Marigot to ship -- how much time to allow?

[Shelley9962]

We're doing the Golden Eagle snorkeling trip in the morning (until 11:45) and then I want to go to Marigot... How long willl it take us to get from that excursion to Marigot? What is the best transportation? And... how much time will it take to get from Marigot to the ship when we have a 4 pm sail time?

 

Thanks in advance for answering the trifecta of questions!

[kal]

I'm not so sure the trip to Marigot will work. At noon it should take about 30-45 minutes to get to Marigot, depending on traffic. Unfortunately, most of Marigot is closed from noon to 2:00pm or later. That won't give you much time as you will hit more traffic into Philipsburg at about 2:30-3:30p.

[Shelley9962]

Thanks for the information! I'm reworking plans as I type! I think we'll attempt to go to Marigot in the morning and then hit the beach in the afternoon. My daughter likes to snorkel; are there beaches that would be better for that than others?

 

thanks again for the information!

[kal]

Make sure you get to Marigot by 9:30a when all the shops open. If you go earlier that will give you time at the open-air market along the waterfront in Marigot.

 

St. Maarten doesn't have very good snorkeling due to past hurricane activities. So I would just go to Orient Beach which is one of the top 5 best beaches in the Caribbean.

[kal]

Make sure you get to Marigot by 9:30a when all the shops open. If you go earlier that will give you time at the open-air market along the waterfront in Marigot.

 

St. Maarten doesn't have very good snorkeling due to past hurricane activities. So I would just go to Orient Beach which is one of the top 5 best beaches in the Caribbean.

[travelgirl913]

Just was in Marigot on Friday and it took us over 1 hour to get there from the cruise ship. So much traffic and people honking their horns like crazy. I thought I was in New York City and not on an island for a bit there!! Then once we got there, there was no where to park. We drove around for 40 minutes then gave up. Definitley take a cab there if you can.

[tammythetwinsmom]

Can you tell me more about the open air market in marigot? Thanks..

[kal]

The open-air market is a large number of vendors selling a wide range of goods. Everywhere from low-end t-shirts to higher end clothing and jewelry. A spice vendor has a wonderful collection of all the spices you good want. The market is in full swing on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but a good number of vendors are there during the week days. It opens about 7:30a and continues thru noonish.

[travelgirl913]

It looked really nice. We just couldn't find parking anywhere to stop!! Next time I will take a cab there.

[mwebb]

Will be in St. M on Wed. Apr 5th on Legend. from 7-4 (ship time - not sure if that differs from island time as that is the week of time changes in the states)

Tell me if this is a good plan

Plan to go by cab to Marigot first thing and hope to visit the Open Market. What types of stuff there besides spices, t-shirts, etc ? What should cab fare run? Where do I tell the driver to go? (do they know where the market is?) & Browse shops if time til 11ish, Go to Orient Beach for 11-1, thent go shopping on Front Street in Phillipsburg, then back to the ship by 330. Departs at 4. Will this work??? Other suggestions. ????

[kal]

That sounds like a workable, but tight plan. Cab fares to Marigot should be about $15 (for 1-2 people) or $6/person (for 3-5 people). Just tell the cab driver to take you to the Marigot Open-air Market. The market opens about 7:30a so everything will be in full swing by the time you get there.

 

There is a very wide variety of goods at the market. Included are quality clothing, French table linen, jewelry, dolls, unique display items, belts, plus all the standard tourist stuff. One thing I like is a block of crystal clear Lucite with a suspended sea shell inside. Very unique. Don't forget to think about Xmas gifts while you're looking.

 

By 9:30a you should be walking thru Marigot to visit all the shops. Again, there's a great selection of treasures the merchants provide. If you want high-end goods check out the West Indies Mall (near the water). There are also lots of shops at the Port La Royale area.

 

If you leave Marigot at 11:00a the trip to Orient might take 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. Usually VERY busy on Wednesdays.

 

Make sure you grab a bite to eat at Orient while you enjoy the sand.

 

The trip from Orient to PBurg should be about 15 minutes mid-day. Have the taxi driver drop you off at the east end of Front street then walk west. If he drops you at the Court House it will be slow going due to traffic enroute.

 

Again, this is a very tight schedule so watch your timing closely.

[tinad]

Is this area of Margiot open on Sundays? Our ship will arrive on a Sunday.:cool:

[kal]

Most shops are closed on Sunday. The open-air market is fully open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On other days there are a limited number of vendors, but still open. I believe it is closed on Sundays.

[mwebb]

I really appreciate your prompt response. I want to maximize my day in St Marteen. I REALLY loved shopping on Front Street when I have visited before,and have found great jewelry deals. Wish I had more time on the island.

[kal]

I really appreciate your prompt response. I want to maximize my day in St Marteen. I REALLY loved shopping on Front Street when I have visited before,and have found great jewelry deals. Wish I had more time on the island.

 

Make sure you stop by Touch of Gold on Front Street. They have been in Philipsburg for over 30 years. Give my best to Sanjay.

[beachchick]

This is JMO, so take what I suggest with a grain of salt (no make that sand). Your plan sounds workable, but tight as kal mentioned. My concern is more with your beach time. Based on your schedule and adding in taxi time from Marigot to Orient and Orient to Philipsburg, you will have very little time on the beach. Are you looking to just "see" the beach and maybe get food/drink for a little while or are you interested in actually relaxing and sunning? If the latter (and with a short time in port), I suggest that you forego one of the your shopping ventures. If you haven't done Marigot, then that may be ideal; OTOH, you say you love Front St., so it's a tough call. We prefer more beach time, less running around, but again that's just our preference.

 

Anyway, if you want to have more than an hour or so at the beach, you might want to reconsider your day.

 

beachchick

[the2ofus]

Last December and again this past November when we were in Marigot it took almost an hour to get out of Marigot and back to Philipsburg in the afternoon. Last year (a weekday) there was a 4 p.m. traffic jam all the way from the parking area in Marigot to downtown P'burg. We never did find out why, but it was bumper-to-bumper and moved at a snail's pace.

 

This year, on a Sunday afternoon, they were doing road/ditch maintenance work on the road between Marigot and Orient beach. There was nobody directing traffic, so the right-hand lane (outgoing) just sat there, while cars continually came into Marigot.

 

I agree with Beachchick, don't try to do it all in this one short visit. You may run out of time and watch your ship sail without you!

 

I think this gives you the perfect excuse to book a return cruise to St. Maarten in the very near future.