POINTE BLANCHE:--- The first five cruise ship days took place on Thursday, November 6, 2025, signaling we are now in high season 2025-2026. The ships in port were the Azamara Quest, Star Pride, Valiant Lady, Star of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas, bringing thousands of visitors to the shores of the island, stimulating much-needed economic activity.
The launch of the St. Maarten 2025-2026 cruise season is an incredibly exciting milestone for the destination, marking the beginning of what promises to be a robust period of recovery and growth for the island's tourism sector.
There is a full schedule of major cruise lines and vessels set to visit Port St. Maarten for the 2025-2026 season, which can be found on the newly revamped website of Port St. Maarten (www.portstmaarten.com).
St. Maarten is not just welcoming ships; we are welcoming an essential engine of our local economy.
The next five-ship day will be on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, the country’s national day. The vessels in port on that day will be Britannia, Mein Schiff 2, Celebrity Reflection, Caribbean Princess, and Icon of the Seas.
The first six-ship day will be Tuesday, November 25, 2025, with Britannia, Mein Schiff 2, Icon of the Seas, Renaissance, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Vista.
This influx of visitors signals the continued trust major industry players have in the nation’s port facilities and in the unique, friendly experience that the destination offers.
The focus now shifts entirely to ensure this momentum translates into tangible prosperity for every corner of the island.
This busy season brings immediate and significant economic benefits directly to the core of the island’s business community. Every cruise passenger who steps ashore is a potential customer for our taxi drivers, a client for our tour operators, a diner for our restaurants, and a shopper for our stores and boutiques.
This revenue boost is vital for small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them to sustain jobs, invest in their operations, and, ultimately, improve the quality of life for families across St. Maarten/Saint-Martin. The collective success of the cruise season is measured by the performance of every single business interacting with our visitors.
However, maximizing this benefit requires more than just high passenger volumes; it demands an unwavering commitment to service excellence across the entire island.
Our entire service sector—from the greeter at the pier to the retail clerk and the excursion guide—serves as the face of St. Maarten. We urge every stakeholder to be fully prepared. This means ensuring timely, professional, and courteous interactions, maintaining clean and attractive establishments, and providing authentic, high-quality products and services.
Providing five-star service ensures that our guests leave with positive memories, leading to high satisfaction scores, repeat business, and, most importantly, positive word-of-mouth recommendations that sustain our future growth as a cruise destination.
“I have immense confidence in the professionalism and passion of our island’s workforce. Let us unite to deliver an unmatched visitor experience throughout the 2025-2026 cruise season. The port has done its part in securing the business; now, let us all do our part in delivering the service that justifies our reputation as the premier #1 leading Caribbean port destination.
“We look forward to a rewarding and prosperous season for every resident and business owner who contributes to the vitality of St. Maarten’s thriving cruise tourism industry,” Port St. Maarten Group (PSG) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alexander Gumbs said on Thursday.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Committee of General Affairs of Parliament is scheduled to meet on November 7, 2025.

The Committee meeting is scheduled for Friday at 10.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs will be in attendance.

The agenda point is:
Status update on the respective themes of the Country Package (IS/916/2024-2025 dated April 22, 2025)
This meeting was requested by MP S.A. Wescot-Williams.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Darryl York raised pointed questions on Wednesday regarding the process followed by Finance Minister Marinka Gumbs in nominating a candidate for the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) supervisory board.
Speaking during a meeting of Parliament, MP York said he entered the session “with an open mind,” emphasizing that while there seemed to be consensus on what was done in the nomination process, there remained uncertainty as to whether it was done correctly.
“At this current point, it seems like we agree on what was done — but not yet on whether it was right,” York told Parliament.
Questions About ‘Political Firestorm’ and Transparency
York began by requesting clarification on the Minister’s earlier reference to a “political firestorm,” asking what she meant by the term in the context of the ongoing public debate surrounding the nomination.

