Pam Beach Questions

[bobmacliberty]

We have a sunset cruise booked with Red Sail Sports, departing from the Hyatt Pier.  Our plan is to spend the day on Palm Beach and then make our way to the Hyatt Pier.  Looking for recommendations on where to go on Palm Beach.  Looking for a place where we can rent lounge chairs/umbrella (how much $$?), and where there is nearby food/drink.  Not looking for a huge party atmosphere but don't mind music and activity around us.  What can we expect to pay for a taxi from the cruise port?  Our sunset cruise ends at 8:00 and all aboard is 8:30 with a 9:00 departure.  How long is the taxi ride back to the cruise port and should we book a return taxi in advance or will there be plenty available?  We'll be there on Tuesday, May 21 if it matters.  Thanks.

[bobmacliberty]

Anyone with any Palm Beach recommendations?  Leaving now to board our flight to head to San Juan!

[Hatteras51]

There will be vendors very close to the Hyatt. If you don't see what you are looking for,  walk further down the beach to the Holiday Inn.  There is a vendor there, at a beach bar called Moomba. I'm not sure of the price. We always stay at a resort,  so no need to rent chairs,  but from what I've read, it seems to be $40.00 - $45.00 for 2 chairs and an umbrella. All of the Palm Beach resorts are side by side, and there will be lots of places for food an drinks. The going taxi rate seems to be $13.00, and if they pick you up inside the port they have to charge another $3.00. This is per taxi, not per person, and is set by the govt. It can take 15 - 20 minutes to get back to the ship. If you can get a taxi driver to make arrangements to pick you up, that would be the best idea, because you are cutting it close to get back to the ship. There's a lot of road construction going on around the island right now, so it may take a little longer. If you don't have a taxi to pick you up, walk up to the front of any hotel. Taxis usually wait there for rides, and if there aren't any there, most of the bell men will get one for you.

[bobmacliberty]

Reporting back on our Palm Beach experience for others to learn from.  We had a taxi driver drop us by the Hard Rock Café a little before noon.  We walked around the shops in that area for a few minutes and then had lunch at Gianni's Amore Mia Pizzeria. This place had been recommended to us by someone who goes to Aruba every year and it didn't disappoint. 

 

We then walked down the street that runs between the Barcelo and the Hyatt.  This ends at the beach right by the Red Sail Sports pier, so we would be close to where we needed to be for our sunset sail.  A gentleman named Richard greeted us and set us up with chairs and umbrellas.  He quoted individual costs for loungers and umbrellas that totaled $50 for 2 loungers and 1 umbrella (don't remember the breakdown).  We talked him down (with very little effort) to $40 total.  The chairs and umbrellas had seen better days, but they were fine.  Richard was great.  He was very friendly and made sure that we had everything that we needed.  He told us were to find restrooms, pointed at a little stand that sold beer/water (which I think was also part of his "enterprise"), and said he'd be available for anything that we need.

 

We told Richard that our sunset cruise ended at 8:00 and asked how best to get a taxi at that time, since he would be gone at that point.  He ended up meeting us at the pier after our sunset cruise, walked us through the Hyatt property to the front of the hotel, and asked the hotel valet to get us a taxi.  Outstanding service and I highly recommend using him!

 

Aruba was nice, but a little too built up for my tastes.  It reminded me of Kaanapali Beach on Maui with large high rise resorts.  I think we'll try Eagle Beach next time.  It was also very windy, which we were told is very typical.  I've got a thing about anything more than a nice breeze.  It bothers me.  Lounger tops get blown over if you lean forward or get off the chair, sand gets kicked up, etc.  I know...first world problems.

[Hatteras51]

I'm glad that it all worked out for you.  I have many friends on another forum that go to Aruba every May. They all reported that this May was the windiest that they ever experienced.  Aruba is always breezy, with some days fairly windy, but this past May was highly unusual.  I've spent over 30 weeks in Aruba over the past 10 years, and only a few times has it been windy enough to blow the sand. I enjoy the wind. It keeps the sun from feeling oppressive when we are out on the beach, but I'm sure that it was probably pretty uncomfortable when you were there. Thanks for reporting back about your day. I always wonder how things worked out for cruisers on this board, and we rarely hear about their day. 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Hatteras51

[serene56]

On 5/12/2019 at 12:42 PM, bobmacliberty said:

We have a sunset cruise booked with Red Sail Sports, departing from the Hyatt Pier.  Our plan is to spend the day on Palm Beach and then make our way to the Hyatt Pier.  Looking for recommendations on where to go on Palm Beach.  Looking for a place where we can rent lounge chairs/umbrella (how much $$?), and where there is nearby food/drink.  Not looking for a huge party atmosphere but don't mind music and activity around us.  What can we expect to pay for a taxi from the cruise port?  Our sunset cruise ends at 8:00 and all aboard is 8:30 with a 9:00 departure.  How long is the taxi ride back to the cruise port and should we book a return taxi in advance or will there be plenty available?  We'll be there on Tuesday, May 21 if it matters.  Thanks.

 

 

what sunset cruise did you do that ended at 8pm?

[bobmacliberty]

1 hour ago, serene56 said:

 

 

what sunset cruise did you do that ended at 8pm?

 

Technically, it was called a Caribbean Sail, not a sunset cruise.  Click here for more info.  I don't see it listed in their current sailing schedule though.

[cruiseapril]

Thank you for the report on Palm Beach.  We have been there many times

and often stay near Gilligan's for food and shelter.