Home / Ports / Philipsburg / Mar 16, 2027

Crowded

Philipsburg Cruise Crowd Forecast — Tuesday, March 16, 2027

Crowded day in Philipsburg — 4 ships representing ~16,860 estimated cruise passengers, 4% above a busy day.

Expect noticeable cruise crowds. Consider booking activities away from the main port area.

  • 4 shipsin port
  • 16,860est. passengers

Busier than 92% of scheduled cruise days at this port.

Morning rush: 4 ships arrive within the same hour — expect crowds at the terminal and excursion meeting points.
Provisional — schedule may change

🧭 How to play this day

CROWD-TACTICAL

Maho on a multi-ship day is shoulder-to-shoulder with a long, slow taxi ride each way. Better: commit to the French side — Orient Beach for space and lunch, then Grand Case's lolos for the island's best food. If Maho is non-negotiable, go at opening, rent chairs at the water's edge, and be back in a taxi by early afternoon before traffic peaks.

Why is this crowded?

4 ships are scheduled today, representing approximately 16,860 passengers of combined capacity. 4 of them arrive within the same hour, concentrating the morning rush.

Compared with other cruise days: Well above average for this port.

Ships in port

ShipCruise lineArrivalDepartureBerthCapacity
Arvia—07:0018:00—n/a
MSC World EuropaMSC Cruises07:0019:00—6,762
MSC MeravigliaMSC Cruises08:0018:00—4,488
Icon of the SeasRoyal Caribbean International08:0018:00—5,610

Arrival timeline

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Arvia
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
MSC World Europa
7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
MSC Meraviglia
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Icon of the Seas
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Bars show each ship’s scheduled time in port (6 AM – 10 PM port time).

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Shore day advice

Book excursions in advance, start early, and avoid the main port area at midday.

Looking for a quieter day?

See Philipsburg’s crowd calendar →

Data & accuracy

  • Schedule source: Port St. Maarten
  • Data last fetched: Nov 5, 2026
  • Forecast date: Mar 16, 2027
  • Provisional: this date is more than 7 days out — cruise lines adjust itineraries for weather and operations, so the schedule may change.
  • Estimates are based on published ship capacities, not actual bookings or how many passengers go ashore.