Best excursion for Curacao and Aruba?

[boingy300]

is the SWIM WITH DOLPHINS excursion the the that is $209 pp? there are 4 of us...that becomes very expensive:eek:

 

We did the sea lion swim for $109 pp. (same place/similar price) In hindsight I would've just done the sea lion encounter for almost 1/2 the price. They swam by so fast we really couldn't interact with them. We enjoyed petting them and getting a kiss, though!

Karen

[Tex_Jen]

The swim with dolphins is quite pricey, but there is much more interaction with them than what is described with the sea lions. For 4 people, it is probably breaking the budget. I went on my own and had a blast with some other CC'ers. This is one of those once in a lifetime activities that you can say "I did that".

 

Jen

[MszKitty]

is the SWIM WITH DOLPHINS excursion the the that is $209 pp? there are 4 of us...that becomes very expensive:eek:

 

Yes...thats the same excursion. (we paid $199 in 2004) But if you can work it out in your budget, its well worth it for such a unique experience. They only let 6 people in the water at the same time, so you have more opportunity to interact with them.

If anyone decides to do it, I would suggest signing up for the first swim of the day because the dolphins were well rested and ready to interact with us. And for some reason, they just loved my husband! If my daughters or I wanted to get nearer to the dolphins we had to stay close to my husband.

[cruzobsessed]

let's say.....i would be willing to pay the money for my 2 teen boys to do it.....could my husband and i just watch?:rolleyes:

[bplazo]

My husband and I just watched when my daughter and her friend did it a couple years ago. It was just 110.00 a couple years ago and I thought it would be too expensive for the four of us. We bought the video and it was worth every penny to see the total joy on their faces.

[Sandytoes]

Can anyone tell me about this tour

Mi Dushi – Taste of Aruba – Sailing and Snorkeling Adventure

• Three (3) Snorkeling stops (two (2) shallow reefs and the German shipwreck, the Antilla)
  
• The Wild and Wicked ropeswing.
  
• An enticing island Lunch will be served, catered by Le Dome (one of Aruba's most popular Restaurants)
  
• Open Premium Bar (Bacardi Rum, Sky Vodka, Tanqueray Gin, Dewars Scotch, Polar Beer, White Wine, White Zinfandel , Cabernet Sauvignon and our signature Coctails, the Mi Dushi Potent Passion Punch and the Sailor Colada)
  
• Regular Price: $ 59.00 Internet Special $49.00 per person!!!
  
• Children Discount Price: $ 20.00 (06-14 Years)

[Tex_Jen]

MszKitty, too funny! When we were in the water the dolphins kept swimming over by us girls and avoiding the men in the water. FYI for everyone, take the credit card as the pics afterward are pretty pricey, as well.

 

Now, for MiDushi...didn't go myself, but a few did on my cruise and thought it was very good. Have seen some posting on the Port of Call boards, so you may want to ask there.

 

Jen

[MiniMom57]

Two places to AVOID:

 

In Aruba -- DePalm Island (not to be confused with Palm Beach). The island is just offshore from some sort of oil refinery or electric plant. The area is VERY industrial. The island itself had a lot of storm damage in the past couple of years, and is pretty beat up, although they are working on it. The man-made lagoon for swimming is very small, and the sand was brought in and poured onto black plastic mesh that sticks up around the edges of the "beach". The snorkeling might be good on a calm day, but the water was choppy the day we were there so I couldn't get the hang of it. I was a first-timer, but my husband has snorkeled many times and had trouble, too.

 

In Curacao -- The Seaquarium. What a disappointment this place was! Small, very few fish or sea animals, poorly lit displays. I suppose if you go there for the sea lion encounter or the dolphin swim it would be better. But, the aquarium itself was a waste of time. The website made it look huge! The website also implied that there was a beach we could go to on the property. No such luck.....so we lugged our beach gear with us for nothing!

[lpjpane]

Is Jolly Pirates the same tour the RCI calls Sail, Snorkel and Swing or is this a private tour?

[jimbug]

Is Jolly Pirates the same tour the RCI calls Sail, Snorkel and Swing or is this a private tour?

 

It is the same, but you go out in a separate boat. Jolly Pirates has 2 pirate boats...the independently-booked folks go out for a bit longer...most who have reviewed it say it was less crowded than the boat with the cruise-booked passengers and they had more fun! :)

[Sandytoes]

Thanks, Tex_Jen - I tried searching, nothing came up.

I don't know what to do in Aruba - an excursion or beach.

[boingy300]

Again I found sooooooooooooo much more info on specific islands on the "Ports of Call" board at the bottom of the main board page! I love that section! I have found some amazing excursions there!

Karen

[Twaincruisers]

Whatever water activities you choose in Curacao, you should also spend time downtown to get a feel for the uniqueness of this island. There are several museums and lots of shopping among the Dutch-style buildings. It is very relaxing to sit at one of the cafes on the channel and watch the swing bridge open and close to allow boats/ships to pass. It is also very peaceful to have a drink in one of the restaurants at the Arches overlooking the ocean. If you have any beer drinkers, they should try a Belgian beer name Kwak at the sidewalk cafe directly up the street from the swinging bridge.

