Panama Canal Aruba Port

[crusinpeg]

We're on the Coral Princess Oct 12th and just read that the Aruba departure is now 12:30 instead of 1:00.

As if 6 hrs wasn't short enough!!

[mii]

We're on the Coral Princess Oct 12th and just read that the Aruba departure is now 12:30 instead of 1:00.

As if 6 hrs wasn't short enough!!

 

Ours for next April was also shortened the exact same time. I guess we will just have to deal with it. Not much else we can do.

 

marilyn

[3MBCruisers]

Silly question, but how could you tell the April cruise itinerary changed? The Princess website still lists 1:00 for the April 2010 Aruba departures on Island Princess.

I'm on an April 2010 cruise and have a vested interest.

Thanks!

[Toto2Kansas]

I would guess the change is showing up on the cruise personalizer for their cruise.

[3MBCruisers]

The dates in the earlier post should have indicated April 2009. Sorry for the "Senior Moment".

[3MBCruisers]

Toto2Kansas - You were right! My cruise personalizer also indicates the shortened itinerary. Thanks for the suggestion!

[cruiseryyc]

I didn't find much to do in Aruba anyways; it was a very disappointing port of call. Find a beach and spend your time catching some rays.

[cruiser-be-me]

We're on the Coral Princess Oct 12th and just read that the Aruba departure is now 12:30 instead of 1:00.

As if 6 hrs wasn't short enough!!

 

When we booked our January 09 trip we were scheduled for 9AM to 3PM in Aruba. We are now scheudled for 9AM to 1PM per the Princess site "My Princess". They are saying it is due to "operational reasons". It is a very short stay though when you consider how long it takes to get everyone off the ship and back on again! Oh well - maybe a nice visit to a beach is in order...it will still be a wonderful day because we will be in the Carribbean in January soaking up the sunshine instead of here in Alaska where it will be dark and cold!

 

Joni

[Spender Nui]

I think we'll be seeing more shorter (is that an oximoron?) days in port and longer times at sea from port to port in order to reduce fuel consumption. Cruising slower saves fuel.

[SHIPMEOUT]

When we booked our January 09 trip we were scheduled for 9AM to 3PM in Aruba. We are now scheudled for 9AM to 1PM per the Princess site "My Princess". They are saying it is due to "operational reasons". It is a very short stay though when you consider how long it takes to get everyone off the ship and back on again! Oh well - maybe a nice visit to a beach is in order...it will still be a wonderful day because we will be in the Carribbean in January soaking up the sunshine instead of here in Alaska where it will be dark and cold!

 

Joni

 

Hi Joni,

 

Nope, we were originally supposed to be in Aruba from 7am to 1pm. Now it's 7am to 12:30 pm (you're on our cruise).

 

Cindy

[billfish]

I didn't find much to do in Aruba anyways; it was a very disappointing port of call. Find a beach and spend your time catching some rays.

 

 

Aruba is a great place to visit. There are plenty of things to do we have been there many times on land based vacations and have found it one of our favorite destinations. In the time alloted it would be very difficult to find anything intersting in any port of Call

[Ethel5]

I didn't find much to do in Aruba anyways; it was a very disappointing port of call. Find a beach and spend your time catching some rays.

 

I found plenty of things to do in Aruba without ever stepping foot on a beach! I guess that's why they have choices!

[Spike in FL]

Aruba is a great place to visit. There are plenty of things to do we have been there many times on land based vacations and have found it one of our favorite destinations. In the time alloted it would be very difficult to find anything intersting in any port of Call

 

Just out of curiosity... What is so interesting in Aruba? We spent 4 days there for a "destination wedding" a couple of years ago, and we think we pretty much exhausted what Aruba has to offer.

 

Our son and DIL love Aruba, but they like to lie around a resort and be catered to. BORing! Gambling is fun for an hour or 2, but not a reason to visit Aruba.

 

We were not planning on getting off the ship in Aruba. If there is some wonderful reason to do so though, I should like to know of it.

