Hatteras51

I recommend Black Pearl and Blue Melody. They are very laid back and provide a relaxing, more adult experience.

I also thought about Trikes, but if I remember correctly, I had to hold on to my husband pretty securely, while he was driving. It's been a few years since we've ridden on Trikes. Perhaps a private island tour? We've done numerous island tours with a driver named Bully. His tours are excellent. His email is bullytaxi79@hotmail.com. I highly recommend him. Bully is his nickname, and his response may show up under his real name, Amador Lacle.

Moomba is right there. You can rent chairs and umbrellas, have lunch and cocktails, and there's a nice restroom there also. You can easily spend the whole day there.

Mt. Hooiberg is the mountain with the steps. You can see it off in the distance when driving towards San Nicholas, on the way to Baby Beach. I've never climbed it, but I'm sure that you can see some great views from there. I have seen Venezuela from the beaches in Aruba several times, but the conditions have to be just right. I vacation there for two to three weeks every year, but have only seen it a few times.

Eagle Beach (Amsterdam Manor)is about a 10 minute taxi ride from the port. I have a timeshare at another resort in Aruba, so I can't help you with specifics about Amsterdam Manor's rental policy. I have been there for dinner and there is an outdoor bathroom on the premises. Snorkeling along Eagle and Palm Beach is almost non existent. These are sandy bottom beaches.

It depends on what you are looking for. Reflexions is a beach club. It is in the downtown area, close to the airport. The water is very calm, like a lake. Arashi is towards the tip of the island, near the lighthouse. There is a snack bar there, and a vendor with chairs and umbrellas. The water has some waves. It is more like spending a day at the beach on your own. Both are good choices. You can Google them and see pictures.

Renaissance Ocean Suites and Renaissance Wind Creek are the same thing. There is also Renaissance Marina Hotel. The Ocean Suites sits along the waterfront, right beside Renaissance Marketplace. The Marina Hotel is across the street. There is a car rental desk in the lobby at Ocean Suites. I have a timeshare there.

Taxi fares are set by the government. There are a few who might try to add a little to the price, so always ask what the fare is before you go.

DePalm Island is not the same as Palm Beach. I would advise you to google DePalm Island and see if that's where you would like to spend your day.

The shops close at 6pm. They are not open on Sundays. Most of the shops along LG Smith Blvd. are jewelry stores, along with a high end mall. There are better prices along the side street and on the street that is behind the blvd.

Yes. They are open. I have friends who spent the day there yesterday.

I have received word that Reflextions hopes to open next week.

The beaches are public. You can sit on a towel almost anywhere.

Reflextions has been closed for months. They have been posting for weeks that they will be open soon, but who knows. Everything happens on island time. Surfside Beach Bar is a little past Reflextions. The chairs are free as long as you order drinks. It would definitely be a lot cheaper than Riu, but the water is a lot nicer at Riu. The water at Surfside Beach Bar is mostly seaweed.

There are a lot of spas at the hotels that charge the usual spa prices, but no one on the beaches giving beach massages, like in Mexico and some other islands.

Take a taxi. I would ask someone at the front counter to call one for your return. You could also walk across the street from the Butterfly Farm and catch the bus in front of Divi Phoenix Resort to go back into town.

There is a nice convenience store in the shopping area adjacent to Alhambra Casino on Eagle Beach. There are several grocery stores off of the main drag in the downtown area. None of them are very good. There is also a convenience store at Renaissance Marketplace, which is about a 10 - 15 minute walk from the port, but it is in the opposite direction from Eagle Beach. Most of the main grocery stores are not walkable from the cruise port, and need a car or taxi. They are not on the bus route. We really like the convenience store near Alhambra, and frequently stop in when we are staying along Eagle Beach.

They are entangled in a dispute with their landlord. It has gotten very contentious. I'm hoping that they will reopen soon, but honestly, it's hard to tell.

Eagle Beach is not good for snorkeling. It would be best to take a taxi or bus to Arashi or Boca Catalina if you wish to snorkel.

The current taxi fare from downtown to Palm Beach is $13.00. There will be an additional charge if they pick you up inside the cruise port. In the past that has been $3.00. The taxis are charged an extra fee to enter the cruise port. Some drivers haven't paid for cruise port privileges, but thats not a problem. They'll let you off right outside of the cruise gate. We've done that before. Taxi rates will probably go up in 2023 because gas is over $6.00 a gallon there right now. By law, they can only carry 5 passengers.

I can help you out. We've been vacationing in Aruba every year for many years. You can take the bus to Palm Beach if you want, but I wouldn't take it back. The bus only runs every 30 minutes at night, and it's often late. We've stood at the bus stop several times, and have finally given up and taken a taxi. The best way to get a taxi back to the ship is to walk over to one of the many resorts. There's usually a line of taxis waiting for passengers in front of the resorts. We actually don't use the bus much anymore. Taxis are so much easier and quicker. The bus makes a lot of stops along the way. The taxi will take about 15 minutes to get back to the port from Palm Beach.

It is important to make sure that the company that you rent from allows you to take the jeep to the natural pool. A lot of jeep rental places don't because it can cause a lot of wear and tear on the vehicle.

Iguana Joe's shut down when covid hit, and just reopened a few months ago. They are operating on limted hours, and are not open for dinner. I suggest taking the bus or a taxi to Palm Beach. Downtown is pretty dead at night, and Palm Beach is where the action is. There are tons of restaurants, shops, etc right along the main strip. You'll find lots of family friendly options for dinner, including Smoky Joe's, Iguana Joe's other restaurant, Casa Tua, a great pizza restaurant with lots of good Italian dishes, Salt and Pepper, which has good tapas. There are lots of restaurants that don't require reservations there, also ice cream and gelato. The bus only runs every half hour at night, and often is late. We usually take a cab back to our resort. The easiest way to get one is to walk over to one of the numerous resorts there. They usually are lined up in front.