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Why do they even bother ? ....

VTX-AL

By VTX-AL,
in Princess Cruises

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GUT2407

GUT2407

Posted
Posted
But... If you don't go ashore you will miss the blue horse statues!

 

9bbe9f49-bce2-466d-bb8e-24349a3afe05_zpstzaspkma.jpg?t=1491167985

 

For the "select few" there is also a Geocache hidden at the I<3Aruba sign. :)

 

Aruba20Sign_zpss3nwiwpr.jpg?t=1491168205

 

 

Oh well Blue Horse statues that settles I must get off.

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upwarduk

upwarduk

Posted
Posted
The beach picture is the Marriott Renaissance. They used to allow people to go in and use the beach. No longer. They don't even allow beach passes. Last time there they have also gone the wristband route to keep people from sneaking in. Surfside beach is a little bit further. The Renaissance is about a 15 minute walk from the dock, Surfside is about a 30 minute walk or a 5 minute taxi ride.

 

 

It's the beach in the middle distance of my third picture that I was referring to. Certainly walkable from town.

 

 

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kitkat343

kitkat343

Posted
Posted

4 years ago when we took the partial Panama Canal 10 day cruise they had the short stay in Aruba like you experienced. Aruba is beautiful, and we greatly enjoyed our time there. We had planned out what we wanted to see and were able to achieve all of our goals- to take our son to a great animal rescue place, see a tour of the island and visit a beach. Many of our fellow passengers were unhappy about the short stay, which didn't bother us although the long lines to reboard were frustrating and understandable given how short the port was and that everyone wanted to return as late as possible. Cartagena was amazing and I was so glad to have a longer day there.

 

The following year, Princess added a day to the cruise and made it an 11 day tour and gave passengers a full day in Aruba. I guess that wasn't as popular because they are back to a 10 day cruise.

 

Oh, and it looks like now they have substituted a stop in Princess Cays, Bahamas for Aruba on some of these voyages:

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=B733

 

And others now combine both Jamaica and the Grand Cayman islands instead of Aruba

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=B832

 

Its good to give people options, and we've liked Aruba, the Grand Cayman islands and Jamaica a lot and have never been to Princess Cay.

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brian1

brian1

Posted
Posted
Indeed, there are many, many options to choose from. The glass half-full theory also applies. Make the best of it, enjoy the heck out of it and you will have a good time no matter what you do.

 

Although my glass may no longer be half full for Grand Turk.

Hi,I agree,Grand Turk is the original one horse island lol,cheers,Brian.
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fishywood

fishywood

Posted
Posted

Oh, and it looks like now they have substituted a stop in Princess Cays, Bahamas for Aruba on some of these voyages:

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=B733

 

And others now combine both Jamaica and the Grand Cayman islands instead of Aruba

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=B832

 

Its good to give people options, and we've liked Aruba, the Grand Cayman islands and Jamaica a lot and have never been to Princess Cay.

 

The partial transit, round-trip Ft Lauderdale sailings do not have the distant foreign port requirement that the open jaw full transits do. So skipping Aruba (or Cartagena, or both) is of no consequence there. And with Caribbean Princess taking over the partial transits next season those other ports are more practical for a ship with 50% greater passenger numbers than Island or Coral.

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Iamcruzin

Iamcruzin

Posted
Posted
Indeed, there are many, many options to choose from. The glass half-full theory also applies. Make the best of it, enjoy the heck out of it and you will have a good time no matter what you do.

 

 

 

Although my glass may no longer be half full for Grand Turk.

 

 

My glass is empty for Princess Cay. I stay on the ship for that stop.

 

 

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lolane1

lolane1

Posted
Posted
Well... there obviously is one as we visited it. This lovely young lady

 

IMG_20151005_1524465231_zpskblt9ake.jpg?t=1491166863

 

Sold me this beer

 

Balashi_zps6uunukhk.jpg

 

at the small bar on the beach. We found the beach by simply walking all the way through town. I had never seen beer in such small bottles. I think they were maybe 8 ounces and we bought a couple in town for $4.50 each and another one (for me!) at the beach bar for $4.75. Yikes! However, we always sample the local beer wherever we go. In Aruba your main choices for beer were either Balashi or Heineken. It is, after all, a Dutch island.

