Aruba/Grenada excursions while on CB

[gsmith]

We will be on the March 22 sailing of the CB and have not booked ship's excursions for either Aruba or Grenada. There are recent posts stating that the Radisson resort on Palm Beach allows day use of their facilities for $16/pp, but older posts contradict this. Has anyone done this recently?

Also, are there any past cruisers who can advise us about heading to Morne Rouge vs. Magazine Beach in Grenada? Our plan is just to take a taxi and enjoy a beach day, but it's a rather short stay in port and we want to get back to the ship with time to spare. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

[Darcy8]

We stopped at Morne Rouge on the end of an island tour and wished we had more time there. There was a nice litte bar that you could set at and look out over the beach. The beach wasn't crowded. There were some water rides, like the banana boat thing. We really want to go back sometime. Pina Colada's were excellent with fresh nutmeg sprinkled on top.

[jjeffjb]

I'd recommend going to Eagle Beach in Aruba. Its closer to the ship and much nicer. You can rent a chair on the beach. Just ask a cab to take you to the section of Eagle where you can rent a chair. The beach is huge and not crowded. I think its one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. We spend 3 weeks every summer on Eagle Beach at our time share condo.

[catsdinner]

I agree about Eagle Beach, we were there in February and not crowded at all and easy to get to on the local bus. We went to Grand Anse Beach in Granada a couple years ago, just took a water taxi from the pier next to the cruise ship dock for a couple dollars. We could see the ship from the beach and it is a great beach.

 

Sarah

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Also agree with Emerald beach. Found it easy to get a grass hut on the beach and not crowded. The tour we were on made stops at Palm Beach and Emerald Beach for those who wanted the beach. There were no takers for Palm Beach and 4 couples got off at Emerald Beach. Bus stops along the beach and costs $1.50 pp back to the bus terminal which is about a 10 minute walk to the ship.

[fun and breezes 2]

I'd recommend going to Eagle Beach in Aruba. Its closer to the ship and much nicer. You can rent a chair on the beach. Just ask a cab to take you to the section of Eagle where you can rent a chair. The beach is huge and not crowded. I think its one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. We spend 3 weeks every summer on Eagle Beach at our time share condo.

 

I agree about Eagle Beach, we were there in February and not crowded at all and easy to get to on the local bus. We went to Grand Anse Beach in Granada a couple years ago, just took a water taxi from the pier next to the cruise ship dock for a couple dollars. We could see the ship from the beach and it is a great beach.

 

Sarah

 

I was planning to try Eagle and I'm glad to hear there are chairs to rent. I wanted to take the bus there. How can I know where the chair rental is from the bus? Is there a certain landmark or something to know where I should get off the bus.

[Toto2Kansas]

We will be on the March 22 sailing of the CB and have not booked ship's excursions for either Aruba or Grenada. There are recent posts stating that the Radisson resort on Palm Beach allows day use of their facilities for $16/pp, but older posts contradict this. Has anyone done this recently?

Also, are there any past cruisers who can advise us about heading to Morne Rouge vs. Magazine Beach in Grenada? Our plan is just to take a taxi and enjoy a beach day, but it's a rather short stay in port and we want to get back to the ship with time to spare. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

 

$16 per day on Palm Beach? I really question that amount. In January, just to rent two chairs and umbrella on Palm Beach it was $35-$40 depending on the size of umbrella. And drinks were quite high also. It is not an inexpensive day trip. When you factor in the cost of a taxi (buses are cheaper, but we wanted to get there), chairs, umbrellas, a few drinks, maybe a snack, it can run about $80-$100 easily for two, for the day on Palm Beach.

[travellover39]

We will be on the March 22 sailing of the CB and have not booked ship's excursions for either Aruba or Grenada. There are recent posts stating that the Radisson resort on Palm Beach allows day use of their facilities for $16/pp, but older posts contradict this. Has anyone done this recently?

Also, are there any past cruisers who can advise us about heading to Morne Rouge vs. Magazine Beach in Grenada? Our plan is just to take a taxi and enjoy a beach day, but it's a rather short stay in port and we want to get back to the ship with time to spare. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

 

I saw that post too:D I have the info in my notes, go to the front desk of the Radisson and inquire. $16 per person, use of pool, chairs and umbrella.

They even accept CC. The resort was not busy and the poster was able to get the deal:D You can take the #10 bus. I printed out a bus schedule. Just google Aruba bus schedules.

 

My TA said that Palm Beach was the best beach on Aruba:confused:

 

Would you post after you get back and let us know how you made out. My cruise is May 3rd.

