In short
Sint Maarten (Philipsburg): ships dock at Port St. Maarten, the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility on Great Bay, with no tenders. Philipsburg is 15–25 minutes on foot or a few minutes by water taxi. Four hours covers Front Street, the boardwalk and Great Bay Beach; a full day adds Maho Beach or the French side.
Where do cruise ships dock in Sint Maarten, and how do you get to Philipsburg?
At the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility (Port St. Maarten) at Point Blanche, on the eastern side of Great Bay. Two long piers take up to six ships at a time, so there are no tenders. Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side, lies across the bay: 15–25 minutes on foot or a few minutes by water taxi.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where the ship berths | Port St. Maarten, the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility at Point Blanche: two parallel piers, the shorter Pier 1 and the longer Pier 2 (A.C. Wathey Pier). Both lead to one open-air terminal with shops, a taxi stand and tour desks. On busy days, just walking off the long pier takes a while. Your berth is in the daily programme. |
| Into Philipsburg on foot | About 15–25 minutes on a flat road around the bay to the east end of Front Street and the boardwalk. In the midday heat, it feels longer. |
| By water taxi | Boats leave from the marina next to the port and cross Great Bay to the Philipsburg boardwalk in 5–10 minutes. A day ticket lets you go back and forth as often as you like. |
| Typical call | Usually 7–10 hours. Ships call all year, busiest from November to April; June to November is hurricane season, when itineraries occasionally change. Exact times are in the daily programme. |
| Time, money and language | Atlantic Standard Time (UTC−4) all year, with no summer time: one hour ahead of Miami in winter, the same in summer. Check whether the ship keeps island time. On the Dutch side, the Caribbean guilder (introduced in 2025), with US dollars accepted almost everywhere; on the French side, the euro. Cards work in most shops and restaurants. Everyone speaks English. |
| Documents | Neither side is in the Schengen area. Sint Maarten is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands but not part of the EU; the French side, Saint-Martin, is part of the EU. There is no border check between the two. Formalities for cruise passengers are usually handled through the ship. Carry the document your cruise line asks for, usually a passport (what to check). |
| All aboard | Usually 30–60 minutes before departure. Roads around Simpson Bay and the airport often jam: leave Maho Beach or the French side at least an hour ahead; from Philipsburg it is 20–25 minutes on foot. |
What can you fit into a day in port in Sint Maarten?
A short call is all about Philipsburg: the boardwalk, Great Bay Beach and Front Street, all on foot. With 5–6 hours, add a taxi ride to Maho Beach, where planes land right over your head; with a full day, cross to the French side for Marigot, Grand Case and Orient Bay.
Philipsburg, Front Street and Great Bay Beach
Walk or take the water taxi to the boardwalk along Great Bay Beach, a sandy town beach with bars and loungers to rent. One block inland runs Front Street, lined with jewellery, watch and liquor shops; halfway along, on Wathey Square, stands the white Courthouse of 1793. Nearby are the small Sint Maarten Museum, with finds from the island's past (check its opening times), and the Guavaberry Emporium, which sells guavaberry, the local liqueur. End with a swim — the ship is about 20 minutes away.
Maho Beach and Mullet Bay
Maho Beach lies right at the end of the runway of Princess Juliana Airport, about 30 minutes by taxi from the port: planes come in to land just above the sand, and the beach bars chalk up the day's arrival times. Watch from the beach, not from the fence behind the runway — warning signs mark where jet blast from departing planes is dangerous. For a calmer swim, Mullet Bay, a few minutes further on, has clear turquoise water.
The French side: Marigot, Grand Case, Orient Bay
The border with Saint-Martin is just a sign by the road. In Marigot, climb to Fort Louis (1789) for a view over the whole bay and browse the waterfront market. Have lunch in Grand Case, the island's food village on a long beach, and finish at Orient Bay, a wide beach with beach clubs on the Atlantic side; its southern end is a naturist area. A taxi for the day or an island tour is easiest; prices on the French side are in euros.
Pinel Island or Fort Amsterdam
From Cul-de-Sac on the French side, a small ferry crosses to Pinel Island in about five minutes, every half hour in high season. The islet is part of a nature reserve, with shallow water for snorkelling and paths over the hill. Closer to the ship, the ruins of Fort Amsterdam (1631), the island's oldest fort, sit on a headland between Great Bay and Little Bay. The path starts in the grounds of a resort at Little Bay, and from the walls you look across the bay to your ship.
Places on the map
The places from this guide, ready for your phone. The numbers on the map match the list. “Map” opens Google Maps; “Walk from the pier” shows the walking route from where ships usually dock.
Map images are loaded from OpenStreetMap servers. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
- ⚓Cruise pierMap
- 1Great Bay Beach and boardwalkMapWalk from the pier
- 2Courthouse (1793), Front StreetMapWalk from the pier
- 3Fort Amsterdam (ruins)Map
- 4Maho BeachMap
- 5Fort Louis, MarigotMap
- 6Grand CaseMap
- 7Orient BayMap
- 8Pinel IslandMap
- ⏱Will I make it back?Plan your day here by the minutePlan →
- 🧭On your own or a ship excursion?Check what you can see here without a tourCheck →
Which pier your ship uses depends on the day: check the daily programme.
Dutch side or French side — how does an island of two countries work?
The Netherlands and France have shared the island since the Treaty of Concordia of 1648. On a day ashore, you notice it in your money, your phone and the language — and in the view from the bay as you sail away.
