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St. Thomas vs St. Maarten

Two cruise ports, side by side, from our port guides' data. Data last checked: Oct 2026

The short answer

Both are rated Easy for exploring on your own.
Walk to town or the main sights: St. Maarten about 25 minutes on foot; for St. Thomas our guide gives no walking time (see "Getting to town" below).
Getting ashore: ships dock at both.

St. Thomas

📍 U.S. Virgin Islands

Easy

St. Maarten

📍 Sint Maarten (Dutch side)

Easy

Side by side

	St. Thomas	St. Maarten
Explore-on-your-own rating	Easy	Easy
Country	U.S. Virgin Islands	Sint Maarten (Dutch side)
Dock or tender	Dock	Dock
Where ships dock	Havensight (also called WICO / West Indian Company dock), east of downtown Crown Bay, west of downtown	Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility, Philipsburg
Getting to town	Charlotte Amalie downtown is about 1.5–2 miles from either dock, roughly 8–12 minutes by open-air shared "safari" taxi.	Philipsburg's Front Street and Great Bay Beach are about a 15–25 minute flat walk along the waterfront, or a 5–10 minute water taxi ride to Captain Hodge Wharf.
Getting around	Taxis are unmetered and charge set rates per person. Reported per-person fares to downtown vary by source, roughly $4–$8. Reported fares to Magens Bay are about $12 per person from Havensight and $15 from Crown Bay (for 2+ in the same group). The full rate card should be posted in the taxi.	Walk or take the water taxi (a reported fare is about $7 round trip; check current pricing). Taxis to other beaches charge set rates; agree on the price first.
Beaches	Magens Bay (taxi; entry fee charged) Ferry from Red Hook to St. John's beaches (only if you have plenty of time)	Great Bay Beach (walk or water taxi) Maho Beach and Orient Bay (taxi; farther away)
Top sights	Downtown Charlotte Amalie shopping and historic district Havensight shops next to the WICO dock Yacht Haven Grande	Front Street shopping Philipsburg boardwalk
Back on time	Taxis back to the docks fill up late in the day. Head back at least 60 minutes before all-aboard if you're at a beach.	Check when the last water taxi leaves. Island traffic back from Maho or Orient Bay can be slow, so leave at least 75 minutes before all-aboard.

Fares and times are as reported by the sources on each port page and change often. Always confirm with your cruise line.

Why the ratings differ

St. Thomas: It's a U.S. territory (U.S. dollars, no passport control for U.S. citizens on the island) with plenty of shared taxis.

St. Maarten: You can walk to town and a beach, and the water taxi is easy.

Quick answers

Is St. Thomas or St. Maarten easier to explore on your own?

Both are rated Easy for exploring on your own. It's a U.S. You can walk to town and a beach, and the water taxi is easy.

Do you tender or dock in St. Thomas and St. Maarten?

St. Thomas: Dock. St. Maarten: Dock.

How far is town from the ship in St. Thomas and St. Maarten?

St. Thomas: Charlotte Amalie downtown is about 1.5–2 miles from either dock, roughly 8–12 minutes by open-air shared "safari" taxi. St. Maarten: Philipsburg's Front Street and Great Bay Beach are about a 15–25 minute flat walk along the waterfront, or a 5–10 minute water taxi ride to Captain Hodge Wharf.

When should I head back to the ship?

St. Thomas: Taxis back to the docks fill up late in the day. St. Maarten: Check when the last water taxi leaves.

St. Thomas port guide → St. Maarten port guide → More comparisons