Nicole721 Takes on the SUNSHINE: A Full PICTORIAL Review

[Nicole721]

Now knowing we’d make it ashore, we headed back to the room to get ready to go ashore. The pilot boat was right outside our window and we watched as they navigated the winds and waves to dock us safely at the pier. We took our time leaving our room, though, to avoid the crowds that would surely be congregating at the gangway, and headed ashore around 3:00 pm.

 

 

We made no plans for our time in Aruba. We’ve been here twice in the past two years, doing a tour of the island highlights on the first visit and a catamaran snorkel on our second. The island is beautiful and definitely worth exploring if you’ve never visited before (and worth re-exploring, even if you have!). But the goal of this trip was relaxation for us, and nothing sounded more restful to me than heading off the ship at our leisure, walking around, taking pictures, shopping and just…being. Our last cruise was very port intensive in Europe and our next cruise will be the same. And if you’re going to get off the ship anywhere to just walk around, the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are the perfect ports to do so in. They’re safe, clean and quiet. And gorgeous, too. Always a plus, right?

 

[Nicole721]

I love Aruba. It’s lively and colorful, and you don’t need to wander far to feel the culture of the island. There’s great shopping right outside the pier at the nearby Renaissance Mall, as well as a number of casinos, restaurants and bars.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

We forged a familiar path down Mainstreet, noting places that were new and others that seemed to have gone away. I stopped into Little Switzerland to see if I could find a bracelet I was coveting, but it seems the Tiffany & Co. location is no longer.

 

 

With that, the only other items on my shopping list were t-shirts and knickknacks, so we put the shopping on hold and headed out to the I <3 Aruba sign. If you walk down Mainstreet, past the Renaissance and up the stairs, you’ll come across the I <3 Aruba sign. Perfect place for a photo op.

 

 

We’ve never ventured out further than that on our own, but we had nothing else to do so we just kept walking. It was such a trip to see the island decked out for Christmas. I was a toddler the last time I spent Christmas anywhere outside of Chicago, so seeing Christmas trees, nativity sets and holiday decorations next to palm trees and beaches was such a novelty.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

When we’d ventured out far enough, we crossed the street and walked back on the other side, under the rustling palm trees. The wind on land was infinitely more peaceful than the wind at sea!

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

We found ourselves walking past another mall, so we stopped in to see what we could find. There was a movie theater (I don’t think going to the movies is the best use of a port day, but I literally spent my time in Aruba taking Instagram pictures, so who am I to judge?), a ton of restaurants with some great patio seating and….a Starbucks that was much less crowded than the one inside the Renaissance. We stopped in for a quick dose of caffeine.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

Dusk was quickly approaching as we strolled along the docks, watching the waning rays of sun bounce off the water.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

It felt too early to head back to the ship and we wanted as much time on solid earth as we could get, so we ducked into the Renaissance Mall to check out what was new there. The Renaissance Mall is a literal shopping mall inside the Renaissance hotel. It’s a short walk from the pier and you’ll find plenty of designer shopping, a Starbucks and free wi-fi inside.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

We usually exit out to Mainstreet, but this time, we decided to explore the street running behind the mall. There’s an entire world back there we never knew existed! Shops and cafes and plazas (and an extra dose of holiday spirit, to boot), all less crowded (and better priced) than the shops on Mainstreet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

We made one last stop at the pink shopping center that sits just down the street from the pier to take one last pass for souvenirs. On the second floor, you’ll find half a dozen shops with any kind of souvenir you could be looking for at pretty decent prices. The further off the street the shop, the better the prices.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

Across the street, on the way back to the pier, you’ll find a market with everything from t-shirts and logo wear to handmade crafts. The prices aren’t always the greatest, but if you’re running back to the ship after a day out in port and you need to pick up a couple of keychains, you’ll have plenty of options.

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

I slowed my pace as we strolled back to the ship. The warm air, the cool breeze and the lack of motion in the ground beneath me was just so…nice. Peaceful.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

In years past, there’d been a market set up inside the terminal, where local vendors would set up their wares and crafts for purchase. There’d always be the usual t-shirts, magnets and keychains, but we’d often find handmade jewelry and local liquors, too. They’ve done some work on the terminal. The market is gone, but they’ve set up actual shops in its place. And you can still find your t-shirts and keychains, but you can also find a skincare shop selling Aruban aloe (we stocked up – the stuff is legit) and a jewelry store selling one-of-a-kind pieces. There’s a small grocery store with both local and well-known liquors (duty free liquor shopping isn’t the greatest in the Southern Caribbean, but you’ll still find prices better than those in the US) and even cheese -- Aruba is a Dutch island, after all (but if you want to buy cheese, you’ll need to consume it before you get on the ship).

