Aruba 2023 1pm arrival Odyssey of the Seas

[RnC49critic]

We booked Odyssey of the seas for April 2023.  Aruba is the main port we want but it turns out that we don't get there until 1pm. Can umbrella's be rented at Eagle Beach and can you still get them this late?  Would an excursion through the cruise ship be the best way to get to and from the beach?   Where is a good place to get a snack  or late lunch on or near Eagle Beach? 

Thank you!

[Buffalobills]

Following

[LeeW]

Some folks will be leaving Eagle by then, so probably not an issue.  Whether to use cruise line transportation really depends on the size of your group and when it is scheduled to leave.  You will likely get there much faster on your own.  Cabs are available right outside the port entrance and run around $15-20 a trip.

 

We generally bypass the cabs and cross the main street.  Angle slightly right to the bus station.  Bus 10 leaves from the left bay every 20 minutes or so.  They alternate between going only to the hotels (Marriott is farthest up Palm Beach) and Malmuk (a town just beyond and inland from there).  Just tell the driver where you want to stop and he will let you know.  Price is around $5.50 each way (check the arubus.com web site).  You will also see small vans competing with the buses.  They can't enter the bus terminal and drop off a block before coming back.  Roughly same price.

 

Eagle is really the only place to rent umbrellas.  The high rise hotels on Palm have them but normally for guest use only.  More food on Palm because of the hotels.  We usually just take a bus and drop off somewhere, walk the beach, get a snack or visit a casino and then go out to the street to take a bus back.