Allure Cruise: St. Maarten

Allure Cruise, Day 5, St. Maarten

Thursday, December 1, 2011

I love Philipsburg, the downtown area on the Dutch side of St. Maarten. It's much more appealing to me than the upscale and expensive Marigot on the French side. From the pier, take a $6 fee round trip water taxi ride into town. Philipsburg is paved for pedestrians and much cleaner than Charlotte Amalie that's really deteriorated since our last visit to St. Thomas. I have my favorite shops here too, but it's just so pleasant to stroll down Front Street and through the narrow side lanes and peek in the stores.

Philipsburg

Front Street

We lunched at Holland House, albeit expensive, but an elegant open-air restaurant with an ocean view that's worth the money. It's part of a hotel so you can find a restroom downstairs from the lobby.

Holland House

After our meal, we rented lounge chairs on the free beach by the Boardwalk. The chairs with umbrellas cost $5 each and were a few feet from the water. Women walk by selling native goods while you bask in the sun. This is my favorite port these days.

My Feet!

That evening, we dined on board in the specialty restaurant, Chops Grille. It was superb. The service, the interior, and the food were reminiscent of the Capital Grill back home. Excellent meal, more than we could eat, but oh so good.

Filet Mignon

Side Dishes

Chocolate Dessert

The Happy Couple

Tomorrow: Final Days at Sea and Disembarkation. It's not over yet!

<><><>

If you haven't seen this reminder before, don't forget to check out my contest over at Fresh Fiction for a chance to win a signed ARC of Shear Murder, a deck of tropical drink playing cards, and a Virgin Islands cookbook.