Weekend Getaway to St Maarten

      Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten

      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
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      142 reviews
      Apr 23 - 27, 2022
      Group size: 8 - 16
      Weekend Getaway to St Maarten
      Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten

      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Email address verified
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      142 reviews

      Apr 23 - 27, 2022
      Group size: 8 - 16

      About this trip

      Join Blue Planet for a long weekend of fish-filled diving in St Maarten. Escape the city and enjoy the hidden jewel of the Leeward Islands. Between the unique underwater (PADI Mermaid!) and topside adventures, this is one trip you won't forget!

      Sint Maarten

      Saint Martin / Sint Maarten is the world’s smallest landmass shared by two countries, The Dutch and The French. The Friendly Island is often overlooked by divers on their way to nearby Saba and Sint Eustatius but holds its own as a fish lovers paradise. Devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017, the island is making a strong recovery. The island has a shallow shelf surrounding it, making most dive sites less than 75ft, perfect for new and experienced divers!

      The Diving

      Minimum dive certification/experience: 

      The island offers both reef and wreck diving sites, suitable for entry-level divers and ideal for open water certification training. Additionally, advanced sites offer new experiences for even the most seasoned diver. 


      St Maarten's Man of War Shoal Marine Park is nearly 8,000 acres of protected reefs, historical wrecks, seagrass meadows, and open sands. SXM is a Fish ID dream! You’ll see many of the common Caribbean fishes like Ocean Surgeon Fish, Tangs, and Barracuda galore with some big life, like Spotted Eagle Rays, Caribbean Reef Sharks, and Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles! 


      Interested in completing your PADI Open Water Diver certification dives? Or another PADI course like Advanced Open Water Diver or a specialty? Or maybe a PADI Mermaid course? We can do all of those things! Contact us for details.

      Other activities

      There’s plenty to keep you occupied top side as well. From history and art tours to parrot paradise, there's never a dull moment. We hear sitting on a beach relaxing is nice, too. St. Maarten boasts over 37 beaches on its 37 square miles. 


      For those that adore good eats, the island is a fusion of flavors from the Dutch, the French and the Caribbean. With two rum distilleries and its very own brewery, your post-dive beverages are sure to be a hit. Where else in the world can you enjoy world-class curry, fresh-baked croissants and the best selection of Dutch cheeses within steps of each other?

      The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort

      Located mere steps from the marina, your suite with a view is the perfect place to regroup after a fantastic day of diving. Recently renovated after the devastating Hurricane Irma, the resort features top-notch restaurants, beach access, pools, a spa and a swim-up bar! If you would rather have an adventure, the resort is centrally located and surrounded by amazing restaurants.  

      Travel

      Arrive anytime Saturday, April 23rd through your favorite airline. Some non-stop options run from Dulles International (IAD) through United. Be sure to keep no-fly times after diving in mind when booking your return trip home; depart any time after 11 AM Wednesday, April 27th. Please email or call the shop before booking your flight!  

      Cancellation Policy

      Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a $250 cancellation fee and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 


      Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information. 

      What’s included

      • 4 nights accommodations
        At the Simpson Bay Resort Villas
      • 6 boat dives
        3 days of 2-tank boat dives
      • Meals
        3 meals daily, from 6 different on-site restaraunts. Alcohol is additional.
      • Fish ID presentation
        Highlighting the most common species you'll see in St Maarten

      What’s not included

      • International flights
        International flights to St Maarten
      • Scuba equipment
        Only tanks and weights included; rental gear available
      • Tips
        Tips for the boat's amazing crew
      • Airport transfers
        From the SXM airport to the hotel

      Available Packages

      Junior Suite - Double Occupancy

      Double occupancy in a Junior Suite with 1 king bed or 2 full beds. Kick back and take in the ocean views from your furnished balcony. The private bathroom has a shower/tub combination with a rainfall shower head, as well as a hair dryer and a makeup/shaving mirror. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and the LCD TV offers free movies. There's also a  private kitchenette equipped with a mini fridge, a microwave and a coffee/tea maker. 


      Want to bring a non-diving friend? Just use the discount code NONDIVER when signing them up!

      $1,075
      Deposit: $500
      Junior Suite - Single Occupancy

      Single occupancy in a Junior Suite with 1 king bed. Kick back and take in the ocean views from your furnished balcony. The private bathroom has a shower/tub combination with a rainfall shower head, as well as a hair dryer and a makeup/shaving mirror. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and the LCD TV offers free movies. There's also a  private kitchenette equipped with a mini fridge, a microwave and a coffee/tea maker. 


      Want to bring a non-diving friend? Just use the discount code NONDIVER when signing them up!

      $1,455
      Deposit: $500
      Villa - Quad Occupancy, diver

      Quad occupancy in a Villa with 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths and a kitchen. Kick back and take in the ocean views from your furnished balcony. The private bathrooms have a shower/tub combination with a rainfall shower head, as well as a hair dryer and a makeup/shaving mirror. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and the LCD TV offers free movies. 


