Philipsburg, Saint Martin

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Saint Martin (Caribbean Islands)

When the ship arrived Philipsburg, I am one of the very first to set foot down the cruise jetty, board the water taxi or taxi boat and hit the road. Captain just made it few minutes ahead of me... LOL. Philipsburg is the main town of the Dutch side of the island and a bustling Dutch town in the island of Saint Martin. At approximately 34 to 37 sq. miles, the island is shared by two different nations - France and the Netherlands. Checking on the chart or map, the French division of the island is Saint Martin while the Dutch side is Sint Maarten. But collectively, the island as a whole is more popular to tourists as Saint Martin. Interesting isn't it? The two main towns of the island are Marigot (French side) and Philipsburg (Dutch side). The sunny and clear blue sky of the Caribbean is as notably brilliant

as the friendly and welcoming people of the Caribbean islands.

After leaving Barbados, the ship proceeded to Castries, St. Lucia but I don't have much to say of the port except for an impressive photo of Aida Aura, a cruise ship from Aida Cruises fleet. Just click on the link here to view the photo. Next port was Roadtown, Tortola but I did not went out, instead I made my decision to continue working on the passage planning for the third leg of the ship's world cruise which is South America. I'm already done for the first and second leg ahead of time, so there's no rush. I just didn't feel like going out in Tortola on that very 1st day of the year.

Philipsburg has 2 main roads, Front Street and Back Street, where vast array of signature shops and boutiques are located. Expect to find your designer brands of perfume, jewelry items, bags and luggage, cloth lines among many others right at the shops along these two main thoroughfares and its not just that, you can even get it at surprisingly lesser price compared to reseller shops in the US and Europe. Hankering for the ultimate portable Bose surround and base speakers, wide angle and telephoto lenses for your SLR camera, laptops and computer accessories, iPods and MP3 players, Blackberry and other brands of cellular phones and many other electronic gadgets, well, Philipsburg obviously is the place here in the Caribbean. Just learn and know how to bargain and the Indian guy in the shop for sure will give you a good deal. Best buys in Philipsburg includes guavaberry, a liqueur made from rum and wild local berries. Of course local handicrafts prove to be more clear-cut to remind you of your visit of the island.

I did not care much about shopping since my wallet is emptyLOL All I care about when I left the ship was to take photos and have more lasting and intimate keepsakes of the island. I was not disappointed because I got everything I wanted from the island right into my SLR's 2GB memory card. Most structures in Philipsburg are Caribbean Dutch style. I just came to realized it when from nowhere Amsterdam suddenly flashed into my mind.

To know the island more intimately in just a matter of hours is impossible. So, to be able to share here more information for travelers or would be travelers to the island, I posted here few things I dig out from the island's brochure.

Port to Town Center:
Ships berth at Acwati Pier, about 15 to 30 minutes walk to the town center. Taxi boats are available and are recommended for cruise ship passengers instead of walking.

Currency:
US$ or Antillan Guilders (NAF) on the Dutch side of the island. US$ or Euros on the French side of the island.

Local Time:
-4 Hours from UTC

Shop Opening:
Usually shops open at 9AM to 6 PM, Monday to Saturday and Sunday but only when there is a cruise ship in port. Most major credit cards are widely accepted.

Dress:
Light clothing is a must. Swimwear is only appropriate at the beach. Enjoying the beach in the nude is possible at several locations; topless is the norm in St. Martin.

Food:
The island has many restaurants serving both local and international cuisine.

After 5 days of remarkable navigation in the Caribbean waters and calls to 5 of its many scenic ports, the ship is now heading up back to the wintry Europe. Well, cold as it was when we left the port of Southampton; obviously it will be the same when the ship returns.