I guess its the American in me that expects this should be at least in the process of being cleaned up but I dont see any work being done. Our first stop is the Oyster Bay Resort, a beautiful turquoise painted resort around what use to be a bay full of oysters. Share More sharing options. Actually, (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? I was picked up on time by a comfortable tour bus. The ferry charges $4 for one-way and $8 round-trip. The beach itself has suffered significant erosion due to the jet blast. Fondly known as Airplane beach, as planes usually have to approach the landing at an altitude of less than 100 feet. Please arrive with a printed copy of your eticket or digital copy if applicable. And the area directly in the path to the runway was naturally where people gravitated towards; everyone needs the money shot of themselves with an airplane zooming low behind. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. . . The beach is seven miles west of the cruise port by Simpson Bay, which has a cluster of hotels, resorts and restaurants. Note that the beaches are not wheelchair accessible due to the sand. Put your round-trip return ticket somewhere where it won't get blow away. Loved the beaches. where could we get a bus from the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Plenty of crew from our ship had decided to visit that day as well, and we passed about thirty galley guys and their supervisor yelling GALLEY GALLEY GALLEY!!! Vote. Fed and watered, Rachel and I headed onto the beach itself. We disembarked around 9am, and walked around the little shops in the secure area of the port. We are stopping at Orient Beach, where its raining as we arrive. The airport has one of the shortest runways in the Caribbean. Rates quoted by the St. Maarten Taxi Association are $10 per person each way for two passengers and $9 per person for three to five passengers. $341 - $620. But be aware that some people have been hurt by the jet blasts. The tour took longer than expected but was still able to get to the ship on time. 1.5 hr stop at a beach, ample time for a swim. Which beaches have the least chance of seaweed? The journey is way too long to walk it, and costs around $15-20 per person depending on how many are in the car. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. You didn't ask, but I would only go to Maho beach if I really wanted to see airplanes. You will have approximately 2 hours at each beach. That was cool. When the owners of the boats collected on their insurance, they just left the boats were they were on moved on. - easiest taxi company to make a reservation with? Houses just abandoned? Ask a question. Flight times are all displayed on the Sunset Beach Bar that is located right on the Maho Beach where all the planes take off and land. A five-hour shore excursion with transportation to Orient Bay and Maho Beach will start at $40 per person. Pbx: +1-721-542-0108 visitstmaarten @ shta.com . By the time we got to Maho Beach, it was standing room only, but we knew it was going to be a busy day on the island before we booked. Unlike the not-so-long-ago days of haggling a price with your taxi driver, prices are set, and after paying for your return taxi, youll be given a wrist band in the style of a package holiday. Great Bay Beach stretches from St Maarten's Cruise port towards the Little Bay area. The tours was amazing. Any advice about St. Maarten beaches starts with three of themGreat Bay Beach, Orient Beach and Maho Beach. Its wide shoreline makes it a perfect spot for beach picnics and playing games on the shore. I would then like to walk to a beach. Call 1 721 580 7594 for further assistance. Return is the same (just show up at the stand next to the maho beach bars and hop in another . Orient Beach the water is very clear and you can purchase 2 chairs for about $10, a welcome drink and wifi. He makes it the same way I do, mango, pineapple, passion fruit and lots of rum. Does anyone know how long the drive to Maho Beach in St. Maarten is from the cruise port? We drive through Phillipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of the island. Experience the highlights of St Maarten on this 5-hour shore excursion leaving from the cruise port. We would recommend this trip to everyone. The best time to go is in the early afternoon when the larger jumbo jets land. Maho Beach is famous because it is located so close to the airport that landing planes will swoop so close over the heads of beachgoers that some of them get knocked off their feet. I had 6 port stops on this cruise, and this was by far the worst of the tours we took. Tom and I head for a cafe, he for a cup of hot tea and a flute of Prosecco for me. Know that the waves are strong here too. Then find Back Street. No accessible public transportation to get around island - Accessible public buses are not common in the Caribbean, and St. Maarten is no exception. Gio was a great guide, starting off the tour with some rum punch. WE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME! Ride in an air-conditioned van to Maho Beach on the Dutch side of this Caribbean island and Lucas Bay on the French side. