How do you feel about going to Aruba???

[Hondu]

I haven't been to Aruba yet but would go in a heart beat. I can't think of any USA city that is safer than Aruba. Can you? Just don't let the media spook ya. By the way, they just found the body of the missing pregnant woman in Phili.

[katiel53]

We have been to many Caribbean islands and Aruba is one of the top islands on my list. Crime happens everywhere and I believe that there is more crime in the US and it's territories than there is in Aruba. I remember being warned not to go out at night in St. Thomas. I heard the same in Puerto Rico. (It's ok to go out at night in PR if down near the cruise ship, but not on other streets, so we have been told.) I think everyone is responsible for looking out for himself/herself. Having said that though, I know as an 18 year old I would have been out partying and thinking I were invincible.

 

Be careful no matter where you go and enjoy your cruise.

[hstrybuf]

It's been a few years since we were last there, but I have no good reason not to go again, except that I don't have a cruise booked with the island on the itinerary.

[DesertGal]

Never been and don't plan on going anytime soon because I don't want to be somewhere that has such an incompetent police force. Never gave it much thought until this happened. If I went to Aruba, I would be reminded of Natalee and would be thinking of her everywhere I went. A vacation is supposed to be a happy time.

 

I remember driving through NY on my way to the Poconos the weekend after 9/11. It was the worst vacation of my life. We wanted to cancel at the last minute, but had made plans with other relatives, so we felt we had to go.

 

With so many news outlets, it seems there is a story every day about the vanishing groom and Natalee. It has definetely alerted me about the dangers we face out of this country. I will be keeping my alcohol consumption in check and definetely will be going on excursions instead of heading off on my own.

[daveky]

Will be in Aruba via AOS in acouple of weeks. It's like any place else, be careful where you go, who you go with, if you drink, how much and be aware of your surroundings. Aruba, I would say, is more safer than many of your other islands say Jamaica, etc.

 

Dave

[moisture]

Aruba is the United States' 51st state. You pay with US $$$$, you speak English, and you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an American family. You have a nice beach, with nice water but certainly less than spectacular. Let's face it, its the Jersey shore, but you need to spend 24 hours to fly there.

 

Would I go back...NO, but am I afraid to go...NO.

 

You've obviously never been to the Jersey Shore. Aruba has some of the best beaches, shopping and dining anywhere in the Caribbean. Don't let Jerry Rivers keep you away.

[sgttami]

Soon after our town was named "safest" city on the East coast, we had a horrible murder of a 16 year old girl...(last summer, a few blocks from home)Newspaper coverage for weeks.

 

Last week we had a shooting in a condo complex a few blocks from home.

 

Crime is everywhere and Aruba was probably "THE" safest island to travel to until the media coverage of the Holloway case made people afraid.

 

If Aruba looked like the Jersey Shore, I'd never have to leave home!!!

 

I'm a retired female police sergeant and if you think the police are doing nothing in Aruba, I could tell you stories about law enforcement (or lack of, I should say) that would make your head spin...

 

On a personal note, I'd probably never go to Aruba unless it was a port on a cruise. Just didn't care for it that much... I'll be there in October on Adv of Seas and don't have any more fear than when I was there two years ago..

[DesertGal]

Witnesses say she was not with this guy that night and was not drunk. He shoved her into what she thought was a taxi according to her friends and was heading back to the hotel. Taxis don't have signs on these islands. Those accused are the ones slandering her name to get attention off them. Another girl came forward saying these guys had a similar approach to her in April. Sounds

I have been to Aruba and would not hesitate to go back. Part of the problem was Natalee's own doing. Shouldn't party with strangers and go looking for a good time with drugs.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Where I choose to travel is based on the belief that crime can happen anywhere. Police can be incompetent and make egregious errors during investgations anywhere. Look how many errors were made in the OJ Simpson case. In fact, it has been said that one reason why the Aruban law authorities appear inept investigation the Halloway disappearance is that such crimes are so rare in that country.

 

If it is any comfort, cruise ships seldom visit ports that are too dangerous for the safety of their passengers. Of course, the Halloway girl was not in Aruba on a cruise, though she was with a chaperoned group of her classmates and should have been safe.

