Do cruise ships stop in St. Martin?

On the French side, Galisbay Port is located near Marigot. On the Dutch side, the St-Maarten Port Authority is Pointe Blanche, near Philipsburg. Every year, around 2 million cruise passengers come through the two ports of St. Martin.



Yes, St. Martin (and its Dutch side, St. Maarten) remains one of the busiest and most popular cruise ports in the Caribbean in 2026. Almost every major cruise line—including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, and Norwegian—features the Port of Philipsburg on their Eastern Caribbean itineraries. The port is capable of hosting the world's largest "mega-ships," such as the Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, which can dock simultaneously at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities. When a ship stops here, passengers have the unique opportunity to explore two distinct cultures on one small island: the French side (St. Martin) known for its gourmet dining and "clothing-optional" beaches like Orient Bay, and the Dutch side (St. Maarten) famous for its duty-free shopping and the thrilling Maho Beach, where planes fly directly over sunbathers. Because it is a "deep-water" port, ships can dock directly at the pier, meaning passengers can simply walk off the ship into the "Harbour Point Village" without needing a tender boat, making it one of the most accessible and high-value stops in any 2026 Caribbean sailing.

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All major cruiseliners in the world visit the St Maarten Cruise port, like Royal Caribbean Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Disney, MSC, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian, Windstar and many more.

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For most people, taking a cruise is simple. You hop on from a cruise port in the U.S., sail on the trip, and then return to the cruise port where you embarked. It's easy and convenient. These cruises that begin and end in the same port are called “closed-looped” cruises.

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The Western Caribbean consists of destinations due south of Florida, as well as ports in Mexico and Central America. You can visit Mexico (Cozumel, Costa Maya, Progreso), Belize, Honduras, Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Cuba.

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The island's weather is pleasant year-round, but these are times when rain showers are less likely. Summer and early fall are not good for a vacation; many hotels close in this offseason and there's a chance of hurricanes. Also avoid visiting in winter and early spring (mid-December to April) if you can.

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See our dedicated what to do with kids on St Maarten page for the best beaches and activities for our junior visitors! ? CAN YOU WALK AROUND ST. MAARTEN ? St Maarten is a compact island allowing, in theory, to walk around the entire island within a day.

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Cruise ships to St Maarten Island dock at Port Philipsburg - located on the island's southern coast. The port is managed by the Harbour Group of Companies (port authority). The port has two cruise ship piers.

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The Ultimate World Cruise, which the company is billing as the “longest and most comprehensive world cruise out there”, will sail from Miami in December 2023 and make stops in 65 countries across all seven continents before ending in September 2024.

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What is the best time of year to go to the Caribbean? December through April is the peak season for Caribbean cruising. During this time, you'll experience the best weather and some of the most entertaining holidays and festivals.

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The Ultimate World Cruise is a never-before-offered Royal Caribbean adventure that takes you on a 274-night journey around the world from December 10, 2023 – September 10, 2024. The adventure begins and ends in Miami, Florida, visiting all 7 continents, 65 countries, over 150 ports of call and 11 World Wonders.

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Disembarking at the end of a cruise is a bit more complicated, this can take a few hours, depending on the cruise size. At the end of your trip, you will need to take care of paying the bill for purchases made on board, checking out your room and, in some cases, passing through customs and immigration.

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Most cruises beginning and ending in the same location are considered closed-loop, meaning they begin and end at the same port in the United States and travel within the Western Hemisphere.

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Photo by Heather Shevlin/Unsplash. A closed-loop cruise is a cruise that departs from and returns to the same U.S. port and remains in the Western Hemisphere. As such, it does not require the passengers to have a U.S. passport—even if the itinerary visits some international ports along the way.

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CBP officials told the line that in order to operate cruises to nowhere, they must “employ persons legally authorized to work in the United States, since such cruises did not touch a foreign port.” As all major U.S.-based cruise lines employ mostly foreign crew, the decision applied to them as well.

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Money makers on the ship are drinks, casino, and shops - they need that income. The costs of staying in port are very high between fees, dock rental and employees who come with that, security, taxes, etc. Many ports don't have enough cruise ship docks to have some come in an stay a few days either.

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In other Caribbean countries, there may be concerns about the nighttime noise level coming from the cruise ships. At the end of the day, the reason why cruise ships almost never stay in port overnight is because most passengers don't seem to mind spending nights at sea.

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