This island has me baffled

[bucky0926]

OK so me, DH and 19yo son will be in St Maarten on Saturday August 29th sailing in on the Carnival Liberty. From what I have seen (if I am reading it correctly) we are the only ship in port that day. I know I want to go to a beach that has good snorkeling, a real bathroom, chairs umbrellas and a place to buy a quick simple bite (fancy lunches are not necessary). Then we want to head over to Maho to see the big planes. I'm just not sure what time we have to be a maho to see that. How bad will traffic be with just one ship in port? Orient or Marigot or Mullet Bay (even though no real bathrooms). Is crime a problem at Mullet Bay or is it just a few who actually went on Trip Advisor? I'm also looking into renting the water UFO's as it looks fun. Please help-especially with the beaches as I really don't want to have to go to back up choices as time is limited to begin with. Thanks

[bup1224]

We have been to St. Maarten twice, once for a week and once on a cruise stop (cruise was in 2014). We took a shared taxi from the port to Mullet Bay and rented chairs and umbrella there - I think the cost of $15 for the chairs, etc. The taxi was maybe $8 or $9 per person. We did not have any problems with crime there at all. There is the best grill shack called Rosie's there with the best ribs we have ever had!

We took a bus back to Phillipsburg for $2 per person ( you have to walk out of the beach area into the Maho area for the bus) and walked around Phillipsburg and walked back to the port area. We plan on doing the same thing on our next cruise in 2016.

[ColoradoGurl]

From what I've read recently on trip advisor, the big planes come in around 2pm, but I don't think it's every day. Someone posted a link to look at an airlines flight schedule but when I tried it didn't work. It was a large plane coming from Europe, that's all I can recall.

 

EDIT: Wait I recall it was KLM. So perhaps look online for their flight schedules coming into st Maarten.

Edited July 12, 2015 by ColoradoGurl

[bucky0926]

From what I've read recently on trip advisor, the big planes come in around 2pm, but I don't think it's every day. Someone posted a link to look at an airlines flight schedule but when I tried it didn't work. It was a large plane coming from Europe, that's all I can recall.

 

EDIT: Wait I recall it was KLM. So perhaps look online for their flight schedules coming into st Maarten.

 

 

My men (son and husband) don't seem excited to see the planes. As I stated we live in NY and in Queens which has not one but two major airports and we have seen very low planes quite often. I think I have to show them some You Tube videos so they can really understand what we are talking about here. Otherwise I think my son is more interested in scuba diving in Little Bay since they have wrecks and he has never done a wreck dive. And I have heard good things about that beach (and its very close to the cruise terminal plus it seems close to those ufo boats that I'm interested in doing since this is the only place (at least in the carribbean) that seems to have them. The problem is I am the designatied port researcher and have to give them options. Thanks both for your input. Much appreciated.

[ColoradoGurl]

My men (son and husband) don't seem excited to see the planes. As I stated we live in NY and in Queens which has not one but two major airports and we have seen very low planes quite often. I think I have to show them some You Tube videos so they can really understand what we are talking about here. Otherwise I think my son is more interested in scuba diving in Little Bay since they have wrecks and he has never done a wreck dive. And I have heard good things about that beach (and its very close to the cruise terminal plus it seems close to those ufo boats that I'm interested in doing since this is the only place (at least in the carribbean) that seems to have them. The problem is I am the designatied port researcher and have to give them options. Thanks both for your input. Much appreciated.

 

Ah gotcha :) From reading trip advisor I'm on the fence about Maho and the planes myself. It seems like quite an expense to get there and back from another beach ($40 or $50 for a group) and the beach is reportedly very small and unworthy of an actual beach day. I've seen enough pictures and videos that I'm not sure it's worth the money now to see it in person either. With the scuba diving option, I'd take that over the planes too :) I looked into a scuba option at every port I'm going to but my travel companions don't feel like diving so I'm having to compromise on less fun (active) activities myself. I would probably forgo Maho and do the water activities you mentioned.

