Today was the day many of us had been waiting for on this Southern Caribbean cruise aboard Carnival Horizon: Aruba day. And not just because it was Aruba, but because it was also the first time we were setting foot on land since departing Miami on Saturday.As I mentioned yesterday, it was pretty windy as we made our way toward Aruba, and overnight the ship did a good bit of rocking and rolling. Being in a dark inside cabin, you really don’t know what time of day it is unless you look at a clock, so as I was lying in bed, I could tell we were getting close to arrival simply because the rocking had stopped.
Sure enough, around 7 a.m., we started approaching the island, and a little after 8 a.m., the all-clear was given for guests to go ashore. One good part about today’s port call, we’re here till 10 p.m. giving everyone plenty of time for exploring “One Happy Island.”
The forecast called for sunny skies, strong winds, and gusts up to 35 mph throughout the day and evening. That’s not exactly out of the ordinary for Aruba by any measure, but it was definitely one of those “hold on to your hat” days, whether you were wandering around one of the ship’s open decks or heading ashore to do some exploring.
The setup at the cruise port in Aruba is pretty convenient, especially if you’re planning to head out and explore on your own. Cruise ships dock right in Oranjestad, so once you’re off the ship, you’re already close to shopping, restaurants, taxis, tour operators, and the main drag through town.
The port itself is set up to handle multiple ships at once with two permanent mega-ship cruise berths with cruise terminals, plus two medium-sized berths that can share the container quay when extra space is needed. So while it’s not one of those massive cruise ports with endless piers and shopping villages, it’s an easy-to-navigate setup that gets you off the ship and into town without much hassle.
Depending on which berth your ship is assigned, you may have either a short walk or a slightly longer one to get through the main gate and out onto Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard, which is the main road running along the waterfront. From there, downtown Oranjestad is right there, and if you’re just looking to wander, shop, grab a drink, or find a taxi to one of the beaches, it’s all very straightforward.
Today, Carnival Horizon was joined in port by Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas, which also happens to be the oldest ship currently sailing in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.
One of the nice things about docking in Aruba is that you don’t have to book an excursion or hop in a taxi just to do something. Oranjestad is right there, and once you make your way through the cruise port gates, you’re within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, casinos, souvenir stalls, and the waterfront area.
If shopping is your thing, you’ll have plenty of options right outside the port area. Royal Plaza Mall is basically across from the cruise terminal and is one of those colorful Dutch-Caribbean buildings you can’t miss. It has shops, souvenir spots, bars, and places to grab a bite, and it’s right in the middle of the downtown action. If you walk along the main street, which is Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard, Renaissance Marketplace, local stores, souvenir shops, and market stalls, are all right there so you can easily make a casual shopping loop without going very far.
The Renaissance Mall and Renaissance Marketplace are a short walk from the port and give you a mix of upscale shopping, restaurants, bars, and casino access on both sides of the street. With plenty of walkable, nearby shopping areas this is definitely one of those ports where you can just wander and see what you find.
For food and drinks, you’ll find a bunch of easy options nearby, especially around the Renaissance area. Renaissance Marketplace has spots like The Dutch Pancake House, which is a popular breakfast and brunch stop, along with casual restaurants and bars if you’re just looking to get off the ship and grab something ashore. It’s also home to the closest Starbucks, so if you need your lousy, overpriced coffee fix, you can head over. If you’re looking for better coffee at a cheaper price, there’s also a Dunkin’.
And yes, if you’re looking for a casino within walking distance, Aruba has you covered there too. Wind Creek Seaport Casino is located at Renaissance Marketplace overlooking the harbor, and is Aruba’s only waterfront casino, with slots and table games, although it’s quite small. There’s also the main Wind Creek Casino at the Renaissance Aruba Resort, which is directly across the street from the Renaissance Marketplace. So if you’re the type who likes to donate a few dollars to the local economy one spin at a time, you can absolutely do that without getting in a cab. Side note, the casino onboard Carnival Horizon opens at 2 p.m. and table games at 4 p.m,, even thought we’re in port till 10 p.m.
