Key takeaways

The St. Maarten cruise port docks at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility in Philipsburg, minutes from Great Bay Beach and Front Street

Guests can experience both the Dutch (Sint Maarten) and French (Saint-Martin) sides of the island in one port day

Guided shore excursions are among the best ways to discover several sides of St. Maarten without the logistics

Few Caribbean ports invite guests to step from ship to shore as effortlessly as St. Maarten. From French-inspired cafés and hillside viewpoints to white-sand beaches and turquoise coves, the island rewards guests with a surprisingly diverse experience in a single day ashore. Two cultures, two coastlines and one extraordinary island await — all within reach of the pier.

One of the best ways to see this stunning island is by taking a cruise there with Princess. In this guide, we’ll break down the port itself, getting around, the best shore excursions and local attractions and how to plan an unforgettable day ashore.

How visitors experience St. Maarten on a cruise stop

Ships dock at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility, one of the Caribbean's largest cruise terminals, positioned on the eastern edge of Great Bay just outside Philipsburg's beach and shopping district. Great Bay Beach — the closest beach to the cruise port — is only a short walk away, making St. Maarten one of the rare ports where sand and sea are immediately at hand.

Water taxis run regularly between the pier and Philipsburg's boardwalk, offering a scenic arrival into town. Land taxis, rental cars and walkable paths provide additional ways to move around. Travel between the Dutch and French sides is open and unrestricted, with no border formalities — a rare freedom that makes two distinct cultures accessible in a single outing.

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Things to do near the St. Maarten cruise port

From duty-free boutiques and beachside bistros to hidden reef systems and hilltop panoramas, the island reveals something new around every turn.

1. Wander Front Street for duty-free shopping in Philipsburg

Front Street stretches along Great Bay with jewelers, designer boutiques and Caribbean craft shops lining its pedestrian-friendly promenade. Ocean views accompany nearly every step, and Wathey Square — just minutes from the pier — anchors the town's lively harborfront. It's the kind of street where a quick browse easily becomes an afternoon. A duty-free shopping spree is one of the best things to do in St. Maarten beyond the waterfront.

A bright jewelry store display in St. Maarten featuring layered diamond necklaces on a white bust form, surrounded by gold and silver rings and earrings arranged on white velvet stands.
Find your perfect souvenir browsing St. Maarten's legendary duty-free jewelry shops.

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2. Sail the island's coastline and snorkel its protected coves

One of the most rewarding ways to experience St. Maarten is from the water. The Circle Island Scenic Cruise, Snorkel & Beach excursion takes guests along both coastlines by boat, pausing at reef pockets near Creole Rock, Tintamarre Island and Little Bay where vibrant marine life thrives in calm, clear conditions. 

Between snorkel stops, guests settle into the rhythm of an unhurried sail: sea breeze, open water and sweeping views of the island's twin shores. It's an ideal introduction for first-time visitors and a fitting way for returning guests to see St. Maarten from a new angle. With this excursion, you get to see St. Maarten the way it was designed to be seen without having to worry about logistics.

An underwater photo of a snorkeler giving two thumbs up while surrounded by a dense school of orange tropical fish above a vibrant coral reef in the clear blue waters off St. Maarten.
Snorkeling the reefs of St. Maarten is every bit as good as it looks.

3. Explore both sides of the island on a scenic drive

St. Maarten's dual identity — Dutch on one side, French on the other — is best understood by experiencing both in a single journey. The Easy Scenic Drive of Dutch & French St. Maarten winds through Philipsburg's harborfront, hillside villages and the bougainvillea-lined roads of Saint-Martin, arriving in Marigot for a taste of French Caribbean life. It gives you an unrivaled view of the unique meshing of cultures.  

For those drawn to the water, the Lagoon Cruise, Marigot & Scenic Island Drive pairs a tranquil cruise across Simpson Bay Lagoon with a drive through both nations, arriving in the French capital by sea before returning overland. Either journey makes the island's contrasts feel vivid and immediate. These excursions are great for first-time visitors who want a sense of the culture and unique offerings of St. Maarten.

 

A sweeping aerial view from Drake's Seat overlook in St. Thomas, showing the colorful rooftops of Charlotte Amalie, lush green hillsides, cruise ships docked in the turquoise harbor and small islands in the distance under a dramatic cloudy sky.
Drake's Seat serves up one of the most breathtaking panoramas in all of St. Thomas.

