Fun Time In Aruba

 

Cruising over the last 5 years has opened to the eyes of the Crazy Cruise Family to some amazing and fun destinations in the Caribbean.  One such destination was the South Caribbean island of Aruba on our 2018 post-Thanksgiving back-to-back cruise on the Carnival Sunshine.

 

Full Throttle To Aruba

 

Being located less than a 100 miles from Venezuala means a couple days at sea either to start your cruise or end it, depending on which end of the cruise itinerary it’s on.  For this particular cruise it was the first stop meaning 2 sea days to start our cruise adventure.

One thing that always has stood out from the beginning of our cruising adventures is the timeline.  The cruise ship HAS to leave port by a certain time in order to arrive by a designated time in the next one.  Excursions and the coordination of multiple ship arrivals (both cruise and non-cruise) depend on it.  In the case of Aruba it meant covering the distance between Port Canaveral, Florida and Oranjestad in approximately 69 hours.  Fun times at sea as the ship moves at full throttle to what is an amazing destination.

 

What a view

 

 

The view when arriving in a port of call is always stunning.  It’s quite awesome to see the coastline from afar come into focus.  And arriving in Oranjestad in the early afternoon is no different.  It is one of many ports where if you have the opportunity to be on the Lido deck or one of the balconies on the proper side of the ship, you want to take advantage.  A tremendous opportunity to catch some cool photos.

Beach Day

 

Aruba happens to have a number of outstanding beaches, including one of the top 5 beaches in the world.  As the crazy cruise family loves to spend time at the beach we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to head to Eagle Beach as our excursion for the afternoon.

When booking an excursion in Aruba, it happens to be a requirement to purchase through the cruise line.  So we did a beach break that included a short tour on the party bus on the way there.  Then it was an afternoon of fun in the water, walking along the white sand and of course starting to work on the vacation tan.  Plus when you pick the correct location on the beach there’s the chance to relax to the rhythm of the waves.

 

 

Some terrific photo opportunities came about during our time at Eagle Beach. As it was late November the sun sets early, which provided the opportunity to capture one terrific sunset photo as we waited for the bus to arrive to head back to the Carnival Sunshine.

 

 

The return to the ship was a short 10-15 minute drive.  A fun drive as the tunes were blaring with everyone singing and dancing in their seats.

 

Late Night Departure

 

Our stop in Aruba ended with a late night departure as our port of call the next day wasn’t very far away.  Following a relaxing evening enjoying great entertainment we sailed away from Oranjasted around 10 pm.  The views leaving port at night are just as spectacular even under the light of the moon!

 

 

With many things to explore in this South Caribbean destination, we can’t wait to go back on another cruise utilizing a unique membership that has been a tremendous value for our family.  We’d love to have you join us on our adventures, maybe even as members of this worldwide travel tribe.

Are you planning to go on a South Caribbean cruise stopping in Aruba?  Or have you been on one?  The Crazy Cruise Family would love to hear your thoughts about visiting One Happy Island!