Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
We just arrived at St. Marteen.
Philipsburg, St. Maarten, is known for being the capital of the Dutch side of the dual-nation island, a major cruise port, and a duty-free shopping hub on Front Street. The capital’s layout features a more tourist-focused Front Street and a local Back Street, divided by the Broadwalk along Great Bay. The town was founded in 1763 by John Philips to centralize trade and still features the 1793 courthouse, a prominent landmark that also appears on the country’s flag.
The folks on the bridge were busy as they planned to back into the docks ahead; it made for a quick escape later in the day.
We arrived right on time.
The weather was perfect, not a wave on the water! We love our portable hotel! We did not see any sea turtles this morning, but we did watch a Celebrity Ship pull in next to us.
Another beautiful island!
We had a long walk from our ship to the bus, and the wind kept things cool. Since I was using a cane, the tour leader put us up front so we wouldn’t be left behind.
We walked to the awaiting bus.
The welcome site was just outside the terminal area, adjacent to all the shopping areas. We landed on the Dutch side, so there were numerous diamond stores.
St. Maarten’s diamond store culture thrives due to its duty-free status, which makes luxury jewelry and watches significantly cheaper than in the US. Many businesses are family-owned and have a long-standing presence, such as Joe’s Jewelry (established 1980) and Caribbean Gems (established 1983), fostering a reputation for trust and high-quality service alongside competitive pricing and unique, custom
WELCOME!
The bus ride took 12 minutes to cross the Dutch-French border. As you can see, we did NOT walk!
We crossed the border into France with ease. The islanders have made the separation pain-free.
Passing the Dutch/French border.
Now we went off-roading and got bounced around pretty well! Orient Beach has a nude beach area. Orient Bay is St. Martin’s famous “St. Tropez of the Caribbean” beach, known for its upscale restaurants, vibrant atmosphere, and a clothing-optional section.
We took a dirt road to the beach.
The beach was beautiful! There were some rain squalls in the distance, but they did NOT come our direction. We spend about three hours at the beach before heading to the nearby restaurant.
We have arrived!
Everyone went to the water, and they swam out to the float.
Everyone went into the water except me; I watched our belongings
While everybody was in the water, I strolled down a bit to the clothes-optional area and attempted to join in the fun. I was incensed, despite their seeming friendliness. They kept pointing at me and saying, “Hi, Shorty!”
I gathered my thong and headed back to our chairs, and watched everyone in the water.
The restaurant was right on the beach. We got out of the water a little early and went for a drink before lunch!
Time for lunch!
They had some interesting drinks, and we tried some of them. Mark was partial to the lemonade drink! I vaguely remember drinking a “Pain Killer”. Mary behaved and had a Chardonnay.
Slurp, burp, giggle!
We laughed and giggled for another two hours, telling stories about those things that never happened.
The Thinker.
We gave Colleen a bad time about last night, but as usual, she took the teasing well. I am so proud of her. Even her brother, Jon, was proud! (Inside joke but funny!!)
She survived.
The restaurant had a photo shoot spot, and we took advantage of it!
Well, hello there litte lady!
I took a look at the ropes, remembered my pre-cruise weight, and decided not to tempt fate.
“No matter what they say, I am innocent!”
Lunch arrived right on time. Mary went for the Mahi-Mahi, and I did the chicken and ribs! The food was quite good!
Island special, chicken and ribs!
We took the bus back to the dock. Mary and I went ahead while the kids shopped, looking for that once-in-a-lifetime buy!
Back to the ship from whence we came!
The wind was still blowing, so it was a pleasant walk. We found ourselves zooming to the 9th floor and into the adult-only pool area, where we imbibed in a “pre-name adult beverage”.
Only a few more steps!
We took a nap after a long, hot day! Jon made a reservation for 6:00 pm at Izumi, a Japanese specialty restaurant. We had a fantastic meal complete with a lot of sake!
Izumi is Royal Caribbean’s premier Japanese specialty restaurant, known for its sushi, izakaya-style dishes, and teppanyaki. It debuted in 2009 on Freedom of the Seas and has since expanded across the fleet, becoming a very popular dining choice. The restaurant offers a variety of options, including à la carte sushi, a fixed-price menu with multiple courses, and teppanyaki tableside cooking.
We were on the 11th floor aft!
We wore out matching Hawaiian-themed outfits this evening. BTW, we still have people stopping us and remarking about our formal attire two nights ago! We are getting a serious rep!
Yes, we had fun!!!
Sarah acquired a new dress on our adventure, and it was beautiful!
We had a lot of excellent Japanese dishes!
After dinner, we went to the Schooner for a quick drink before meeting with the kids on the pool deck. We all smoked a small cigar and watched “How To Train Your Dragon”. All of us were dragging, so by 10:00 pm, we had all retired to our rooms. Good night, all!
