MBCruising

We paid $330 for a jeep gladiator with the beach package. We did not get insurance as we had it included in our regular travel insurance (purchased separately, not from the cruise line). There were jeeps that were a little cheaper that the beach package could be added to. They built my quote via email and they were very quick with replies. info@arubatopdrive.com

The Aloe Factory was free admission, though the aloe products were a little pricey. It was interesting but we probably wouldn't do it again. The Aloe factory has a store in the cruise terminal instead. The Donkey Sanctuary is a do not miss in our opinion. It's free to enter but everyone visiting was making donations or purchasing things in the gift shop to help the Sanctuary. I believe the food for donkeys could be bought for $5 for a small pail. If you have time, stop by a grocery store and pick up some apples or carrots and bring in. That said, don't let the donkeys see them until you reach the feeding platform. One lady brought apples and the donkeys saw them and wouldn't move out of the way for her to enter the Sanctuary. Parking at the beaches we went to were free. The lunch at Big Mama's was on par for tourist food. We really enjoyed Baby Beach with clear calm water. Boca Catalina water was choppier and, on the day we went, was too cloudy to snorkel. We're going again next year and might also spend some time at Eagle Beach. Traffic was easy all day, with a some near the busy port. Hope you enjoy your trip.

I wanted to share our experience with Top Drive jeep rental in Aruba, since I could only find limited reviews prior to our cruise. For booking, I emailed our requests to Top Drive and they were extremely helpful. We were given options to pay upon rental or pay prior upon arrival. We chose to rent from the Manchebo Beach Resort, which was a short $20 cab ride for 4 from the cruise port. It was very easy getting a taxi upon immediate exit from the cruise terminal building, with the taxi stand on the left. Upon arrival at the Manchebo Resort, the staff were extremely friendly and courteous, directing us to the Top Drive section of the main hotel's front desk. The jeep was ready as booked and the staff were so prompt and nice, bringing the jeep to us and looking over the vehicle. We rented a jeep gladiator with the beach package, which included 2 chairs, 2 snorkels and a cooler. The jeep and beach equipment were in excellent condition. We enjoyed having the gladiator as it gave an easy area to keep the beach chairs and keep the jeep clean. For the day, we drove to the aloe factory, the donkey sanctuary, the red anchor, seeing the wild donkeys, Baby Beach with lunch at Big Mama's, finishing at Boca Catalina. We got gas at Citgo Sasaki (where they were very friendly helping us tourists figure out their system), before returning the jeep to Manchebo Beach Resort. We had arranged for a later drop off with Top Drive since we're in port so long. Since it was after hours, the keys were given to the resort front desk, and the staff kindly summoned a taxi very promptly. Of note, Aruba does not follow daylight savings time like our cruise ship did (Carnival) so in November, the time on Aruba was one hour later than Ship's time. This is important when booking the times of the jeep. All in all, we had one of the best port days we've ever had. I highly recommend Top Drive, for their friendly service and great equipment. We loved having chairs at the beach of our choice. Of note, the people of Aruba had to be the most courteous drivers we've ever met. Maybe it helped that the jeep identified us as tourists with the logo on the side.