PORT ST. MAARTEN

Genesis-class vessels. It also has two booths for screening passengers as this cannot be carried out on board owing to the large number of passengers.

The port accommodates six cruise ships, with the terminal handling anything from 6,000 to more than 20,000 passengers in a single day. Immediately on coming ashore, passengers are welcomed into the Harbour Point Village to the sound of steel pans being played. Built in an architectural style reminiscent of old Philipsburg, the Village contains duty free outlets, souvenir shops and market stalls as well as bars and a restaurant.

Harbour Point Village is also the pick-up and drop-off point for most of the tours and excursions. Visitors will find tour bus stands and a taxi rank here. There is also a regular water taxi service to Philipsburg. Friendly harbour staff is on hand to assist visitors and there is an information centre in the main building to provide advice to visitors.

Historic Moment In Cruise Resumption

On Saturday, June 5, 2021, officially marked the resumption of cruise tourism after 15-months of no commercial cruise traffic to the destination. This was a momentous occasion for Port St. Maarten and the destination overall, as never in the history of the island has there been a period of a year and half without cruise tourism.

Thursday June 3rd, 2021, marked the 57th anniversary of the existence of port facilities (A.C. Wathey Pier) on the island, more than half a century. Since then, the destination has sailed into the opportunity of cruise tourism which has brought numerous benefits to the island as visioned by pioneer Dr. A.C.Wathey. The island has seen progressive growth and has become the destination of choice #1 Port in the Caribbean.

Port St. Maarten management on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, met with Celebrity Edge Captain Kate McCue at the gangway upon arrival of the cruise ship to destination St. Maarten, the first transit call to the country since the onset of the pandemic and presented a token of appreciation on behalf of the port and the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau. Captain Kate was ecstatic when it was mentioned that coincidentally Celebrity Edge was the last commercial ship that visited the destination back in March 2020.

Walter Plantz Square

The Walter Plantz Square (WPS) at Down Street offers cruise passengers the opportunity to visit and sample the products and services available in several ginger-bread houses that reflects the national heritage of destination St. Maarten.

WPS is complete with the essential amenities: bar/restaurant, arts and crafts, and a beautiful water fountain adorned by palm trees; splash pool for kids; toilet/bathroom facilities; disabled accessible and much more.

Come and experience the Walter Plantz Square at Down Street next to the beach promenade with easy access to Front Street – duty-free shopping mecca of the Caribbean.

HOMEPORTING – NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN PORT OF CHOICE

Based on various homeporting case studies, Port St. Maarten has been ranked as one of the top cruise port destinations in the Caribbean where quality of facilities is concerned.

Destination St. Maarten came in top ranking for shopping experience, and port/destination services that are offered to the cruise industry. Port St. Maarten has developed a longterm working relationship with cruise brands and at the same ti time is the north-eastrth-eastern Caribbean homeport of choice.

Homeporting generates more air Homeporting generates more airlifts in and out of the destination; brings additional business for local service providers; and creates the potential for pre- and post- cruise extension visits.

Port St. Maarten has placed emphasis on luxury cruise brands that translate into more spending power of passengers based on their higher disposable income levels. This also shifts the destination from quantity to quality cruise tourism therefore increasing the destination value due to attracting other highend brand lines.

Home porting is nothing new for the destination as the country has had the opportunity to handle smaller vessels of under 500 passengers up to mid-sized vessels of 1000+.

The homeporting of Celebrity Cruise Lines Celebrity Millennium in June 2021 was the largest homeporting vessel to participate in operations at the country’s main seaport.