Philipsburg St Maarten Netherlands Antilles

1672 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Azamara Club Cruises (33 Cruises)

Cruise Aza Azamara Club Cruises Quest ship

Azamara Quest

1112 Passengers
30277 tons
Visit the ship's page

Carnival Cruise Line (61 Cruises)

Celebrity Cruises (71 Cruises)

Cruise celebrity ascent ship

Celebrity Ascent

3260 Passengers
141420 tons
Visit the ship's page

Costa Cruises (81 Cruises)

Cruise COS Costa Cruises Favolosa ship

Costa Favolosa

4066 Passengers
114500 tons
Visit the ship's page
Costa Serena.

Costa Serena

3780 Passengers
114500 tons
Visit the ship's page

Cunard (38 Cruises)

Cruise Cunard Queen Mary 2 ship

Queen Mary 2

2691 Passengers
151400 tons
Visit the ship's page

Emerald Waterways (87 Cruises)

Emerald Kaia.

Emerald Kaia

Visit the ship's page
Emerald Sakara.

Emerald Sakara

164 Passengers
Visit the ship's page

Explora Journeys (30 Cruises)

Holland America Line (57 Cruises)

Cruise HAL Holland America Line ms Rotterdam ship

ms Rotterdam

2668 Passengers
99935 tons
Visit the ship's page

MSC Cruises (392 Cruises)

msc meraviglia cruise ship

MSC Meraviglia

4500 Passengers
167600 tons
Visit the ship's page
msc opera cruise ship

MSC Opera

2150 Passengers
65591 tons
Visit the ship's page
MSC Cruises Seashore Ship Cruise

MSC Seashore

5331 Passengers
154000 tons
Visit the ship's page
MSC World Europa3

MSC World Europa

5400 Passengers
Visit the ship's page

Norwegian Cruise Line (65 Cruises)

Cruise NCL Norwegian Cruise Line Prima Ship

Norwegian Prima

3099 Passengers
142500 tons
Visit the ship's page

Oceania Cruises (38 Cruises)

Princess Cruises (153 Cruises)

Cruise PCL Princess Crown Ship

Crown Princess

3080 Passengers
113561 tons
Visit the ship's page
Cruise PCL Princess Emerald ship

Emerald Princess

3080 Passengers
113561 tons
Visit the ship's page
Enchanted Princess.

Enchanted Princess

3660 Passengers
145000 tons
Visit the ship's page
Cruise PCL Princess Regal Ship

Regal Princess

3560 Passengers
142299 tons
Visit the ship's page

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (17 Cruises)

Royal Caribbean Cruises (205 Cruises)

royal caribbean cruises grandeur of the seas

Grandeur of the Seas

2440 Passengers
73817 tons
Visit the ship's page
royal caribbean cruises harmony of the seas ship

Harmony of the Seas

5400 Passengers
226963 tons
Visit the ship's page
royal caribbean rhapsody of the seas cruise ship

Rhapsody of the Seas

2040 Passengers
78491 tons
Visit the ship's page
Cruise RCI Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas Ship

Star of the Seas

5610 Passengers
248 tons
Visit the ship's page
royal caribbean vision of the seas cruise ship

Vision of the Seas

2048 Passengers
78340 tons
Visit the ship's page

Seabourn Cruise Line (54 Cruises)

Seabourn Ovation.

Seabourn Ovation

40350 tons
Visit the ship's page

SeaDream Yacht Club (34 Cruises)

Seadream I

Seadream I

207 Passengers
4333 tons
Visit the ship's page
Seadream II

Seadream II

207 Passengers
4333 tons
Visit the ship's page

Star Clippers (38 Cruises)

Star Flyer.

Star Flyer

238 Passengers
2298 tons
Visit the ship's page

Viking Ocean Cruises (33 Cruises)

viking sea.

Viking Sea

48000 tons
Visit the ship's page

Virgin Voyages (56 Cruises)

Cruise Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady ship

Scarlet Lady

2770 Passengers
110000 tons
Visit the ship's page

Windstar Cruises (106 Cruises)

Star Pride.

Star Pride

502 Passengers
12995 tons
Visit the ship's page
Wind Surf

Wind Surf

552 Passengers
14745 tons
Visit the ship's page

Port of Philipsburg, Sint Maarten | Cruise Port Guide

From the deck, Great Bay traces an almost perfect arc: a strip of pale sand, a row of sherbet-coloured façades and green hills closing off the horizon. The water shifts from deep blue to turquoise as the ship approaches the pier. Philipsburg, capital of the Dutch side of Saint Martin, fits entirely between its bay and an inland lagoon, on a narrow strip of land you can cross on foot in a few minutes. Few Caribbean ports of call offer so much without requiring any motorized travel at all.

