Martinique cruise port

Martinique: France in the Caribbean, with the beach ferry at the pier.

Martinique is France, euros and all, and most ships dock at Pointe Simon on the Fort-de-France waterfront, a 10-minute walk from the Grand Marché spice market, the Schoelcher Library and the Savane park. The two classic days here are the 20-minute ferry across the bay to the beach at Anse Mitan, or a drive north to the volcano town of St-Pierre and a rum distillery. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Martinique from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedPointe Simon, 10 minutes to downtown; Tourelles on 2-ship days
Euro, Frenchdollars taken at the port, cards everywhere
Dec to Maydry season (Carême), highs low 80s
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
Start here

Three ways to do Martinique

A beach across the bay, a volcano and rum day in the north, or Fort-de-France on foot; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Beach day

Ferry to Anse Mitan or Pointe du Bout

  • Vedettes Tropicales ferries leave from the quay next to the Pointe Simon pier, about 20 minutes across the bay, about 7 euros round trip
  • Anse Mitan has calm water, loungers and French cafes; Les Trois-Îlets has the Pagerie museum and the Village Créole shops
  • Anse Dufour and Anse Noire, the sea-turtle snorkel coves, are a 20-minute cab from the ferry landing

Best for: families, couples, anyone who wants a beach without a bus

Big excursion

St-Pierre, Mount Pelée and a rum distillery

  • St-Pierre was the Paris of the Caribbean until Mount Pelée erupted in 1902; the ruins, the Frank Perret museum and the volcano view are 45 minutes north
  • Depaz distillery sits on the volcano’s slope and Habitation Clément in the south pairs rhum agricole tastings with a sculpture garden
  • Ship tours run 4 to 5 hours for about $100 to $150; a 4x4 or Balata Garden add-on makes it a full day

Best for: history lovers, rum fans, repeat Caribbean cruisers

Town on foot

Fort-de-France on your own

  • Walk the seafront promenade from Pointe Simon to the Savane park, Fort Saint-Louis and the iron-and-glass Schoelcher Library
  • The Grand Marché covered market sells vanilla, spices, rum punch and madras fabric; lunch is a creole plate or a French bakery
  • The cathedral, the Rue Victor Hugo shops and Fort Saint-Louis guided tours fill a morning; back on board in 10 minutes

Best for: short calls, shoppers, francophiles

Live from the cruise lines

Martinique cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Martinique from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

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Every cruise that calls at Martinique

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Martinique

French food, rhum agricole, a sleeping volcano and beaches on both coasts, most within an hour of the pier.

Anse Mitan and Pointe du Bout by ferryThe best-value beach day on the island: a 20-minute Vedettes Tropicales ferry from the quay beside Pointe Simon, about 7 euros round trip, lands you at a calm, sandy cove with cafes and loungers. Check the return times on the board before you go.
St-Pierre and Mount PeléeThe town buried by the 1902 eruption, 45 minutes north: ruins of the theater and the prison cell that saved one survivor, the Frank Perret volcano museum and the Pelée view. Ship tours 4 to 5 hours, about $100 to $150, usually with a distillery stop.
Rum distilleriesMartinique’s rhum agricole has its own French appellation. Depaz sits below the volcano near St-Pierre; Habitation Clément in Le François has a plantation house, sculpture park and tasting room. Tastings are free or a few euros; tours about $90 to $140 through the ship.
Jardin de BalataA hillside botanical garden 20 minutes above the city with 3,000 tropical plants, hummingbirds and a rope canopy walk. About 16 euros, allow 90 minutes; no bus, so take a cab (about 30 euros each way) or a ship tour.
Les Salines beachThe postcard beach at the island’s southern tip near Sainte-Anne: white sand, coconut palms, calm water. It is over an hour each way by cab or tour, so only on a long port day; ship beach-break tours run about $70 to $90.
Anse Dufour and Anse NoireTwo small coves 30 minutes south of town where green sea turtles graze yards from shore; one beach is golden, the other black volcanic sand. Bring your own snorkel gear and go early; ship snorkel tours about $80 to $100.
Grand Marché and the Schoelcher LibraryThe covered spice market on Rue Isambert for vanilla, cinnamon, colombo powder and rum punch, then the 1889 iron-framed library that was built for the Paris world’s fair and shipped here. Both 10 minutes from the Pointe Simon pier, free.
Fort Saint-LouisA working French naval base on the point beside the Savane; guided tours on most days take you onto the ramparts for the harbor view, a few euros, about an hour. Check the gate for tour times, because access closes when the navy needs it.
Timing

When to go

Martinique has a dry season from December to May that the locals call Carême and a wetter, hotter season from June to November; February and March are the driest, busiest months and September the wettest.

December to AprilHighs around 82 to 84, trade winds, the least rain and the most ships; Carnival in February or early March fills Fort-de-France with parades and the pier with visitors.
May to JuneStill mostly dry and a touch warmer, with far fewer ships and good value for the same beaches; the mango and rum-festival season.
July to SeptemberHot and humid, highs in the upper 80s with afternoon downpours; hurricane season peaks in August to October, and direct hits are rare but itineraries can change.
October to NovemberThe wettest weeks with the greenest rainforest; the cruise season restarts in late October and fares are at their lowest.
Good to know

Martinique questions we answer every day

Where do ships dock in Martinique and how far is town?

Most ships dock at Pointe Simon on the Fort-de-France waterfront, with a shopping village at the pier and a seafront promenade that puts you in the historic center in about 10 minutes. When two big ships are in, the second uses the Tourelles terminal in the commercial port about a mile away; there is usually a shuttle, and a taxi is about 8 to 10 euros. No tendering at either berth. The port is spending about $35 million on both terminals, so expect construction in 2026.

How do I get around and what do taxis cost?

Taxis wait at both terminals but are pricey by Caribbean standards: figure 30 euros or more each way to Balata Garden and 60 euros or more to Les Salines, so agree the fare first and share the cab. The ferry to Anse Mitan is about 7 euros round trip and the best deal on the island. Shared minibuses (taxis collectifs) are cheap but run on their own schedule. Rental cars are at the pier if you want to drive; roads are good and on the right.

What currency, language and time zone?

Martinique is a French department, so the currency is the euro; the port shops and many tour operators take US dollars, but change comes in euros and cards are accepted almost everywhere. French and Creole are spoken, with basic English in shops and among most taxi drivers. The island is on Atlantic Standard Time all year, which matches the US East Coast in summer and is an hour ahead in winter. US phones roam under European rates on most plans, so check your plan.

Is Martinique safe?

Yes. Fort-de-France is a working French city with a visible police presence, and the U.S. State Department has no specific warning for Martinique. Normal city sense applies: watch bags in the market, avoid the streets north of the center after dark, use marked taxis, and treat the sun and the narrow mountain roads with respect.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

If you only do one thing, do St-Pierre and Mount Pelée with a distillery stop: it is the story of the island in a morning. Beach lovers take the ferry to Anse Mitan on their own. Because taxis are expensive and the best beaches are over an hour away, booking the longer trips through the ship usually costs no more and guarantees your ride back.

Do I need a passport?

Yes, bring a passport book. Martinique is part of France, and since 2020 the cruise lines require a valid passport book for every guest on itineraries that call here, even on round trips from US ports; the closed-loop birth certificate rule does not apply, and a passport card is not accepted. Check that it is valid for at least six months after the cruise.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Martinique cruise specialist

We know which Southern Caribbean sailings give you a full day in Fort-de-France and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit, so call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560