Sint Maarten cruise excursions from the port
Sint Maarten cruise excursions need to fit the time your ship spends in Philipsburg. Choose between a route concentrating on Orient and Maho beaches and a wider introduction to the French and Dutch sides. The port is the starting point for these outings, even when you use Simpson Bay as your reference for the island.
A cruise arrival and a flight arrival create different journeys. Princess Juliana International Airport is near Simpson Bay and Maho, while your shore excursion begins at the port in Philipsburg. Keep those places separate when reading departure instructions. The general tour comparison covers choices for visitors staying on the island as well as port-based outings.
Excursions from the cruise port
The guided island tour includes transportation and a drink. The beach excursion offers a shore excursion guarantee subject to its conditions.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Beach excursion from the cruise port
- Local guide
- Air-conditioned coach or van
- Beverages in transit
The shore excursion guarantee applies under the provider's conditions.
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Guided island tour from the cruise port
- Transportation included
- Guide included
- One drink
A guided outing starting at the Philipsburg cruise port.
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Maho Beach outing from Philipsburg
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Driver included
- Refreshments in transit
A port pickup connects this outing with Maho Beach.
Check availability →Sint Maarten cruise excursions from the port
Sint Maarten cruise excursions start at Philipsburg: choose a beach-focused outing or a French- and Dutch-side drive around your ship schedule.
Meeting at Philipsburg cruise port
The 4.5-hour island tour starts at the cruise port on Juancho Yrausquin Boulevard. Transportation, a guide and one drink are included; meals are separate. This is the route to consider when the distinction between the French and Dutch sides interests you more than concentrating the outing around beach time.
The 4.5-hour Orient and Maho beach outing uses the EDC Parking Lot and includes pickup and drop-off at the port of Philipsburg. A driver, air-conditioned transportation and refreshments during transit are included. Meals and tips are extra. Keep the meeting instructions with you after leaving the ship, so the route from the terminal to the named meeting place is part of your morning plan.
Orient and Maho or an introduction to both sides
An Orient and Maho itinerary connects a French-side beach destination with the beach beside the airport runway. Maho is distinct from Simpson Bay Beach, the longer strand alongside the village and airport. Choose the beach itinerary because those named places appeal to you, rather than because it promises an additional stop in Simpson Bay.
The island is divided between southern Sint Maarten and northern Saint-Martin. A broader island drive makes that geography the focus. Simpson Bay itself has a village, beach frontage and lagoon marinas. For a dedicated visit there, use the local overview to plan what you want to see rather than adding an unplanned detour to a timed shore excursion.
A five-hour beach option with port return
The five-hour Orient and Maho shore excursion includes a local guide, an air-conditioned coach or van, port pickup and drop-off, and drinks while in transit. Its meeting point is the EDC-Lot at the north exit of the cruise port. This gives a specific starting reference for finding the group after disembarkation.
That particular excursion includes a worry-free shore excursion guarantee, subject to its booking conditions. Read those conditions for the scope of the cover. Keep your own return buffer regardless of which outing you choose, and make your ship's required boarding time the deadline around which you plan. The activity duration should sit within that window together with disembarkation, meeting and boarding time.
Maho safety and planning the return
Maho's location under the aircraft approach is a reason visitors include it in an island outing. Follow warning signs about jet blast, keep away from the fence and treat jet blast as a hazard. Photographing an aircraft should not take priority over the warnings on the ground. The Maho Beach guide explains the setting separately from the tour choice.
Allow a margin rather than building the return around a fixed road time from Simpson Bay. A marina departure or an airport transfer has a different starting point from the port. Our transport guide helps distinguish them. If your main wish is a tailored island drive, compare the private options as a separate decision with their own meeting arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
Where do these shore excursions start?
They are Philipsburg port products. Some use the EDC Parking Lot; the five-hour beach outing specifies the north exit. Follow the meeting instructions for the excursion you select.
How long are the outings?
The island-side tour and one Orient and Maho option each last 4.5 hours. The other beach excursion lasts 5 hours. Add time for meeting and ship boarding.
Is the return guarantee part of every outing?
The five-hour beach excursion includes a worry-free shore excursion guarantee under its conditions. Compare that specific protection with the booking terms of any other excursion you are considering.