[Karysa]

Ah gotcha :) From reading trip advisor I'm on the fence about Maho and the planes myself. It seems like quite an expense to get there and back from another beach ($40 or $50 for a group) and the beach is reportedly very small and unworthy of an actual beach day. I've seen enough pictures and videos that I'm not sure it's worth the money now to see it in person either. With the scuba diving option, I'd take that over the planes too :) I looked into a scuba option at every port I'm going to but my travel companions don't feel like diving so I'm having to compromise on less fun (active) activities myself. I would probably forgo Maho and do the water activities you mentioned.

 

For those that have seen the pictures and the videos of low flying planes over Maho beach on You Tube and are not impressed, just go somewhere else. Maho is definitly unique to St. Maarten and to me worthy of a visit or two on every land vacation. Like everything else in life though there are different strokes for different folks. You get a sence of the Maho experience by watching the videos so if watching those don't make you want to experience the place for yourself then don't. Vacation is to be enjoyed and it's not running around the Caribbean with a tricky sheet making sure that you see what the masses feel are the must sees. Enjoy St. Maarten there is definitly something for everyone on this island.:)

[Karysa]

OK so me, DH and 19yo son will be in St Maarten on Saturday August 29th sailing in on the Carnival Liberty. From what I have seen (if I am reading it correctly) we are the only ship in port that day. I know I want to go to a beach that has good snorkeling, a real bathroom, chairs umbrellas and a place to buy a quick simple bite (fancy lunches are not necessary). Then we want to head over to Maho to see the big planes. I'm just not sure what time we have to be a maho to see that. How bad will traffic be with just one ship in port? Orient or Marigot or Mullet Bay (even though no real bathrooms). Is crime a problem at Mullet Bay or is it just a few who actually went on Trip Advisor? I'm also looking into renting the water UFO's as it looks fun. Please help-especially with the beaches as I really don't want to have to go to back up choices as time is limited to begin with. Thanks

 

I think that you may be in for a treat at Maho. We were there on Saturday May 23rd and we saw at least 4 large planes landing pretty much one after the other including the Air France. That was the most planes in the shortest time by far that we can remember seeing. They were all scheduled in between 1:05 and 1:40 and they all landed between that time. We were very shocked. The airport must have been very busy.:)

 

What is a water UFO and where on the island would one find that?

 

I have never had a problem with crime any where on the island. It's there though so don't make yourself a target.

 

Mullet usually is busy on the weekends as this beach is a faviorite of the islanders. The washroom is a port-o-potty. Snorkeling is meh.

 

Orient would be a good choice but I think that you would need to leave by noon to get to Maho by one.

 

Little Bay might be a good choice for what you are looking for. I hear the snorkelling is pretty good and it's a resort beach so it has everything else that you are looking for. You could leave at 12:15 and get would most likely get to Maho by 1.

 

You could also wait and eat at Sunset Bar and Grill or Guy's Driftwood Bar. These places bookend Maho beach. I have heard that the burgers at Sunset are good and that pizza is the item to choose at the Driftwood bar.

 

Give yourself plenty of time to get back to port as many tourists flying in on Saturday stay at timeshares and many of them are between the airport and the ship.

[bucky0926]

I think that you may be in for a treat at Maho. We were there on Saturday May 23rd and we saw at least 4 large planes landing pretty much one after the other including the Air France. That was the most planes in the shortest time by far that we can remember seeing. They were all scheduled in between 1:05 and 1:40 and they all landed between that time. We were very shocked. The airport must have been very busy.:)

 

What is a water UFO and where on the island would one find that?

 

I have never had a problem with crime any where on the island. It's there though so don't make yourself a target.

 

Mullet usually is busy on the weekends as this beach is a faviorite of the islanders. The washroom is a port-o-potty. Snorkeling is meh.

 

Orient would be a good choice but I think that you would need to leave by noon to get to Maho by one.

 

Little Bay might be a good choice for what you are looking for. I hear the snorkelling is pretty good and it's a resort beach so it has everything else that you are looking for. You could leave at 12:15 and get would most likely get to Maho by 1.

 

You could also wait and eat at Sunset Bar and Grill or Guy's Driftwood Bar. These places bookend Maho beach. I have heard that the burgers at Sunset are good and that pizza is the item to choose at the Driftwood bar.

 

Give yourself plenty of time to get back to port as many tourists flying in on Saturday stay at timeshares and many of them are between the airport and the ship.

