MANY HAPPY RETURNS

No matter how many times you visit, there’s always something new to discover in St. Maarten.

St. Maarten With so many beautiful destinations around the Caribbean, is easily one of cruising’s most popular ports. From natural beauty to unbeatable shopping, the island destination offers fun in the sun no matter what onshore activity you choose.

When Category 5 Hurricane Irma swept through the region in 2017, it left extensive damage to life and infrastructure in its wake. St. Maarten, like many popular ports, wasted no time in its recovery efforts as the community, government, tourism officials, and the cruise industry itself set out to rebuild. St. Maarten was the first destination to jump aboard “The Caribbean Is Open” campaign, a multifaceted initiative to send tourism back to the Caribbean, jointly launched by industry organizations the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Featuring St. Maarten in multiple media sources with traveler testimonials, celebrity support, and backing from destination leaders and travel industry titans, the campaign generated more than 2.1 billion impressions and content reach surpassing 15.6 million.

After just three months, St. Maarten's first cruise ship passengers following the hurricane received a warm steel-pan welcome when Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Sea pulled into the port of Philipsburg on December 6, 2017. At that time, Alexander Gumbs, business development officer for Port St. Maarten Group of Companies, estimated that the port area would be back in early 2018 … and better than ever.

“We’re using the opportunity [following the hurricane] to upgrade the product,” said Gumbs. “We’re seeing this as a reset button.” For example, longtime retailers such as Diamonds International are now renovating their stores for cruise visitors, and new shops with new retailers will be opening. And iconic tours such as the America’s Cup Regatta 12 Metre Challenge will be joined by additional experiences including a new zip line and upgraded island tours.

With the island celebrating 55 years of cruise in 2019, what better time to rediscover St. Maarten and all its glory?