St Maarten Shore Excursion: Snorkeling and Speed Boat Tour

St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles

When your cruise ship docks in St Maarten, spend your time exploring its top snorkel sites. Your 6-hour shore excursion takes you by speedboat on a sightseeing tour around this island paradise. Snorkel in the marine reserves of Creole Rock, located in Grand Case Bay, and uninhabited Tintamarre Island – a great place to spot sea turtles! Head to Pinel Island for a beachside lunch, and enjoy soda and beer from the onboard open bar. Receive personal attention from your guide on this small-group speedboat tour, limited to 11 people.

Worry-free Shore Excursion:
We will ensure your excursion ends with ample time for you to return to the St Maarten port for your ship’s departure. In the extremely unlikely event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.

USD $119.00

Traveler Reviews

Review by:   Noreen L,    July 2018
Awesome excursion.

Review by:   Chad W,    April 2018
4-4-18. The tour was fantastic, boats are amazing and the captain was super fun! 5 stars! Highly recommend! Wear lots of sunscreen!!

Review by:   flavia p,    April 2018
This Excursion was the best one we had during our Cruise. The two French captains were very nice and professional. They took us to beautiful beaches and landmarks. The speed boat was comfortable and fast. Despite the consequences of Hurricane Irma, which is still very visible, its worth going to St Maarten. We had to swim to the beach where the restaurant was so this may be a problem for some people, as the pier was still in bad shape. Overall, I recommend this excursion.

Review by:   Dianne J,    September 2017
August 22, 2017

Review by:   Diane H,    August 2017
It was one of the best days spent in st martin. The day was a little windy but our captain Redek told us he would keep us safe and take us to the best places! The boat ride was so smooth, don't be afraid of windy weather at all! Our captain redek was so nice and informative, we were with my 2 kids 17 and 15. He even let them steer the boat for a bit, my son was thrilled! Snorkel and jumping off the boat was so fun, the water was beautiful.. all the friends we meet on the boat were awesome. It was like we all were on this fun vacation together. I can't say enough great stuff about our day on this beautiful boat and amazing captain. Thank you Redek for a great day we will always remember.

Review by:   Jodie P,    July 2017
We have done a number of cruises in the Caribbean and Europe and this was hands down THE best shore tour we have ever done. Super fun with a mix of speed thrills and natural beauty. Our 10 year old son had a blast at the front of the boat going over the waves. The lunch was yummy and the waters were crystal clear for swimming and snorkelling. I would recommend this for anyone that seeks adventure. Not for the faint hearted. Thanks for a brilliant day!

Review by:   Laura K,    May 2017
Amazing island adventure.. Plan on being on a boat on the ocean.. This is not a catamaran ride.. Its a speedboat! we enjoyed ourself immensely! but some of the people we were with acted like they shouldnt go fast or get wet.. well Read the description! you see lots of beautiful things and is an awesome experience! But it isnt a sailboat ride lol!! Be prepared to have fun!! A One of the best things I ve ever done off of the cruise ships!!

Review by:   Laura D,    May 2017
Amazing island adventure.. Plan on being on a boat on the ocean.. This is not a catamaran ride.. Its a speedboat! we enjoyed ourself immensely! but some of the people we were with acted like they shouldnt go fast or get wet.. well Read the description! you see lots of beautiful things and is an awesome experience! But it isnt a sailboat ride lol!! Be prepared to have fun!! A One of the best things I ve ever done off of the cruise ships!!

Review by:   lemayfamily92,    April 2017
Worth every penny! It rained the whole time on our Excursion and I would give it six stars if I could. They can and #39;t help the rain, but Joelle and Mike we and #39;re absolutely fantastic, extremely knowledgeable, and professional. Every stop had a little something to offer. Thanks boys!

