Valor Booked!!

Taking the Southern cruise to Aruba, Curaçao, and Grand Turk... Sailing June 25th!

If you have been on this trip, what are the "must do's" we should do? I know for sure I definitely want a beach day just to relax, but other than that I am open for suggestions!

Thanks in advance!

Jeff

Taking the Southern cruise to Aruba, Curaçao, and Grand Turk... Sailing June 25th!

 

If you have been on this trip, what are the "must do's" we should do? I know for sure I definitely want a beach day just to relax, but other than that I am open for suggestions!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Jeff

Go to the CC Ports of Call boards and read the posts on each of those ports - that is a good way to get started.

Have spent a week in Aruba - the downtown area close to the Port is colorful, and it is windy (actually very windy) all the time.

Thank you for the advice!

Taking the Southern cruise to Aruba, Curaçao, and Grand Turk... Sailing June 25th!

 

If you have been on this trip, what are the "must do's" we should do? I know for sure I definitely want a beach day just to relax, but other than that I am open for suggestions!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Jeff

Beach = GT

Snorkel/Dive = Curacao

Shopping/Island Tour/ desert trek = Aruba

Enjoy! I have sailed Valor 7 times and have had 6 great cruises and 1 meh.

We are on the same cruise - cannot wait. We are doing snorkeling in Aruba, beach at Curaco and Margaritiville at Grand Turk.

Skip Margaritaville in GT, head up the beach for one of the other places like Crew Bar or Jack's Shack or the place with the "iceberg" climb in the water.

In Curacao, take a trolley tour or walking tour or shop across the swing bridge in Willemstad, lots of Dutch influenced architecture. Skip the Kura Hulandia unless you can do it as a self guided tour. Very interesting and informative and shocking in some respects from an exhibits stand point, but guides are extremely heavy handed in telling the history from a more radical perspective in a very disdainful tone.

I Aruba, do Jolly Pirates snorkel...get enough people and they'll pick you up in their Banana Bus...great time!!

Beach = GT

 

Snorkel/Dive = Curacao

 

Shopping/Island Tour/ desert trek = Aruba

 

Enjoy! I have sailed Valor 7 times and have had 6 great cruises and 1 meh.

Second this - we in particular enjoyed the "off road" tour that took us to the undeveloped side of the island - the surf was amazing. And the bumpy ride was a blast!

Grand Turk is a great beach day!!!

Grand Turk is a great beach day, whether you spend it at Margaritaville for the pool, or on the beach in front. Also, as others have mentioned, walk down the beach about 7 or 8 minutes to Jack Shack for the most AMAZING jerk chicken in the world and the cutest Labradoodle (Topher). He's famous!:D:D

Wasn't impressed with Curacao, at all. Might have been the time we got there. We were in port from 1pm-10 or 11pm. Did a tour of the island, with a stop at the liquor factory (free tastings) and then an hour at some beach, which was a DUMP. However, there is a nice outdoor shopping area right near the boat with an open courtyard. They have some nice bars with bistro style tables and the environment is FUN. Just a 5 minute walk back to the ship. Also great to take pictures of the ship all lit up at night.;)

Aruba, we spent the day at Palm Beach. Took the public bus for like $2.00 per person and were dropped off right in between the Radisson and Riu. Gorgeous beach with TONS of activities available. You can also rent chairs/umbrellas for a reasonable price.

Enjoy your cruise! Great itinerary!:D:D

Grand Turk is a great beach day, whether you spend it at Margaritaville for the pool, or on the beach in front. Also, as others have mentioned, walk down the beach about 7 or 8 minutes to Jack Shack for the most AMAZING jerk chicken in the world and the cutest Labradoodle (Topher). He's famous!:D:D

 

Wasn't impressed with Curacao, at all. Might have been the time we got there. We were in port from 1pm-10 or 11pm. Did a tour of the island, with a stop at the liquor factory (free tastings) and then an hour at some beach, which was a DUMP. However, there is a nice outdoor shopping area right near the boat with an open courtyard. They have some nice bars with bistro style tables and the environment is FUN. Just a 5 minute walk back to the ship. Also great to take pictures of the ship all lit up at night.;)

 

Aruba, we spent the day at Palm Beach. Took the public bus for like $2.00 per person and were dropped off right in between the Radisson and Riu. Gorgeous beach with TONS of activities available. You can also rent chairs/umbrellas for a reasonable price.

