St. Martin is unique because it's an island ruled by two separate governments, the Dutch and the French. Your ship will dock in Philipsburg which is on the southern (Dutch) side of the island.

You can take a cab or a bus to Marigot, the French capital on the north side of the island and it's well worth the trip. Beside the obvious gourmet food delights, the shopping there is amazing, especially if you're in the market for some fine French wines, imported jewelry or watches, or some Paris fashion originals. The ride to marigot and back can be a bit unnerving if you aren't a diehard adventurer. There are cliffs without guard rails and the cabbies don't spare the horsepower. They know the roads, however, so not to worry.... much.

Don't spend all your money in Marigot because Philipsburg has some great shopping as well and is much more geared to the souvenir trade where Marigot is more for expensive or large ticket items. If you're a smoker, St. Martin is the place to buy name brand cigarettes. Marlboro, Winston, Camel, etc. are all about $8 a carton!! Philipsburg has several small casinos but you won't find live table games like blackjack, craps, or roulette, just slots and video poker mostly.

Like most of the Caribbean ports, water sports are the order of they day with snorkling, scuba diving, parasailing, or just sunning yourself on a warm tropical beach with a margarita in hand. Oh yeah, and then there's the nude beach. Without being overly graphic, suffice it to say that you may see more than you want to see because everyone is not built like a supermodel ('nuff said).

The people are friendly, activities plentiful, shopping and dining superb, and the climate is great so you'll have a wonderful stay in St. Martin.