Eclipse in St Maarten, Feb 28. Dock question.

[crossoverstreet]

We're scheduled to be in St Maarten, Feb 28th with the Eclipse. The Celebrity site says 9am - 6pm. The St Maarten harbour site says 8am - 5pm. As well, the site says that four other ships will be there and one of them is listed as being at Great Bay.

 

Our friend has a condo on St Maarten and is planning to pick us up at the dock for the day. How can I find out where we'll be docking and what time we're scheduled to dock?

 

Thanks if you can help,

Cheers,

Peter

[Sloop-JohnB]

We're scheduled to be in St Maarten, Feb 28th with the Eclipse. The Celebrity site says 9am - 6pm. The St Maarten harbour site says 8am - 5pm. As well, the site says that four other ships will be there and one of them is listed as being at Great Bay.

 

Our friend has a condo on St Maarten and is planning to pick us up at the dock for the day. How can I find out where we'll be docking and what time we're scheduled to dock?

 

Thanks if you can help,

Cheers,

Peter

 

Hi CrossOverStreet,

 

The difference is time is most likely due to the Time Zone factor... St Maarten is on "Atlantic Time" whereas Celebrity / Florida is on "Eastern Time".

 

As I understand it (and I was just there mid-January on the Solstice) and we had to Tender in as we were the "7th Ship"... St Maarten can accomodate 6 Ships... so being the 5th really isn't a HUGE issue at all.

 

Suggest you check out the St Maarten's Port Authority Website for further info... (you can GOOGLE it)... or I'll see if I can't find the link for you...

 

--- --- ---

 

Here it is...

 

St Maarten's Port Authority (Cruise Ship Schedules - February 2012) = http://201.220.14.27/sxmonline/VesselScheduleCruise.aspx

 

And YES their listing would be on LOCAL TIME (AST)

 

 

Cheers!

[wethetraveler]

I was in St Martin last month. We docked at 9:00 am. They are one (1) hour ahead of our time here on the east coast. Here is a link to the Ship dailies. There were five (5) ships in port when I was there.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2733391750106951462HYljOt

[The Big Booper]

Usually, ships traveling East from Florida to StT, SXM and StK set their clocks to Atlantic Standard Time on a sea day out to the islands. So ships time will be the same as AST.

 

Remember, SXM does not have Daylight Savings Time so in the summer Florida Daylight Savings time = AST.

 

In any case, both piers at Wathey feed out thru the same gate. And somebody staying on the island can't get into the pier compound so will have to meet you outside the gate. Let them determine the pickup point. If you are the unlucky ship that is tendering, I think (don't know for sure) you tender into town, but this might have changed. Lots more ship traffic here in the last few years.

 

<<<edit>>> I just noticed that you're on the Eclipse. That WILL be docking so have your friends meet you outside the gate . Let the People on the Grand worry about tendering.

[The Big Booper]

This is the official docking schedule per the SXM Port Authority. Only 5 ships in and I don't understand the Great Bay reference.

 

02/28/2012Tuesday07:00 19:00 DISNEY MAGIC

02/28/2012Tuesday08:00 17:00 CELEBRITY ECLIPSE

02/28/2012Tuesday08:00 18:00 NORWEGIAN EPIC

02/28/2012Tuesday08:00 18:00 ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS

02/28/2012Tuesday09:00 18:00 GRAND PRINCESS GREATBAY

 

Within a week of the sailing the listing will be updated by the PA to show what pier and pier location each ship will dock at. So keep checking.

 

http://201.220.14.27/sxmonline/VesselScheduleCruise.aspx

[crossoverstreet]

Thanks all. I'll check in the week before we sail. Strange that the ship's newsletter that day shows it docking at 9am. I'll assume that was local time and that the docking time isn't necessarily the same every week of the same route.

 

Cheers,

[Sloop-JohnB]

Thanks all. I'll check in the week before we sail. Strange that the ship's newsletter that day shows it docking at 9am. I'll assume that was local time and that the docking time isn't necessarily the same every week of the same route.

 

Cheers,

 

Hi Crossoverstreet,

 

1- A lot of times I find that things with Celebrity are listed on "Celebrity Time" (so whatever time it is in Florida)

 

2- As you will discover when you are aboard, ultimately the Ship's Captain gets to decide what time the Ship is on... be it always Florida Time (EST) or adjustments made for Caribbean Local Time (AST)

 

An announcement will be made when you are aboard... what time the ship is on, and therefore how Pax should set their watches...

 

There will also be a BIG Clock showing several times whenever you exit the ship to go ashore... Current Ship Time - Time to be back Aboard - and Sail Away Time.

 

NOTE - To complicate things even further... Ship Time can change from Ship to Ship (so you may run into another Celebrity Ship in port that is using a different Ship Time)... or even on the same ship from Sailing to Sailing on the Same Itinerary (IF there were different Captains involved)

 

Cheers!

[mspink98]

Hi Crossoverstreet,

 

2- As you will discover when you are aboard, ultimately the Ship's Captain gets to decide what time the Ship is on... be it always Florida Time (EST) or adjustments made for Caribbean Local Time (AST)

 

I think that's the case here. I'm on the same cruise as the OP, and looked over someone's dailies from the 1/21 sailing. Assuming the captain doesn't change before we sail, there was a note that the time would be changing twice during the week-to Caribbean time and back to Florida. This will actually be the first time I've changed time on any cruise I've been on.

