St. Maarten cruise port

Two countries, 37 beaches and jets over your head at Maho Beach.

St. Maarten is the half-Dutch, half-French island where cruise ships tie up at the Dr. A.C. Wathey pier on Great Bay, a $7 water-taxi ride or 25 minute walk from the Philipsburg boardwalk and the duty-free shops of Front Street. Most cruisers either settle into a beach chair on Great Bay or Orient Bay, or take the 20 minute taxi to Maho Beach to watch airliners land a hundred feet over the sand. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at St. Maarten 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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DockedWathey pier, walk-off; $7 water taxi to the boardwalk
USDdollars everywhere, euros on the French side, English spoken
Dec to Aprdry season, low 80s and steady trade winds
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
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Three ways to do St. Maarten

A beach on either side of the border, the plane-spotting beach, or the Philipsburg boardwalk on foot; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Beach day

Orient Bay or Great Bay

  • Orient Bay on the French side: 2 miles of sand, beach clubs with chairs and lunch, about $8 to $10 per person each way by shared taxi, 30 minutes
  • Great Bay is right beside the pier: walk or water taxi to a chair on the boardwalk and you are swimming in 15 minutes
  • Both have calm water, rentals and restaurants; Orient is prettier, Great Bay is easier

Best for: families, first-timers, short port days

Only here

Maho Beach and the airport jets

  • Jets on final approach to Princess Juliana airport pass about 100 feet over the sand; the Sunset Bar posts the arrival times
  • Shared taxi from the pier about $8 to $10 per person each way, 20 to 25 minutes
  • Stand back from the fence at takeoff; the jet blast is real and the beach has the signs to prove it

Best for: plane fans, teens, photographers

Town on foot

Philipsburg boardwalk and Front Street

  • Water taxi from the pier to the boardwalk, about $7 per person for an all-day wristband, or a flat 25 minute walk
  • Front Street is jewelry, watches, liquor and Dutch cheese, all duty free with the $800 U.S. allowance
  • Lunch on the boardwalk with your feet in Great Bay, then a $7 land taxi back if the walk feels long

Best for: shoppers, couples, anyone who hates buses

Live from the cruise lines

St. Maarten cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at St. Maarten 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.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at St. Maarten

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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 St. Maarten

The island is only 37 square miles, so Dutch side, French side and the airport beach are all within 30 minutes of the pier.

Maho Beach plane spottingThe world’s most famous runway beach: airliners pass a hundred feet overhead on approach to Princess Juliana airport. Shared taxi about $8 to $10 per person each way, 20 to 25 minutes; Sunset Bar posts the big-jet arrival times.
Orient BayThe French side’s showcase beach, 2 miles of sand with beach clubs that rent two chairs and an umbrella for about $20 to $30 and serve a proper French lunch. About 30 minutes by taxi, $8 to $10 per person each way; the far southern end is clothing optional.
Philipsburg boardwalk and Front StreetA mile of boardwalk cafes along Great Bay backed by the duty-free shops of Front Street. Water taxi from the pier about $7 for an all-day pass, land taxi about $7, or a flat 25 minute walk.
Marigot, the French capitalOpen-air market, bakeries and the ruins of Fort Louis above the harbor. About 25 minutes by taxi, roughly $20 for two one way; euros and dollars both work and there is no border check.
Loterie FarmPrivate rainforest reserve on Pic Paradis with zip lines, hiking trails and a spring-fed pool with cabanas. Day pass about $10 to $15, cabanas and zip lines extra; 35 minutes by taxi or on a ship tour.
12 Metre Challenge and catamaran sailsCrew an actual America’s Cup yacht in a race on Great Bay, about $120 per person on the ship tour, boarding at the pier. Snorkel catamarans to Creole Rock or Tintamarre run about $90 to $110 with open bar.
Great Bay BeachThe beach you can see from the ship, with calm water, rental chairs and the boardwalk bars behind it. Walk or water taxi; zero planning required and you can be back on board in 15 minutes.
Pinel IslandA 5 minute ferry (about $12 round trip) from Cul-de-Sac on the French side to a tiny island with two beach restaurants and calm snorkeling. About 35 minutes by taxi from the pier; a quiet alternative to Orient.
Pick your style

Which lines call at St. Maarten?

St. Maarten is on almost every Eastern Caribbean itinerary; four or five ships at the Wathey pier on a winter day is normal.

