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Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility – Pier 1
The original cruise pier at Pointe Blanche, leading to the facility's terminal plaza and taxi dispatch. Berth assignments vary by ship.
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Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
Philipsburg is the capital of Sint Maarten, the Dutch half of the island of Saint Martin, which it shares with French Saint-Martin. More about Philipsburg →
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Ship schedule by month
October 2026 · from today · all times local (Atlantic Standard Time)
ShipDateArrivalDeparture
Showing 10 of 12 calls in October
Cruise Ships in Philipsburg
Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Atlantic Standard Time)
Today · Thu 22 OctNo ships
0 people in port
No cruise ships today
Next 7 days
Quietest: Mon 26 Oct · busiest: Tue 27 Oct- Thu22 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Fri23 Oct3.0kQuiet1 ship
- Sat24 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Sun25 Oct9.7kBusy2 ships
- Mon26 Oct2.8kQuiet1 ship
- Tue27 Oct14.6kPeak3 ships
- Wed28 Oct5.5kLight1 ship
Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Philipsburg day.
Planning a day in Philipsburg?
The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.
Where is the Philipsburg cruise port?
Ships dock alongside at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility at Pointe Blanche, on the eastern side of Great Bay; there is no tendering. Its two piers can take the largest ships.
Passengers walk off the pier into a terminal plaza with shops, a taxi dispatch and the water taxi dock.
Front Street and the boardwalk are about 1.8 km away: a flat 25-minute walk along the waterfront, or a few minutes by water taxi.
Terminal
Getting to the Philipsburg cruise port
Front Street / Great Bay boardwalk, Philipsburg → Philipsburg cruise piers (Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility)
2 km · 5–25 min by car
Most passengers walk the flat waterfront route (about 25 min) or take the water taxi from the marina beside the pier to Philipsburg's Captain Hodge Wharf, Walter Williams Jetty or Bobby's Marina.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
Walk
Freeper person
~25 min
Flat 1.8 km along Juancho Yrausquin Blvd; hot at midday.
Water taxi
$6–7per person
5–10 min
All-day ticket; sources differ (USD 6 unlimited or USD 7 round trip).
Taxi
$10per vehicle
5–10 min
Official fare for 1–2 passengers; larger groups pay per person.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Driving to the port
Dutch-side taxis are unmetered and use government zone fares (1–2 passengers per vehicle; larger groups pay per person). A 25% surcharge applies 22:00–06:00 and on public holidays; extra bags cost USD 5. On multi-ship days, allow extra time for traffic on the way back to the pier.
Philipsburg Cruise Terminals
2 terminals
Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility – Pier 2
A 445 m pier added in 2009 that can berth two of the world's largest ships at once. Berth assignments vary by ship.
Parking at the Philipsburg cruise port
Philipsburg is a port of call; cruise passengers don't arrive by car and there's no cruise parking.
Eating in Philipsburg
- Casual lunch per person
- $12–20
- per person
- Soft drink per item
- $2.50–3
- per item
Prices are quoted and paid in USD across the Dutch side; the local currency is the Caribbean guilder (XCG, USD 1 = XCG 1.80). The French side uses EUR.
Where to eat
Great Bay boardwalk
Beach bars and casual restaurants along the waterfront, walkable from the pier.
Front Street
Philipsburg's main shopping street, with cafes and lunch spots between the duty-free stores.
Marigot waterfront and market
French-side cafes and lolos (local grill stalls) by the market, about 20–25 minutes by taxi.
Destination
About Philipsburg
Philipsburg is the capital of Sint Maarten, the Dutch half of the island of Saint Martin, which it shares with French Saint-Martin. The town sits on a narrow sandbar between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond.
Its main streets are Front Street, lined with duty-free shops and colonial-era buildings, and the Great Bay boardwalk with beach bars and restaurants. The island is known for its many beaches, including Maho Beach, where jets land low over sunbathers, and the French side's Orient Bay and Marigot.
With more than a million cruise passengers a year, St. Maarten is one of the busiest cruise destinations in the Caribbean.
- Climate
- Tropical and warm all year (about 25–31°C), cooled by trade winds. It is drier from December to April and wetter from about August to November, and hurricane season runs from June to November.
- Time zone
- Atlantic Standard Time
- Currency
- Caribbean guilder (XCG); US dollars widely used
Things to Do in Philipsburg
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Great Bay Beach and Boardwalk
Philipsburg's town beach, backed by a boardwalk of beach bars where loungers can be rented. It's within walking distance or a short water-taxi ride from the pier.
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Front Street, Philipsburg
The historic main street, with duty-free shops and colonial-style buildings, running parallel to the boardwalk.
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Maho Beach
A small beach at the end of Princess Juliana Airport's runway where arriving jets pass very low overhead. It's about 20–30 minutes by taxi; jet blast from departing aircraft is dangerous.
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Orient Bay Beach
A long beach on the French side with water sports and beach clubs, about 20–25 minutes by taxi.