- Two countries, no border post. Sint Maarten in the south is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Saint-Martin in the north is a French overseas collectivity and part of the EU. You cross from one to the other at will, with only a sign or a monument by the road to tell you.
- Money. On the Dutch side, Caribbean guilders and US dollars; on the French side, euros, though dollars are often accepted there too. A card saves you doing exchange rates in your head.
- Phone and roaming. On the French side, many European mobile plans work as they do in the EU; on the Dutch side they do not — and near the border your phone can switch networks. Check your plan before you go ashore, or turn off data roaming.
- Language. English is spoken everywhere. You will hear French on the French side; on the Dutch side, Dutch is used in government, but everyday life runs in English.
- On deck. The sail-away from Great Bay is worth watching: the Philipsburg waterfront, the green hills behind the town, the Great Salt Pond behind it and the Fort Amsterdam headland at the western tip of the bay.
On your own or on a ship's excursion?
Sint Maarten is easy to do on your own. Philipsburg is walkable, and taxis at the port charge fixed rates by destination, often per person: check the board at the taxi stand and agree on the fare before you set off. Minibuses with the destination in the windscreen run between Philipsburg and Marigot, but not to a timetable.
A ship's excursion makes more sense for anything tied to a schedule — a catamaran trip, snorkelling or a guided round-the-island tour — or on a day with six ships in port, when taxis and roads are overloaded. The ship generally waits for its own excursions if they run late — it does not wait for independent passengers.
How do you make sure you are back on board in Sint Maarten?
- Traffic is the main risk. The roads around Simpson Bay, the airport and Cole Bay jam easily, especially when several ships are in. Leave Maho or the French side at least an hour before all aboard.
- Remember your pier. Pier 1 and Pier 2 sit side by side, but the walk along the long pier adds minutes, and on busy days there can be a queue at the security check at the gate.
- The water taxi at the end of the day. The last boats before departure fill up; if the queue is long, walking back takes 20–25 minutes.
- Sun and heat. There is hardly any shade at Maho or Orient Bay. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen; the Atlantic beaches sometimes get sargassum seaweed washing up.
- What to take. Your cruise card, the document your cruise line asked for, swimwear, a bank card and US dollars in small notes (euros for the French side), and a phone with the ship's emergency number.
Where do cruises calling at Sint Maarten start?
Sint Maarten is a port of call: ships stop here for the day on Eastern and Southern Caribbean itineraries, and you board in another port. Departure ports:
- Cruises from Fort Lauderdale — Eastern Caribbean sailings, with Sint Maarten among the most frequent calls.
- Cruises from Miami — week-long Eastern Caribbean sailings with a day in Sint Maarten.
- Cruises from Port Canaveral — Eastern Caribbean, often with Sint Maarten on the route.
- Cruises from San Juan — Southern Caribbean sailings; from Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten is less than a day away.
- Miami or Fort Lauderdale? — the two main Florida departure ports compared.
Sint Maarten is also often the first island after a transatlantic crossing; for the region as a whole, see Caribbean cruises.
Often on the same itinerary: San Juan in a day, Curaçao in a day and Aruba in a day.
Common questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Sint Maarten?
At the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility (Port St. Maarten) at Point Blanche, on the eastern side of Great Bay. Its two piers take up to six ships at a time, so there are no tenders. Your pier is in the daily programme.
Can you walk from the cruise port to Philipsburg?
Yes. It is about 15–25 minutes on a flat road around the bay to Front Street and the boardwalk. Alternatively, take the water taxi from the marina next to the port: 5–10 minutes across the bay to the boardwalk, with a day ticket available.
How do you get from the ship to Maho Beach?
By taxi from the stand at the port, about 30 minutes, longer in traffic. Fares are fixed by destination and often charged per person — check the board at the stand. Head back at least an hour before all aboard.
What can I see in Sint Maarten in 4 hours from a cruise ship?
In 4 hours you can do Philipsburg: the boardwalk, Great Bay Beach and Front Street with the 1793 Courthouse, plus a swim. Keep Maho Beach and the French side — Marigot, Grand Case, Orient Bay — for a call of 6 hours or more.
Can you visit the French side of the island from a cruise ship?
Yes, the border is open: there is no post and no document check between Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin. Marigot and Orient Bay are about half an hour by taxi, and minibuses run to Marigot. The French side uses the euro, though dollars are often accepted.
Which currency do you need in Sint Maarten?
The Dutch side uses the Caribbean guilder, which replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder in 2025, but US dollars are accepted almost everywhere. The French side uses the euro. Bank cards work in most shops and restaurants; small dollar notes are handy for taxis and markets.
How the club fits in
Cruises calling at Sint Maarten that are available in the club work on the same terms as any other route. You choose one way to pay per booking: the member price (INsider Pricing), roughly 17% below the listed price, or your Reward Points, which can cover up to half of the cruise price. They do not add up. To pay up to 100% with points, you need to have accumulated enough points and book 270 days or more before departure.
Not every cruise line can be booked through the club: check the specific sailing in the club's search, or ask us and we will tell you which itineraries calling at Sint Maarten are available in the month you have in mind.
How booking with points works →
Practical port information is summarised from public sources as of October 2026: berths, call times, timetables, entry rules and visiting arrangements may change. Before you travel, check the ship's daily programme and the requirements for your passport. Percentages describe the club's rules and are indicative. Reislite is an independent information site run by partners, not a website of inCruises.