 

Thanks:)

[gsmith]

Wow... I was hoping to get at least one response to this inquiry and am thrilled to get so much information from you experienced travelers. We'd sort of planned on Eagle Beach prior to seeing the Radisson post, so that continues to be an attractive option if we can't get a definitive answer on the resort. I also wasn't aware that Grande Anse is so easy to get to from the pier. If I can see the ship from a beautiful beach on a short stay, that's a relaxing day! I'd read that the water at Mourne Rouge can be calmer and warmer though, so distance now becomes a consideration. Guess it's time to do more research before we leave next week!

Thanks again for the great feedback and yes, I'll be sure to post additional info when we get back. Happy sailing!

[bermudiana]

Here's a photo I took last year from Grand Anse Beach with our cruise ship in the background. This was a pretty beach with many starfish in the water.

 

[fun and breezes 2]

Wow... I was hoping to get at least one response to this inquiry and am thrilled to get so much information from you experienced travelers. We'd sort of planned on Eagle Beach prior to seeing the Radisson post, so that continues to be an attractive option if we can't get a definitive answer on the resort. I also wasn't aware that Grande Anse is so easy to get to from the pier. If I can see the ship from a beautiful beach on a short stay, that's a relaxing day! I'd read that the water at Mourne Rouge can be calmer and warmer though, so distance now becomes a consideration. Guess it's time to do more research before we leave next week!

Thanks again for the great feedback and yes, I'll be sure to post additional info when we get back. Happy sailing!

 

You will have to give us the scoop when you return. I am also trying to decide between Palm and Eagle. I'm wanting to know where the closest bus stop is to the public section of Eagle Beach where you can rent chairs and umbrellas. I remember from the last time in Aruba it was a fairly long stretch of beach, and I don't remember if there where multiple bus stop choices.

 

We were going to take the ship excursion to Grande Anse, but I am rethinking it now and may go independently. I'd like to know what you discover. Please try to post when you return.

[gsmith]

Will do! There are 7 in our group and everyone wants to do something different, so we may be able to provide several perspectives.

[gsmith]

I promised to update this thread when I returned from our cruise, so here's the the scoop -

On Aruba we took a taxi to the Radisson at Palm Beach ($20 for 4 people) and were able to purchase a guest pass for $16pp. That got us 4 chairs under a palupa right at the water's edge, towels, and full use of all pools, the hot tub and restrooms. Well worth it. We saw other cruisers renting chairs and umbrellas near the De Palm Pier, which is right next door. One couple told us they paid $80 for 4 chairs, so that made our deal seem even better. Because all beaches are public, it is possible to just bring a towel and set up a spot anywhere by the water, but shade is hard to come by and we really enjoyed alternating between the pools and ocean. Note...the desk clerk at the Radisson told us that if the hotel is full, they won't issue a pass, but that doesn't happen often. Also, be aware that food and drink is VERY pricey here. The outdoor cafe we ate at, Gilligans, had huge burgers that came with with fries for 12 bucks, so we chose to share. Beer is around $5 but a mixed drink will cost you $10. Still, the entire day with taxi fare was less than $40 pp and we had a wonderful time.

 

Now for Grenada. We were anxious to get in the water and initially took a taxi ($20 for 4 after bargaining) to the Aquarium Restaurant at Magazine Beach, about 20 minutes from the ship, but the surf was really rough that day and swimming was difficult. It's a quiet, lovely place, with ample natural shade. The open air restaurant has several decks opening right onto the beach and looked very inviting. Unfortunately, the high waves were just too intimidating for us, so after being pummeled by the water for an hour, we -and another couple, who felt the same- asked the restaurant to call another taxi (now $20 per couple) to take us back to the pier. We would try Magazine Beach again, but only after checking surf conditions BEFORE our ride leaves.

 

Ultimately, we ended up taking a water taxi ($4 each way) right from the ship's pier to Grand Anse and had a lovely beach day in the warm, calm waters we found there. There ARE lots of vendors trying to sell you stuff, but it wasn't overly annoying. I paid $5 for a nice lounger in the shade and another $5 for a great rum punch purchased from one of waiters who approach you right there on the beach. About 45 minutes before we had to be back onboard ship, we and scores of other Princess passengers, hopped onto the fleet of water taxis waiting to ferry us the 5 minute ride back. Great day!

 

I hope this information helps those of you who have yet to visit these islands and look foward to reading what you discover on your own trips. Please post!

