Getting ashore
Philipsburg is usually a dock stop.
Most ships dock at Philipsburg, which usually makes the day simpler: walk off the ship, meet your tour, and get back on board without tender queues.
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Cruises from Philipsburg
Philipsburg is a major embarkation gateway with substantial cruise traffic, typically mid-size ships, and departures throughout the year, but concentrated in January, March, and December.
Usually docks
Often busy
Cruises start or end here
Mid-size ships
What to expect in Philipsburg
How much time will you have?
About 9h is typical
Most cruises spend 9h to 10h in Philipsburg, which makes it a solid port day compared with many stops.
How busy does Philipsburg get?
Expect other ships to be in port.
Multiple ships overlap very often (56% of days), with around 5,610 cruise passengers on a typical day.
- Typical day: ~5,600 passengers
- Busy day: 22,450+ passengers
- Multiple ships on 56% of days
When to cruise from Philipsburg
Cruises depart throughout the year, with the busiest season from January, March, and December.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Departures
12
7
11
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
7
Price/night
$593
$480
$645
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—
—
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$1,665
$507
↑
Cheapest
↑
Priciest
Check your date
October 2026
Jump
Better value
Pricier
Sailings
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Where Philipsburg fits into a cruise
Cruises from Philipsburg most commonly head into Eastern Caribbean itineraries, often starting with Saint John's and Basseterre, Saint Kitts .
Commonly arrives from
Philipsburg
Commonly continues to
Who sails here?
Ships visiting Philipsburg typically carry around 2,770 guests, with MSC Opera, MSC World Europa, and Crown Princess calling most often.
Most frequently visiting ships
- 1 MSC Opera 90 calls
- 2 MSC World Europa 44 calls
- 3 Crown Princess 35 calls
- 4 Arvia 33 calls
- 5 MSC Meraviglia 28 calls
- 6 MSC Seaview 28 calls
Next port calls
Oct 31 Explora III
Nov 2 Mein Schiff 1 · Rhapsody of the Seas
Nov 3 Arvia · Regal Princess · Coral Princess · Zuiderdam
Nov 4 Vision of the Seas · Viking Sea · Carnival Magic
Nov 5 Star of the Seas · Azamara Journey