Philipsburg St Maarten (Netherlands Antilles)

Philipsburg is a port town and the capital of Sint Maarten - an island country in the Dutch Antilles, one of The Netherlands' overseas territories. The island is approx 300 km (190 mi) east of Puerto Rico (USA). Port Philipsburg (locode ANPHI) is the country's principal port and largest city, with population around 2,000.

Since 1648, St Maarten it is divided 60 / 40 between France (northern part, 53 km2 / 20 mi2) and Holland (southern part, 34 km2 / 13 mi2). On the French part (Saint Martin) is Marigot. The island was discovered by the Europeans in the late-15th-century (first sighted in November 1493 by Christopher Columbus). Philipsburg was established in 1763 by John Philips (Scottish Captain serving in the Dutch Navy) and soon became a major port and center of international shipping trade. From that time are two historic fortifications guarding the port town - Fort Amsterdam and Fort Willem (to the north).

Philipsburg (population around 2,000) is located on a narrow stretch of land between the Great Salt Pond and Great Bay. It functions as a commercial center of Saint Martin Island, whereof St Maarten encompasses the southern half. St Maarten Island has total area 34 km2 (13 mi2) and is one of the Dutch islands in the Lesser Antilles archipelago - together with Saba Island and Sint Eustatius. The other "Dutch Antilles" islands are in the Leeward Antilles - the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao).

In December 2016, four Celebrity Cruises ships (Eclipse, Equinox, Reflection, Summit) docked here. As part of the Christmas-New Year holidays was offered a Demi Lovato live concert performance, which was also televised.

On October 11, 2018, the port had a double celebration as it welcomed the maiden call of Carnival Horizon (berthed at Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facility) as well as cruise port's 1 millionth passenger (since January 2018). The lucky couple (Cheryl and Timothy Franklin) was actually welcomed in mid-September, but the ceremony was postponed due to Hurricane Isaac. As presents, they received gift certificates and tokens, including a complimentary 3-night hotel stay (at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort), return flight tickets (by Winair), two Carnival Cruise Line tickets (purchased by Port St Maarten), plus VIP tour of the isle, lunch at Yvette's Restaurant, visit to Rain Forest Adventure Park.

Following the COVID crisis, in June-August 2021, for the first time, Celebrity Cruises homeported here a ship (Celebrity Millennium) for 7-night roundtrips from Sint Maarten (Philipsburg) to Oranjestad Aruba-Willemstad Curacao-Bridgetown Barbados (itinerary1) and Road Town Tortola BVI-Castries St Lucia-Barbados (itinerary2).

Philipsburg St Maarten cruise terminal