Occidental Aruba Day Pass

I contacted the Allegro Occidental on Palm Beach (all inclusive) to inquire about day passes. Their pass is $75 per person and is good from 9:00-6:00. It includes full use of the resort, beach, pools, non-motorized water sports etc. and all food and alcoholic/nonalcoholic beverages for the day. It would be nice to have a resort to use for the day, but it is hard to justify the price. What do you other cruisers think?

What do you other cruisers think?

Here is a price I worked out last year for day at Palm Beach renting "stuff" from the vendor at the south end of the Radisson's beach:

2 Adults

1 big umbrellas $20 = $20

2 chaise lounge rentals $8 x 2= $16

2 floats (non-motorized watersport) $5 x 2= $10

Lunch & 2 beverages from the Radisson served to you at your chaise lounge by their roving servers, including tip for 2 people = $40

Lunch & 2 beverages at the Bugaloe Bar & Grill located adjacent and short steps from your chaise for 2 people <$30

Total $86 maximum

Granted prices may have gone up since December.

If you can drink the difference at $8+ a drink it would be worth it.

Arubalisa, Thanks for the math. I know some of the beach is roped off, is there a good place for swimming in that area? As always, you are a wealth of information. Thanks!!

Each hotel along Palm Beach ropes off the water in front their individual property to separate the swimmer's from the watersports boats. See below a portion of the Radisson's roped area. Their property is 14 acres so the length of beach is quite long and the rope extends nearly the entire length except on each end.

All beaches in Aruba are public so essentially you can plop a towel down and swim where ever you like. For safety sake, of course, it is a good idea to swim inside of someone's ropes.

Looking closely at this photo you can see the rope partitions off the beach on either side of De Palm Pier which is located between the Radisson and the Riu.

How much do you plan on drinking?

 

Here is a price I worked out last year for day at Palm Beach renting "stuff" from the vendor at the south end of the Radisson's beach:

2 Adults

1 big umbrellas $20 = $20

2 chaise lounge rentals $8 x 2= $16

2 floats (non-motorized watersport) $5 x 2= $10

Lunch & 2 beverages from the Radisson served to you at your chaise lounge by their roving servers, including tip for 2 people = $40

Lunch & 2 beverages at the Bugaloe Bar & Grill located adjacent and short steps from your chaise for 2 people <$30

Total $86 maximum

Granted prices may have gone up since December.

If you can drink the difference at $8+ a drink it would be worth it.

I am going to Aruba for the firts time, and you seem to have a great wealth of knowledge about the island (hence your screen name :D )

Are the beaches that you are reffering to public? Are these hotel properties that anyone can go to? How far is Palm Beach from the cruise port?

THANKS in advance

I am going to Aruba for the firts time, and you seem to have a great wealth of knowledge about the island (hence your screen name :D )

 

Are the beaches that you are reffering to public? Are these hotel properties that anyone can go to? How far is Palm Beach from the cruise port?

 

THANKS in advance

There are differing opinions here on the forum as to whether or not the resorts offer these for use for the day for a fee. I have inquired many many a time and been told that it is not done. Others say that they have been successful at this venture.

Palm Beach is a 10 - 15 minute taxi ride from the cruise terminal. Taxis charge $10 each way per ride, NOT per person, maximum of 5 people per car, NO wet bathing suits. http://taxiaruba.com/new/farelist.html

The bus is also convenient, but not nearly as quick. $2.30 roundtrip with the bus station being a short walk from the cruise terminal. http://www.arubus.com/

I contacted the Allegro Occidental on Palm Beach (all inclusive) to inquire about day passes. Their pass is $75 per person and is good from 9:00-6:00. It includes full use of the resort, beach, pools, non-motorized water sports etc. and all food and alcoholic/nonalcoholic beverages for the day. It would be nice to have a resort to use for the day, but it is hard to justify the price. What do you other cruisers think?

That is my time share. It has the best pool on the block. The beach is awesome. The food and drinks, nothing great. Now they offer you the non motorized stuff, mostly floats if available, chairs plenty shade not, most people use the palapas all day, hard to come by at 9am. You can rent right next to Occidental, and the pool bar at Playa Linda has a very long happy hour, they wont kick you out of their pool if your eating and drinking there.

i just looked at the web site for playa linda and it looks awesome......do we just show up there ...eat and drink and use the pool?

i have a real problem........need a beach with shade. i waslooking at day passes but if the shade is used up by guests......it doesn't help me.

we are 2 families traveling together and will be in aruba during christmas week. the day pass thing appeals to me because of the pool/beach thing but i need shade:eek:

i just looked at the web site for playa linda and it looks awesome......do we just show up there ...eat and drink and use the pool?

 

i have a real problem........need a beach with shade. i waslooking at day passes but if the shade is used up by guests......it doesn't help me.

 

we are 2 families traveling together and will be in aruba during christmas week. the day pass thing appeals to me because of the pool/beach thing but i need shade:eek:

the hotel inbetween Occidental and Playa Linda the Hyatt has a lot of shade, I pooled there for quite a while years ago and did not get caught, but when my kid tried to use the water slide she was sent away. Maybe they have a day pass for you there, I think they are expensive but maybe you could rent a hotel room for the day or better yet use some frequent flyer miles of credit card points to get a room there cheaper.

i just looked at the web site for playa linda and it looks awesome......do we just show up there ...eat and drink and use the pool?

 

i have a real problem........need a beach with shade. i waslooking at day passes but if the shade is used up by guests......it doesn't help me.