 

 

The ufo boats are the unbelievably fun object. You can find them under trip advisor as what to do in philipsburg. It looks like fun. Its a cross between a jet ski and a segway. You steer them by leaning in the direction you want to go. They have fantastic reviews and its something I want to do.

 

So here is the new game plan. No one is excited about Maho so its off the list. Its the UFO boats in the morning which are right by the cruise terminal. Then on to Little Bay which looks like a fantastic beach for snorkeling then back to Philipsburg to do a little shopping. My son will go dive with a shop that is right by the ufo boats dock albeit 2 hours later then when we are done. He is old enough to amuse himself for a few hours in town before his dive. Knowing all that I'm assuming I won't have to fight traffic. (Please correct me if I'm wrong). You are right I can't let what others are doing affect what we want to do. So instead of running all over the island we are staying close and doing what we want. Sorry Maho, maybe next time.

[bucky0926]

Ah gotcha :) From reading trip advisor I'm on the fence about Maho and the planes myself. It seems like quite an expense to get there and back from another beach ($40 or $50 for a group) and the beach is reportedly very small and unworthy of an actual beach day. I've seen enough pictures and videos that I'm not sure it's worth the money now to see it in person either. With the scuba diving option, I'd take that over the planes too :) I looked into a scuba option at every port I'm going to but my travel companions don't feel like diving so I'm having to compromise on less fun (active) activities myself. I would probably forgo Maho and do the water activities you mentioned.

 

Yes from what I understand the beach is not one you want to spend all day at and I understand it gets very crowded. It is quite an expense and I keep hearing about traffic being a problem. I would hate to have to leave a place I was enjoying just to sit in traffic for an hour. If I want that I could stay in NY. Are you a certified diver? My son is not but the discover scuba option I found for him lets him see the wrecks in Little Bay and that is why he is doing it there instead of St Thomas where its an option directly from the cruise line. If you are interested its called scuba fun located at Dock Maarten.

[Karysa]

The ufo boats are the unbelievably fun object. You can find them under trip advisor as what to do in philipsburg. It looks like fun. Its a cross between a jet ski and a segway. You steer them by leaning in the direction you want to go. They have fantastic reviews and its something I want to do.

 

So here is the new game plan. No one is excited about Maho so its off the list. Its the UFO boats in the morning which are right by the cruise terminal. Then on to Little Bay which looks like a fantastic beach for snorkeling then back to Philipsburg to do a little shopping. My son will go dive with a shop that is right by the ufo boats dock albeit 2 hours later then when we are done. He is old enough to amuse himself for a few hours in town before his dive. Knowing all that I'm assuming I won't have to fight traffic. (Please correct me if I'm wrong). You are right I can't let what others are doing affect what we want to do. So instead of running all over the island we are staying close and doing what we want. Sorry Maho, maybe next time.

 

 

I think saying little bay is a fantastic beach for snorkeling might be a stretch. There is no fantastic snorkeling off the beach in St. Maarten and even at Creole Rock "fantastic" snorkeling does not occur on a daily basis. The snorkelling at Sapphire beach in St. Thomas Would be my suggestion for off the beach snorkeling. Traffic will not be a concern with your agenda. Enjoy:)

[gtaylor]

Divi Little Bay has an OK beach, but that's about it.

 

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I have heard that there is some snorkeling, at the far left facing the water, near the rocks.

 

They have deliberately sank some objects in that area, mostly for the SCUBA crowd.

 

gary

[Karysa]

Divi Little Bay has an OK beach, but that's about it.

 

(click)

 

I have heard that there is some snorkeling, at the far left facing the water, near the rocks.

 

They have deliberately sank some objects in that area, mostly for the SCUBA crowd.

 

gary

 

Oh if the scuba area is where we stopped to snorkel out near Little Bay I would look into another spot. We saw star fish a few tiny white fish and a barracuda that liked the shade under the boat. I went 8 years ago so perhaps things have changed but for scuba I would think that another island might be better but if St. Maarten is the day for this leaving from Grand Case and heading to Creole Rock would be a better option.

 

For beach snorkeling though I have heard that by the rocks at Little Bay can be good. I don't like the sand quality of this beach but I do think that the view is really lovely.