Recommendations for which port stop to do a beach day

[dalmoradie]

We will be on the Equinox for a 9-day trip in Feb 2024.  Our ports will be George Town in Grand Cayman, Oranjestad in Aruba, Willemstad in Curacao and Kralendijk in Bonaire.  We want to do a Beach day at one or two of these stops.  Which stops do you suggest will be best for beach days?  TIA

[39august]

I suggest you go to the Ports of Call boards and look at comments for each of these. Aruba has great beaches. Bonaire has great snorkeling.

[cbfb]

Having done this cruise a few times I think the beaches in Aruba and grand cayman are the best out of the 4. I am not sure what is open on Grand Cayman as many places closed permanently during Covid. We enjoyed the beach at the Marriott hotel in Aruba last year. 

[dock]

Definitely Aruba for at least one of your beach days imo. Enjoy. 
 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - wonderful beach days.

[sixpackeddie]

All great stops for beaches. Bonaire has some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean.

[DCPIV]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of those choices.  Grand Cayman might be the best choice if for no other reason that there's not a whole lot else to do there.

[Mike45LC]

Grand Cayman:  I haven't been since Covid, but an excursion to Sting Ray City is fantastic.  That and carrying suitcases full of cash to the banks are the best things to do in Grand Cayman.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I agree with many of the suggestions above.  I think it makes a difference if you have been to an island before though.  We've been to all of those, but Grand Cayman multiple times and have done everything we are interested in doing there, so that would be our choice for a beach day.

 

They all have options for great beach days. I'd research other activities or tours and see which of those I want to do, then pick the one for a beach day.

[vswan]

Been to all of these stops and usually try to have a beach day at every stop. If I had to "get rid" of one of the beach days, I would pick Curacao. We walked to the swinging bridge and all of the colorful buildings. Really enjoyed the walk and the atmosphere. Have also been to the beach "in town," but think most of the better beaches are a drive from the port and depending on your time in port I would rather do the walk.

 

Aruba - beautiful beaches, quite expensive for chairs and umbrellas. Grand Cayman - seven mile beach is stunning, our last trip they had transportation for a couple dollars pp back and forth. Bonaire - only been once and didn't get to the snorkeling area, if I get back there I will go snorkeling. Could see fish right from the pier the ships dock at.

[Cruise till you drop]

I would also vote Aruba.  In Bonaire, you need to book Bonaire Cruisers golf cart for the day and tour the island on your own, especially South route.

[miched]

Just a curious question.  What are you planning on doing at the beach?   If it is just laying in the sun you can do that on board.   I would recommend doing that. 
 

If you want to go into the water be sure to wear some water shoes.  Many years ago I stepped on a sea urchin.  I was very fortunate as I didn’t step fully on it.   It felt like stepping on the bottom of a broken beer bottle.  The bottom of my foot looked like pin cushion.   It had a lot of little “slivers” that were broken off in it.  
 

Another time when at the beach we were sitting in some lounge chairs with our arms hanging down to the sand.  When we got back to the ship we noticed tons of little bites that were about 1 ft high on our arms and legs and they itched.  It was from sand fleas. 
 

If you want to snorkel take an excursion.  
 

We no longer go to any beach.  I tell people there are 3 things I don’t like about a beach.  The sand, sun, and water.  🤗.      Part of the reason is we both had skin cancer due to our former beach, and boating days when we used baby oil and mercurochrome for sun tan lotion.   
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by miched

[macaroni]

Aruba #1. Bonaire and Curaçao are more rocky and not your typical beautiful sandy beach.

[PelicanLvr]

HI to the OP (from a fellow-NYer)

 

Been to all your ports and most several times.  If I had a friend going who had not been to any of your ports I would tell them:

 

2 Best Beaches:

Aruba - Go to Eagle Beach.  Easy to get a cab and one of the great beaches in the Caribbean.  Palm Beach is too crowded with the high-rise hotels there.

Grand Cayman - 7 mile beach.  Great beach. - BUT stingray City there is very cool and really worth going to.  Maybe you could do both but try to do stingray city if that looks good to you.

 

Both are long beautiful beaches with soft sand.

 

Bonaire - World famous for the best snorkeling in the Caribbean.  Book a trip (ship or private) - but do not miss the snorkeling there if that interests you.  It really is better here.  If you want to DIY get get a ferry ticket (very short ride) to Klein Bonaire (which you can easily see from the docked ship) and drift snorkel.  Outstanding! - but no shade there.  People seem to love the golf-cart thing too.  Haven't done that yet.

 

Curacao - Don't love this stop.  Beaches are far from the port.  Some rent a car...we just walk into town.

 

Enjoy your trip