Cruise Traveler – What to do in Aruba
I have traveled by cruise to the Southern Caribbean a number of times and have always wondered if there’s any way I can feel comfortable of what I will find in each stop, what activities should I plan for, would there be something to do walking-distance.
This article will help you plan your day at Aruba, so you can make the most of your time in this beautiful island.
First good news, when you get to Aruba in a cruise, the ship docks at walking distance to the commercial center of Oranjestad, so you will be able to walk only a couple of blocks and find several shops and places to visit. You will even be able to plan part of your land walk from the ship!
One thing you may not want to miss is buying some good Dutch cheese. You can do so in the cruise terminal (a small shop on your right), or a couple of supermarkets (one is located in the street parallel to the main street). They have great chesses at affordable prices. Every time I go I buy a 12-pound cheese and three or four smaller ones.
You will also find good quality and great prices in jewelry and watches if you plan to buy some (don’t missed them, unless you plan to buy at St Thomas, and even then Aruba might have better prices or quality).
If you are a beach lover, you can take a taxi ride to the beach. The most famous one is the one in which most of the hotels and resorts are located. It is a short ride (5 to 10 minutes) and might cost you around US$20. You will find taxis as soon as you leave the port terminal. They are safe and will treat you very nice. You can even ask the taxi driver on information you might be interested to learn from the island.
You can spend the day at the beach, or just half a day. The two times I visited Aruba, we took a taxi and spent the morning at the beach and it was lovely. As the day unfolds, the wind starts to pick up, so my personal choice is beach during the morning. The sand is white as flour and the water is calm. Not the best spot to snorkel, but the water is shallow, so it is quite safe. There are trails and piers, and the infrastructure is great, including showers you can use to refresh yourself or wash out the salty water, at no cost at all. You can rent chairs, or just do some water sports. You will have fun. Bring the sunscreen though.
Another option should you like to, is ask your taxi driver for a tour through the island. He will charge you around US$20 each person, will try to fill the taxi (usually a mini-van) as much as possible and will give you a good ride to the main spots (the beach, the lighthouse, etc) with some information. Of course, they are no professional tour guides, so don’t expect the best view or information.
In terms of excursions, your cruise company would offer a variety of options, at very different prices, and of course it depends what type of experience you prefer so it would be hard and long for me to cover all options. I will tell you that my experience is that there are several other islands with clearer waters, so this is not the best one to scuba or snorkel (Bonaire and Curacao are far better, let alone turtle encounter in Barbados) and the island is a bit arid, so it might be tougher for four tracks and boogies than other islands.
I will just recommend one excursion I hired as I think it not only covers most of the beautiful spots, but also is something a child, and adult and even an elder can do. Not only that but, as with most of the excursions, the two cruise lines I traveled with to Aruba (Royal and Princess) offered the same excursion at a reasonable price (in 2010, $69 each person).
The excursion is called “Aruba See and Sea Tour”. In a nutshell, you board an air-conditioned bus and travel to the beach. There, you board a semi-submarine and travel five feet below the waterline visiting a shipwreck, where you will experience the beauty of the underwater without the need of knowing to swim or dive. You continue your ride to the California Lighthouse and experience a completely different environment. From there, you are driven to Casibari, where the landscape is formed by diorite boulders the size of small houses. Finally, the bus stops at the Baby Natural Bridge, carved by the surf from solid coral and limestone. All these while your professional tour guide narrates and gives you interesting information on the history, geography and culture of Aruba.
In summary, Aruba is a magnificent island and a great port to visit when cruising the Southern Caribbean and one in which you will be able to do plenty of interesting things, whether you prefer to take a guided tour, a walk by the ship, or just enjoy the sand and sea.
If you want more information, do not hesitate in contacting me and I will gladly share more detailed information and pictures!
