We'll have a pretty full day available when our cruise docks in Phillipsburg. Only one ship in port that day so should not be too busy. We've been to SXM once before and took a cab, but this time with a 8-5 window (onboard at 6) we're planning on renting a car and doing some touring. We were thinking about heading to GC for and early brunch/breakfast, then maybe hike to HB for a couple of hours, lunch at Anse Marcel and then the afternoon at Club O Beach, leaving about 4. Too much?

I love your plan,but I think it is a bit too ambitious. While I like everything you have chosen, I think you need to eliminate one. If you are going to AnseMarcel, be sure to make reservations. It is surely a luxurious beach day there. For me,I would skip Grand Case. Hope you enjoy your day!

You will lose to much time getting to "GC"!! Even with being a single ship, it gets tight getting around and having to be back before she leaves without you. I would say IMHO. Rent a car, go to Orient village for lovely places to eat and throw some towels down on the beach and take it all in. The beach is over 2.5 miles. it's not a hiking, but a beautiful walk!! My BIG recommendation for car rental would be SAX car rental. The service is amazing!! Rates are very competitive! Lovely people to do business with! Cindy and her husband are lovely people!! It just looks like you'll have to book your dream vacation for a week or better to do all the things on your list! Have a great trip! https://www.saxcarrental.com/

That's way too ambitious, in my opinion. I'd do either Grand Case or Anse Marcel, but not both. Most places in Grand Case don't open until 10ish.

Lunch at Anse Marcel would take around 2hr and that doesn't include the drive time to and from wherever you're driving from. Car rental takes some time and you still have to get off the ship in a timely manner.

Yeah, way too ambitious. I would recommend that you skip Happy Bay or Anse Marcel, one or the other, for sure. It may well be 9:30 or so before you even leave Philipsburg. If you really want to go to Happy Bay, suggest you do that, and then head to Orient and get lunch there somewhere and spend the afternoon on Club O beach. For Happy Bay, the standard recommendation is NOT to take anything of value. To me, I think that I would wait until you are on island to do Happy Bay. OR find a boat excursion that goes there, which usually includes lunch.

For Anse Marcel, if you're going there for lunch for sure, you need a reservation. I don't think that the Beach Club opens until around 10, but by the time you get off the ship and get the car, and get to Anse Marcel, then it may well be close to 10 by then. I would not recommend that you try to rush yourself through a meal at AMBC, as it is an expensive day and I would hate to waste the experience by rushing. If you want a lovely beach day, you can't really beat AMBC.

My best recommendation would be for you to go through Marigot and check out the stalls there for some souveniers, etc., and then head either to AMBC or to Orient for the day. There are several high end options for lunch or Orient. You could just park at Club O and walk down the beach and find someplace for lunch and spend the rest of the day on Club O beach.

Wherever you go, I would head back toward the ship around 3:30, just to make sure. Enjoy your day!

Sounds like a plan I would make. And have done so in the past. Do you have an idea where you'd have your breakfast/brunch in GC? Only place I know that opens at 7 am for breakfast is Sunset Cafe at Grand Case Beach Club or Rainbow. I'd opt for Sunset Cafe, quieter, beautiful view and setting. Beach there is clean and crystal clear. They have a watersport rental kiosk there so you could make a morning of it. Not enough time for lunch in Anse Marcel in my opinion. Plus nothing else there except the beach.

Around 1 pm I would head to Orient Village and beach it there with drinks at any of the places along the beach. Pick one of the restaurants in the Village that opens straight thru lunch to dinner, eat then head back to the ship. Traffic is heavy going from P'Burg to Orient but not as heavy going back to ship. Since you have to board by 5, don't push it incase there's a traffic problem.