Lifestyle
The cruise port in Philipsburg: the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities in numbers
Sint Maarten received 1,597,940 cruise passengers and 592 cruise calls in 2025, according to the Statistics Department. Here is who runs the cruise port in Great Bay, how big Pier 2 is and when the season peaks.
By SXM Daily ยท
Sint Maarten's cruise port, the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities, is in Great Bay, Philipsburg, and is run by the Port St. Maarten Group. Sint Maarten received 1,597,940 cruise passengers in 2025 (Statistics Department) and 592 cruise calls in 2025 (Statistics Department).
Photo: Luigi Rosa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
The 2025 numbers
The figures below come from the Department of Statistics (STAT), as published by the Government of Sint Maarten.
- Cruise passengers: 1,597,940 in 2025 (Statistics Department), up 16% on 2024 (Statistics Department).
- Cruise calls: 592 in 2025 (Statistics Department), against 513 in 2024 (Statistics Department).
- By quarter: 635,968 in the first quarter, 236,391 in the second, 164,881 in the third and 560,700 in the fourth (Statistics Department).
- Earlier years: 1,374,362 in 2024, 1,318,177 in 2023 and 844,090 in 2022 (Statistics Department).
Early 2026
STAT's monthly table shows 868,543 cruise passengers from January to April 2026 (Statistics Department).
Pier 2
Pier 2, the second pier added in 2009, is 445 metres long and can take two ships of more than 220,000 gross tons each (Port St. Maarten).
When the season peaks, and what it means for traffic
The cruise season peaks from November to April, according to STAT's monthly figures. If you live or work in Philipsburg, expect heavier traffic in town on days when several ships are in port.
FAQ
Q: How many cruise passengers came to Sint Maarten in 2025?
A: 1,597,940 cruise passengers in 2025 (Statistics Department).
Q: How many cruise ships called in 2025?
A: 592 cruise calls in 2025 (Statistics Department), against 513 in 2024 (Statistics Department).
Q: Who runs the cruise port?
A: The Port St. Maarten Group.
Q: When is cruise season busiest?
A: From November to April, according to STAT's monthly figures.
Sources
- https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/pages/Passenger-Arrivals-and-Cruise-Arrivals-Show-Growth-in-2025.aspx
- http://stats.sintmaartengov.org/tables.php?division=economy&table=mnthCruisePassengers&topic=tes
- https://portstmaarten.com/cruise