Philipsburg St Maarten

[Belfast Castle]

My husband & I are on Explorer of the Seas which will be in Philipsburgh November 14th 2007 from 15.00-23.30pm - any suggestions what we should do/see please. First time cruisiers/visitors

[tomko2]

We really enjoy the island because there are so many things to do. Last time we were there we went to Bayside Riding School for horseriding which was great then back to the town to relax on the beach. Just leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship from outside of town because traffic can get really slow in the late afternoon.

I just noticed you will be there late afternoon to late evening so in that case, I would stick to either taking the water taxi to town and enjoying the area around the dock or taking a ship sponsored excursion.

There is a water taxi you can use from the ship to shore; I think it costs $5.00 for an all-day pass. There are some pics of St. Martin at the link below.

We also really liked the Explorer -- great ship!

Have a terrific cruise.

Kathy:)

[sanibel]

I'd check out http://www.sxmtours.com and contact Victor. Explain your time constraints and see if he's able to take care of you. He's very reliable, speaks perfect English, and is a native of St. Martin. His van is air conditioned and immaculate.

We were with him last week and I'd have no hesitation in using him and getting returned to the boat on time.

Your arrival and department time may mean you're in port when another large ship is also, which will limit your options.

We were on the Adventure and it was our second time in St. Martin.

We used a RCCL excursion the first time, but it didn't compare to Victor and was about twice the price.

[sanibel]

I'd check out http://www.sxmtours.com and contact Victor. Explain your time constraints and see if he's able to take care of you. He's very reliable, speaks perfect English, and is a native of St. Martin. His van is air conditioned and immaculate.

We were with him last week and I'd have no hesitation in using him and getting returned to the boat on time.

Your arrival and department time may mean you're in port when another large ship is also, which will limit your options.

We were on the Adventure and it was our second time in St. Martin.

We used a RCCL excursion the first time, but it didn't compare to Victor and was about twice the price.

[The Big Booper]

These weird times for The Explorer and St. Martin take away from the fun of this stop. This is the ultimate beach island not noted for nightlife and we have stayed here on land trips. There are casinos on the Dutch side and great restaurants on the French side and that is all.

 

Living in NY we can book The Explorer easily since there is no air for us but I won't again until they rearrange the schedule for the various stops.