 

Enjoy your cruise! Great itinerary!:D:D

I feel about Aruba how you felt about Curacao, and I really think it does have alot to do with that same port time of 1-10. Third day of the cruise with 3 sea days prior....EVERYONE was ready to get off. It took forrrrrrever to debark. By the time we did, our prepaid excursion had left us. We had to scramble for something to do. Hurried to get to Jolly Pirates Sunset sail. Nice for adults. Kinda boring though but Hella boring for my kids who promptly took a nap. I mean how many times can watch someone do the rope swing? :p The sunset was truly pretty and it's amazing how they time it so you get to see the sun set perfectly as you sail back. But aside from that, I hated Aruba. The time sucks because all of the stores in town are closed and the stores in the port are packed with cruisers trying to get things before they stand in another line to board.

Now Curacao I loved. Very pretty clean island with nice people. I would go back in a heartbeat. We did Irie Tours and it was awesome.

OP in GT we did the ATV tour with Zoom Zoom Tours, which we found right outside the main gate. Not much to see, lol, but I loved it because it was safe and reasonably priced. We had a great time. After the tour, we hung out by the pool, which is huge and enjoyable for all at just 4 feet deep the entire length. Can't really go wrong in Grand Turk. We will be back there again in August.

Enjoy your trip.

I feel about Aruba how you felt about Curacao, and I really think it does have alot to do with that same port time of 1-10. Third day of the cruise with 3 sea days prior....EVERYONE was ready to get off. It took forrrrrrever to debark. By the time we did, our prepaid excursion had left us. We had to scramble for something to do. Hurried to get to Jolly Pirates Sunset sail. Nice for adults. Kinda boring though but Hella boring for my kids who promptly took a nap. I mean how many times can watch someone do the rope swing? :p The sunset was truly pretty and it's amazing how they time it so you get to see the sun set perfectly as you sail back. But aside from that, I hated Aruba. The time sucks because all of the stores in town are closed and the stores in the port are packed with cruisers trying to get things before they stand in another line to board.

 

Now Curacao I loved. Very pretty clean island with nice people. I would go back in a heartbeat. We did Irie Tours and it was awesome.

 

 

OP in GT we did the ATV tour with Zoom Zoom Tours, which we found right outside the main gate. Not much to see, lol, but I loved it because it was safe and reasonably priced. We had a great time. After the tour, we hung out by the pool, which is huge and enjoyable for all at just 4 feet deep the entire length. Can't really go wrong in Grand Turk. We will be back there again in August.

 

Enjoy your trip.

Yup! I agree with you that it must be the time thing! We are beach people. Not really prime beach time, getting there at 2.:mad::mad:

We did Irie Tours also. They were great!!! BONUS: the cooler filled with beer made it that much better.:D:D

Yup! I agree with you that it must be the time thing! We are beach people. Not really prime beach time, getting there at 2.:mad::mad:

 

We did Irie Tours also. They were great!!! BONUS: the cooler filled with beer made it that much better.:D:D

Yeah they were great. I had several of those beers, which weren't too bad. I'm not a beer drinker and liked them.

Thank you all for the great advice!!!!

cruizinisthebest do you remember what you paid for the zoom zoom tour, it's $90 for adults and $60 for kids online but I'm wondering if it's cheaper just to buy it when I get there

cruizinisthebest do you remember what you paid for the zoom zoom tour, it's $90 for adults and $60 for kids online but I'm wondering if it's cheaper just to buy it when I get there

It was $75 for a single rider. $100 for double. We paid $275 total. We had one adult ride by herself. My husband and I each had a kid on on ours. It was so much fun. Just hot as the dickens!!

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First of all, take your mosquito repellent. In Aruba and Curacao, we walked through the shops at the port and found a tour on an air conditioned bus. They both lasted about 3 hours and cost $20. Perfect way to see the tourist stuff for a very reasonable cost. Be are going back to Aruba in October and definitely going to hit the beach. We will take the public bus for a couple of bucks. Curacao was my favorite and maybe my favorite island over all. Second only to Grand Turk.

Skip Margaritaville in GT, head up the beach for one of the other places like Crew Bar or Jack's Shack or the place with the "iceberg" climb in the water.

Hi Crewsweeper -- The last two times we were at Grand Turk -- last November and last month, the Crew Bar was gone. :(

Hi Jeff - We just booked June 25 Valor cruise. First time for us on Valor and at any of these ports.

Carnival Valor June 25 has a FB page.

But I always come back to CC for the information on all things cruising.

Great information here on the ports. So excited.

See you on Valor...