4. Dine like a local with a chef's table experience in Grand Case

Grand Case carries its reputation as the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean quietly but deservedly. Bistros with linen tablecloths sit steps from lolos — open-air barbecue stands where Creole and Caribbean flavors emerge from smoky, unhurried fires. 

The Local Connections: Chef's Table Experience with Culinary Expert excursion takes guests deeper into this world, with a chef-led tasting that traces the island's French, Dutch and West African culinary influences from market stall to table. It's one of the most immersive ways to understand what food St. Maarten is known for — and one of the most memorable afternoons a port day can offer.

If you’re a food lover, you won’t want to miss this chance to sample the flavors of St. Maarten.

Three elegant appetizer bites plated on a clear glass oval dish, each topped with a savory meat mixture, a dollop of cream sauce and fresh parsley, set on a rustic wooden surface in St. Maarten.
St. Maarten's culinary scene is as bold and vibrant as the island itself.

5. Ride through forest and beach on horseback

For an active and distinctly unhurried way to see the island, the Trail & Beach Horseback Ride & Scenic Drive excursion moves guests through two very different landscapes in one outing. Forest trails wind through the island's lush interior before opening onto beachfront paths where the Caribbean stretches to the horizon. A scenic drive rounds out the experience, placing the island's geography in context and revealing the kind of quiet corners that a beach day alone rarely uncovers.

This excursion is perfect for those with a taste for adventure and a love of the outdoors. You’ll get to see the natural beauty of St. Maarten from one of the most unique vantage points: horseback riding.

A group of riders on horseback walking along a white sand beach in St. Maarten, framed by swaying palm fronds with turquoise water and a bright blue sky stretching to the horizon.
Saddle up and explore St. Maarten's stunning coastline on horseback.

6. Spend the day at Maho or Orient Bay Beach

Not every port day needs a structured itinerary, and St. Maarten's beaches make a compelling case for simply arriving and sprawling out on the pillowy sand for a day. Maho Beach sits beneath the approach path to Princess Juliana Airport, where jets descend close enough overhead to become part of the experience. 

On the French side, Orient Bay offers wide luminous sands, stylish beach clubs and the kind of clear turquoise water that the Caribbean is known for. Both are easily reached by taxi, and both reward the guests who are looking for the perfect beach day.

A commercial airplane flies at extremely low altitude directly over Maho Beach in St. Maarten, with beachgoers wading and swimming in the turquoise surf below and resort buildings lining the shore.
Maho Beach delivers St. Maarten's most thrilling front-row seat.

7. Discover Philipsburg's historic core and Loterie Farm

Beyond the boutiques, Philipsburg holds a quieter story. The Sint Maarten Museum traces the island's indigenous, colonial and seafaring heritage, while Wathey Square and the Philipsburg Courthouse anchor a small but storied town center worth a slower wander. For those drawn further into the island's interior, Loterie Farm — a 150-acre private nature reserve on the slopes of Pic Paradis — offers hiking trails, treetop courses and freshwater pools set inside dense tropical forest. It's a peaceful counterpoint to the coastline, and one of the island's most genuinely surprising discoveries.

If you’re a history buff, this type of day trip will round out your Caribbean vacation. 

The historic Philipsburg Courthouse in St. Maarten, a white and green colonial building with a clock tower and flanking flags, framed by palm trees and a white picket fence under a vivid blue sky.
Stroll through Philipsburg and soak up the charm of St. Maarten's Dutch colonial heritage.

Planning your visit to St. Maarten

A few practical notes to help shape the day. The US dollar is widely accepted across both sides of the island. Euros also circulate freely in French Saint-Martin. English is spoken nearly everywhere, alongside Dutch and French as the official languages, which makes moving between the two nations genuinely seamless.

Taxis and water taxis connect the pier to Philipsburg quickly, while guided shore excursions remain the most rewarding way to experience beaches, scenic vistas and cultural stops within the hours a port day allows. St. Maarten appears regularly on Princess Caribbean cruises across a range of voyage lengths — from quick five-night getaways to extended journeys of two weeks or more.

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St. Maarten's dual personality — Dutch efficiency and French elegance side by side — makes it one of the Caribbean's most rewarding port days. Whether guests spend the afternoon on a sun-drenched beach, sailing into a hidden cove or lingering over a long lunch in Grand Case, the island has a way of making a single day feel full. Discover Princess voyages to St. Maarten and find the itinerary that brings you here — then let St. Maarten shore excursions handle the rest.

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