French champagne lunches, Caribbean turquoise, and planes skimming Maho Beach — all in the single golden day your ship gives you here.
Almost every great Caribbean cruise stops in St Maarten — and from where I live, I can tell you why they keep coming back. In one day you get two countries on one island: French champagne lunches in Grand Case, planes skimming the sand at Maho, and water so turquoise it doesn’t look real until you’re standing in it.
Your ship gives you a single, golden day here. Here’s how to make it yours — which lines call, when they come, and the smartest way to find the sailing that drops you in Great Bay.
From the harbour I watch them come in every morning — here’s who’s likely carrying you.
More Royal Caribbean ships call here than any other line — and the giants come too. Icon and Oasis class slide right up to Pier 2, close enough that downtown is a five-minute stroll once the gangway drops.
Celebrity's sleek ships make St Maarten a polished, unhurried stop. If you like your sea days elegant and your port days easy, this is a beautiful way to arrive in Great Bay.
Princess weaves St Maarten into longer Southern Caribbean loops — the kind of itinerary where you wake up to a new island every morning and this one is the highlight reel.
Carnival brings the party crowd, and St Maarten plays along perfectly: duty-free Front Street, beach bars a taxi away, and Maho's plane-spotting just down the coast.
MSC is bringing more ships into the Caribbean for the seasons ahead, and their European style pairs surprisingly well with the island's French half. Expect a more continental feel on board.
Different ships, same turquoise water and two countries waiting. The trick isn't the line — it's finding the sailing that drops you here on a day you'll be glad you booked.
Here's what I tell everyone who asks: don't book the first fare you see. Compare them through GoToSea — it pulls every cruise line's St Maarten sailings into one place, and they negotiate extras on top, so you'll often land onboard credit you'd never get booking direct. Same cruise, more in your pocket for that beach day.
Compare cruises to St MaartenGoToSea is the cruise-booking service backed by U.S. News & World Report.
Adults only · grown-up sailing
Virgin Voyages does cruising differently — adults only, tattoo parlours instead of bingo, and a ship that feels like a boutique hotel that happens to float. Their Caribbean runs from Miami and San Juan call right here in Philipsburg, and stepping off into a champagne lunch in Grand Case feels exactly as good as it sounds.
See Virgin sailings to St MaartenSt Maarten is a year-round port, but the harbour is busiest from December through April, when the trade winds are gentle and the island is at its liveliest. Come in the shoulder months — late spring or autumn — and you’ll find the same warm water with the beaches a little more to yourself.
A handful of lines even use St Maarten as a starting point rather than just a stop, so it’s worth checking whether your sailing begins here or simply passes through — both make for a wonderful day on the island.
There’s a particular moment cruisers always remember: the ship eases past Fort Amsterdam, Great Bay opens up, and the green hills of Philipsburg catch the early light. The big ships tie up at Pier 2, the rest along Pier 1, and within minutes you’re stepping onto a palm-lined boardwalk with the whole island in front of you.
From here the day is yours — and that’s a story for another page.
Once you're ashore
Your ship gives you one golden day — here's exactly how I'd spend it. Nine cruise-friendly excursions I'd send my own friends on, from turtle snorkeling to the island tour that books out first. All walkable from the pier or with pickup sorted.
See what to do on your cruise day →