Aruba

Airline/Cruise ship: Thomson Airlines / Thomson Celebration

Itinerary: Tropical Delights

Port: Embarkation port – Barbados

Aruba, situated in the Caribbean, discovered and claimed by the Spanish but governed by the Dutch. With clear waters a perfect setting for diving and picturesque views, Aruba is a hot and dry place to be.

Aruba was one of the stop on the Tropical Delights cruise itinerary.  The information on this page focuses on the country. To read more about the ship, food and our journey visit the Thomson Celebration ship page.

Weather

Aruba is a very dry country, particularly in March (the month we visited). During our tour, the guide explained that it hadn’t rained for several months. The country is so dry and hot there that it’s difficult to grow crops. This also makes it a very expensive country to live in.

The guide also explained that the cost of running water was hundreds of dollars per quarter. This was due to a filtration system used from the sea. He continued to explain that all food and drinks got imported from other countries.

Places of interest/activities

This was the first time we had experienced a cruise and with the daily stops, we quickly realised that the excursions organised by the ship were the easiest and safest way of seeing the countries.

The wonderful thing about booking these excursions, was that if you are late returning to the ship they had to wait for you. On self-arranged tours they do not!
The tour we chose was Panoramic Aruba. Getting aboard an air-conditioned coach we saw and visited the highlights of Aruba.

Sights include the Schooner Harbour, marble statue of Queen Wilhelmina, Casibari Rock which you can climb and the Natural bridge ruins. Aruba is also home to the Renaissance Mall, so if you want to stock up on those designer items this is the place to do it.