 

I wouldn't avoid Aruba based on one tragic case. I'd avoid the place when several tourists have disappeared within a short space of time.

[HotlantaCruiser]

Hello Everyone,

 

Each evening at this time I come to Cruise Critic to check out what is new. At the same time the TV is on. So many channels have the news of (or lack of news) about Natalee Holloway and Aruba. My heart goes out to her family. It is a parents worst nightmare. How do you all feel about going to Aruba?

 

Oh I would never go there. A drunken teenager goes off to have sex with 3 boys, and something ill befalls her. Why that island must be just a pirate's haven. Thank the good lord that Faux News is there to report every night, or else we might remember that there is a war on.

[HotlantaCruiser]

No offense but what makes this case any more special than the thousands of others like it... news coverage that is all.:mad:

 

What makes it special is that the girl in question was young, cute, white, and a professed Christian. Thus Faux News can play it up to the folks in the square states. (I have no problem with any of those 4 qualities, just stating the facts).

 

You don't see Faux News reporting from Jamiaca every night regarding the Black woman from America who disappeared there about a year ago.

 

Of course, you also don't see Faux news reiterating the fact that drunken Ms. Holloway was going off to have pre-marital sex with at least one, if not all three, of the young men in question.

[ILov2cruise]

.

 

Of course, you also don't see Faux news reiterating the fact that drunken Ms. Holloway was going off to have pre-marital sex with at least one, if not all three, of the young men in question.

 

How DO you know she was really drunk or going to have sex with these boys.

 

 

The story was covered over and over again thanks to her mom.

The story about the missing girl in Jamiaca was covered on CNBC, not as much as the Aruba case due to her mother not letting the story die.

Yes I would still go to Aruba.

 

Would you still cruise RCCL after all the rape stories and the missing conn man.

[stretch]

Never been and don't plan on going anytime soon because I don't want to be somewhere that has such an incompetent police force. Never gave it much thought until this happened. If I went to Aruba, I would be reminded of Natalee and would be thinking of her everywhere I went. A vacation is supposed to be a happy time.

 

I remember driving through NY on my way to the Poconos the weekend after 9/11. It was the worst vacation of my life. We wanted to cancel at the last minute, but had made plans with other relatives, so we felt we had to go.

 

With so many news outlets, it seems there is a story every day about the vanishing groom and Natalee. It has definetely alerted me about the dangers we face out of this country. I will be keeping my alcohol consumption in check and definetely will be going on excursions instead of heading off on my own.

 

I just wonder how you will be able to go anywhere in the future, and if you haven't noticed, the crime rate here is worse than in most foreign countries. Good luck looking for that perfect "Happy Place".

 

As for my feeling, been there twice, first time on a cruise and this spring for a weeks vacation. One of the best places I've ever been to and will be back next spring on another cruise.

Stretch

[AltaJoe]

You've obviously never been to the Jersey Shore. Aruba has some of the best beaches, shopping and dining anywhere in the Caribbean. Don't let Jerry Rivers keep you away.

 

Guess again. I have been to the Jersey Shore and Aruba was an instant reminder. We were on the Empress 11-day and Aruba was the last of 9 Islands. If I was to list them in order, they'd be a distant 9.

 

That doesn't mean that I find it an offensive place, but there are far better alternatives FOR ME. I say that because I feel deeply that if I spend 12 hours traveling to a foreign country I want to be in a foreign country. As I stated, you speak English, you pay with US $$$ and you sit on a loud, crowded beach listening to American parents screaming at their children. Its hardly a foreign experience.

 

The beaches (that I went to) had nice water, but it was so loaded with water craft that it left me wishing that I was back on the tranquil beaches of St Barts, and most of the other islands.

 

The rest of the island was pleasant, but Cape Cod nice. Again, an awfully long way to go for a Cape Cod experience. BTW, its the best part of the island.

 

The town was fine. I'm not a shopper, so it didn't faze me in the least. Sitting at an outdoor cafe and watching people is laughable. How many tourists carrying bags can you count in an hour. :D

 

I'm not a gambler, so the casino holds no interest for me.

