Written by John Sage, for Accessible Caribbean Vacations
Home to two countries and wheelchair accessible restaurant, shopping and beach options, St. Maarten is an attractive destination for disabled and senior cruise passengers.
St. Maarten disabled access is better on the coast than on the mountains in the interior. Wheelchair ramps are present in many of the shops and multiple accessible shore excursions in St. Maarten are available.
Cruise ships arrive near Philipsburg on the south side of the island, and both the Dutch side of the island and the French side of the island can be visited in a single day.
I gave St. Maarten a 4 Star Sage Accessibility Rating because it has fairly flat cities, some accessible restaurant & shopping options, and a step-free path from the cruise dock to Philipsburg.
St. Maarten disabled access did not receive a higher accessibility rating because the route into town includes going over a bridge that some wheelchair users may find difficult, and the route is 0.9 miles long.
Best Aspects of St. Maarten Disabled Access
Flat main cities – The island is home to two main towns, Philipsburg and Marigot, and St. Maarten disabled access is good in both of them. Both towns are flat so there are fewer wheelchair access challenges than ports in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Nassau.
Accessible port exit – Disabled cruise passengers will have no problems leaving the pier or the port (photos shown below). The entire area is step-free and some of the restaurants have flat or ramped access.
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