St. Maarten - what to see and do

[awoltoday]

We did The Pirates of St Maarten day Cruise with Lord Sheffield last time we were there. It was a very fun and relaxing afternoon. I thought it was a great trip and would love to do it again.

We sailed (wind power) out past the airport and anchored off the beach (I think it was Mullet beach?). It was very relaxing sail out and the kids loved taking turns "driving" the boat. We were served drinks and some snacks on the way out as well. They had beer, punch, soda, and water. When we got anchored everyone jumped in and went snorkeling - snorkeling gear was provided. Capt. Rob cooked BBQ ribs and chicken, which was very tasty. After eating, everybody did some leaping from the ship and then we motored back to the port. I can not say enough good things about the crew of the Lord Sheffield. They were fantastic and made sure everyone was comfortable and entertained.

They also have a smaller boat, appropriately named Lady Sheffield, which makes 2 stops (Little Bay and Shipwreck Cove) for snorkeling. This boat is also available for scuba charters.

 

[JoyBender]

Hi, can you take a taxi to the ferry for Pinel Island? How far away is it from port? What time did you stay too and what time did you leave the ship? I looked at the website and it looks great. I have my husband & son booked for the bubba fishing exc. but maybe this is better + cheaper. I just want to go to a very nice beach both in st maarten and st thomas. 7 more days till we leave for FL!

 

[tidefan]

Hi, can you take a taxi to the ferry for Pinel Island? How far away is it from port? What time did you stay too and what time did you leave the ship? I looked at the website and it looks great. I have my husband & son booked for the bubba fishing exc. but maybe this is better + cheaper. I just want to go to a very nice beach both in st maarten and st thomas. 7 more days till we leave for FL!

I suppose you can take a taxi there. It is just north of Orient Beach. I would guess that it would be about 30 minutes from the ship.

We were on the island that whole week, but we were there from about 11am to 4pm (the last ferry back to the mainland is at 4pm). The ferry is $6 roundtrip (kids under 8 are free). You can rent a set of chairs for $20 for the whole day. Take a cooler full of drinks and snacks when you go...

 

[tidefan]

Here are a few pics from our Pinel trip in Nov...

 

[mimi'sgirl]

RebeccaLovesDisney- thank you so much for your info on Le Gallion beach. I believe we will definitely be going there. Thanks again.

 

[TanaL]

Just bumping this up.. any more ideas or reviews of what to do at St Maarten? So far I think we're just going to take a water taxi over to Phillipsburg and do a little shopping because nothing sounds just right for us.

thanks!

 

[DisneyMommy1022]

We did The Pirates of St Maarten day Cruise with Lord Sheffield last time we were there. It was a very fun and relaxing afternoon. I thought it was a great trip and would love to do it again.

We sailed (wind power) out past the airport and anchored off the beach (I think it was Mullet beach?). It was very relaxing sail out and the kids loved taking turns "driving" the boat. We were served drinks and some snacks on the way out as well. They had beer, punch, soda, and water. When we got anchored everyone jumped in and went snorkeling - snorkeling gear was provided. Capt. Rob cooked BBQ ribs and chicken, which was very tasty. After eating, everybody did some leaping from the ship and then we motored back to the port. I can not say enough good things about the crew of the Lord Sheffield. They were fantastic and made sure everyone was comfortable and entertained.

They also have a smaller boat, appropriately named Lady Sheffield, which makes 2 stops (Little Bay and Shipwreck Cove) for snorkeling. This boat is also available for scuba charters.

Did you book threw Disney or on your own?

 

[awoltoday]

Did you book threw Disney or on your own?

We booked Lord Sheffield on our own. Since that time, I understand that Lord Sheffield has taken a contract with RCI and may not be available when an RCI ship is in port. If there are no RCI ships in port while you are there, it should be worth checking into. Some of the reviews have been fairly negative from the RCL folks - mostly due to over-crowding. That shouldn't be a problem if they are not offered through a ship's excursion desk (or if you buy out the boat!).

 

[Zandy595]

In case anyone is interested, the next episode of Feasting on Waves with Alton Brown is going to be about Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. Sun. 10pm EST

 

[frdeb1999]

Is there shopping area's within walking distance of where we will dock? Or anything else within that area. We are just not beach people....but love sight seeing and shopping!

 

[cyndid]

My husband and I cruised the Eastern Caribbean for our honeymoon (in 1990) and stopped at St. Maarten. Let me just warn you.... don't take the local bus from one side of the island to the other. It was AWFUL! I don't even want to go into the specifics, but suffice to say that I am scarred for life.

Additionally, there was not a "beach" to be found on our own. The water's edge came right up to the buildings as far as the eye could see.

We were young and VERY cheap. I heard of others who booked excursions through the ship and had a wonderful time.

Just be forewarned...book an excurison. Especially if you want to visit a beach!

 

[Liltx]

We are going to do this tour http://bernardstours.com/

Monica

 

[imlazar]

We took our kids (7/5) on the Disney trip to Orient beach. We left the ship around 10 and left the beach around 2. We had our own private beach club including chairs, welcome cocktails, chairs, and lunch. There were about 200 or so Disney cruisers with us, so we saw several people we had met earlier in the cruise. There were a few topless people walking up and down the beach, but not many. On the return trip they dropped us off in the shopping village near the port, or took us back to the ship depending on what you wanted to do. There was also a narrated tour each way.

We REALLY liked this excursion, the beach was absolutely beautiful, and we really liked the fact t we got to stick with so many other Disney cruisers.

 

[suezyq50]

We have done Bernard's. As 6 adults, we enjoyed it, but thought it was too much riding. Kids would really get antsy. He will take you to specific places you might have researched. I would arrange it ahead before you meet and print out your confirmation.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Has anyone done the Dolphin Encounter? Was it any good? Any idea on the price? And how hard is it exercise wise? My husband has arthritis but wants to do it if there isn't too much walking. He should be fine in the water though. Thanks.

 

[Tonyspad]

We are sailing with our two boys 11 & 13 and are thinking of trying the Rhino Boat tour. Anyone ever done this??

 

[DCLover]

Has anyone ever done the Sand Dollar snorkel trip in St. Maarten? How many people does it accommodate, and is it worth trying?

 

[2beaprincess]

We took our kids (7/5) on the Disney trip to Orient beach. We left the ship around 10 and left the beach around 2. We had our own private beach club including chairs, welcome cocktails, chairs, and lunch. There were about 200 or so Disney cruisers with us, so we saw several people we had met earlier in the cruise. There were a few topless people walking up and down the beach, but not many. On the return trip they dropped us off in the shopping village near the port, or took us back to the ship depending on what you wanted to do. There was also a narrated tour each way.

We REALLY liked this excursion, the beach was absolutely beautiful, and we really liked the fact t we got to stick with so many other Disney cruisers.

Hi there! I see that you went on the Eastern last Jan...Can I ask what was the water temp at CC during the month of Jan? We will be on the same cruise in 2009.
TIA

 

[marcij]

Bumping

Anyone else done tours they would recommend?

 

[Jumba17]

Bumping up to see if anyone can share recent experiences? We are trying to decide if we should cab it to a beach or rent a car to do some exploring on our own. I think we are going to go to Le Galion beach for the kids, and then off to Marigot for food and shopping for Mom & Dad! I am sure it would be cheaper to rent a car, but is it worth the hassle?