Cruising can be a great vacation, but some passengers find that cruise ships are overly crowded with children — especially around meal times. If you would prefer to dine without children running about, pick a dining time slot that’s later in the evening.
Not surprisingly, five o’clock dining times are the most packed with children, while the later ones usually have fewer children milling about.
Bonus: eating later gives you the chance to work on your tan for just a few more minutes!
Aruba’s white sand beaches and acquamarine waters are well-known throughout the world and for good reason. But there’s more to do on this small Dutch Caribbean island than working on your tan. From an elegant restaurant set up on the beach to a very quirky dive bar to a gorgeous national park filled with desert landscapes, Aruba has much more to offer than first meets the eye.
Here are five of the most worthwhile things to do:
5. Dine on the beach at Simply Fish. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more gorgeous setting for a dinner than at Simply Fish. Located directly on Palm Beach– you’ll feel the sand between your toes while biting into your heavenly seafood risotto– this restaurant offers a meal you’ll always remember.
Yes, the food is a little pricey (entrees are in the $30-$40 range), but you’re paying primarily for the excellent location, one that has inspired more marriage proposals than unexpected pregnancies probably have.
4. Windsurfing on Palm Beach
Hailed as one of the world’s top 12 beaches by Conde Nast, Palm Beach is a great place to practice your sit, stare, and swim routine for days on end. But for the more active among us, Palm Beach’s constant breezes and shallow water also make it the perfect place to take your first windsurfing lesson. The folks at Vela Windsurf provide excellent, affordable instruction and they allow you as much time as your body can handle to practice what you’ve learned.
3. Stellaris Casino Aruba is an idyllic Caribbean paradise, but paradise, alas, does not come cheap. Why not try to make some of that money back (or lose even more!) by visiting the Stellaris Casino, located inside the Aruba Marriott Resort.
With all the table games you’re accustomed to, like craps, roulette, and blackjack, as well as a sportsbook and hundreds of slot machines, Stellaris has enough to keep even the most compulsive gambling addict entertained. Be sure to pick up your VIP card if you’re interested in earning comps and cash back.
2. Charlie’s Bar Started in the 1940s by a Dutch immigrant named Charlie Brouns and now operated by the founder’s grandson, Charlie’s Bar is an absolute institution in San Nicolas, Aruba’s second city.
The decor is eccentric to put it mildly: the bar is chock-full of thousands of vintage signs, photographs, and bizarre garage sale finds. The seafood is excellent and reasonably priced (well, for Aruba). Bring a camera and have your picture taken behind the bar.
1. Stack rocks at Arikok National Park. How did a vast arid desert come to occupy one-fifth of the tropical island of Aruba? We don’t know either, but we’re glad it does. Arikok National Park is rocky, filled with cacti, and the last thing you’d expect when visiting a Caribbean island. But its dramatic location on Aruba’s northeastern coast makes it stunningly beautiful.
The bumpy roads through most of Arikok mean it’s best explored by Jeep, and DePalm Tours offers excellent guided Jeep tours where you (yes, you!) are behind the wheel. A standard compact car will allow you to see much of the park as well. Don’t miss walking on top of one of the natural bridges, exploring the ruins of a gold mine called Miralamar, and locking lips with your significant other in the heart-shaped Tunnel of Love.
You’ll also find thousands of rock stacks (like the ones above) throughout the park. Go ahead and build a little tower yourself– it’s supposed to bring good luck.
For more about Aruba, check out my quick ‘n dirty guide to the island from earlier today.
This trip was sponsored by Marriott Hotels. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Soda isn’t usually included with your all-inclusive cruise ship fare. Instead of buying a pricey soda card, bring along your own drinks!
Before boarding the cruise ship, stop at a grocery store and purchase a few cases of your favorite pop or bottled water.
You don’t even need to sneak it on or hide it in your luggage — almost all cruise lines allow you to bring a reasonable amount of non-alcoholic beverages on board the ship.
If you want to avoid gaining weight on a cruise, call the cruise line and ask them to send you a menu — or go online and print it out before your trip.
Create your own menu for the week from the existing cruise menu and stick to it when you go on your cruise. If you know what you’re planning on eating before you go on your trip, you’re less likely to eat foods that you normally try and stay away from. Sticking to your diet will stop you from feeling guilty about eating too much and help you relax.
Fish tacos in San Diego, deep dish pizza in Chicago, crab cakes in Maryland: anywhere you travel, there’s likely a specialty food to go along with it.
Thanks to the Internet and sites like Yelp, researching has never been easier when it comes to finding the best food and restaurants in a particular locale. Don’t forget to check the web for local tips — and be sure to consider sourcing information on Facebook and Twitter.
Before your next trip be sure to do your homework and it will pay off when you arrive and are ready to experience the local cuisine.
One last tip: try to find the places locals prefer … and avoid restaurants who thrive on the business of tourists.