He also inquired whether the list of potential candidates mentioned in the CBCS Supervisory Board’s January 21 letter had ever been officially shared with the Minister. According to York’s reading of the documents provided, it appeared the Minister had not received those names.
“Can the Minister further elaborate whether those candidates still exist, or if it’s something that the Minister is not yet aware of?” he asked.
York went on to probe whether the government’s legal affairs department had reviewed and vetted the advice that led to the conditional nomination, asking whether the advice had followed the proper procedural steps before it reached the Council of Ministers.
Challenge Over ‘Conditional Nomination’
A key part of York’s intervention focused on what he described as the lack of legal basis for the term “conditional nomination.”
“Where in the Charter does it make reference to a conditional nomination?” he asked. “We have nominees and we have candidates — but I cannot find any clause in the Charter that speaks of a conditional nomination.”
He also sought clarification on who serves as the first line of legal advice to government, stressing that clarity on this point was essential to determine whether due process had been properly followed in the nomination.

Minister’s Efforts to Retain Chairmanship
York pressed further, asking the Minister to substantiate her earlier claim that she had “begged and pleaded” with the former Minister of Finance to retain the chairmanship of the CBCS in the hands of St. Maarten.
“Was this done verbally or via email?” York questioned. “Because the Minister shared several emails today, but I didn’t see that particular correspondence. If such an email exists, I’d like to see it.”
He also questioned whether the former nominee was ever presented to or discussed with the CBCS Board before his name was put forward as a potential appointee.

Committee or Confidants? Changing Narratives
MP York spent considerable time addressing what he viewed as inconsistencies in the Minister’s explanations of how the candidate search was conducted.
During an earlier meeting, Minister Gumbs had reportedly stated that a “committee of like-minded individuals” assisted in identifying potential candidates. However, in the most recent meeting, she described the process as having been done through “trusted confidants.”
“Six weeks ago, it was a committee. Today, it’s confidants. Tomorrow, perhaps, it might be a coincidence,” York said wryly.
“Governance isn’t about wordplay — it’s about consistency.”
York argued that this shifting terminology called into question the transparency of the selection process and whether any formal applications had ever been received.
“Was this a formal search, or just a few calls to friends asking, ‘Who do you think I should nominate?’” he asked. “If this was how it was done, that would explain why my earlier question on whether applications were submitted went unanswered.”

Access to Advice and Good Governance
The MP also expressed concern about the confidential nature of the advice used to support the nomination. The Minister had previously said that such advice could not be shared with Members of Parliament.
However, York pointed out a contradiction, referencing the former nominee’s public statements that he had personally reviewed his own advice and was involved in ensuring it was sound.
“If Members of Parliament cannot see the advice, how can the nominee himself have read and contributed to it?” York asked. “Either the nominee is lying, or we have a serious governance problem.”
He emphasized that his critique was not merely about the actions taken, but about whether they upheld the principles of good governance and accountability.
“The Minister hasn’t corrected the record of confidants versus committees or advice versus no advice — she simply restyled it,” York concluded. “My issue is not the story, but the inconsistency in how it’s being told.”

Awaiting Clarity
York said he would await the outcome of discussions between the President of Parliament and the Council of Ministers regarding the extent to which internal government advices can or should be shared with MPs.
For now, he said, his questions remain focused on establishing clarity, transparency, and adherence to procedure in the CBCS nomination process.
“I’m not saying what was done is wrong,” York summarized, “but before I can say it was right — I need to understand exactly how it was done.”

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Government of St. Maarten, under the joint leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT) , Grisha Heyliger-Marten, is continuing its structured efforts to designate the Bureau of Telecommunication and Post (BTP) as the regulatory authority for the energy sector.
The Ministry acknowledges the proposal recently submitted by Member of Parliament Omar Ottley regarding electricity tariffs and fuel prices. This proposal will be reviewed in the context of the government’s ongoing work to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for energy production and pricing.
Minister Heyliger-Marten has previously emphasized her commitment to introducing senior tariff rates and exploring net metering options, ensuring that vulnerable groups and households investing in renewable energy benefit from fair, regulated pricing. These initiatives, together with the government’s ongoing work with BTP, form part of a broader vision to modernize energy oversight, strengthen accountability, and safeguard consumers.
“We welcome constructive proposals that intersect with our broader vision for the energy sector. A framework will be established that is transparent, equitable, and future-ready, ensuring relief for households and sector stability,” Minister Heyliger-Marten stated.
The Government will continue to engage stakeholders and the public as these measures progress.