Cruise planning
Use the timetable to see upcoming cruise ship calls, busy-day signals, ship counts, and port context alongside the guide, map, weather, and readiness tools.
Schedule note
Port schedules can change because of weather, berth availability, itinerary updates, and operational decisions. Verify important times with your cruise line or the port authority before travel.
Country, code, and on-shore essentials.
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
SXPHI
18.024, -63.046
Hotel search loads here when you reach this section.
VoyagePro may earn a commission if you book through Expedia, at no extra cost to you.
Philipsburg cruise pier is close to town, but many passengers use the water taxi, taxi, or a walk along the waterfront route.
Before going ashore, confirm the berth or tender point, local time, all-aboard deadline, and the meeting location for any independently booked transport or tour.
Usually docks
Shuttle recommended
Independent visits are practical if traffic and return timing are considered.
This port is most practical with the exact arrival point confirmed, a focused local plan, and only one longer transport-dependent choice protected by a return buffer.
Best for
Needs extra planning when
This section draws on information from Port St. Maarten and Visit St. Maarten.
Confirm the actual berth first—local access can change substantially between terminals.
Ships normally berth at the Pointe Blanche cruise facility east of Philipsburg, with several piers serving the terminal. Note the ship's pier and return lane before leaving the complex.
Great Bay's boardwalk and central Philipsburg are roughly 1.5–2 km away, about 20–30 minutes on foot or a shorter water-taxi or road-taxi ride. Beaches elsewhere and cross-island plans require road transport and congestion allowance.
Water taxi, cruise-line tours, and local transfers vary by call.
Taxi is practical for beaches, Maho, Marigot, and island drives. Shuttle or transfer context: Water taxi, cruise-line tours, and local transfers vary by call. Confirm the outbound pickup, return point, and final usable departure before leaving the passenger area.
Princess Juliana International Airport is about 7 miles from the Philipsburg cruise pier by road.
This section draws on information from Port St. Maarten and Visit St. Maarten.
Start with the usable time you have ashore, then leave a comfortable return margin.
Quick call
Keep the day close to the port and choose one or two reliable nearby stops.
Half day
Main choices: Philipsburg, Great Bay, Maho Beach, island tours, and beach transfers are common planning points. Access plan: Great Bay's boardwalk and central Philipsburg are roughly 1.5–2 km away, about 20–30 minutes on foot or a shorter water-taxi or road-taxi ride. Beaches elsewhere and cross-island plans require road transport and congestion allowance. Use confirmed transport for anything not described as walkable, and avoid combining distant stops unless the return is protected.
Long call
Philipsburg, Great Bay, Maho Beach, island tours, and beach transfers are common planning points. Keep the ship return time as a hard deadline and add margin for security, traffic, weather, queues, or tender operations.
This section draws on information from Port St. Maarten and Visit St. Maarten.
The pier-to-town distance and heat can matter for mobility planning. Call-specific access: Gangway angle, terminal routing, and the distance to the passenger exit vary by berth; request call-specific assistance.
This section draws on information from Port St. Maarten and Visit St. Maarten.
Keep the ship return time as a hard deadline and add margin for security, traffic, weather, queues, or tender operations.
This section draws on information from Port St. Maarten and Visit St. Maarten.
These answers use the reviewed operational fields above; check the linked source when a detail affects a booking or transfer.
Ships normally berth at the Pointe Blanche cruise facility east of Philipsburg, with several piers serving the terminal. Note the ship's pier and return lane before leaving the complex.
Great Bay's boardwalk and central Philipsburg are roughly 1.5–2 km away, about 20–30 minutes on foot or a shorter water-taxi or road-taxi ride. Beaches elsewhere and cross-island plans require road transport and congestion allowance.
Water taxi, cruise-line tours, and local transfers vary by call. Taxi is practical for beaches, Maho, Marigot, and island drives. Shuttle or transfer context: Water taxi, cruise-line tours, and local transfers vary by call. Confirm the outbound pickup, return point, and final usable departure before leaving the passenger area.
Independent visits are practical if traffic and return timing are considered. Local access: Great Bay's boardwalk and central Philipsburg are roughly 1.5–2 km away, about 20–30 minutes on foot or a shorter water-taxi or road-taxi ride. Beaches elsewhere and cross-island plans require road transport and congestion allowance. Keep the ship return time as a hard deadline and add margin for security, traffic, weather, queues, or tender operations.