[gsmith]

I promised to update this thread when I returned from our cruise, so here's the the scoop -

On Aruba we took a taxi to the Radisson at Palm Beach ($20 for 4 people) and were able to purchase a guest pass for $16pp. That got us 4 chairs under a palupa right at the water's edge, towels, and full use of all pools, the hot tub and restrooms. Well worth it. We saw other cruisers renting chairs and umbrellas near the De Palm Pier, which is right next door. One couple told us they paid $80 for 4 chairs, so that made our deal seem even better. Because all beaches are public, it is possible to just bring a towel and set up a spot anywhere by the water, but shade is hard to come by and we really enjoyed alternating between the pools and ocean. Note...the desk clerk at the Radisson told us that if the hotel is full, they won't issue a pass, but that doesn't happen often. Also, be aware that food and drink is VERY pricey here. The outdoor cafe we ate at, Gilligans, had huge burgers that came with with fries for 12 bucks, so we chose to share. Beer is around $5 but a mixed drink will cost you $10. Still, the entire day with taxi fare was less than $40 pp and we had a wonderful time.

 

Now for Grenada. We were anxious to get in the water and initially took a taxi ($20 for 4 after bargaining) to the Aquarium Restaurant at Magazine Beach, about 20 minutes from the ship, but the surf was really rough that day and swimming was difficult. It's a quiet, lovely place, with ample natural shade. The open air restaurant has several decks opening right onto the beach and looked very inviting. Unfortunately, the high waves were just too intimidating for us, so after being pummeled by the water for an hour, we -and another couple, who felt the same- asked the restaurant to call another taxi (now $20 per couple) to take us back to the pier. We would try Magazine Beach again, but only after checking surf conditions BEFORE our ride leaves.

 

Ultimately, we ended up taking a water taxi ($4 each way) right from the ship's pier to Grand Anse and had a lovely beach day in the warm, calm waters we found there. There ARE lots of vendors trying to sell you stuff, but it wasn't overly annoying. I paid $5 for a nice lounger in the shade and another $5 for a great rum punch purchased from one of waiters who approach you right there on the beach. About 45 minutes before we had to be back onboard ship, we and scores of other Princess passengers, hopped onto the fleet of water taxis waiting to ferry us the 5 minute ride back. Great day!

 

I hope this information helps those of you who have yet to visit these islands and look forward to reading what you discover on your own trips. Please post!

[travellover39]

I promised to update this thread when I returned from our cruise, so here's the the scoop -

On Aruba we took a taxi to the Radisson at Palm Beach ($20 for 4 people) and were able to purchase a guest pass for $16pp. That got us 4 chairs under a palupa right at the water's edge, towels, and full use of all pools, the hot tub and restrooms. Well worth it. We saw other cruisers renting chairs and umbrellas near the De Palm Pier, which is right next door. One couple told us they paid $80 for 4 chairs, so that made our deal seem even better. Because all beaches are public, it is possible to just bring a towel and set up a spot anywhere by the water, but shade is hard to come by and we really enjoyed alternating between the pools and ocean. Note...the desk clerk at the Radisson told us that if the hotel is full, they won't issue a pass, but that doesn't happen often. Also, be aware that food and drink is VERY pricey here. The outdoor cafe we ate at, Gilligans, had huge burgers that came with with fries for 12 bucks, so we chose to share. Beer is around $5 but a mixed drink will cost you $10. Still, the entire day with taxi fare was less than $40 pp and we had a wonderful time.

 

Now for Grenada. We were anxious to get in the water and initially took a taxi ($20 for 4 after bargaining) to the Aquarium Restaurant at Magazine Beach, about 20 minutes from the ship, but the surf was really rough that day and swimming was difficult. It's a quiet, lovely place, with ample natural shade. The open air restaurant has several decks opening right onto the beach and looked very inviting. Unfortunately, the high waves were just too intimidating for us, so after being pummeled by the water for an hour, we -and another couple, who felt the same- asked the restaurant to call another taxi (now $20 per couple) to take us back to the pier. We would try Magazine Beach again, but only after checking surf conditions BEFORE our ride leaves.

 

Ultimately, we ended up taking a water taxi ($4 each way) right from the ship's pier to Grand Anse and had a lovely beach day in the warm, calm waters we found there. There ARE lots of vendors trying to sell you stuff, but it wasn't overly annoying. I paid $5 for a nice lounger in the shade and another $5 for a great rum punch purchased from one of waiters who approach you right there on the beach. About 45 minutes before we had to be back onboard ship, we and scores of other Princess passengers, hopped onto the fleet of water taxis waiting to ferry us the 5 minute ride back. Great day!

 

I hope this information helps those of you who have yet to visit these islands and look foward to reading what you discover on your own trips. Please post!

 

Thank you so much for posting this information:) We are planning to do our own thing in Aruba and the more info you get it really helps.:cool:

 

We are doing the Princess Scenes of Grenada/ Grand Anse excursion. it's a little pricey but I do want to see some of Grenada. But nice to know the beach is doable on your own and not expensive. Thanks again.