Our transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Miami stopped at three Caribbean ports in November 2023: Saint Martin, the British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Three very different islands, three completely different days ashore.
If you’re trying to decide which ports are worth your time and money — or just want to know what to expect at each one — here’s our honest comparison based on real experience.
Quick Comparison: All Three Ports at a Glance
| Saint Martin | British Virgin Islands | Puerto Rico | |
| Excursion cost | $40 pp | $20 pp | $80 pp |
| Best for | Shopping + beaches | Beach days | Culture + nature |
| Book in advance? | No — pier guides fine | No — pier guides fine | No — pier guides fine |
| Walking from port? | Yes (Philipsburg) | No — tour needed | Partial (Old San Juan) |
| Highlight | Orient Bay + Marigot market | Untouched white sand beaches | El Yunque rainforest |
| Our rating | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
One Practical Tip Before You Arrive
You don’t need to book Caribbean excursions in advance. At every port on this route, local guides were waiting at the pier with minibuses, offering the same island tours at the same prices — or lower — than anything we’d seen online. The Caribbean runs on cruise tourism, and the infrastructure at the pier reflects that.
For Puerto Rico, booking with Roy Tours in advance is an option if you prefer to have it confirmed — but we didn’t pre-book and had no issues. As a couple, we simply waited at the pier until the minibus had enough passengers to depart. Either way works.
Saint Martin: Beaches, Duty-Free Shopping and a Famous Runway
The ship docks in Philipsburg, the Dutch capital of Sint Maarten. The town centre is a 15-minute walk from the terminal — and if shopping is on your agenda, start here. Saint Martin has duty-free status on both the Dutch and French sides, which means jewellery, watches, spirits, and perfume at noticeably lower prices than you’d find at home. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to buy something, this is it.
The Island Tour
We did a half-day tour with a local guide at the pier — $40 per person, which covered Orient Bay, Maho Beach, and Marigot on the French side. The same tour was available from multiple operators as we walked out of the port.
Orient Bay is the beach to spend your time on: wide, turquoise, properly Caribbean. Maho Beach is the famous one where planes from Princess Juliana Airport pass just metres overhead — genuinely spectacular for about 30 minutes, then it gets crowded and loud. Worth seeing once, not worth lingering.
Marigot: The French Side
Crossing into Marigot feels like a different country — because technically it is. The morning market has local vendors selling fresh produce, spices, and crafts. We bought fresh coconuts there for $5 each, split open on the spot. An hour is enough to see Marigot properly.
One honest note: Saint Martin was the least tidy island on the route. Plastic bottles and bags along the roadsides were hard to miss. If you’re someone who notices that kind of thing, be prepared — it did take the edge off an otherwise beautiful island.
For a full breakdown of everything we did in Saint Martin, see our Saint Martin cruise port guide.
British Virgin Islands: The Best Beaches of the Entire Trip
The British Virgin Islands don’t have a city to explore. This stop is entirely about nature — and it delivered more than any other port on the route.
Tour buses were waiting at the pier and took us around the main spots in about three hours ($20 per person). The beaches here were unlike anything we’d seen before: fine white sand, shallow crystal-clear water, and a calm, unhurried atmosphere. Sun loungers are available to rent and local vendors sell drinks along the shore — the same familiar cruise crowd, but somehow the setting makes it feel peaceful anyway.
It was quiet and calm in a way that felt genuinely rare. No vendors, no music from beach bars, no crowds. Just the water and the sand. We didn’t want to leave.
If you’re travelling as a couple or on a honeymoon, this is the port you’ll remember. For a detailed look at the BVI stop, see our British Virgin Islands cruise port guide.
Puerto Rico: Rainforest, History and the Best Piña Colada
Puerto Rico was the port we were most looking forward to — and it turned out to be our favourite of the three. The ship docked at 10 a.m. and didn’t depart until midnight, which meant a genuinely full day. The timing worked out perfectly: we were deep in the cool shade of El Yunque rainforest during the hottest part of the afternoon, then returned to the city as the evening came alive.
El Yunque Rainforest
We booked with Roy Tours ($80 per person) for a combined El Yunque and Old San Juan day. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system. The drive up takes about 45 minutes from San Juan, and the change in landscape is immediate — dense canopy, birdsong, waterfalls visible from the road.
The tour includes a swim in a natural jungle pool. The water is cool and clear, surrounded by forest on all sides. It’s one of those experiences that sounds like a travel cliché until you’re actually in it.
Old San Juan
After lunch — mofongo (fried plantains with garlic and pork crackling) at a local restaurant, $40 per person including drinks — we spent the afternoon in Old San Juan. The blue cobblestones, the coloured colonial buildings, and the fortified walls overlooking the Atlantic make it one of the most photogenic places we’ve visited anywhere.
The ship departed at midnight, which gave us a full evening. We found a bar with live salsa, had what was genuinely the best piña colada of the trip (Puerto Rico is where it was invented), and walked back to the ship along the waterfront at 11 p.m.
For everything we did in Puerto Rico, see our Puerto Rico cruise stop guide.
Which Caribbean Cruise Port Is Best?
Honest answer: Puerto Rico, if you want variety and culture. British Virgin Islands, if you want the most beautiful beach you’ve ever seen. Saint Martin, if shopping and a mix of European and Caribbean atmosphere is your thing.
The good news is that all three in one cruise gives you all of it — and none of them require pre-booked excursions except Puerto Rico. Show up, find a guide at the pier, and go.
FAQ: Caribbean Cruise Ports
Do I need to book Caribbean cruise excursions in advance?
No — at all three ports, local guides are waiting at the pier and offer the same tours at competitive prices. We didn’t pre-book anything and had no issues. For Puerto Rico, if you’re travelling in a larger group and already know what you want, booking ahead with an operator like Roy Tours can save waiting time at the pier. But it’s not required.
Which Caribbean cruise port has the best beaches?
The British Virgin Islands. The beaches there are genuinely among the finest in the Caribbean — fine white sand, shallow clear water, and low crowds even during cruise season. Orient Bay in Saint Martin is a close second.
How much should I budget for Caribbean cruise excursions?
Based on our November 2023 experience: $40 per person in Saint Martin, $20 in the British Virgin Islands, and $80 in Puerto Rico. Add $40–50 per person for food and drinks ashore if you eat at local restaurants.
Is Saint Martin good for shopping on a cruise?
Yes — it’s one of the best duty-free shopping ports in the Caribbean. Both the Dutch side (Philipsburg) and the French side (Marigot) have tax-free status. Jewellery, watches, spirits, and perfume are the best value buys.
What is the best Caribbean cruise port for couples?
British Virgin Islands for a quiet, beautiful beach day. Puerto Rico for a full day of variety — rainforest, history, food, and nightlife. Both work well for couples; it depends whether you want peaceful or eventful.
Can you walk from Caribbean cruise ports into town?
In Philipsburg, Saint Martin: yes, about 15 minutes on foot. In Puerto Rico: our ship docked right in Old San Juan, which made everything immediately walkable from the pier — no transport needed. In the British Virgin Islands: you can walk into the small port town, but there’s not much to see there — a tour to the beaches is the better use of your time.
Featured photo from Pexels