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

We dropped our bags off in the room and then headed out to have dinner while we were still docked. The dining rooms are located towards the aft on the Sunshine, and with the waves and winds we’d been experiencing, every meal at sea in the dining room was a real adventure. Dinner was tasty and, even better, was paced and served efficiently. We’re not ones to linger over a long meal (at least, not on cruises). There’s always a show to catch, a sale to shop or a movie upstairs.

 

Shrimp Cocktail

 

Crepes Filled with Spinach and Ricotta Cheese

 

Beef Carpaccio

 

Mixed Garden and Field Greens

[Nicole721]

Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach, Mushrooms and Ricotta Cheese

 

Chicken Pot Pie

 

Grilled New York Strip Steak from Aged American Beef

 

Banana Split

 

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

[Nicole721]

After dinner, we headed down to the Alchemy Bar for a little after dinner refreshment. We’ve never sailed on a Carnival ship with an Alchemy Bar, but so there were high hopes. I was slightly underwhelmed. The bartenders were great, but my drink was a little too sweet for even my tastes.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

Insurgent was playing up on the big screen, and the deck was packed. We settled in with a couple of chairs and some popcorn.

 

 

 

Aruba is a gorgeous island during the day, but at night, it’s a different kind of beautiful. Peaceful and serene, almost. We took a walk along deck 10 to take in the island lights.

 

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

Before we headed down to deck 3 to watch sailaway, we stopped in at Pizzeria del Capitano to grab a couple of slices. The late night bites they’d put out every night at the Lido Marketplace weren’t entirely appealing (hot dogs, ham and cheese sandwiches, buffalo chicken panini’s, potato chips, cookies and fruit every night), but morning, noon or night, the pizza was always fresh and always good. And if you caught the line while it was short? Bonus.

 

 

 

 

We perched ourselves on a bench on the Promenade to await sailaway, but we found ourselves waiting…and waiting. From our vantage point, though, we quickly deduced the delay was caused by a late medevac. A passenger was carried out on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance, his family escorted by a Carnival rep and loaded into a van with their luggage. Not long after, we started drifing away from the pier and into open water.

 

 

 

Sailaway was nice and peaceful, and it was nice having a little time to enjoy the ship without the rolling waves. But, by the time I fell asleep later that night, we were back to rolling side to side.

[NoDayButToday]

Aruba is just beautiful, thank you for all those pictures!

 

Just curious...do you remember the name of the too sweet drink at Alchemy? Or did they create it for you? Looking to avoid that one if possible when I finally get to try out Alchemy in a few days!

[Jeafl]

Great pictures of Aruba! I now feel much better about not having any plans there and just winging it. I think we'll just walk around like you did.

[pmoniz]

So loving this review! Question about Aruba...do all the stores close at 6 p.m.? Even the ones in the port terminal?

 

We have a tour/beach excursion booked for Aruba, but I definitely have to get my trinkets! I like to get a Christmas ornament from each island we visit so don't want to miss out on that!

[ohitssunshine]

Love your review - and the photos in Aruba are just gorgeous!

[BIGA961]

Good stuff, worth the wait:)

[LizSS]

Finally I'm all caught up! I'm glad you guys finally made it onto land, I've been sea sick sailing the Alaskan Strait and it is absolutely horrific. I missed lobster night and cried lol

 

Never realized how beautiful Aruba was, you're making me want to go!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[KatieCharlotte]

Not surprised that there was a near brawl over loungers that day. That was the morning nearly every pool lounger was saved by towels before 8 a.m., on a day when every other deck was closed. When the towel hut employees wouldn't do anything, I maybe moved a couple towels to make room for people I didn't know who wanted to actually use the loungers. :D I doubt I was the only one because there was a lot of grumbling that morning. At what time did those super hoggers finally arrive?

 

On a brighter note, I was pleasantly surprised when we were able to dock in Aruba. I was sure that "assess the situation" was code for "we probably can't dock in these crazy winds." My son kept updating me on the wind speeds.

[trippingpara]

I normally don't read too many reviews that aren't related to an upcoming cruise that we have booked. I usually have too much to research to get bogged down reading about other places and ships that we're not going to. BUT....I gotta say Nicole, you're one of the very few writers here on Cruise Critic that I always stop to enjoy your reviews. I don't care where you're sailing or what you're sailing on...I'm reading!!! As always, great review and awesome photos! Thank you for taking the time.