St Maarten catamaran tours compared

What is the best catamaran tour in St Maarten?

The Random Wind day sail: rated 5.0 from 1,874 reviews, the highest score and the most reviews of any boat trip here.

It runs five hours from 10:00 am, with long stops at Mullet Bay and Little Bay, a stand-up paddleboard, a Tarzan swing and a top-shelf open bar. Random Wind emails the meeting point the week before, so check your junk folder. Guests keep naming the crew; one wrote: "Anna, Mel and the crew were so much fun. And let's not forget Queenie the pup."

Our runner-up is the Phoenix, which boards at Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg and slows off Maho Beach for the planes.

How much does a catamaran tour cost in St Maarten?

From $55 for a sunset cruise to $255 for a small-group full day, per adult on Viator; a private boat starts at $1,750 for the group.

Shared full-day sails across the island run about $125 to $160 per adult, so the trips below sit in the normal range. The table runs from the cheapest seat to the whole boat.

West coast, east coast or Anguilla: which route is best?

The west coast for a short, calm day; the east and the French reserve for turtles and reefs; Anguilla for the best sand and the roughest crossing.

• West coast (five hours): Little Bay, a pass by Maho Beach, then Mullet Bay. Easy around a ship, and the water is usually flat.
• East coast and round the island (seven to eight hours): Tintamarre, Pinel and Creole Rock, inside the Réserve Naturelle. More time in the water, a $5 to $6 cash fee.
• Anguilla (eight hours): Prickly Pear and a beach on Anguilla, passport required, $25 cash fee on Cays & Coves.

Pick the west coast if you have never snorkelled. Go east if you have. The full story on the reserve islets is in our Tintamarre guide, and the crossing in the Anguilla day trip guide.

Do St Maarten catamarans actually sail?

Partly. Sailing catamarans usually raise the sails for some of the day and motor the rest; Boomerang is a power catamaran with no sails at all.

Schedules and wind direction decide it. On the Anguilla trip one guest summed it up: "You sail to Prickly Pear for a little over two hours, the return is by motor." Boomerang does not pretend otherwise. It is a two-deck power cat, quicker between stops, and it gets to Creole Rock, Pinel, Tintamarre and Mullet Bay in seven hours. If real sailing matters most, book an evening on the No1SXM trimaran, where the owners sail.

Where is the best snorkelling on a catamaran tour?

At Creole Rock, Tintamarre and the wreck site off Little Bay. Mullet Bay is lovely for swimming but weak for snorkelling.

Off Divi Little Bay, a sunk submarine replica, a helicopter and an aircraft lie in shallow water, with buoys around the site. A Random Wind guest described "Snorkeling to Divi off the shores of Little Bay Beach Resort to see underwater sub & helicopter in crystal blue water". The Spirit of SXM underwater museum, with about 300 sculptures at around 6 m, opened in Little Bay in December 2023, per The Daily Herald.

Mullet Bay is the other stop on most west-coast sails. An Eagle Tours guest was blunt: "Snorkeling at Mullet Bay was poor, nothing to see and poor visibility." Treat it as the swim and float stop.

What is included, and what costs extra?

Lunch, an open bar and snorkel gear are included on every day sail here. Tips are not, and the reserve and Anguilla fees are paid in cash.

• Tips: left out of the price on the listings; 15 to 20 percent is normal on the island, one operator says.
• Reserve fee: $6 per person on the Eco Tour and Boomerang, $5 on Captain Alan's trip.
• Anguilla: $25 cash per person for the government fee on Cays & Coves, plus your passport.
• Towels: not supplied on the Phoenix, Boomerang or Flagship II.
• Parking: $2 an hour at Bobby's Marina.

None of it is hidden, but none of it is in the headline price. Bring small US dollar bills.

Going east? The Eco Tour spends about an hour on Tintamarre, then snorkels Creole Rock, with a barbecue lunch on board.

★ 4.9 585 reviews · 8 hours · from $149

Explore the Eco Tour around the island →

Which catamaran tour is best for families with kids?

The Phoenix and Boomerang: both have paddleboards and floats, and guests report happy kids on board.

A Phoenix family wrote: "We took our kids (5 and 9) and our whole family loved it!" Boomerang lists flotation vests in adult and kids' sizes, and a parent on board said "My 5 year old had the time of her life." On the Phoenix, infants sit on laps. The open bars serve alcohol only from age 18. Skip Anguilla with small children if anyone in the family gets seasick.

When is the best time of year for a catamaran tour?

December to April has the steadiest sailing weather and the busiest boats. Hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November.

The sea is warm all year: about 26 °C in February and March and 29 °C in September. NOAA puts most hurricane activity between mid-August and mid-October. In winter, north swells can make the north coast and the Anguilla channel rolly, and boats then stay on the sheltered west side. Book with a full refund up to 24 hours before, then watch the forecast.

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