 

While walking through town don't forget to purchase a tee shirt that will shrink 2 sizes once you wash it. :p

 

What inviting pictures - making me jealous! Heck, I'd rather 5 hours in Aruba than sitting at my desk at work.

Those pix just might get me through the day while contemplating my next cruise. Thanks. 😀

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frenchm

frenchm

Posted
Posted
Sailing on the Island Princess this month from Fort Lauderdale, through the Canal and ending in Vancouver. The first port stop is Aruba with a five-hour stay. So, we get off the ship, walk into downtown Oranjestaad, maybe grab a coffee, drop some cash at the closest tourist trap, and then, allowing for a reasonable buffer before sailing, it's about time to return to the ship.

 

 

 

So, the question is: Why does Princess even bother with such a short port stop? Surely there's not much time for even a short excursion, beach visit, etc, re-fueling the ship can't be needed that soon either. Guess we will at least be able to say that we have "been to" Aruba ! :rolleyes:

 

 

 

...VTX-Al

 

 

Maybe I could ask my brother meet you at the port with drinks...LOL

 

 

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ahl

ahl

Posted
Posted

Five hours is plenty of time to do an island tour in Aruba. There is much to see. It is a desert sort of island with cacti and bent divi divi trees rather than a tropical one with palm trees. Local use cacti to construct living fences. The rock formations are very interesting, especially at Natural Bridge on the coast and Casibari Park inland. There is also a lighthouse to see and take in the scenic view from its location.

 

Oranjestad is close to the port. It can be reached by walking. Or, there is a free tram (streetcar) that runs from the cruise terminal to downtown.

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LeeW

LeeW

Posted
Posted (edited)

Public bus system works well. Diagonal across main street a block outside of port to right. Main bus station is there. Take #10 bus (or A or B) to Eagle Beach or all the way to the Marriott. Enjoy beach, take bus back. Around $2.40 US and they will give change if they can. Buses run about every 20 minutes. Or you can take a locals van back that drop off adjacent to the bus station for $2. These run about every 2 minutes.

 

I can recommend the 4x4 tour that goes to the other side of the island, but since we have been to this island many times we don't take tours any more. Snorkel trips are good (although strong current at the sunken ship). DePalm Island is good, but tour isn't worth it for that short stay - lunch will barely open before you have to return.

 

Small local vendor booths to your right along the main street on the marina side. Also across the main street just left of the bus depot.

 

Other posters are right about PVSA stop. They have to stop either here or in Cartagena and having two stops is safer. Fine is $300 per person if they don't stop in a far foreign port. But we much prefer this stop to the Cartagena stop. Wish they still went to Isla Marguerita.

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Ole Faithful

Ole Faithful

Posted
Posted
Hi,I agree,Grand Turk is the original one horse island lol,cheers,Brian.

 

But the snorkeling and diving on the wall of the Puerto Rico trench (which is about 75 yds offshore) is amazing! In SEP waters so warm you don't need a wetsuit at 80-100 ft.

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dennbr9

dennbr9

Posted
Posted
While you will be disembarking in Vancouver, a lot of passengers will be disembarking six days earlier, in Los Angeles (San Pedro). And that means transporting passengers between two different US Ports, which means the PVSA is triggered which means the ship must stop at a defined distant foreign port which in this case means a stop in Aruba. So, it's a government requirement sort of thing.:)

 

 

If same Itinerary we took in 2015, Ship stops also in Cartagena, West side of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Cabo, so Issue with PVSA has no bearing.

 

 

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thinfool

thinfool

Posted
Posted
If same Itinerary we took in 2015, Ship stops also in Cartagena, West side of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Cabo, so Issue with PVSA has no bearing.

 

 

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Only the stop in Cartagena validates the itinerary per the PVSA.

Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Cabo are irrelevant.

 

 

 

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