Review by:   Lee C,    March 2017
Our Speed Boat tour started with complete honesty, the weather was questionable, we were warned and offered a full refund if we chose to cancel. Several people opted for the refund, my wife and I joined 8 others for a most wonderful experience. The boat, scenery, snorkeling and lunch on the beach all exceeded any expectations. The boat captain was very knowledgeable and helpful. _br/_ Not only would we highly recommend this tour to others, we will book another one with the same group when we return to St Maarten. _br/_ OUTSTANDING SHORE EXCURSION _br/_ Lee_br/_ South Carolina

Review by:   kcarrigan26,    February 2017
Fantastic tour! The boat was well maintained and spacious thanks to a no-show group of 7. The marina is an easy 10 minute walk from the port and Mike and Bob were waiting to greet us. Our captains Adrian and Joel were terrific. We weren't able to visit all the usual spots on the tour due to rough seas, but we didn't feel like we missed out on anything. Lunch at Caribbean Grill was the best food we had all week. They had us back to the marina in plenty of time for another leisurely 10 minute stroll back to the ship. We are already looking forward to planning another visit to St. Maarten and would book this tour again in a heartbeat.

Review by:   Wayne M,    February 2017
This trip is amazing ,I would highly recommend to everyone ,The directions and efficiency of the whole outfit is very well put together .Adrian and Joell where so funny and entertaining ,Great music as well .The Lunch was delicious and fast .The only thing I would say was disappointing is we ran out of Beer Idont think they were prepared for a few drinkers on board . However that been said I would definitely go again .Thank you so much for such an amazing adventure

Review by:   mauroboccuni,    January 2017
Very recommended tour. The captain of the speed boat was the best we could have!

Review by:   Charles W,    December 2016
Fantastic tour. great snorkeling. great lunch

Review by:   Gregory J,    November 2016
excellent tour.. Speed boat, the french side.. no more said! snorkeling, lunch on a beautiful beach restaurant, Beer, a cruise around the island we also get to see the large planes land and take off almost on the beach. Its by far my favorite island!

Review by:   Mark T,    September 2016
Great day on the water! Our Captain Yanis made the trip both fun and informative. The snorkeling was great and the lunch in Grand Case was excellent!!

Review by:   kristy.baron.il,    September 2016
This tour was absolutely FANTASTIC! We were on a cruise and booked this through Viator and had a great experience. The crew made sure we had more then enough time to get back to our ship at the end of the day. At the first snorkel spot we saw lots of beautiful fish and three sea turtles! That alone was an amazing experience - our captain was looking for the turtles and then would tell us from the boat where to swim and find them. All the snorkeling spots were great, we saw awesome reefs and get in a few schools of needle fish which was very cool. Lunch was great we all loved the food order a guavaberry coloda - its at the bar and it's extra but so worth it. We went by the famous airport and that was pretty neat, The last swimming sport we went to at the lagoon was by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! Amazing - we all had a great time!

Review by:   Lee M,    July 2016
WONDERFUL experience. Captain Roderick was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the day. We traveled to the best snorkel spots, ate lunch at a wonderful local place in Grand Case, and got to see many different things only accessible by boat. Well worth the money, we will be doing this again!

Review by:   Beman P,    July 2016
great time the guide was full of life funny really gel'd with our whole group very observant to everyones needs its always good to see that the person in charge loves what they do and wants all around to have a good time as well

Review by:   simone v b b,    July 2016
I recommend this tour. The places we visited are very beautiful and the tour is very well organized.

Review by:   patandstace,    June 2016
We are a family with four boys ages 18,12,11, and 9 years old. We have traveled extensively as a family and this excursion was one of our favorites. We left our cruise ship in the morning to meet at the dock 10 minute walk. The company was organized and ready to leave once all the guests had arrived. Our boat had 13 passengers plus our captain, Jim, and it was an open bow boat that was comfortable and fast. We left before our scheduled departure time and had a tour of St. Maarten on the way to snorkeling. We then snorkeled with turtles and rays, went to a small island, Pinel Island, and had a close up experience with some iguanas friendly, and then left for another snorkel destination which had more reef and tropical fish. The snorkeling was very good at each location. After this, we had a wonderful lunch in an uncrowded part of the island at a quaint restaurant. Following lunch, we had another boat ride fast to the airport to watch the planes land and take-off up close. We finally returned back to the dock where we departed for our ship on time. This was an active trip with part of the adventure traveling to the different destinations at fast speeds in smooth water and other times in waves. Captain Jim was friendly, professional, and attentive to the different needs of the group members. Drinks for the day were included and easily accessible. Underwater cameras e.g. GoPro were used by several in our group and were great, especially with the turtles. One of our cameras was left behind on the boat. We emailed the staff from the cruise ship and Captain Mike promptly located it and replied via email, much to the relief of our son who left it on the boat. They are sending it to our home for us. We have lost several items on vacations and have rarely experienced this level of customer service. The whole day was a wonderful experience and one that we will cherish.

