APDMOM

Enjoy!!! ❤️

I will definitely post my verdict on this ship/cruise at the end of the day-to-day accounts. I don’t mind you posting your experience in this thread. I think information is helpful for people who plan future cruises. 🙂 Every opinion has value.

Best laid plans… Well Well, I thought 2 Seas days would be enough to catch up, but I underestimated the ship and offerings!! Sorry to be do delayed with posts… I will try to get everything posted by Wednesday. My day job is pretty busy, but I don’t want to drag this out. I hope I did not miss any requests… If I did, please remind me ASAP. 🙂 Tomorrow, we have to leave this beautiful ship.

It is Captain Angel… Really enjoyed the Captain’s Corner. Will post some info about that when we get home. 🙂

Internet Speeds We have not had trouble, except on the balcony itself…. It is a bir slow right now.

Day 5 Cruise Compass - Aruba PDF for Download: cruisecompass.pdf Images:

My View: End of Day 5 - Aruba Grateful for night-time walks with my family, and the opportunity to take a photo of our ship at night:

@bonsai3s Thank you for helping us plan our March 'excursion' in Aruba! 😄 We were contemplating doing Trikes of Aruba again, but I think a beach morning will be great! TIP: For anyone interested - our all-time favorite excursion was Trikes of Aruba. You can see all about it in my review of Navigator of the Seas (November 2017) in my signature link. Flashback to 2017:

Yes, I will do that 🙂

Windjammer Offerings: We had worked up a bit of an appetite during our evening walk, so we went to see what the Windjammer had to offer. One of my favorites, the Artichoke Crêpe, was available at the buffet: LOL!! Don't know why that salad picture is posting upside down - it is right side up on my Mac 🤣

I agree! We used to love the Boardwalk balconies, but the Utimate Abyss takes away from the view and the atmosphere - those noises that play whenever someone slides are a bit annoying.

TIP: Most of the photos were taken on the street closest to the pier - L.G. Smith Blvd. We felt very safe walking this area at night - there was a lot of activity and many passengers from the ship still strolling around.

Evening Views - A Walk through Oranjestad at Night: TIP: The "I ❤️ARUBA sign moved to the Citgo station right outside the port area. (No longer across the bridge past the Renaissance Mall): Carnival Magic and Freewinds:

TIP: Since it was a port day, the Rising Tide Bar was not too busy. We took a quick ride with a free diamond drink before heading out to the sunset. Carnival Magic in the sunset:

@sdrocks The verdict on Aruba is questionable for a wheelchair. It is doable, but there are not many ramps to cross the streets, some of the sidewalks are narrow, and some are not well maintained. It depends on the kind of wheelchair you have whether it will be a 'smooth' ride. Curaçao is much better - very accessible, though still a longer walk from the pier to the fort. The Emma bridge (Pontoon Bridge) is easy to cross to "The Other Side" - Otrobanda, which has many great shopping experiences. You may want to look at Google maps for the walking distances. Hope this is helpful! All the best for your planning. ❤️

The Views from the Ship: Not the best views, and a long walkway to the shops... but it is worth it. As mentioned before, there is a free shuttle to the shops.

Walking back toward the ship: After that long, hot walk in pursuit of sandals, we deserved some relaxing time in the solarium pool, which was very quiet on this port day:

A Few More Daytime Views: TIP: The tram is free - just hop on for a loop through "downtown" Oranjestad. Wish we had seen it before we walked the 2 miles, but then we got our steps in!

More Views of Oranjestad, Aruba: Saw this beautiful bird - did not have the superzoom camera with me...

This photo was taken from deck 7 by the rock climbing wall (not our cabin). The Ultimate Abyss is just to the left of the photo. The water slides are over Central Park, midship. 🙂 Will post some of those pictures later.

A little extra gratitude: In Aruba, I had an extra reason to be thankful - DS's sandal broke, so we had to go on the hunt for a new pair. It is the only way I can get my DH to willingly walk in the heat to shop! LOL! 😄 If it weren't for the broken sandal, I would be walking these streets alone. Views of our Walk in Oranjestad: TIP: We docked at the 'far pier', so the walk is a bit longer. It was about 1 km to Renaissance Mall. There is a free shuttle that will take you, but we decided to walk rather than wait. Finally got to see some Christmas Decorations! When you see a random swing... Stone Street - nothing significant about it, except that it is in my native tongue, and that Aruba is "One Happy Island"

TIP: If you don't have international cell service, check the exchange rate before you get off the ship. Most places in Aruba had prices listed in US dollars also, so it was not a problem. Just helpful to know the exchange rate in case you find places who don't post the price in US $.

Breakfast at El Loco Fresh: We enjoyed the breakfast burritos, but we still prefer the Johnny Rockets B.E.L.T. breakfast sandwich, which I will post about later this week - keep forgetting to get a picture! The burritos are a bit dry but great with some guacamole!

Another beautiful sunrise: Views of sailing into Aruba (the ship backed into port):

My View: Day 5 - Aruba Grateful to see "Good Morning" in a language very close to my own, and one of those spoken in Aruba. As we say in South Africa & Namibia: "Goeie Môre!"