 

we are 2 families traveling together and will be in aruba during christmas week. the day pass thing appeals to me because of the pool/beach thing but i need shade:eek:

Christmas is one of the busiest periods (and most expensive) on the island of Aruba. The photo below is the beach at the Radisson on the morning of 12/31/07 taken BEFORE 10: 00 a.m.

Knowing in advance last year, that we would be confronted with this type of situation, knowing that the Renaissance would not be selling day passes that day due to their occupany limits, we opted to rent chaises and umbrellas from vendors located at De Palm Pier between the Radisson and Riu Resort.

Again, due to high occupany rates, if interested in a day pass, you may wish to contact the Occidental or Riu directly in advance and see if they will even be offering them during the holiday week.

I hope you find your shade, I know how frustrating it is.

Here is my 2 cents on the Allegro ;) .

A couple of years ago we got a day pass for around 35.00 or 40.00 per person. It included drinks and lunch.

The food was ok. I did like the buffet.

The drinks were lousy. The margaritta tasted like that frozen lime juice. I really wondered if they had any tequila in them.

We spent our time on the beach. There were plenty of shade where we were sitting. We also had an umbrella and chairs.

The area around the pool was very nice but they had music blarring very, very, loud. The loud music is not for me but others do like this type of thing.

The 35.00/40.00 was ok, but I would not do this for 75.00 per person.

I contacted them and they are not offering them to cruise passengers in high season.

The beach in the picture is absolutely awesome. :D You have sold me on this beach.

The beach in the picture is absolutely awesome. :D You have sold me on this beach.

First let me say congrats on the adoption. What a thrill for you.:) I have read your posts over the years and enjoyed your knowledge of Aruba. DH and I are going on a seminar at sea with NACTA and one of the stops is Aruba. Thought I would ask the knowledgeable one.. what would you suggest for a ta going to Aruba for the first time? Thanks in advance for your help....;)

Does anyone know if Playa Linda is still allowing guests to use the pool for the purchase of a few drinks and if the Hyatt offers day passes?

I looked into the Renaissance Ocean Suites and I can get a room there with frequent flyer miles but not sure if that is the best place to be since it is right in town.

We will have two kids with us age 14 & 11

We do like the ocean but my kids eyes get irrated if they spend too much time in salt water and need an alternative with a pool option

Thanks

The most current info I know is what appears here in this thread. The Hyatt does not sell day passes.

Your best option if the kids want/need a swimming pool is to go the Renaissance and either book a room or buy the day pass there for $75 per person. If you traveling during high season, you best option is renting a room. The last I was told, they do not sell passes if their occupancy rate is above 90%.

Would the ocean suites be a better option then the regular Renaissance if I book a room? As I can see the ocean suites are on the ocean but the Renaissance you have to take a shuttle to the beach?

Thank you for your help

Boy that is such an excellent question.

The Marina Tower http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=12.518945&lon=-70.037477&z=17&l=0&m=a&v=2 (mouseover the plus sign) is across the street from the Ocean Suites. Naturally the Ocean Suites are more money. The only problem is that the Marina Tower is "adult only". So they would not allow the kids in the room??? The kids would be able to use the pool at the Ocean Suites but not at the Marina Tower.

The private island beach has a shuttle boat which departs from both towers. Or you could just hang out on the small man-made beach at the Ocean Suites. http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=12.515248&lon=-70.036479&z=17&l=0&m=a&v=2 (mouseover the plus sign)

Your best bet is probably going to be to email or telephone the resort directly and explain your situation.

Arubalisa,

We will be in Aruba on our cruise on December 30 and I just read where someone posted that the hotels will not be selling day passes during that holiday week and the prices of rooms will be outrageous. We've been to Aruba once before and did the Jolly Pirates and loved it but we don't want to do it again. Do you have any suggestions on what we can do? Our family consists of my husband and I (53) and our three sons ages 16, 19 & 21.

For a day at the beach, since you have kids and they would probably want to particpate in some watersports I would suggest Palm Beach over Eagle Beach. There is more info atSuggestions for inexpensive way to spend our day.. Prices may have increased a little bit, but more or less this would give you a ball park figure. At the end of De Palm Pier is Bugaloe Bar & Grill for lunch. There are other restaurants within walking distance. Bugaloe is probably one of the more reasonably priced options.

Another suggestion for the day would be a jeep or ATV tour.

For a day at the beach, since you have kids and they would probably want to particpate in some watersports I would suggest Palm Beach over Eagle Beach. There is more info atSuggestions for inexpensive way to spend our day.. Prices may have increased a little bit, but more or less this would give you a ball park figure. At the end of De Palm Pier is Bugaloe Bar & Grill for lunch. There are other restaurants within walking distance. Bugaloe is probably one of the more reasonably priced options.

Another suggestion for the day would be a jeep or ATV tour.

Lisa, the ATV sounds perfect.... my husband has a ruptured disk in his back... think we should skip the ATV???

Dinah

my husband has a ruptured disk in his back... think we should skip the ATV???

 

Dinah

Sorry, I wouldn't suggest taking him on the ATV. :(

good day

we are visiting in the first week of april 3 till 10 april. we are in the mill resort but we will doo things on the island we are from the Netherlands and love also cruising but now we stay one hole week on the island can you tell me what we can do and can we also stay a day or more in an allin day resort . my email adres is arieplugge52@gmail.com thank you so much when you can make some time for us we are with 4 persons and like too have fun and relaxing time.

So which hotel on Palm Beach is the best to do with a Day Pass?? We are heading there the end of January.