Independent Excursions in St Maarten

[KEH]

Has anyone booked any independent, non-Disney cruises in St Maarten and if so, what can you recommend?

If you didn't do any excursions, what is there to do there? Shopping? Sightseeing?

 

[mickeyboat]

No excursions here. We took the water taxi ($5 for adults) to Great Bay Beach. We rented beach chairs there for the day ($10 for two with an umbrella, plus two free drinks and use of their facilities). You step off the beach and right into Phillipsburg so we did a little shopping.

We had a great day, but we weren't looking for much more than a pleasant beach day and didn't want to venture too far away from the ship.

Denae

 

[LAMPSKIES]

We did the Golden Eagle Catamaran (thru DCL) 7:45. We sailed for about 45 mins. snorkeled walked the island drank a few refreshments and sailed back with island music jamin'. It was myself, DW and DDs 13 and 11. We had enough time to get back have some buffett, and do a little shopping.

 

[DOOGIERUNNER]

We chartered our own cigarette racing boat last summer and spent the day over in Anguilla. It was beautiful. We've been on both the eastern and westerns. It WAS the whitest sand and had the most beautiful beaches I'd ever seen. If you go to www.offshoresunsations.com and click on testimonials, we're the folks from Iowa. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[jrabbit]

In the morning we walked into town and looked around and walked on the beach. Then back to the ship for lunch and then we hired a taxi to Orient Beach. It's a 10-20 cab ride (i think) and you get a real eye full of the poverty of the island (but it's not to bad really). Then you go up some pretty good sized hills (where there are some really nice home) and then down to Orient Beach. It's a beautiful location. THere are facilities there. There are water sports (jet skis, para sailing, wind surfing), just playing in the beach, watching the nudists get really sun burnt etc. If we make it back to St. Maarten, we will either go back here or go on the Golden Eagle excursion.

At Orient Beach don't the the clothing optional part freak you out (even with children - we had kids from 8 to 14). Just ask to be dropped off at the family section of the beach. You will still see a few women going around topless and you may even see some locals walking around neked But don't get too excited, it ain't very attractive (think old, dark, dried and cracked leather or dark wood panneling).

Oh yea the sun burned part. Some bozo's from the cruise ships think that since it's clothing optional that they should drop their shorts and let it all "hang out" I don't know how many Flaming Red bottoms I saw. But these idiots forgot that it has been a long time since the sun hit those parts of their bodies and the caribbean sun is INTENSE and it didn't take long for the backside to turn into a crispie critter. And why is it that it's usually "tubby" white guys that insist on doing this

 

[TheWog]

jrabbit - humor

we did the same as mickeyboat, got the water taxi, $5 all day kids free, not bad. rented the chairs with the umbrella and free drinks, then drinks a buck the rest of the day. We also got the water trampoline/slide and jet skis and had a blast. Fended off the vendors and relaxed. Back to the ship for a shower and lunch then shopping in Philipsburg. We had a great time and that's all we wanted was to relax and enjoy. The jet skis were a lot of fun too.