News

PHILIPSBURG--Based on a request from Labour Minister Emil Lee, the management of Rainforest Adventures is willing to make their customer service training programmes available to residents, even if they will not be employed at the facility. Speaking to reporters at the weekly Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, Lee said the feedback he had received from Rainforest Adventures regarding its recently held job fair was positive. Management reported a good turnout and indicated that almo...

PHILIPSBURG--A family of five out of Miami, Florida, were selected as the millionth cruise passenger milestone for 2017, which is also the sixteenth annual one-million milestone for the destination, at Port St. Maarten on Tuesday morning. The destination surpasses the one-million cruise passenger mark, which signifies the growth of the country’s cruise sector over the years, during June and July. The Barril family, on their first cruise visit to the destination on board Harmony of the Seas, w...

SENTRY HILL--Rockland Estate Park, home of St. Maarten’s new chairlift and zip line adventure, will be opened to residents year round and not only on non-cruise ship days.   The adventure park’s information bulletin had indicated residents would only have access on days cruise ships were not in port, but management said on Thursday this was not the case and residents were always welcome throughout the year.   The entrance price in high season will be the same as paid by cruise ship passenger...

AIRPORT--Without exaggeration, the upcoming Caribbean Aviation Meetup in St. Maarten June 13-15 may be called the most significant and largest airlift conference ever held in the Caribbean. The numbers speak for themselves; thirty highly qualified professionals making thirty presentations spread over three days.

PHILIPSBURG--Fete season will officially kick off with the annual Opening Jump-Up on Easter Monday starting at 8:00pm. However, Carnival Village will be open from the afternoon with several booths opening that plan to cater to those who have missed Village lunch hours. St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) President Alston Lourens, Treasurer Michael Granger and other members were seen moving into SCDF’s office in the Village on Thursday. Carnival passes for booth-holders are ava...

PHILIPSBURG--TripAdvisor announced this week that St. Maarten/St. Martin has achieved the number two position as a Caribbean destination, and 19th spot worldwide. The sharp increase was the result of a shared St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) campaign that started in 2016.

The SXM Music Festival is an International electronic music festival set to unfold March 15-19, 2017, on the stunning island of St Martin/St Maarten. Journalists & guests will be joining us worldwide. We look very forward to seeing you & your friends at this extraordinary global event

PHILIPSBURG-- St. Maarten has been named the number four destination that the rich like to trip to in the Caribbean in a recent article published online on Bloomberg.com. The photo essay says of St. Maarten: “Food is also a draw to this bifurcated slice of paradise … (Mind-bogglingly beautiful beaches and green-hilled vistas certainly help, too.) There's also the unique, curiosity-inspiring geographical setup. In a rare example of two countries behaving like adults, the borderless French and ...

SIMPSON BAY--The line-up for the 2017 St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is steadily being filled with top musical acts. Saturday, March 4, will feature top reggae sensation Collie Buddz as the final performance of the evening on Kim Sha Beach in Simpson Bay. This will be the first time Buddz has performed for the Regatta and organisers are certain he will fit in well with the list of artistes scheduled to perform. He began his musical career at an early age while growing up in the Bahamas where he ...

POINTE BLANCHE--Port St. Maarten has been voted the best cruise port in the Caribbean in 2016 by readers of Cruise Fever out of ten Caribbean ports of call. This is the third consecutive year Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities has captured this Annual Cruise Fever Fan Award. More than 10,000 ballots were cast in the 2016 awards. The destination received 1,668,863 cruise passengers in 602 vessel calls for 2016. Arrivals are down from 2015 when the destination received 1,901,617 from 68...