Virgin Cruises Highlights St. Maarten / St. Martin – Literally

Those visitors strolling the Philipsburg Boardwalk or Little Bay Beach this sunday, might have witnessed a lovely message by Virgin Cruises’ departing vessel Valiant Lady after spending a full day on island, relayed by colorful lights on the ship’s many balconies.

 

That message “I Love Soualiga” is only understood by islanders and frequent visitors. Soualiga (also spelled Sualouiga or similar variants) is believed to be the original Indigenous name for the island now known as Sint Maarten (Dutch side) and Saint Martin (French side).

 

The name comes from the Arawak (Taíno) people who inhabited the island before European colonization. It is commonly interpreted to mean “Land of Salt”, a reference to the key resource that dominated island trade for ages.

 

Thank you Virgin Cruises for this creative serenade!

 

See our cruiseship schedule to discover when Valiant Lady is back in the St. Maarten Cruiseport.