St. Maarten Cruise Port Overview | Maho Beach, Philipsburg & More!
Planning a cruise stop in St. Maarten and wondering what there is to do without booking an excursion? In this St. Maarten cruise port guide, we're showing you how to explore the island on your own, visit some of its most popular attractions, and have a great day without spending a fortune! We've visited St. Maarten several times, and on this trip, we decided to skip the organized excursions and use local transportation to see how much we could experience while keeping costs down. We'll take you around the St. Maarten cruise port, where you'll find plenty of shopping, restaurants, and transportation options, including taxis and island sightseeing tours. We'll also show you how to get into Philipsburg, whether you want to walk or take the $7 round trip water taxi. From there, we'll show you exactly how we used the local public buses to get to the famous Maho Beach for just $2 per person each way! It's one of the most popular places in St. Maarten, where you can watch airplanes fly incredibly low over the beach as they land at Princess Juliana International Airport. We'll also check out Sunset Bar and Grill, where you can grab something to eat or drink while watching the planes. Back in Philipsburg, we'll explore the historic downtown area, check out some of the duty free shopping, and visit Rumhuys, a unique local rum shop where every rum has a story, including one inspired by an authentic pirate rum recipe. We'll also take you along the boardwalk at Great Bay Beach, where you can enjoy the public beach for free or rent lounge chairs and umbrellas for the day. It's a great option if you want some beach time without traveling far from the cruise port. For the two of us, we spent just **$22 total on transportation**, including the round trip water taxi and public buses to Maho Beach. And if you're comfortable walking into Philipsburg instead of taking the water taxi, you could make the same trip for just $8 total for two people! Of course, St. Maarten has plenty of great shore excursions, beautiful beaches, and attractions on both the Dutch and French sides of the island. But if you're looking for an affordable way to experience some of the best things to do in St. Maarten on a cruise, this is definitely an option worth considering. **WATCH OUR PREVIOUS ST. MAARTEN ADVENTURE** On an earlier visit, we rented a car and explored more of the island, including both the Dutch and French sides. You can watch that adventure here: https://youtu.be/VTC8LhRmlfM **CHECK FLIGHTS AT MAHO BEACH** If you're planning to visit Maho Beach, check the flight arrivals at Princess Juliana International Airport before heading over so you can time your visit around the planes you want to see. https://www.flightaware.com/ Prices mentioned are from our October 2026 visit and may change. Have you visited St. Maarten on a cruise? What's your favorite thing to do there? Let us know in the comments! #StMaarten #StMaartenCruisePort #CruisePortGuide ✅ Looking for reputable tours? We use these companies for many of our own trips: Viator: https://www.viator.com/?pid=P00003870&uid=U00527672&mcid=58086¤cy=USD Shore Excursions Group: https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=981171&data=niki@yourblueskyadventure.com&utm_source=3rdPartyAffiliates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=981171&utm_content=niki@yourblueskyadventure.com More booking tools: https://www.yourblueskyadventure.com/booking-tools ✅ Visit our Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/yourblueskyadventure ✅ Get notified when we upload new videos! Click here to sign up for FREE! https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/2560319/sites/195429631760794830/blue-sky-adventures-2qsplk ✅ Epic water filter 15% code. Take2Travel15 ✅ Yesoul Fitness: Discount Code: Take2Travel Discount Link: https://bit.ly/Yesoul_Take2Travel ✈️ How would you like to fly and NOT have jet lag? If you’re ready to finally beat jet lag, you need FlyKitt. Click here ➡️http://flykitt.pxf.io/19Qzmx and use code Take2 at checkout for 15% off your order! ✅ See our merch: https://take2travel.printify.me/products ✅ Support us on Patreon: Become a member to help us create more amazing travel content and get exclusive perks like behind-the-scenes footage and special updates! https://patreon.com/Take2Travel ✅ Make sure you like & comment on this video! Engaging with our videos is the best way you can help us grow our channel. “Take2Travel is created and hosted by Juston and Niki Wheetley.” As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.