St. Maarten: Full-Day Catamaran Snorkel & Lunch Cruise

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration8h

GroupUp to 28

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two Snorkel Stops, One Catamaran, All Day to Float

You board at Dock Maarten and spend the day on a catamaran with a maximum of 28 passengers, snorkeling at Tintamarre Island and Creole Rock in the French Nature Reserve. Lunch is barbecue-style onboard, the bar stays open all day, and snorkel gear and instruction come with the ticket. You're back at the dock by late afternoon with a champagne toast.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day sailing and snorkeling tour

Board Too Rhum Punch at Dock Maarten
Sail to Tintamarre Island
Snorkel at Tintamarre Island
Sail toward Grand Case
Enjoy French mini baguette sandwiches
Snorkel at Creole Rock
Have aperitif on board
Lunch buffet at Happy Bay or Grand Case beach
Swim and relax on noodles
Sail past Marigot Bay
Relax sailing along the coast
Stop at Long Bay for floating bar and swim
Pass Mullet Bay and watch planes land
Pass Simpson Bay and view mega yachts
Return toward home port
Toast with champagne at St. Maarten Cruise Port

The Experience

The boat's supposed to leave at eight, but the crew is still loading coolers when you arrive at Dock Maarten — and honestly, that's fine. Too Rhum Punch and Quality Time, the two catamarans that run this tour, don't rush. You've got time to settle in, grab a coffee, watch the other passengers board. The maximum group size is 28, which means you're not packed shoulder-to-shoulder with a hundred other people. The crew does a quick safety rundown, hands you snorkel gear, and then you're casting off toward the French Nature Reserve on the other side of the island.

Tintamarre Island comes first — a deserted strip with pink sand that actually lives up to the description. The water is clear enough that you spot turtles without trying, and the reef drops off fast. A crew member stays in the water with you, pointing out where the stingrays hang and which coral to avoid. After maybe an hour in the water, you're back on deck with a French baguette sandwich and your first rum punch. The drink tastes like someone let the island make it — not too sweet, not too strong, just enough to make the sail toward Creole Rock feel like the day is actually yours. The second snorkel stop has more fish variety, smaller coral heads, and fewer turtles, but it's still solid. By the time you're back on the boat, you're ready to eat.

Lunch arrives around one o'clock — barbecue chicken and ribs, island rice, potato salad, a Caesar salad, and Gouda cheese, all served buffet-style while you're anchored in a quiet bay near Happy Bay Beach. The open bar means you can switch from rum punch to beer or a cold drink without thinking about it. Some people jump off the trampoline between courses. Others just lie on the deck with a towel and watch the coast slide by. The afternoon is genuinely low-key — you're sailing back toward Philipsburg, passing Marigot Bay, Baie Rouge, and if you're lucky, you might see a plane landing at Maho Bay as you pass. The crew points out mega yachts anchored in Simpson Bay. By the time you're back at the dock, the captain hands you a glass of champagne and you toast the day with whoever you've been sitting near for the last eight hours.

The whole thing takes a full day — departure and return at Dock Maarten, snorkeling instruction and all equipment included, plus morning snacks and that buffet lunch. Weather can shift the stops around, so the crew might choose a different route if conditions change, but the two main snorkel sites in the French Nature Reserve are the draw, and they're built into the plan. Bring sunscreen and a hat; the boat provides towels and floating devices if you need them.

What’s included

Your day includes snorkel equipment and instruction, an open bar with the signature rum punch plus beer and soft drinks, morning snacks of French baguette sandwiches made onboard, a buffet-style lunch with barbecue chicken and ribs, island rice, potato salad, Caesar salad and Gouda cheese, a crew member assisting you on the reef, floating devices, and a champagne toast when you return to Dock Maarten.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Eagle Tours N.V.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a full-day catamaran experience with two solid snorkel stops, food and drinks handled, and no need to arrange your own boat or timing — the small group size and fixed itinerary are what make a complete island loop possible in one day.