Review by:   Alisha K,    May 2016
Just as expected. Our boat captain was great, we had a beautiful day and were able to go around the entire island of St Martin.

Review by:   Richard S,    April 2016
The pier is a short walk from the cruise ship terminal, about 15 minutes. Our Captain of the boat was Redek. Our trip had 14 people and it was not crowded, there were seats for everyone. Redek was very polite and explained many of the sites that we had passed and stopped at. First we cruised through the Dutch and French marinas viewing many luxury yachts on our way to the first snorkeling spot and sea turtle sanctuary. The beach was beautiful if you wanted to sunbath and turtles could be seen from the boat and in the water feeding. Rays could also be spotted but no tropical fish because this is not a coral reef. This spot becomes very busy with other boats and visitors so you will not be alone. Masks, fins and noodles are provided. The included lunch stop is at a beautiful beach for swimming, lounge chairs are available. The restaurant/bar is run by locals and the is food is pretty good. The second snorkeling spot has some tropical fish but not an over abundance. Our last swimming spot was another beautiful beach near an expensive resort. On the way back to the pier you see many mulit-million dollar homes and view aircraft landing over the beach. Enough time was given to swim at all of the stops and there was time left to after to still walk into town before heading back to the ship. The water is clear and warm. This excursion is WORTH the price, DO IT. I would do the same excursion a second time. As with everywhere, tips are encouraged and 5 or 10 isn't too much to give, especially since water, soda and beer are included.

Review by:   Mark G,    December 2015
We had the opportunity to visit both Dutch and French sides during this tour which is really worth the price. The included lunch was also delicious and the snorkelling experience was amazing.

Review by:   kjt,    November 2015
AMAZING : 100 recommend this tour. We arrive on a Carnival ship and it was about a 20 minute walk from the ship to the dock area. The ship time was 1 hour later than the island time - I was a little worried about that, but I had mentioned that we would be on the ship when I booked the tour so I assumed they knew about our time difference, and it turned out to be ok. There was the captain and his mate, and then about 8 of us on board an extremely clean, fast, fun speed boat. WHAT FUN! Boy, the boats go fast and bump along and splash water on you and it felt wonderful on a hot day. The boat ride alone was worth the tour, but then we stopped at about 4 different places, had lunch, and just had the best day with the nicest people on board. A truly wonderful day -- highly recommend this tour!!!!!!

Review by:   James B,    October 2015
Great day, a must do if you love the water! Capt.Mike was a fantastic host.

Review by:   Kristie D,    August 2015
The best excursion we did on our 8 day cruise.

Review by:   filipejba,    June 2015
Very Good_br/_ Be aware that the menina porntu is a little walk from the port

Review by:   RaChelle P,    April 2015
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   beanpole112000,    April 2015
This excursion was well worth the money. Weather was great, guides were awesome, lunch was fantastic, scenery was beautiful and cruising around St. Maarten in a speed boat was incredible. Oh ya, swimming with the sea turtles wasn't so bad either. Thanks guys!

Review by:   Clayton R,    April 2015
Best tour of the islands. Food was great. Captain was very helpful and informative.

Review by:   Katherine N,    March 2015
This excursion was by far my favorite part during my cruise! The boat was really fun. The water wasn't too rough but wasn't too calm either. The boat takes you out to a tiny island where you go snorkeling and see sea turtles and stingrays. The place we went to for lunch was delicious and the drinks at the bar were very strong! After lunch, we went to another snorkeling sight. We saw a few dolphins when we were there! The snorkeling is okay. Definitely not the best but we went on the trip for the boat, not for the snorkeling. After that, we went by the airport and saw planes fly directly over us which was really cool. Then our guide, Matt, took some of us cliff diving and that was amazing! Matt was also a great guide and made the tour even better. Overall it was a great experience and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to explore St Maarten!!

Review by:   babethjs,    February 2015
What a day! Thanks to our captain for all his expertise, and special attention._br/_ We will strongly recommend this tour. Quite refreshing to see good value for our money and a great time at that!

