The Wandering Disciple

The busy cruise port of Phillipsburg, Saint Maarten is protected by a naval vessel from the Royal Netherlands Navy.  This tiny island in the British Virgin Islands is the smallest island to be split between two sovereign nations with the Dutch occupying the southern half of the island and the French occupying the north half.  (Photo: October 25, 2005)

The Carnival Triumph sits at the docks in St Maarten. The Triumph is one of five ships in Carnival Cruise Lines Destiny Class and entered into service in 1999. The ship has had a storied history. In 2012 it was held in seizure in a lawsuit in Galveston. Then in 2013, the ship suffered a generator fire that disabled the ship and left it powerless in the Gulf of Mexico for three days before tugs could pull it into Mobile. Finally while the ship was docked for repairs from the engine fire, it was struck by a dredging vessel, ripping a 20 foot gash into the side of the ship. (Photo: October 25, 2006)

The rugged coastline of St Maarten as seen during arrival on the a Royal Caribbean cruise. The island located in the British Virgin Islands is the smallest islands inhabited by two sovereign nations. Half of the island is Dutch and the other half is French. (Photo: October 25, 2006)

Rugged coasts and tall peaks greet cruise passengers as they sail in to St Maarten. St Maarten is the smallest island to be inhabited by two sovereign nations and a popular cruise port of call. (Photo: October 25, 2006)

The bright blue sea of the Atlantic Ocean provides for a spectacular view as Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas travels between St Maarten and the Bahamas.  (Photo: October 26, 2006)

Welcome to St Maarten.  The colorful welcome sign greets guests at the port as they arrive on their Caribbean cruises.  The small island in the British Virgin Islands is half French and half Dutch, making it the smallest island to be shared by two nations.  (Photo: October 25, 2006)

Mountain peaks rise above the ocean as the Navigator of the Seas pulls into St Maarten. St Maarten is the smallest island to be divided between two nations with half the island French and the other half Dutch. This photo was taken as the ship was entering into the Dutch capital of Philipsburg. (Photo: October 25, 2005)

The smallest island to be divided into two separate nations, St Maarten is part Dutch and part French. It was the Treaty of Concordia that divided the island in 1648, but the folklore is much more interesting. The story goes that to divide the island, both countries chose a walker, they started back to back and began walking in opposite directions. When they met again, that line between the two points would be the border. The monument showed here marks the border and commemorates the peaceful coexistence of both nations. (Photo: October 25, 2006)

Philipsburg, St. Maarten: Located in the British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean island of St. Maarten is the smallest island to be shared by two countries. At only 34 square miles, the island is comprised of Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint Martin. Like its neighboring islands, the island was initially inhabited by Indian tribes. The Arawaks initially settled on the island. They were then run out of island by the Carib Indians. The Carib Indians remained on the island until settlements from the Europe arrived. Although he did not land here, Christopher Columbus named the island in 1493. He sighted the island while on exploration. He named the island St. Maarten after the holy day of St. Martin of Tours, the day in which he sighted the island. The island was not inhabited by Europeans until 1630 when the Dutch and French established small villages on the island. The Spanish did not sit silently as they retook the island in 1633. The Spaniards occupied the island until the joi...

Philipsburg, St. Maarten: Another day, another island. This time marking the first time we set foot on land not under control of the United States government. We will be visiting to separate countries on one island; Dutch St Maarten and French St Martin. We took the St Maarten Island Tour excursion. We boarded the air-conditioned bus and began our tour of the Dutch side of the island, traveling through the great salt pond and past Orient Beach. A stop was then made for shopping in Marigot. Forty-five minutes later we boarded the bus to continue the tour back to the ship. Once back onboard we headed to the Windjammer for dinner and then to Ixtapa Lounge for karaoke and drinks before heading back for bed. For more photos of St Maarten, visit my St Maarten photo page.