Royal CaribbeanOasis, Icon and Freedom class ships from Florida, Cape Liberty and Baltimore on 7 to 12 night Eastern Caribbean cruisesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit CarnivalMost of the fleet from Miami, Port Canaveral, Baltimore and New York on Eastern Caribbean routesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit NorwegianPrima, Breakaway and Epic class ships from Miami, Port Canaveral, San Juan and New YorkSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit CelebrityEdge and Solstice class ships from Fort Lauderdale and Cape Liberty, usually with St. Thomas and San JuanSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit MSCSeascape, Seashore and World America on 7 night Eastern Caribbean loops from Miami and Port CanaveralSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit PrincessSun Princess made its first call on January 1, 2026; Regal and Sky Princess call on Eastern Caribbean cruises from Fort LauderdaleSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit DisneyDisney Destiny made its first call in July 2026 and the line has announced about 14 calls for 2027 from Port Canaveral and Fort LauderdaleSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit Holland AmericaRotterdam and Nieuw Amsterdam on winter Eastern and Southern Caribbean itineraries from Fort LauderdaleSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit OceaniaAllura made its maiden call on January 1, 2026; Oceania ships call on Caribbean voyages from MiamiSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
Timing

When to go

St. Maarten sits in the trade winds at 80 to 88 degrees all year; December to April is the dry, busy season and hurricane season runs June to November with September the month to watch.

December to AprilHighs in the low 80s, lows near 73, the least rain of the year and a steady breeze; peak cruise season with four or five ships a day.
May to JuneMid 80s, a quick shower now and then, thinner crowds and lower fares; a sweet spot before the heat.
July to AugustUpper 80s and humid with short tropical downpours; hurricane season is open but storms this early are uncommon.
September to NovemberThe wettest months and the peak of hurricane season (Irma in September 2017 is the one locals still talk about); ships thin out in September and return in force by Thanksgiving.
Good to know

St. Maarten questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in St. Maarten and how far is town?

Ships dock at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facility at Point Blanche on the east side of Great Bay; it has two long piers that take the biggest ships in the world, so you walk off, never tender. Philipsburg is about a mile away: a $7 all-day water taxi to the boardwalk, a $7 land taxi, or a flat 25 minute walk. On a very busy day a ship can be sent to anchor and tender to the small pier in the middle of Philipsburg, but that is rare.

How do I get around and what do taxis cost?

Licensed taxis queue at the pier under signs that post the government rate per destination; fares are based on two passengers with a small charge for each extra person. Figure about $8 to $10 per person each way to Maho or Orient Bay in a shared van, about $20 for two to Marigot, and a 25 percent surcharge after 10 pm. There is no Uber. Confirm the price and the pickup time before you get in; drivers are reliable about coming back for cruise passengers.

What currency, language and time zone, and will my phone work?

U.S. dollars are accepted on both sides of the island; the French side also uses euros and the Dutch side has the guilder, but nobody expects you to carry either. English is spoken everywhere. The island is on Atlantic Standard Time all year, equal to Eastern Daylight Time in summer and one hour ahead of the East Coast in winter. U.S. phones roam at international rates here, so use the ship’s Wi-Fi or a travel plan.

Is St. Maarten safe for cruise passengers?

Yes, with ordinary care. The U.S. State Department rates Sint Maarten Level 1, its lowest level, and the pier, boardwalk and main beaches are busy and well policed. Use the licensed taxis from the pier, keep an eye on your bag at Orient and Maho, and at Maho stay well back from the runway fence when a jet spools up for takeoff.

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

Maho Beach is the one thing you cannot do anywhere else, and a shared taxi gets you there for about $10 per person without a tour. Orient Bay, Philipsburg and Great Bay are easy on your own. Book the 12 Metre Challenge, catamaran snorkel trips and anything French-side-by-boat through the ship so the timing is guaranteed and the ship waits if the boat runs late.

Do I need a passport for a cruise that stops in St. Maarten?

On a round-trip cruise from a U.S. port, U.S. citizens may sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate (the closed-loop rule), but we strongly recommend a passport: St. Maarten is a foreign country and if you miss the ship or need to fly home, only a passport gets you on the plane. Non-U.S. citizens need a passport and any visas their nationality requires.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

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

Talk to a St. Maarten cruise specialist

Our consultants have watched the jets at Maho and eaten lunch at Orient and can tell you which Eastern Caribbean sailing gives you the longest day on the island. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560