[Putterdude]

We are on the Jan 6 sailing of the Coral and have also been informed of the shortened visit to Aruba for "operational reasons" ..... this must be a major operation as it seems to be affecting all of the Panama itineraries this season. After all the years that Princess has plyed this route what would the operational reason be?:confused:

[DanJ]

After all the years that Princess has plyed this route what would the operational reason be?:confused:

 

Fuel costs. Although, it's a little mystifying to me how much fuel they would save by leaving for Cartegena a half hour sooner. I would have thought they would back off the arrival time in Aruba a bit and sail slower from Ft LAuderdale to get there.

 

When we did this route on the old Carnival Tropicale, we got a notice that Cartegena was being dropped, and as a result we would stay in Aruba until 5pm instead of 1pm as scheduled. Part of the issue was civil unrest in Colombia at the time making it a less desired port, and part of it had to do with that old tub of a ship had trouble bucking the winds and maintaining enough speed to get to Aruba on time. We were supposed to arrive by 8am, and we ended up getting there just after 930.

 

As for what to do, I can't remember all the places we went, but we rented a car at the pier, and the guy gave us a map of where the ship's tour buses would be going. We hit a lot of those places just ahead of the bus so there wasn't as many people around. We went out to the California Lighthouse and checked out the new golf course homes being built nearby. (we love looking at expensive real estate LOL). We also went to the eastern end of the island, which is less touristy, and checked out some local shops. Driving there is not for the faint of heart, and I had to remind myself this wasn't a Freightliner I was in LOL.

[anniversary cruiser]

I am getting more than annoyed reading on these boards how Princess are altering itineraries seemingly on a whim, I guess it is to do with the fuel crisis but we have just had Huatulco taken off our itinerary for the Coral Princess it is our last day and I was so looking forward going there (albeit for a short time)so now we have another sea day. I don't cruise very often but when I do I choose the itineraries carefully. We sail in November so it is really short notice. Princess haven't had the decency to tell us yet in the UK, it has just disappeared off our personaliser. I only found out about it on our roll call.My TA is asking questions but getting no answers at present.

[Miss Jolly]

We loved Aruba. we took a submarine tour (the experience was interesting but the coral itself was not as attractive as we have in our Great Barrier Reef). We then hired a van/tour around the whole island and found the contrast from one side to the other very interesting. These vans were not far from the ship. We also just walked around the main area.

[billco]

I found plenty of things to do in Aruba without ever stepping foot on a beach! I guess that's why they have choices!

Same here and we never even left the ship. Horizon Court, Gym, Calypso Bar, Movie at the Princess Theatre, etc. Life is good.

[smoosh21]

I am getting more than annoyed reading on these boards how Princess are altering itineraries seemingly on a whim, I guess it is to do with the fuel crisis but we have just had Huatulco taken off our itinerary for the Coral Princess it is our last day and I was so looking forward going there (albeit for a short time)so now we have another sea day. I don't cruise very often but when I do I choose the itineraries carefully. We sail in November so it is really short notice. Princess haven't had the decency to tell us yet in the UK, it has just disappeared off our personaliser. I only found out about it on our roll call.My TA is asking questions but getting no answers at present.

 

Royal Caribbean is dropping ports entirely so that they can cruise slower. I have a November 2009 cruise booked that entirely dropped they Caymen islands, so now it is 3 ports instead of 4.

[J.A.H.]

We have been there on cruises 2 or 3 times, and have taken the ship excursion to snorkel. It was awesome, and the water so nice and warm. I guess there will still be time for the shore excursions? Frankly though, I don't see why they go all the way to Aruba rather than find a nice Caribbean port on the way to Florida to substitute and save fuel that way?

[cruiser-be-me]

Hi Joni,

 

Nope, we were originally supposed to be in Aruba from 7am to 1pm. Now it's 7am to 12:30 pm (you're on our cruise).

 

Cindy

 

Thanks! Looks like an error in the itinerary my TA sent us. Clarification is always a good thing...

 

Joni