Come along on this St. Maarten excursion for an Island Drive and Beach Tour with a twist, and you'll visit parts of the island usually not seen by the normal cruise tours. Departing the cruise terminal, you will drive through part of Philipsburg driving towards Cole Bay and Belle Vue, making a photo stop at the Harold Jack lookout point high on a hill overlooking the sea where (clouds permitting), you will have fantastic views of the neighboring islands of Saba (the home of Kong in the original King Kong movie) and St. Eustatius to the south, and British Anguilla to the north. You will also begin to see Simpson Bay and its lagoon as you crest the hill.

We head then onto the French capital Marigot, this quaint French village offers a unique Caribbean twist. Sidewalk cafes serving cappuccino overlook mega-yachts, framed by palm trees. Gourmet restaurants sit in the shadow of a 200-year-old fort, and bold tropical prints in the open-air markets mix with the latest fashions from French boutiques. You will have some free time to experience this wonderful blend.

hen it's on to Orient Bay. This sweeping two-mile long, white-powdered sand beach is protected from the Atlantic waves by a reef, and the bottom has a very gradual slope. It is the island's most popular and busiest beach. You will have approximately an hour and a half to swim, beach walk, or relax on the white sand. You will also have the opportunity to purchase lunch or indulge in a tropical drink in paradise at a local restaurant located on the east end of the beach. Returning to Philipsburg through the center of the island, you will have the option of being dropped off downtown for shopping or taken back to the pier. Guests departing downtown will need to arrange their own transportation back to the cruise pier at their own expense via taxi, water taxi or walking.