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Discover St. Maarten Dutch & French

As soon as you depart the harbor you'll start to enjoy the charm and scenery of this dual personality island which has been flying the flags of both Holland and France since 1648. You'll drive from Phillipsburg, the Dutch capital, past the Great Salt Pond and through the countryside. The tour then continues past the Border Monument indicating arrival at the French side, into the district of Orleans. Sightseeing continues through several quaint towns and fishing villages, including Grand Case known for its lovely beaches and exquisite restaurants, then across the north side of the island for a short stop at Marigot, the French capital, where you'll observe a truly European atmosphere as you browse its waterside open-air markets, quaint shops, boutiques and sidewalk cafes. After your brief sojourn in Marigot you'll return to the Dutch side and a truly spectacular view of Simpson Bay as you drive over Cole Bay Hill. Note: Participants must be able to manage three steps into and out of the bus. Wheelchair access may be limited - for details, please consult your Shore Excursion staff before booking. On public holidays all stores and shops will be closed in Marigot.
Average:
2.4 out of 5
2.4
 out of 
5
(5 Reviews) 5
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (5 reviews)
5 stars
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3 of 5(60%)customers would recommend this to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Discover St. Maarten Dutch & French
Review 1 for Discover St. Maarten Dutch & French
Overall: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Historical: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Entertaining: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
dfdpiper
Location:New Hampshire
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:March
Cruise Date Year:2013
Favorite activities:Educational
Favorite port:George Town, Grand Gayman
I want to go here next:Bermuda
Date:April 6, 2013
Not a bad trip at all
If you haven't seen it mentioned, SIT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUS!! This is the side with the best views, although you do go by quickly.
Our guide was friendly & quite entertaining. Very knowledgeable & freely answered questions.
The stop in Marigot, although short, was very nice. It is a beautiful area.
While you might think that your are driven through poverty-stricken areas, remember: these buildings are built from whatever materials can be shipped in & made to withstand hurricanes. They don't care so much what they look like, just that they will be there after a storm!
Great overall tour of the island in general, with views of every facet of life on this beautiful island.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Discover St. Maarten Dutch & French
Overall: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Historical: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Cultural: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Entertaining: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Alreadytaken
Location:Massachusetts
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:January
I want to go here next:Bermuda
Date:January 28, 2013
OK ... not great
As a first time cruiser in Jan 2013, we took this tour for a quick overview of the island. Short easy walk from the pier to the clean, air conditioned bus. Sit on the left side of the bus. The left has the views.
The bus travels through many ramshackle residential areas between scenic spots. There is a one hour stop in Marigot, but not enough time to really browse the shops. Our tour guide was friendly, but seemed to have a fixation with pointing out fast food shops.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Discover St. Maarten Dutch & French
Overall: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Historical: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Cultural: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Entertaining: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
captnwacko
Date:December 17, 2012
Good for seeing both sides
This wasn't bad. Sit on the left side of the bus.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Discover St. Maarten Dutch & French
Overall: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Historical: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Cultural: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Entertaining: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
mnrbarb
Location:Albuquerque
Party size:1
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:March
Date:April 24, 2012
Best of Island?
Perhaps it's because we arrived on Easter. The tour guide did very quick hit and miss history with no stops except at the flea market for shopping. We were driven along a short route as a tour with the country markers pointed out. If this was the best, I am deeply disappointed!
29 of 29 people found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Discover St. Maarten Dutch & French
Overall: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Historical: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Cultural: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Entertaining: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Rollan
Location:South Carolina
Party size:2
I traveled with:Family
Cruise Date Month:January
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Educational
I want to go here next:Panama Canal
Date:February 6, 2012
Not really worth the money.
The most exciting part of this trip was trying to hang on for dear life to keep from falling out of the open air truck. The mountainous terrain is something to see, but the general appearance of most of the tour is very poor and run-down housing, animals in the yards and abandoned wrecked automobiles along the roads.. There were just a few historical facts given, but then again, there isn't much history to be learned about this location. I would not recommend this tour. P.S. We took this tour in Jan 2012 but this was not an option to select.
33 of 35 people found this review helpful.