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Arubalisa.....question for you :)

crazyboutdisney

By crazyboutdisney,
in Aruba

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crazyboutdisney

crazyboutdisney

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We are cruising to Aruba in February on the Carnival Conquest.

This will be our 3rd cruise and we havent really ventured off much on our own. We usually take an excursion booked thru Carnival or stay close to the cruise port. But in Aruba I think we want to venture to Palm Beach. I have read several reviews and I think it has what we are looking for.(we are not looking to snorkel, just relax on the beach...drink a few cocktails) We are considering riding the city bus rather than a taxi.

So....is this pretty easy to do? Are the buses reliable and easy to catch back to the port? I hate to sound silly but I always worry about missing the boat :)

Any advice you can give? We really just want to stay low key and enjoy the beauty of Aruba.

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Arubalisa

Arubalisa

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You will have no trouble taking the us to Palm Beach. More info http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1545009

 

As you stop along the way you will see what a bus stop looks like so that upon your return you will know where to go stand streetside at Palm Beach for the return trip to Oranjestad.

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crazyboutdisney

crazyboutdisney

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You will have no trouble taking the us to Palm Beach. More info http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1545009

 

As you stop along the way you will see what a bus stop looks like so that upon your return you will know where to go stand streetside at Palm Beach for the return trip to Oranjestad.

 

Thank you! One person in their review mentioned a day pass for the bus that they bought at a kiosk for $4. Have you heard of this?

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t1adams

t1adams

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What about sailboat excursions for those who don't want 100 people on board with them? Black Pearl is booked. Any other suggestion? We like catamarans mainly due to the rough seas in this area. But we are open to other boats. Good service, high quality, is what we are looking for.

 

 

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Hatteras51

Hatteras51

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What about sailboat excursions for those who don't want 100 people on board with them? Black Pearl is booked. Any other suggestion? We like catamarans mainly due to the rough seas in this area. But we are open to other boats. Good service, high quality, is what we are looking for.

 

 

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I don't think Arubalisa has seen this, so I'll chime in. Mi Dushi has a new catamaran, but I'm not sure how many they hold. Also, De Palm and Red Sail are catamarans, along with Octopus. You can google them and find out more info on these. Black Pearl is the only one I know of that takes a small group, and as you found out, they book up quickly. We are going out with them next week. If you decide to go on a sailboat instead, Tranquilo is great, and they take a small group. They also book up quickly and have waiting lists.

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Hatteras51

Hatteras51

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Sorry I cannot add to what Hatteras already told you. :( She covered it all. :)

 

And I hope that Hatteras has a fantastic vacation. :)

 

Thanks, Lisa. I'll be coming your way on Friday. Hope all will be straightened out at Hartsfield by then, and that the weather is good.

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t1adams

t1adams

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I don't think Arubalisa has seen this, so I'll chime in. Mi Dushi has a new catamaran, but I'm not sure how many they hold. Also, De Palm and Red Sail are catamarans, along with Octopus. You can google them and find out more info on these. Black Pearl is the only one I know of that takes a small group, and as you found out, they book up quickly. We are going out with them next week. If you decide to go on a sailboat instead, Tranquilo is great, and they take a small group. They also book up quickly and have waiting lists.

 

 

Thank you for the suggestions. If you don't think a sailboat would be too rocky, I think I'll try the Tranquilo. I really don't know. I just know cats ride very smoothly.

 

 

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Arubalisa

Arubalisa

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We've sailed Tranquilo twice. The last time we sailed on Tranquilo was December 2013 and we sailed to Mangel Halto and Mike's Reef via the INSIDE route parallel to the barrier islands. VERY calm. I don't recall the sail back to Oranjestad but both times that I was on the boat no one felt seas sick.

 

My daughter suffered seas sickness for the first time this past December while diving off a boat off the coast of Aruba. She never felt any queasiness the two times she was aboard Tranquilo. ;)

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t1adams

t1adams

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We've sailed Tranquilo twice. The last time we sailed on Tranquilo was December 2013 and we sailed to Mangel Halto and Mike's Reef via the INSIDE route parallel to the barrier islands. VERY calm. I don't recall the sail back to Oranjestad but both times that I was on the boat no one felt seas sick.

 

 

 

My daughter suffered seas sickness for the first time this past December while diving off a boat off the coast of Aruba. She never felt any queasiness the two times she was aboard Tranquilo. ;)

 

 

Thank you so very much! He quoted me $310 for two hours. Sort of expensive for five of us but that's about the same as Black Pearl. Do you think they're as good as Black Pearl? She has me on a wait list (first in line). Trying to decide should I go ahead and book Tranquilo or hold out for Pearl? (Just remembered Pearl takes you out for three hours, not two, best I remember)

 

 

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  • 7 months later...
BeachLoverr

BeachLoverr

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I'm looking at booking a sunset sail with the Octopus in January. Their trip is from 4:30-6:30pm from Palm Beach. The ship leaves at 8pm - so if memory serves, we need to be back on board by 7:30pm.

Do we have enough time to get back to port in time? We plan to take the bus down earlier in the day - but would we be better off taking a taxi back? Would we be able to find one easily?

Thanks in advance!

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BeachLoverr

BeachLoverr

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It should be easily doable. You can catch a taxi outside the lobby of any Palm Beach hotel. If there is not one there right that second, a bellman will gladly call one for you.

 

I was asking because the tour operator told me he didn't think we would have enough time... any idea why? I've read a lot about how bad traffic can be. Do you think that might be an issue?

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Arubalisa

Arubalisa

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I was asking because the tour operator told me he didn't think we would have enough time... any idea why? I've read a lot about how bad traffic can be. Do you think that might be an issue?

Once you get back into Oranjestad, there will most likely be a traffic backup getting back inside the cruise terminal. IF that were to happen you could always get out of the taxi and walk the rest of the way. We are talking about walking a few blocks.

 

Is it possible the tour operator does not want your business? Do they think you will have trouble finding a taxi? What resort does Octopus leave from in front of?

 

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BeachLoverr

BeachLoverr

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Once you get back into Oranjestad, there will most likely be a traffic backup getting back inside the cruise terminal. IF that were to happen you could always get out of the taxi and walk the rest of the way. We are talking about walking a few blocks.

 

Is it possible the tour operator does not want your business? Do they think you will have trouble finding a taxi? What resort does Octopus leave from in front of?

 

 

I can't figure why he wouldn't want the business... he said getting a taxi should be no problem. His website says that the trip departs from the pier between Holiday Inn and Playa Linda. He's definitely not wordy in his email replies. He has good reviews on Trip Advisor. I mainly chose him because the other sunset cruises I can find don't end until 7pm and I feel like that is really cutting it close!

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