Getting around
New to Sint Maarten? A Local Orientation for Yacht Crew
Learn the two sides, save the right contacts and understand how money, phones and transport change across the island.
Read
2 min
Last reviewed
23 July 2026
For
Joining crew · Purser · All crew
One island, two jurisdictions. Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin have different currencies, phone systems and rules even when the road between them feels seamless.
- Best for
- A first day on the island
- Start with
- Yacht, marina and contacts
- Remember
- One island, two jurisdictions
Learn the names and areas
Sint Maarten is the Dutch side; Saint-Martin is the French side. There is normally no routine checkpoint on the road between them, but immigration, employment, Customs and other legal questions can still differ.
Do not treat 'same island' as 'same jurisdiction.'
Carry the right money and phone expectation
The Caribbean guilder, code XCG and symbol Cg, is the Dutch-side legal tender and is fixed at Cg1.79 to US$1. The French side uses the euro. US dollars are widely used, but exchange treatment and card acceptance should be checked.
Dutch-side numbers use +1 721; French-side services use +590, and mobile roaming can change across the island.
Set up a first-day card
Save the yacht, marina, agent, accommodation, driver and insurer contacts, plus the official emergency numbers. Note the exact marina entrance or tender point.
Sint Maarten uses Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-4, throughout the year.
Working list
First-day card
- Yacht and marina written correctly
- Marina gate or tender landing pinned
- Agent and onboard contacts saved
- Dutch and French names understood
- Payment method and currency checked
- Mobile roaming reviewed
- Emergency and insurance contacts saved
Questions that change the plan
Settle these before anyone moves.
Is Sint Maarten the same country as Saint-Martin?
No. They share the island but have separate Dutch and French administrations and legal systems.
What is the Dutch-side currency now?
The Caribbean guilder, XCG or Cg, became legal tender on 31 March 2025 and is pegged at Cg1.79 to US$1.
Does the island change clocks for daylight saving time?
Sint Maarten uses Atlantic Standard Time, UTC-4, year-round.
Will a Dutch-side mobile plan work on the French side?
It may work through roaming, with different charges or data rules. Confirm the exact plan before relying on it.
Ready to arrange it?
New crew arriving? Start with the arrival details.
Sea Grapes can coordinate the arrival, transport, accommodation and local information needed for the first days of the call.