or so at Maho and a Couple of Hours in Phillipsburg. The Driver was far more than just Transportation! Had Cold Drinks (Beer, Water and Rum Punch) in a cooler and Talked about The Island and what we were seeing all the way! Great Deal for $35pp. Mark

[gtaylor]

Mark,

 

Great tour for $35 pp. How many people total?

 

Thanks,

 

gary

[messengerc21]

Mark,

 

Great tour for $35 pp. How many people total?

 

Thanks,

 

gary

 

There were 7 of us in a Van that held !3+....Mark

[EMED2010]

I looked on Jo Junies site and it shows 2 hours at Orient and 2 hours at Maho. I would like to spend at least 3 hours at Orient and 1 at Maho. Are you able to customize?

Edited June 10, 2016 by EMED2010

[messengerc21]

I looked on Jo Junies site and it shows 2 hours at Orient and 2 hours at Maho. I would like to spend at least 3 hours at Orient and 1 at Maho. Are you able to customize?

 

Yes, No Problem as we Customized our Trip!!! Mark

[erby2283]

Hi All, Just got back and JoJunie did an outstanding Job! Spent 3 hours at Orient, 45 minutes or so at Maho and a Couple of Hours in Phillipsburg. The Driver was far more than just Transportation! Had Cold Drinks (Beer, Water and Rum Punch) in a cooler and Talked about The Island and what we were seeing all the way! Great Deal for $35pp. Mark

 

Thanks for reporting back. Still looking at excursions. Not sure if I want another tour (Did Bernards and wasn't a fan of the late people either) or go to Little Divi Bay for a nice, cheap day....then shopping!