From the pier to the boardwalk

Ships dock at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Pier, at the eastern end of the bay. Downtown is about a kilometre and a half away, roughly a twenty-minute walk along the water. A water taxi crosses the bay in a few minutes and drops its passengers directly on the boardwalk, a pleasant option that immediately offers a view of the town from the water. Taxis also wait at the terminal exit for those heading to the island's more distant beaches.

The boardwalk and Great Bay Beach

The wooden boardwalk runs along the beach for nearly two kilometres. On one side, lounge chairs and palm trees; on the other, a succession of terraces, bars and restaurants where Creole, Dutch, French and English mingle. Great Bay Beach ranks among the few urban beaches in the Caribbean worth spending the whole day on: fine sand, calm water, services close at hand and the constant spectacle of ships manoeuvring at the back of the bay. For a port call without logistics, everything is right here. You lay down your towel ten minutes from the pier and return on board whenever you please.

Front Street and the lanes

One street behind the beach, Front Street lines up jewellery stores, duty-free shops and wooden houses with painted shutters. In the centre, the 1793 courthouse, white and topped with its golden pineapple, even appears on the flag of Sint Maarten. The narrow lanes linking Front Street to the waterfront, the steegjes, hide shaded courtyards and colourful murals. The Guavaberry Emporium, set in an old Creole house, offers tastings of the local liqueur made from a small berry that grows on the island's hills. Of everything sold in Philipsburg, it is the souvenir that best tells the island's story.

Fort Amsterdam

On the peninsula that closes off the bay to the west, a walk of about twenty minutes leads to the ruins of Fort Amsterdam, built by the Dutch in 1631, the first Dutch fort in the Caribbean. What remains are low walls, a few cannons and a wide view over Great Bay on one side and Little Bay on the other. Pelicans nest in the nearby cliffs and dive headlong in front of visitors. The site lends itself to a quiet break, far from the commercial bustle of downtown.

The island of two flags

Saint Martin has been shared between France and the Netherlands since 1648, with no visible border: a simple monument marks the line on the road. With a generous port call, Marigot, the French capital, can be reached by taxi in about twenty minutes. You change atmosphere as you change language: a fish market, pastry shops, terraces around the marina and Fort Louis overlooking the bay. Aviation enthusiasts also know Maho Beach, where planes skim the sand as they land; the detour combines well with a tour of the island, but keep an eye on your return time, as traffic can slow down in the late afternoon.

Heading back on board

At departure, the sun often sinks behind the hills and the bay takes on a golden hue. From the stern, you can still make out the row of terraces, the folded umbrellas and the courthouse cupola. Philipsburg does not try to impress; it puts the sea, the table and leisurely strolling within immediate reach of the ship, and it does so with a good humour that stays with you. Many passengers return precisely for that ease.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ships dock at the Dr. A.C. Wathey pier, at the eastern end of Great Bay, about 1.5 km from downtown. Front Street is a twenty-minute walk along the water, or a few minutes by the water taxi that crosses the bay.
Yes, Great Bay Beach starts about ten minutes' walk from the pier, lined with loungers, bars and restaurants. It is one of the few true city beaches in the Caribbean reachable without a taxi or excursion.
The classic trio fits comfortably: the boardwalk along the beach, the shops and lanes of Front Street, then a few hours of swimming at Great Bay. The curious add Fort Amsterdam, a twenty-minute walk west of the bay.
On the Dutch side the official currency is the Caribbean guilder, but US dollars are accepted everywhere and most prices are posted in dollars. Credit cards work in nearly every shop; on the French side the euro applies, with dollars accepted almost everywhere.
English dominates on the Dutch side, where Dutch remains official; French is the language around Marigot. Canadian visitors get by effortlessly in either English or French.
Yes for aviation fans: landing aircraft skim the sand in a spectacle found nowhere else. Allow 20 to 30 minutes by taxi from the pier and watch the clock on the way back, as traffic slows in late afternoon.
Yes, Marigot, the French capital, is about twenty minutes away by taxi: a market, pastry shops, marina terraces and Fort Louis. The island has been shared by France and the Netherlands since 1648, with no visible border.
December through April, in the dry season, with calm seas and dependable skies. Hurricane season officially runs June to November; ships adjust their routes when needed.
Very: Great Bay Beach is calm and everything is walkable, with no logistics required. The water taxi across the bay entertains the kids, and the boardwalk ice cream shops do the rest.