Princess Juliana International Airport is about 7 miles from the Philipsburg cruise pier by road.
This section draws on information from Port St. Maarten and Visit St. Maarten.
Guide review and sources
Operational details can change by berth, weather, and ship call. Confirm important arrangements before travel.
Choose a few places that fit your time ashore, then check access and transport before setting out.
Great Bay's boardwalk and central Philipsburg are roughly 1.5–2 km away, about 20–30 minutes on foot or a shorter water-taxi or road-taxi ride. Beaches elsewhere and cross-island plans require road transport and congestion allowance.
Arrival location reference
Beach
A mapped beach to consider for a port day in Philipsburg.
A mapped beach to consider for a port day in Philipsburg. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
Plan local transport from the assigned terminal or landing rather than assuming this stop is walkable.
Local transport may be needed from the arrival point
Coastal landmark
A mapped coastal landmark to consider for a port day in Philipsburg.
A mapped coastal landmark to consider for a port day in Philipsburg. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
Plan local transport from the assigned terminal or landing rather than assuming this stop is walkable.
Local transport may be needed from the arrival point
Local landmark
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg.
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
This is near the destination reference, but the practical walking route still depends on the assigned berth or tender landing.
Near the destination reference; confirm the walking route
Beach
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg.
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
This is near the destination reference, but the practical walking route still depends on the assigned berth or tender landing.
Near the destination reference; confirm the walking route
Local landmark
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg.
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
This is near the destination reference, but the practical walking route still depends on the assigned berth or tender landing.
Near the destination reference; confirm the walking route
Historic site
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg.
A source-backed option to consider for a port day in Philipsburg. Check current access, opening hours, admission requirements, and reservations before setting out.
This is near the destination reference, but the practical walking route still depends on the assigned berth or tender landing.
Near the destination reference; confirm the walking route
Reviewed 2026-07-25. Location placement, transport, and attraction information retain separate sources so each can be checked and updated independently.
Choose an upcoming call and ship to turn the published schedule into a practical planning window.
Choose a call date
Choose your ship
Your selected call
Arrival
9:00am
Departure
7:00pm
Scheduled window
10h
Planning return buffer
Count back from the published departure time.
Planning checkpoint: 5:30pm
This is a personal planning checkpoint, not the ship's official all-aboard time. Always follow the time and instructions issued onboard.
Guide match for this window
This call matches the guide's 7+ hour plan.
Review that planDates, ships, and times come from the currently published cruise-call records. Schedules can change, and passenger totals represent available ship-capacity data rather than a forecast of people going ashore.
The capital of Dutch St. Maarten stretches about a mile (1½ km) along an isthmus between Great Bay and the Salt Pond and has five parallel streets. Most of the village's dozens of shops and restaurants are on Front Street, narrow and cobblestone, closest to Great Bay. It's generally congested when cruise ships are in port, because of its many duty-free shops and several casinos. Little lanes called steegjes connect Front Street with Back Street, which has fewer shops and considerably less congestion.
Along the beach is a ½-mile-long (1-km-long) boardwalk with restaurants and several Wi-Fi hot spots. Wathey Square (pronounced watty) is in the heart of the village. Directly across from the square are the town hall and the courthouse, in a striking white building with cupola. The structure was built in 1793 and has served as the commander's home, a fire station, a jail, and a post office. The streets surrounding the square are lined with hotels, duty-free shops, restaurants, and cafés. The Captain Hodge Pier, just off the square, is a good spot to view Great Bay and the beach that stretches alongside.
Keep exploring
eSIM for travellersUse a GigSky travel eSIM for maps, messaging, and travel updates ashore. Choose a plan that covers the countries you will visit.
Land plans do not include at-sea coverage. Check destination coverage and phone compatibility before buying.
VoyagePro may earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you.
Explore tour options for your port day. Check the meeting point and return time against your ship’s schedule before booking.
Excursion partner
Independent shore excursions
Select any tour card to view current details, availability, and booking on the Shore Excursions Group website.
Experience the vibrant spirit of St. Maarten with a beachside Soca and Calypso dance class that blends infectious Afro-Caribbean rhythms with stunning ocean views. Led by expert instructors, this fun and cultural dance session invites all skill levels to move, laugh, and celebrate the joyful energy of the Caribbean.
This is a quick and easy way to find out whether scuba is really something for you.
Really explore the undersea world of St. Maarten on this two tank dive.
VoyagePro may earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Place photos are resized for display and cropped where needed.