Review by:   irenetpete,    January 2015
Excellent tour, great guides!! Definitely would recommend, beautiful waters, a great boat and lunch. Go on this tour, you will not be disappointd!!

Review by:   Meredith H,    December 2014
So informational, the captain was very friendly and kind, also very professional. We had a blast and saw the most beautiful waters, islands, turtles and lizards. It was magical, and the lunch was one of the best meals of my entire 7 day trip. Worth every penny.

Review by:   Robert W,    December 2014
The captain was very informative about the island, very professional, attentive and helpful_br/_ The 2 "Snorkal spots" were beautiful and had alot of sea turtles or fish to see_br/_ The 2 "swim/beach spots" had soft sand and crystal clear water one even had iguanas of all sizes to see_br/_ the beach side restaurant for lunch (fish,chicken,or rib dinner) was delicious, and definitely try the desperado beer or the guava-colada

Review by:   Ciara R,    October 2014
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Ciara R,    October 2014
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Ciara R,    October 2014
This tour was amazing!

Review by:   Tessa Y,    September 2014
This tour was very well put together. The ocean was gorgeous, and the captain was great. The places we were taken to were lovely, even if the snorkeling spots were a bit busy. Just remember to bring a high SPF sunscreen (30 SPF was NOT enough) and apply it twice as often as you think you need to!

Review by:   Laura W,    July 2014
Worth every penny! Sam and Lisa were the best ever captain and guide. They were very knowledgable,friendly,and fun! The speed boat was fabulous and all the sites were great. Loved everything about this excursion and if we go back will definately do again. Don't miss this one.

Review by:   Robert G,    June 2014
Excellent tour. Skipper of speed boat was a very nice young man who gave us a great tour! Beautiful water and beaches. We saw turtles and dolphins. I would do the tour again and rate it an A plus!!!!!

Review by:   Wendy M,    May 2014
What a great excursion! May is the off-season, but they still showed us a great time. We saw sea turtles, lots of fish and even some dolphins that were swimming around our boat. We even got lucky enough to see a plane landing on Maho beach on our way back to the pier! Fabulous! The lunch provided was fantastic!

Review by:   David L,    April 2014
Excellent Service and a clean boat. A great day on the water! Highly recommend this trip to all because of the service provided. Dave Lambers, Nashville, TN

Review by:   Lisa K,    March 2014
Fantastic day, loved it.

Review by:   Catherine C,    March 2014
For the Adventurous...dont go if you are scared of speedboats and waves. My Little ones screamed,' the captain is trying to kill us" and my big kids and adults laughed and screamed. It was an unusually rough day, so I'm told ,and the captain was actually an awesome driver to be able to get us over those waves.The places he took us to were gorgeous and magnificent and as scary as the ride was, I would do it again!We will remember that ride forever and bonded with the beautiful female doctor and her minister husband who shared the ride with my family!!! We laughed and screamed and saw beautiful places! Even the little ones who were scared out of their wits look back at the trip with smiles!....and Captain Mike, thanks for being 'straight-up" with us.You told it like it needed to be told!!!! I wouldnt want to be stuck at rough seas with any other captain!!

Review by:   Simone S,    January 2014
This was an awesome trip. We were able to walk from our cruise ship to the speed boat where we went on a brief tour through the Marina then to open waters (waters were choppy that day which we were warned about but we had a blast!). Went to Creole Rock for some snorkeling then on to a few beaches and a had great lunch (food and drinks were really good) on Pinel Island. A little disappointed that we could not go to see the Sea Turtles because of the waters (we were also told about this before we left). We have been on a lot of cruises and always go on "non-ship" excursions. This by far was one of the best. It was the perfect amount of time (about 6 hours). Sam was great and really catered to us. He read our group 100% and showed us what we were interested in during the tour. It was even timed to see the planes land at the airport without having to wait around forever. I would highly recommend this tour.

Review by:   Justin N,    December 2013
One of the best tours I have ever been on. The speed boat is fun, the snorkeling was good, lunch was tasty and beers and sodas were cold and abundant. I would highly recommend this tour and would do it again in a heat beat.

All Traveler Reviews...