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Can you take a water taxi to Maho Beach from cruise port? Got to Maho beach just in time to see 5 big planes land. We are going to be there next month and are planing on doing the bus thing too. Will they not want to give us a ride? Sun, sea, and fun at 2 of the most popular beaches! Orient Bay, which is located on the French side of the island, is arguably the islands most famous and popular beach. Take a taxi from the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? I learned a great deal. Harold Jack look out point, located on Cole Bay Hill, is a 10 minute drive from the cruise terminal. The taxi drivers wouldn't take us until we had more people in the taxi van so we waited FOREVER until a few people who also wanted to go to 7 Mile Beach came along. Take a taxi or the Water Taxi to downtown Philipsburg. Nassau is a beach-lover's dream port, with options for every kind of toes-in-the-sand experiencefrom a walk-to beach to one curated specifically for tourists. St. Maarten Beach Bum Combo to Orient and Maho Beaches Reviews, Was raining but still better then the weather back home. The pathway along the green wire fence with the car park on your right, leads to the EDC bus parking area. This taxi is sort of like an open safari truck you'd take over in Africa really. Mass market cruise lines dock at the A.C. Wathey Pier & Port Facility . Take the ferry from Sint Maarten to Anguilla Take the ferry from Anguilla to St. Martin Take a shuttle bus from St. Martin to Saint Martin Airport 2h 20m 1 alternative option Drive Drive from St Maarten Airport (SXM) to Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa, Grand Case 19 min Quickest way to get there Cheapest option Distance between . Good to know, ya know.). I trust that you have found this information useful if your plans are to visit a beach while on a cruise to St Maarten. After a day at the beach the shuttle will let those who wish off in town and take the rest back to the cruise ship dock. (At the end nearest the car park is also, FYI, a public bathroom. I will say that you need to be on the beach to get the "airplane" experience. :). Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. Should be the same price on the return. Refunds may be subject to a service charge fee as determined by the payment processor, please refer to Terms and Conditions for more information. Round-trip transportation from your St. Maarten cruise ship terminal! We had to do the fence grab on a big jets take off, unbelievable. It is able to dock seven cruise ships at one time. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Note that the beach is on the French side and therefore clothing is optional. It lies right in from of the city of Philipsburg. Pic Paradis is located between Grand Case and Marigot on the French side. Therefore, depending on the time of year that you visit expect there to be a crowd. There are several shops selling watches, jewelery, perfume and electronic gadgets nearby. Soon the sun is shining and we head to the beach for some photos. 10 due to the short runway length of 2,180 metres (7,152 ft ) resulting in aircraft on their final approach flying over the beach at minimal altitude. The island of six, our family of six would stay a week at. Guests will have a combo day at both Orient Beach and Maho Beach! How to get from St Maarten cruise port to Maho Beach in one day. Staying Focused, January 14, 2018 in St. Martin/St. Maho Beach is def a must see at least once while visiting the island but know it's a very busy beach and hard to really get a good spot to relax. Around The Caribbean is a resource for persons who want to learn more about the Caribbean islands. No. Cupecoy is a half hour west of the port and requires a taxi or rental car to get there. We had a good but slightly expensive meal at the Rainbow restaurant with fantastic views. Not only that but I was soooo paranoid we'd have problems catching a cab back that I was worried the entire time we were there and left really early to make sure we could get back. A good trip and great value. Additionally, when we met up with the original driver, he was unknowledgeable about any of St. Maarten's history. Perfect combination of relaxing beach and excitement from the Pla. . To compare to the bus -- about what is the price of a taxi -- there are 8 in our group so not sure they have taxi-vans ??? The airplanes make their approach directly above the beach. Id like to have spent more time with him, just looking into his blue eyes made me think he could cure Toms cold! . I wouldnt place a bet but that looks like the type of boat that I saw out by Sunset Bar and Grill earlier this month. We drove around the entire island with stops at various lookup points, with stops on Orient Beach and Maho Beach. Is parking an issue at Maho Beach? That is all that I know. Our guide was very informative. Otherwise, look for signs at the mall pointing toward the $5 water taxi. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-84535961', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cruise next month. Marie Wegener - DSDS-Gewinnerin 2018 . Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). I'm was told about a boat that picks you up near the port and goes to somewhere very near Maho beach. Taxis - you will see passengers lining up at the pier for taxis, by destination and fare type. Just came back and this was our first time booking something outside of Carnival. Our content provides helpful and meaningful tips to individuals who want to relocate or travel to the region. Experience the highlights of St Maarten on this 5-hour shore excursion leaving from the cruise port. International brands such as Little Switzerland and Diamond International are easily accessible. Budget-minded walkers will go less than one mile or about 10 to 12 minutes to reach the beginning of the beach. Mahoe beach was pretty amazing, I was able to call the tour provider, Twin Island Excursions, to advise of our arrival at St Maarten. Thanks! I always do my own thing on islands and have agreat time. You should be able to walk it in 20. There was indeed white sand and crystal clear water, but Maho Beach is also one of the most-visited beaches in St Maarten, mainly due to the fact that its built directly next to the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport. taxi at the port 10:12 am. The water was much cleaner but still rough and crowded. We wanted to take this tour because we wanted to see these famous beaches and the price was perfect. With accessible and cost-effective pricing, the St Maarten water taxi is the perfect choice for travelers seeking a convenient and scenic way to navigate the island. For visitors by car, it is recommended to park in Bobby's Marina towards the Cruise Port, or at the Pondfill Boulevard. This was our 4th booking with SE and will continue to use them when cruising! I had the pleasure of going on this tour last week (July 5, 2016) while on my cruise vacation with RCCL. Kim Sha is a popular starting point for dive and excursion boats. The water taxi picked us up right at the pier, and it was a quick 25-30-minute ride to the small island, and we arrived at 2pm. Maho beach is a manic place but worth experiencing. Maho is amazing. 00 1 (721) 522-8585. | 0 comments What Is the Best Currency For St MaartenLiving In The Caribbean (Pros & Cons Fully Explained) You may also likeLeave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. From $ 40.00. There will be a bus by shortly, though there is no schedule as they are independent operators. Taxi would return you to the Cruise Facility. Have lunch at the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill!! The French capital Marigot is very impressive, Very good tour, good tour guide -Douce, nice clean van. BTW, for what it is worth, the beach is just fine. There is only the water taxi to Philipsburg. Going on a (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Did not like the 45 minutes stop at flea market. Very reliable. Other options are to take a city bus to a really big mall nearby. Report inappropriate content Cloudy036 Fife, United Kingdom Level Contributor 13 posts 204 reviews 125 helpful votes 8. For this port, I decided we had to visit Maho and experience the planes. . Grab a beach towel, umbrella or a sun. The sun was scorching hot and getting into the cool water melted away the crazy sweaty energy of the beach bar. Having sat in many a hot sticky vehicle on other Caribbean islands like the Dominican Republic or Antigua, I was expecting an uncomfortable journey, but considering the length of time we spent sat inside a vehicle that morning, it was surprisingly ok. Alternatively you can catch a water taxi from inside the cruise port, which is slightly more expensive. Orient beach was filled with seaweeds so maybe it was a bad time of the year for that, didnt get in the water because of the seaweed, the water was very rough.. Still plenty of evidence of devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017. That's it, eleven of us. What are the ins and outs of taking a taxi? These are near the cruise port terminal for ease of access on the island. Also how much a cab might be (round trip) and best time to see jets land? Get answers to your questions about Tortola. Alternatively, you can take a 20 minute stroll to Great Bay Beach. That was very silly of me. Aburkhard7. There were so many people that the waitstaff were ran off their feet, carrying gigantic trays from table to table and struggling to keep up with all the orders. Re: Cruise Port to Maho Beach, St Maarten, Get answers to your questions about St Martin / St Maarten, Last Minute Hotels in St Martin / St Maarten, Browse all 24,811 St Martin / St Maarten topics . As we cross into the French side of the Island, Duce explains a bit of the history of the island, and how the Dutch and French decided to share the island rather than fight about it. The island only has one major road. sara what messages do you have today in spanish; chicago fire paramedic list; grimsby telegraph deaths; letchworth recycling centre webcam It's the next one over from Front Street, which is the one with all the jewelry stores. Call us on 305 6473141 or 1 721 5540202. . For photos and video go to TheHolloWAYtoTravel.com, Tour itself was excellent but started nearly an hour late waiting for customers from other ships All Rights Reserved. Leave the piers and head to the right, where theres a row of taxis waiting to leave.