[Sandytoes]

Has anyone done any the RC excursions listed below, if so, let us know what you thought.

 

• Sail, Snorkel, Swim & Swing!
  
• De Palm Island Snorkeling Adventure
  
• Aruba Sailaway Beach & Snorkel Cruise
  
• The Beach Express
  
• Sailing & Snorkeling Tour
  
• Colors of Aruba & Baby Beach Snorkeling

Twaincruisers, I agree. We always explore the islands that we visit. Once in Cozumel our taxi driver gave us a grand tour including showing us his home, their cemetery and where his mom worked. Found it to be very interesting.

 

boingy300 - Yes Ports of Call threads have a wealth of information, but sometimes posters don't post their ship excursions there. I guess that's the reason it was started here. Which I'm kind of glad, this thread has been extremely helpful.

 

Thank you everyone!

[polodad]

Has anyone done any the RC excursions listed below, if so, let us know what you thought.

 

Sail, Snorkel, Swim & Swing!

 

I guess you missed my previous post we did the Sail, Snorkel, Swing with RC on the afternoon excursion with RC when on the AOS 5/6 sailing. The vendor was Jolly Pirates and it was one of our best excursions ever. AND I differ from Jimbug, because we booked thru RC the BUS RIDE from the pier was included and was awesome. I can't imagine anyone having more fun.

[mdmourges]

We have been to Aruba twice and have done the Koo Koo Canuku (sp?) pub crawl thing in the evening. It is a lot of fun if you like to drink. Two old school buses painted pyschadelic like (60's) with the windows taken out. Total number of people is probably 50 - 60 folks. The buses drive to 4, maybe 5 different local bars. Each one has it's own personality. Starts at around 7 (I think), and ends up at Carlos and Charlies (at the pier) at round 11:30. We are in our 40's/50's, as we a number of folks, and it sure seemed to me everyone was having fun.

 

Mark

[yoful]

My husband and i recently returned from the AOS in May. In Aruba, we did the renainssance day pass and it was a highlight. The beaches are beautiful, the wildlife great and it was an incredible way to pass the day. My husband snorkeled and saw some great fish. The food at the beach was great and we both felt the day pass was well worth the 50 dollars we spent (pp). It included a boat ride to the island, a non-motorized water sport, drink, meal and ice cream. You can walk to the resort from the ship.

If you look on line at renainssance aruba you can tour the private island to see what it looks like. Also, a week before we left I checked capacity and was relatively sure we'd get a spot.

Have a great time, we loved our trip on the AOS!

[MszKitty]

We have been to Aruba twice and have done the Koo Koo Canuku (sp?) pub crawl thing in the evening. It is a lot of fun if you like to drink. Two old school buses painted pyschadelic like (60's) with the windows taken out. Total number of people is probably 50 - 60 folks. The buses drive to 4, maybe 5 different local bars. Each one has it's own personality. Starts at around 7 (I think), and ends up at Carlos and Charlies (at the pier) at round 11:30. We are in our 40's/50's, as we a number of folks, and it sure seemed to me everyone was having fun.

 

Mark

 

I totally agree! We had the best time on the Koo Koo Kunuku pub crawl. Our family group consisted of ages from 19-60 and we all had a great time! But if you don't drink, then I wouldn't recommend it.

 

During the day, the guys in our group golfed, and the ladies took a catameran (sp?) to a beach. I can't remember the name of the excursion, but I would say it was "ok"...nothing outstanding, but nothing bad either. Nothing stood out to make it great. We wanted to stay a little longer at the beach so we opted to catch the public bus back to town rather than take the catameran back.

[cruzobsessed]

will be in aruba (christmas cruise) in december. i'm certain that renaissance island will be booked. any other hotel offer day passes?:o

[jimbug]

cruzobsessed,

The Manchebo Beach Resort (http://www.manchebo.com) on Eagle Beach allows you to use their beach for free (technically it is a public beach). The ladies at the spa there tell me it is USD$5 each to rent a chair or a hut. Also, if you check their web site, you can see the menu and prices for their Pega Pega Beach Bar & Grill. The prices are very reasonable.

 

So, if all you are wanting is a beach day, you will probably save $$ by heading to Manchebo, although it's not an 'all-inclusive' day and they do not have watersports activities. I've read it's a very quiet section of the beach.

[jimbug]

My husband and i recently returned from the AOS in May. In Aruba, we did the renainssance day pass and it was a highlight. The beaches are beautiful, the wildlife great and it was an incredible way to pass the day. My husband snorkeled and saw some great fish. The food at the beach was great and we both felt the day pass was well worth the 50 dollars we spent (pp). It included a boat ride to the island, a non-motorized water sport, drink, meal and ice cream. You can walk to the resort from the ship.

If you look on line at renainssance aruba you can tour the private island to see what it looks like. Also, a week before we left I checked capacity and was relatively sure we'd get a spot.

Have a great time, we loved our trip on the AOS!

 

Yoful, when you say 'a non-motorized watersport', does this mean each person could only choose one? Or were you able to say, rent a kayak and return it for a floating mat? Thanks!