dukeblue

I am contemplating a day trip to Saba via WinAir, but need some advice. I will be arriving in St Maarten on a cruise ship that is scheduled to arrive at 7 am on a Monday. There is a flight available at 8:30 a.m, returning at 3. My dilemna is how to assess whether or not I will have time to get to the airport and clear security in time to catch the 8:30 flight. I'm figuring a prettty good chance of being off the boat by 7:30, then getting a taxi to the airport, which I understand is 15 minutes away. Is this totally unrealistic? I've read the St Maarten airport has confusing procedures requiring customs clearance in one area, then traveling to the ticket counter, then back though security. I don't want to throw money down the drain if my odds are very low of making the flight. On the other hand, if there's a reasonable 50/50 chance, I don't mind a little gamble. There is no other option for a later flight on that morning. Ferry service is also not available that morning. Any advice on whether I should attempt this?

Statia

You would have to check in at 7:30 a.m. for the 8:30 WinAir departure. You would never be able to make it in the morning rush hour if your ship arrives at 7 a.m. I would guess it would take you about a half hour or more to reach the airport from Phillipsburg at that time of day, which means you would reach SXM at 8:00 a.m.

Also, even if you are scheduled to depart Saba at 3 p.m, that doesn't necessarily mean you will. WinAir flight schedules aren't necessarily known for being on time, especially as the day progresses. Also, if heavy winds begin during the day flights to and from Saba would be cancelled all together. That's not terribly likely this time of year, but one never knows.

Personally, I would only attempt a Saba day trip if I were actually staying on St. Maarten for a few days. Although Saba is one of my favorite islands in this region, is there nothing on St. Maarten/St. Martin that you want to see or do?

Brutforce

The chance of you making it back in time when dealing w/Win-air is virtually nil. I usually allow an extra day going each way just to make sure I make my flights.

dukeblue

Thanks for the information. That's exactly what I needed to know. I've visited St. Maarten/St. Martin probably three times and want to try something different. Last time, I caught the ferry to Anguilla and spent the day at Shoal Bay East. I had no problems doing this while on a cruise since the Anguilla ferry runs many times daily from St. Martin. The hardest part was talking a taxi driver into taking me from the cruise ship area in Phillipsburg to Marigot--go figure. Any thoughts on St. Barths? I am sort of turned off to the whole "rich and famous" scene, for which I could not care any less--I am more into nature. Is St. Barths worth a trip just to do the beaches and drive around or would you stick to St. Maarten/St. Martin? What would you recommend there besides Orient Beach (been there, done that)? Thanks again for the Saba instructions. I'll visit Saba when I have more time.

Statia

I don't know how long it's been since you were on St. Maarten, but Phillipsburg itself has changed quite a bit with recent renovations. There is now a boardwalk with new restaurants, shops, etc.

Marigot is always an option for some shopping and lunch, especially if you are there on a market day.

The Butterfly Farm is always interesting, and sitting on the beach at Calmos Cafe in Grand Case is probably my personal favorite way to spend an afternoon. Mullet Bay is also a nice beach.

There is also Sunset Beach Bar and it's vicinity at Maho where you can eat, chat up the expats and tourists, drink and watch the planes come in (it's pretty neat to be mere yards away from a jumbo jet as it lands over the beach), as well as walk easily to some other parts of Maho for dining, shopping, etc. The main time frame for incoming flights on the larger planes at Sunset Beach Bar is between 1 and 3 p.m.

There are a lot more options for St. Maarten/St. Martin, but those are just a few suggestions. You could also rent a car and explore the island on your own.

With regards to going to St. Barth's for the day you are honestly in the same situation as Saba, in my opinion. Possible flight delays and the chance of not making it back to the ship in time.

bajangirl

You could always use a private charter to get to Saba. Dawn II and The Edge offer private, as do most of the motor cruisers.