Eastern cruise...Orient beach and shopping

[Topscot]

Which excursion on the Eastern itinerary allows for Orient beach as well as shopping on St. Maarten? What town is best for shopping? We will be with our 8 year old.

[tekmnky]

I recommend shopping in Philipsburg on your own in the morning and the Afternoon Beach Bash excursion (if booking through DCL) for Orient Beach in the afternoon. The excursion leaves from the SHIP at approx 1:30. Take the water taxi to Philipsburg in the morning, giving you roughly four hours of shopping, then take the water taxi back to the pier, drop off your purchases and change into your swimming togs, then meet onboard for the Afternoon Beach Bash excursion. When you get back from the Beach Bash you might still have time to stop in Philipsburg once again for an additional hour or so of shopping. The time at Orient beach on this excursion is only a couple of hours, so if you need more beach time you'll need to make a different choice.

Doing the all-day Orient Beach excursion only leaves a couple of hours or so after the excursion to do any shopping in Philipsburg and get back to the pier.

If you are open to handling it all on your own, you can take a taxi on your own from Philipsburg or the ship to Orient Beach. Just make sure to give yourself PLENTY of time to get back to the ship at the end of the day if coming from Orient Beach. St. Maarten is famous for afternoon traffic jams which could leave you standing on the pier waving at the ship as it sails away.

I'm not crazy about shopping in Marigot (French side), but that's just my personal opinion.

[castlegazer]

both and do it on your own or do the Orient beach excursion and you should have some time to shop.

But ditto on the warning about time.