 

Wow, I guess Aruba won't be hiring me to do their PR. :eek:

[HotlantaCruiser]

How DO you know she was really drunk or going to have sex with these boys..

 

Her friends have said so on Greta van Sustern's program(sp?) Three young girls who admitted to Greta. Check the transcripts.

 

 

Would you still cruise RCCL after all the rape stories and the missing conn man.

 

Heck Yes!! I'm taking the family on Grandeur Jan 6th out of New Orleans. I'm also doing Radiance (Brilliance? I can't remember) on the Atlantis charter out of San Diego in October. I'd also go back to Aruba, not exactly my first choice, but if I go on a Southern Caribbean cruise again, I wouldn't mind.

[newmexicoNita]

Witnesses say she was not with this guy that night and was not drunk. He shoved her into what she thought was a taxi according to her friends and was heading back to the hotel. Taxis don't have signs on these islands. Those accused are the ones slandering her name to get attention off them. Another girl came forward saying these guys had a similar approach to her in April. Sounds

According to all the young people we have have seen on O Reilly she was drinking. None came out and said she was drunk as in falling down, but there have been several who say she was drinking and had been hanging out with him for a couple of nights.

We dont watch O'Reilly every night cause we are getting a little tired of the whole thing, but we have seen at least 5 or her friends interviewed inclluding one guy. This doesn't make what happened any less tragic. NMNita

[HotlantaCruiser]

The stories about being pushed into a taxi are relatively new, within the last 10 days, after a full 70+ days of this story being hyped. At this point there are no "revelations" that coud be expected from any of the people who were on that trip. By now they have all cross-pollenated their own recollections of the events, and more than one have appeared on TV being either goaded into a line of questions or led towards certain answers, whether that was their intention or not.

 

You know it's not a real news story if Sean Hannity takes a trip to Aruba.

 

 

 

Again, it's a sad story, but no less sad than the hundreds of young girls who get into the same scenario all over the U.S. during any typical week/month.

 

The real tragedy is that the Cable News channels are missing the opportunity to tell other meaningful stories, regardless of your politics. (take your pick: Famine in Niger, Iranian nuclear ambitions, Venezuelan [2nd largest oil producer in the Western Hemisphere] President appearing on stage with Castro, war in Iraq, the Valerie Plame scandal, President Bush's Supreme Court Nominee, etc)

 

Instead we get three hours a night of Natalle Holloway and Honeymoon Husband disappearance.

[Heidict]

It is real easy to sit on the outside of this and blame the victim. To think that this was her fault and that it cannot happen to you because you do not do what she did is ignorant.

 

I don't think it's so much "blame the victim". If she was murdered noone is to blame but the person who committed and / or assisted in the murder. But on the other hand she let her guard down, drinking and going off alone with men that she barely knew. By doing this, she opened the doors for something bad to happen. So while it is not her fault that any wrong doing came to her, she does bear some of the responsibility for allowing herself to be put in a position where an evil person had the upper hand and got her alone.

 

You have to be careful and cautious no matter where you are. Predetors go for the niave ones.

 

 

 

Lets face it, its the Jersey shore, but you need to spend 24 hours to fly there.

Aruba is the same as the Jersey shore? While i would certianly agree with you about the American families everywhere and the fact that people there speak english and except american money I would say that it's worlds better thent he Jersey shore. Last time I was at the Jersey shore, I don't remember the beaches and water looking like they do in Aruba.:p

 

And 24 hours to fly there? What the heck airline are you using?:cool:

 

Never been and don't plan on going any time soon because I don't want to be somewhere that has such an incompetent police force

Then you might want to think about holing up in your house cause you will find police incompetency in a lot of the police forces. Sometimes major, most of the time minor and almost always not known by the public. It's a shame, but human error is inevitable and can lead to incompetency. If you plan on avoiding a place due to police incompetency then there isn't going to be a heck of alot of places left for you to go to.

 

 

Personally, I would love to go back to Aruba, regardless if it was for a day or a week. I felt safer there then I did in most of the other caribbean islands and I found it to be a beautiful if somewhat small island.