 

OP-21 days! Have you joined the roll call?

[dodger1964]

Can anybody confirm where tendering passengers are dropped off? We are tendering on next cruise and are renting a car. The car rental is at the regular ship pier.

[dennbr9]

On Constellation last week, we were on Atlantic Time, same as St Maarten.

 

Not sure if this is Line Specific or the Captain's decision. Last year on Oasis we stayed on Eastern Time. Think they just like to keep ya guessing:-)

[The Big Booper]

Can anybody confirm where tendering passengers are dropped off? We are tendering on next cruise and are renting a car. The car rental is at the regular ship pier.

 

This question was just answered by Gary (GTaylor) the resident expert on the St. Martin port-of-call board.

 

"I've confirmed that the Solstice is tendering for the entire season, apparently the only Celebrity ship to do so, and for as yet unexplained reasons.

 

Ships tender to the Little Pier (Captain Hodge Pier) downtown Philipsburg, right in the heart of shopping and directly in front of the historic Court House.

 

Our friends at Cannegie Liquor on Front Street used to offer car rentals, but I just checked with them and they discontinued rentals the end of last year.

 

I'm afraid that it probably leaves you with a return to the Cruise Facility for a car rental, but you could catch the Water Taxi right at the tender pier for $6 pp, all-day pass."

 

gary

[Sloop-JohnB]

Can anybody confirm where tendering passengers are dropped off? We are tendering on next cruise and are renting a car. The car rental is at the regular ship pier.

 

TO DODGER1964,

 

As you are tendering, I assume it is the Solstice you are on... info that THE BIG BOOPER has provided is correct... you'll be dropped off right in town... FANTASTIC !!

 

Guess you can't please everyone though as it looks like you need to get yourself back to the regular Cruise Pier (sadly cost to you) ...

 

When it was announced we (The Solstice) would be tendering originally (us being the "guinea pigs" on this Itinerary) the fear for most experienced cruisers was that we would be tendered by The Solstice to the Cruise Ship Pier, and then have to take a Water Taxi to downtown (at our own expense) ... fortunately, Celebrity / The Solstice came to an agreement with the Water Taxi folks, and they actually did our tendering (FREE to the Passengers into town)... that was very convenient (and considerate of Celebrity... much appreciated)

 

--- --- ---

 

On Constellation last week, we were on Atlantic Time, same as St Maarten.

 

Not sure if this is Line Specific or the Captain's decision. Last year on Oasis we stayed on Eastern Time. Think they just like to keep ya guessing:-)

 

As I said, it is the Captain's Decision to make...

 

When we were on the Solstice (January 15th Sailing)... Captain Larsson kept us on Florida Time (EST) the whole cruise.

 

Convenient for sure... but still confusing for some folks (particularly so to those with Private Excursions booked etc)

 

As a side note...

 

When tendering it is always fun to watch the "stragglers" on the pier trying to make the last tender(s)... we found that quite entertaining...

 

Cheers!

[dodger1964]

TO DODGER1964,

 

As you are tendering, I assume it is the Solstice you are on... info that THE BIG BOOPER has provided is correct... you'll be dropped off right in town... FANTASTIC !!

 

Guess you can't please everyone though as it looks like you need to get yourself back to the regular Cruise Pier (sadly cost to you) ...

 

Cheers!

 

Yea solstice out of fll. Does the tender sail past the "regular dock". Maybe we can just jump off and swim.

 

 

Anybody know if elite cruisers get priority tender tickets. I know they used to, but not sure if still a benefit.

[Sloop-JohnB]

TO DODGER1964,

In Sint Maartens, we were anchored out in Great Bay... the "regular dock" was way off to one side when we tendered in (right side)... we went to the dock that was literally right in town (in front of the Sea Palace Resort)... which isn't the one I understand that the Water Taxis normally use.

Tendering was a long process we know that they sent out over 30 Tenders the day we were in St Maartens.

From what I understood Celebrity Shore Excursions got the first priority.

If one was Captains Club Elite, in a Suite, AQua Class or Concierge... and you presented yourself at the counter... then you'd get priority next.

If you pull up a copy of GOOGLE MAPS you'll get a better perspective... use the Satellite View as well.

And to help you out even further, here are some pics of what our Anchoring / Tendering looked like...

1- A Water Taxi that was used to Tender... it is full and on its way !!

2- Tenders going back & forth... process took aprox 25 Minutes in total for the boats to go ashore (or so the on-going announcements on the Ship PA said... we "felt" it was shorter... but we didn't check our watches... we were having too much fun)

3- The "other" Ships in Port that day... this picture is taken to the right of the one previous... (Check out the Hillside, and the tip of the ship in the right of the previous photo)

4- Pier in front of the Sea Palace Resort

PS... More photos to come from the shore side of the Bay.

 

Cheers!

[Sloop-JohnB]

Hi DODGER1964,

 

More photos from the shore of St Maartens...

 

5 - Shore view looking back at the Pier & the Solstice

 

6- Looking down the Beach

 

7- Looking to the Left at the "other" Ships.

 

Hope this is helpful with your orientation...

 

Cheers!