Hatteras51

You mentioned Atardi in a post, which is located at The Marriott Stelaris Hotel. I'm not sure that the bus goes directly by The Marriott. It is pretty far up Palm Beach, and the bus turns and goes around a round about near that location, as it travels up to Arashi Beach. I suggest taking a taxi. You can walk back towards Palm Beach after dinner, if you choose, but I strongly suggest that you take a taxi back to the port. The busses run on a reduced schedule at night, Sundays, and holidays. Many times, we've stood at the bus stop for about 30 minutes, and have given up and taken a taxi.

There were a number of vendors who were illegally renting chairs and umbrellas along the beach. They did not have the proper permits, and quite a few heated arguments ensued between those who were there legally, and those who weren't. The authorities finally got involved and shut down the illegal vendors.

Divi Village and Golf Resort is nice, and close to the port. Terrace Del Sol is another good choice, but I'm not sure what their policy is for people who aren't staying there. It's about 30 minutes from the port.

There are several places close to the port that your family might enjoy for dinner. Aruba is a Dutch island, with lots of Dutch and local influences. You could check out Dutch Pancake House (which are more like crepes). They have dinner items, but we like to split a savory crepe, along with a sweet crepe, for dinner. Also, Lucy's Retired Surfer's Bar is good, and sits right on the water. You also might consider heading to Palm Beach. That's where all of the action is. There are tons of casual restaurants along the strip, that you can just walk into. There's plenty along Palm Beach to keep your family busy.

And a half hour turns into 2 hours

Many people drive to the ferry. I believe that you can purchase tickets at the ferry. It would be very hard to get a taxi from there, back to the port because this is pretty far from town. When we went, we purchased tickets directly from DePalm, and they picked us up at our resort.

Reflexions is a beach club, not far from the ship. It is on Surfside Beach. They have a nice, calm beach, chairs and umbrellas, a very small pool, and serve food and drinks. Some areas of Surfside Beach have lots of seaweed, but this area does not. If you decide to go there, tell the taxi driver to let you off at Reflexions, not Surfside Beach, which also has a bar/restaurant, etc. They can call a taxi for you. Another good choice is Eagle Beach. There are several areas that have vendors that rent chairs and umbrellas. It might be harder to get a taxi back to the ship from there, but there are bus stops along the street, which will take you right across the street from the cruise port. You can find lots of good suggestions for Eagle Beach on these boards.

There's no place to rent chairs and shade near Manchebo. That is a small, quiet resort area, and cruisers are considered interlopers. Eagle and Arashi are both better choices. If you are interested in snorkeling, Arashi is a good place.

Casa Del Mar recently announced that they will sell a limited supply of day passes, with the intention of encouraging the pass holders to purchase one of their timeshares. The resort is extremely busy, and all chairs and shade will be taken by 6am. Their beach is very vulnerable to the tides, and recent storms have washed away a great deal of their beach, making it even harder to find shade. I stayed at a resort next to Casa Del Mar last winter, and will be staying there for several weeks in February. Personally, I would avoid Casa Del Mar as a cruiser. I think that you would have a very frustrating day. I would go to one of the public beaches where you can rent chairs and umbrellas instead.

The food at Giannis is good, but it is a very busy restaurant. Sometimes, waits can be long, even with reservations. Giannis is located on a busy, noisy strip in PaIm Beach. I much prefer their other restaurant, Azzurro, at Playa Linda Resort, also in Palm Beach. Azzurro is oceanfront, with beautiful views of the sunset. You will probably need to be back at the ship by 9:30. I'd make the reservation for 6pm, and try to get a table with a sunset view. You can easily get a taxi back to the port at Playa Linda.

DePalm has a contract with the cruise lines. Technically, they only allow you to book with them through your cruise line. Someone on here mentioned that they were going to schedule a pickup at one of the hotels. This was a few years ago, and I don't know if it worked out.

There are tours that you can book to take you to the natural pool. I only know of one private guide that takes people, but I don't know if this person does it anymore, because I haven't heard about this since before covid. That area is very rocky terrain, and not accessible by car. Only 4 wheel jeeps and atv vehicles can go there. Some jeep rental companies will not rent to people if they are planning to drive there.

They are all good, interesting stops, but if you have your heart set on going to the beach, you might want to skip it. Aruba's beaches are rated some of the best in the world, and you can get to them easily by bus or taxi. If you have a lot of time, you might consider going to the beach after the tour.

Chogogo Tours offers handicap accessible transfers, in addition to tours. You can contact them through their website. They aren't cheap, but this is the only company that I know of that provides this service.

This is a Chinese restaurant. Hung is the owner's last name.

Casa Tua, Cafe the Plaza, Hung Paradise, Cuba Cuba, Ricardos Smokehouse, Dutch Pancake House are also good choices.

El Gauchos is an Argentian steakhouse. It is located downtown, but pretty far to walk from the cruise port. It is definitely not upscale, like LG Smith's. We haven't dined there in years.

I recommend Black Pearl and Blue Melody. They are very laid back and provide a relaxing, more adult experience.

I also thought about Trikes, but if I remember correctly, I had to hold on to my husband pretty securely, while he was driving. It's been a few years since we've ridden on Trikes. Perhaps a private island tour? We've done numerous island tours with a driver named Bully. His tours are excellent. His email is bullytaxi79@hotmail.com. I highly recommend him. Bully is his nickname, and his response may show up under his real name, Amador Lacle.

Moomba is right there. You can rent chairs and umbrellas, have lunch and cocktails, and there's a nice restroom there also. You can easily spend the whole day there.

Mt. Hooiberg is the mountain with the steps. You can see it off in the distance when driving towards San Nicholas, on the way to Baby Beach. I've never climbed it, but I'm sure that you can see some great views from there. I have seen Venezuela from the beaches in Aruba several times, but the conditions have to be just right. I vacation there for two to three weeks every year, but have only seen it a few times.

Eagle Beach (Amsterdam Manor)is about a 10 minute taxi ride from the port. I have a timeshare at another resort in Aruba, so I can't help you with specifics about Amsterdam Manor's rental policy. I have been there for dinner and there is an outdoor bathroom on the premises. Snorkeling along Eagle and Palm Beach is almost non existent. These are sandy bottom beaches.

It depends on what you are looking for. Reflexions is a beach club. It is in the downtown area, close to the airport. The water is very calm, like a lake. Arashi is towards the tip of the island, near the lighthouse. There is a snack bar there, and a vendor with chairs and umbrellas. The water has some waves. It is more like spending a day at the beach on your own. Both are good choices. You can Google them and see pictures.

Renaissance Ocean Suites and Renaissance Wind Creek are the same thing. There is also Renaissance Marina Hotel. The Ocean Suites sits along the waterfront, right beside Renaissance Marketplace. The Marina Hotel is across the street. There is a car rental desk in the lobby at Ocean Suites. I have a timeshare there.

Taxi fares are set by the government. There are a few who might try to add a little to the price, so always ask what the fare is before you go.