      $1,045
      Deposit: $500
      Villa - Quad Occupancy, non-diver
      $695
      Deposit: $500

      Available options



      Itinerary

      Saturday, April 23rd
      Arrive on St Maarten

      Arrive at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), transfer to The Villas at Simpson Bay and check in. Head down to the beach or the pool and start relaxing!

      Your Organizer


      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      142 reviews
      Blue Planet is a different kind of scuba diving organization — aimed at providing the best education and experiences to divers in the Washington, DC area and beyond, while harnessing the excitement and adventure of scuba diving to help protect our fragile oceans.

      Reviews

      Heather & Jonas were excellent trip leaders making sure everyone was well taken care of. The Galapagos Aggressor had a super crew and the diving was challenging and stunning! We saw hammerheads, penguins, seals, sea lions & dolphins! I really appreciated the personal touches like our matching jackets and a cake for my birthday. I would highly recommend this trip.
      By Catherine W for Explore the Galapagos on Mar 02, 2024
      This review is belated, I know... ...But that only means I took **serious*** consideration into reviewing my experience with Blue Planet DC, and ranking them very highly. Its been almost a year since I was OW Certified with Blue Planet in Cozumel - my training during that trip was thorough enough to provide me with a solid foundation to continue scuba diving afterwards many, many times. The trip itinerary, accommodations, and overall pacing of the scuba lessons were incredibly well organized. The instructors were patient and attentive - at various times I was provided specific one-on-one, actionable feedback regarding things like my trim or my breathing rhythm impacting my buoyancy and what I could do to improve my technique. They made sure we knew our stuff before letting us loose into the ocean, and during our checkout dives they stayed closeby and kept a watchful eye on us, so I felt more at ease and safe. (Even with the drift moving us around!) My main priority for this trip was to learn how to scuba, but that said, there were opportunities at Cozumel to (after the day's lessons are done) be a tourist and explore the area. The resort itself is a very beautiful spot with relaxing, open air dining, lounge, and balcony areas as well as a fantastic view of the ocean horizon. I also really appreciated that lodging AND meals were included in this travel package - it saved me the trouble of having to figure that out on my own, which made a big difference by freeing up more time after each full day of lessons to just relax and chill. I know each trip is always different of course in terms of other group trip attendees you may end up with, so of course this can just be sheer dumb luck, but everyone else on this trip was chill. Even the more seasoned divers who were already certified and doing this for years were friendly and happy to drop useful advice or recount from their personal experiences how it was like them becoming certified the first time. The time I did this it was "drift diving" and of course that scared me a ton. But the PADI material that is mandatory to study goes over what drift diving is. When doing my checkout dive the drift didn't like, wash me away from the group dive route. You'll be under instructor supervision so people are keeping an eye on you, and the drift itself is mild - I didn't have to struggle against the current (if you've ever surfed, you'll see that this isn't at all like a riptide or undertow). If anything, managing your buoyancy will end up your primary concern or worry during the checkout dive. Hope this review helps anyone considering who to go with for getting certified on their first ever scuba trip! I'm very glad I went with Blue Planet.
      By M T for March Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Feb 19, 2024
      EM
      This was my first liveaboard! 🛥️ Anthony was a fantastic trip leader and teacher, as always! The Aquacat crew was fun, the food was delicious and the diving and excursions were great! I would definitely recommend this trip with Blue Planet, especially as a first liveaboard experience! I had a good time learning about sharks, too! 🦈
      By Elsbeth M for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 15, 2024
      Thanks for joining on another amazing trip! Hopefully we will be on another fun trip in sharky waters soon.
      By Anthony White on Jan 17, 2024
      AW
      This was my first trip with Blue Planet and my first liveaboard - both were a great experience! The communication and prep from Blue Planet was excellent (pre-trip meeting was really helpful, paperwork was clear and organized). My husband and I are new divers and Anthony (trip lead from Blue Planet) was an invaluable resource - we learned a lot during the dives and felt safe with him looking out for us. The liveaboard itself was amazing. The bed was comfortable, the food was amazing, the staff were wonderful. This was one of the best trips of my life - it's going to be hard to top with the bar now set so high!
      By Rachel L for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 08, 2024
      Thank you so much, Rachel! I am glad you and Ben had such a good time on the trip. You were both great divers, and I can't wait to see you on more of our trips. I look forward to diving with you some more!
      By Anthony White on Jan 13, 2024
      AW
      JR
      Had a great time diving, wonderful people and nice accommodations; hotel was super convenient to dive boats.
      By Jennifer R for December Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Dec 11, 2023
      Thank you so much, Jennifer! We’re so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the dive experience with Blue Planet in Cozumel. We look forward to you joining with us on a future trip!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Dec 12, 2023
      BP
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