A Golden Eagle Sailaway - an excursion based in Saint Maarten, full of snorkeling, rum punch and a catamaran on the open sea.

Roughly 50 people boarding a catamaran is how the excursion began. That may seem like a lot, but it was far less crowded than it sounds (though I would recommend grabbing a spot in the back - everyone fought for the front without realizing the beauty of the stern).

A fifteen minute ride out to a snorkeling spot was our first stop. The snorkeling wasn’t the best (same area they do snuba, if you’re considering that option), but the guides threw in some chum, and the fish instantly invaded the area. Some saw sea turtles - I didn’t - but they were in the area, as well as many pelicans. They allowed everyone 45 minutes in the water, before heading to our next location.

We took a nice, long ride over to an ‘untouched beach’ - unlimited rum punch included. If you’ve never had rum punch, prepare yourself - one dixie cup, and you’ll be craving it for eternity. The path we took went by the famous Maho Beach and other beautiful spots.

The beach we ended up at, Mullet Bay Beach, was really lovely. Clear, turquoise water, white sand, and hardly anyone in sight. They gave us one hour of hangout time - I could’ve gone longer, but this was fine. There were a few fish in this area, but not many - certainly jellyfish, if you wander out a ways.

The journey back was quite nice. They served finger sandwiches (nothing fancy) and more rum punch. The food attracted a flock of seagulls that remained on our tails until we reached the dock.

The entire excursion lasted about four hours, and costs $95. We signed up for it on a Royal Caribbean Cruise (you can find more booking info here). It was a fun way to spend the morning, leaving the afternoon open for other activities on the island.