4.7 / 5Two Port Best of St. Maarten and St. Thomas
4.6 / 5 | 501 Reviews
Small
Moderate
An approximately 5 to 15 minute walk from the cruise ship pier, or from the cruise ship tender pier. Shopping, Sightseeing & Beach Day Excursion in St. Maarten
Two countries on one island for almost 400 years. Wouldn't you love to know how they do it? Come along on this St. Maarten excursion for an Island Drive and Beach Tour with a twist. You'll visit parts of the island usually not seen by cruise guests.
Departing the cruise terminal, you will drive through part of Philipsburg towards Cole Bay and Belle Vue. Making a photo stop at the Harold Jack lookout point high on a hill overlooking the sea, clouds permitting, you will have fantastic views of the neighboring islands of Saba (the home of Kong in the original King Kong movie) St. Eustatius to the south, and British Anguilla to the north. You will also begin to see Simpson Bay and its lagoon as you crest the hill.
This St. Maarten tour continues on to Marigot, the French capital, which is a quaint French village with a Caribbean twist. Sidewalk cafes serving cappuccino overlook mega-yachts, framed by palm trees. Gourmet restaurants sit in the shadow of a 200-year-old fort, and bold tropical prints in the open-air markets mix with the latest fashions from French boutiques. You will have some free time to experience this wonderful blend.
Then it's on to Orient Bay. This sweeping two-mile long, white-powdered sand beach is protected from the Atlantic waves by a reef, and the bottom has a very gradual slope. It is the island's most popular and busiest beach. On this St. Maarten excursion, you will have approximately 1.5 hours to swim, beach walk, or relax on the white sand.
You will also have the opportunity to purchase lunch or indulge in a tropical drink in paradise at a local restaurant located on the east end of the beach.
Returning to Philipsburg through the center of the island, you will have the option of being dropped off downtown for shopping or taken back to the pier.
Guests departing downtown will need to arrange their own transportation back to the cruise pier at their own expense via taxi, water taxi or walking.
Please Note: The tour will also make photo stops with scenic views of Orient Bay. The clothing-optional beach at Club Orient, the naturist resort, is located at the east end of the beach, approximately 10 to 15 minutes from Bikini Beach, where you will be visiting. Although most guests in the Bikini Beach area will be wearing swim attire, be advised that you may encounter topless and possibly nude sunbathers anywhere. This St. Maarten excursion may operate in a different order due to traffic conditions or crowds at the venues. On Sundays, most shops and restaurants on the French side are closed. All stores are closed on the following national holidays: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Kings Day, Carnival Day, Labor Day, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, Emancipation Day, Constitution Day, St. Maarten's Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Guests booking on these days will have the option to window shop or spend more time at the beach.
Small
Easy
Cruise Ship PierSkyline Drive & Island Overview Shore Trip
This is a two-hour orientation tour of St. Thomas, with stops at some of the island's highlights and exciting views of the island itself.
St. Thomas is a mountainous island with one long ridge of hills running east and west through the center of the island, with smaller ridges branching off. The island is thirteen miles long by four miles wide, encompassing a little over 31 square miles. The highest point is Crown Mountain at 1,556 feet.
St. Thomas has a history that dates back to 1500 B.C. and the Ciboney people. They were replaced by the Arawaks and then the Caribes, long before Christopher Columbus first saw the island in 1493 on his second voyage to the "New World." Unfortunately, almost all signs of the pre-Columbus days have been lost to time.
Most of the structures and ruins that remain date from the 16th and 17th century and include Blackbeard's Castle (Skytsborg), Fort Christian and Bluebeard's Castle (Tower Fort). During your scenic orientation drive, you will be able to see them on nearby hilltops.
Riding along the crest of St. Thomas on "Skyline Drive," visitors are treated to vistas of Charlotte Amalie town, harbor as well as Hassel and Water Islands to the south; the Atlantic Ocean, Magens Bay, and Inner and Outer Brass and Hans Lollick islands to the north; and the chain of cays leading to St. John and the British Virgins to the east.
On this St. Thomas excursion, your driver/guide will make stops at various scenic overlooks as traffic/safety allows. You will pass by Drake's Seat, believed to be the spot where Sir Francis Drake himself watched for enemy vessels. A stop will be made at Mountain Top, where you will take in the most amazing views from the balcony of the shopping arcade, and if you choose, purchase a "world-famous" banana daiquiri.
At the end of the two-hour driving orientation, you will have the option of being dropped off in downtown Charlotte Amalie to experience its world-famous shopping or be taken back to the cruise ship dock.
Please Note: Guests departing from downtown will be responsible for their transportation back to their destination. Depending on the number of guests participating, tour will be conducted in vans or open-air safari buses.