Choosing a St. Maarten catamaran from Philipsburg
A St. Maarten catamaran trip can centre on a long day afloat or leave room for time in Philipsburg. The choice here is between a five-hour sailing outing from Bobby’s Marina, a seven-hour catamaran cruise from Little Bay and a shorter boat-assisted visit to an underwater sculpture park. That last experience is a snorkelling outing rather than a catamaran day. Start with the time available, then compare the meeting point and the equipment included.
Philipsburg gives this comparison a practical focus: one departure is in the city at Bobby’s Marina, while the Little Bay experiences meet at a different location. Arrange the journey to that precise meeting point as part of the day. Cruise passengers should leave space for disembarkation, the outward journey and the return to their ship; the stated activity duration is only part of that calculation.
Boat trips and snorkeling
Choose the snorkel park for its included admission, or compare the boat trips with lunch and equipment. Check the individual departure points before booking.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Boat trip with lunch
- Snorkeling equipment
- Paddleboards and floating mat
- Lunch and beverages
A skipper accompanies the trip; light snacks and a restroom are available on board.
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Catamaran trip with snorkeling
- Snorkeling gear
- On-board open bar
- BBQ lunch
Flotation devices and light snacks are also provided.
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Underwater snorkel park visit
- Snorkel park admission
- Snorkeling gear
- Flotation devices
The boat takes you to the park entrance; refreshments are included.
Check availability →Catamaran days and a shorter snorkel outing
Choose between lunch aboard a catamaran and a shorter sculpture park visit; compare Bobby’s Marina and Little Bay starts.
Catamaran departure from Bobby’s Marina
The five-hour catamaran day starts at Bobby’s Marina, 22H Juancho Yrausquin Boulevard in Philipsburg. A skipper, snorkelling equipment, paddleboards and a floating mat are included, together with lunch, light snacks, water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. There is a restroom on board. Hotel pickup and drop-off and tips are extra.
This combination suits a day built around the boat itself, with lunch and equipment covered by the activity. Keep the marina address with the booking details rather than heading to the cruise terminal simply because both are on the Philipsburg waterfront. For a broader comparison of land and water activities, use the Philipsburg excursions guide.
Catamaran departure from Little Bay
The seven-hour catamaran snorkel cruise meets at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort on Little Bay Road, Philipsburg. It includes the catamaran cruise, snorkelling gear, flotation devices, an on-board open bar, light snacks and a barbecue lunch. Hotel pickup and drop-off and tips are excluded. The longer duration makes this a different commitment from the marina sailing day even though both combine a catamaran and snorkelling.
Choose this format when the boat is the main plan for the day. Avoid trying to add an island circuit simply because its stops appear close on a map. If sightseeing matters more than time afloat, compare the island tours from Philipsburg instead. A clear choice between land and sea is easier to organise than several separate activities with tight connections.
Snorkeling in St. Maarten
The underwater sculpture park adventure lasts one and a half hours and also meets at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort. The boat ride to the park entrance, admission to that underwater snorkel park, snorkelling gear, flotation devices and refreshments are included. Food, tips and transfers to the activity meeting point are excluded. This is the option to consider when the underwater visit matters more than a long sailing day.
Little Bay’s rocky coast near Fort Amsterdam is also described as a destination for snorkel excursions. Keep these locations distinct from Man of War Shoal, the marine park south of Philipsburg: a sculpture park ticket concerns its own attraction. Do not feed, touch, chase or take marine wildlife. The marine park’s 2026 rules also prohibit snorkellers from using its dive moorings, including with a Dive Tag. No animal encounter should be the condition on which the day depends.
Weather and time ashore
Leave room to respond to weather rather than treating a booking as a promise of particular sea conditions. The official Atlantic hurricane season announced for 2026 runs from 1 June to 30 November. Those dates are a seasonal framework rather than a forecast for the chosen sailing day. The weather and travel timing guide explains the seasonal context.
For cruise visitors, compare activity length against the ship’s required return time and allow a traffic buffer. The shore excursions guide covers that decision. Great Bay also hosts sailing experiences on America’s Cup racing yachts, a separate activity from the catamarans compared here; it is useful context rather than another bookable option on this page.
Questions about boat trips
Do the catamarans leave from the same place?
No. The five-hour sailing trip starts at Bobby’s Marina, while the seven-hour catamaran cruise meets at Little Bay. Use the address for the chosen experience.
Which outing includes sculpture park admission?
The one-and-a-half-hour underwater sculpture park adventure includes admission to its snorkel park, a boat ride, equipment, flotation devices and refreshments.
Is hotel pickup included with the sailing days?
Hotel pickup and drop-off are excluded from both catamaran experiences. Allow time to reach the marina or Little Bay separately.