Getting to Saint Martin by Sea

Distances between islands

From the island of Saint Martin to...:

Cruises

Saint Martin, or more precisely its Dutch side with Port St. Maarten, is a classic stop for cruise ships sailing the region. Over 2 million cruise passengers now disembark here each year for a few hours to enjoy the beaches and, above all, the very appealing duty-free shopping at Philipsburg.

By sea

Ferries

Thanks to its geographical position, there are several regular ferry routes connecting nearby islands to Saint Martin. You’ll find routes to and from Anguilla, Saint Barthélemy, and the Caribbean Netherlands (Saba and Sint Eustatius).

Anguilla

There’s only one regular ferry line operating between Marigot (French side) and Blowing Point via the Anguilla Channel. Boats run daily from 7:00 AM until late afternoon, with departures every 45 minutes and a crossing time of 25 minutes. The fare is $20 USD per trip (plus exit taxes each time). Note that there are also plenty of charters and "water taxis" for the crossing between the two islands, including to and from Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side, where the cost is around $50 USD per trip.

Saint Barthélemy

In addition to numerous charter boats and water taxis, there are two regular (small) ferry lines between the two islands: Great Bay Express, with two or three daily crossings between St. Barth and the Dutch side of Saint Martin (40-minute crossing; from 60 € for a round-trip day excursion), and the company Voyager, offering similar frequencies and prices from the French side.

Dutch Caribbean

For Saba, there’s a route with The Saba Ferry or The Edge, with six weekly crossings in total (1.5 hours; around $50–60 USD per trip or $80 USD for a day excursion). For Sint Eustatius, there’s also a connection with "Voyager Ferries" for several weekly services. In all cases, crossings operate to and from the Dutch side of Saint Martin.

Cargo

As with cruises, the bulk of cargo traffic is on the Dutch side, at Port St. Maarten.

Sailboats

Combining both sides of the island, Saint Martin has 10 marinas that can accommodate over 2,000 boats of all sizes.