What do you like about Curacao?

[carnival03]

I'm having difficulty choosing an itinerary for our cruise next June, 2017, for our son's 21st birthday. We are a family of three and love the typical white sand, blue water beaches. Shopping is a plus and we love just being in a beautiful place! Here are my choices:

 

All leaving from San Juan...

 

Itinerary One: St. Thomas / Curacao / Aruba / St. Kitts

 

Itinerary Two: St. Maarten / St. Kitts / Antigua / St. Lucia / Barbados

 

Itinerary Three: Bonaire / Curacao / Aruba / St. Maarten

 

So what do you like about Curacao? What sets it apart from the options above, and which Itinerary would you choose?

 

Thanks for your opinion! :D

[bup1224]

We are doing #3 this year - different port order. We have been to all for extended vacations except Bonaire. Great shopping in St. Marten- our favorite beach there is Mullett Bay. Aruba Palm Beach area is fun with lots of water sports things. Curacao is our absolute favorite island . We love the western beaches there but depending on your port times there - most of them are 30-45 minutes from Port and taxi's are expensive.

[ColoradoGurl]

From what I know about the islands, the "ABC's" (Aruba, Bonnaire, Curaçao) are typical favorites for those who scuba dive (and snorkel) because of their great reefs and sea life. But I don't think they're particularly known for having the most popular beaches (not that they aren't nice, but their popularity isn't for the beaches it's for the diving).

 

In my experience, Antigua and Barbados have the best turquoise and crystal blue water of all the islands you have listed. St Kitts isn't bad either. So option #2 would be my first choice (also because you visit more islands on that route). St Lucia is the most tropical and lush of all those islands, it's covered in green plants and flowers.

 

Aruba is a desert island, and is very windy, so it's probably not going to give you the most relaxing beach day.

 

St Maarten has nicer beaches on the Dutch side of the island because it's the Caribbean side. The French side is in the Atlantic Ocean and is more choppy and has more waves. Most people visit the French side (myself included), but I don't find the St Maarten beaches to be that great. I'd go for the second route, unless you plan to snorkel or scuba dive, in which case I'd do option #3.

Edited August 1, 2016 by ColoradoGurl

[Hatteras51]

I vacation in Aruba every year. The beaches there are amazing. Many consider them to be the best in the Caribbean. Yes, it is windy, but they are cooling trade winds. When the winds stop, you get hot very quickly. We love the winds. Depending on where you spend the day will impact how much wind you will feel. Palm Beach is less windy because of all of the buildings.