Overall, Aruba is a very easy port if you just want to walk off the ship and do your own thing. You can shop, grab lunch, have a drink, hit a casino, or just stroll along the downtown waterfront without much planning. The beaches and bigger island sights still require a taxi or excursion, but for a simple walk-off port day, Oranjestad makes it pretty painless.
Beaches Near the Cruise Port in Aruba
Speaking of beaches, if you’re looking for a beach day in Aruba, you have options, but not all beach options are created equal, especially if you’re trying to keep things simple from the cruise port.
The closest “beach” to the port area is Governor’s Bay Beach, which sits right near the Renaissance Marketplace area in downtown Oranjestad. This is not the beach you go to if you’re looking for loungers, umbrellas, beach bars, water sports, or someone walking around asking if you want a bucket of Balashis. This is very much a local, no-frills spot with basically zero amenities.
But if all you want is to get off the ship, walk around town, and take a quick dip in the ocean to cool off, it works. Set your expectations accordingly: water, rocks/sand a restaurant parking lot right on the beach, and not much else. For some people, that’s perfectly fine. For others, especially those picturing a postcard-perfect Aruba beach day, this is probably not going to be it.
For a more traditional beach day, most cruisers are going to want to hop in a taxi. Surfside Beach is about a 15-minute walk from the cruise port, making it one of the easier beach options if you want to stay close. Surfside has more of an actual beach-day setup than Governor’s Bay, with calm water nearby and restaurants/beach bars in the area. It’s still not the big Aruba beach experience most people think of, but it’s convenient.
Eagle Beach is the most popular choices for cruise passengers, and for good reason. It’s the big, beautiful, wide stretch of sand Aruba is famous for, and it’s close enough to make it an easy DIY beach day. I recommends taking a taxi to Eagle Beach from the cruise port and it’s about a ten-minute drive west of Oranjestad. Once you’re there, you’ll find the white sand, blue water, and beach vendors renting chairs and umbrellas, although shade can be limited, so plan accordingly.
Palm Beach is a little farther up the coast and has a very different feel from Eagle Beach. This is the hotel zone, so it’s busier, more developed, and packed with resorts, restaurants, bars, shops, and water activities – and plenty of partying, especially at night. If you want a quieter beach day, Eagle is probably the better pick. If you want more action, more food and drink options, and more of a resort-strip vibe, Palm Beach is the one. Taxi time from the cruise port is usually around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on traffic and where along Palm Beach you’re going.
Druif Beach is another option that’s closer to town and sits between Oranjestad and Eagle Beach. It’s not as famous as Eagle or Palm, but it can be a good middle-ground choice if you want sand and water without going quite as far up the coast. You’ll generally still want a taxi, especially in Aruba heat and wind, but it’s a short ride from the cruise port.
The big thing to know is that Aruba makes beach days easy, but you do need to decide what kind of beach day you want. If you just want to cool off with no expectations, Governor’s Bay Beach is right there. If you want a simple nearby beach with some services, Surfside is close. If you want the classic Aruba beach day, grab a taxi and go to Eagle Beach. And if you want restaurants, hotels, bars, and a lot more going on around you, head to Palm Beach.
5 Things to Do Within Walking Distance of the Aruba Cruise Port
If you’re not heading to the beach or taking an excursion, there are still a few things worth checking out within walking distance of the Aruba cruise port. Oranjestad is one of those ports where you can walk off the ship, wander around for a couple of hours, and still feel like you actually saw a little bit of the island instead of just the inside of a port shopping area.
First up is the I Love Aruba sign, which is an easy first stop and one of those classic cruise port photo ops. It’s only about a five-to-seven-minute walk from the cruise terminal, so if you want the obligatory “yes, I was here” picture. Now, normally the sign is right outside the cruise port gates and to the left across the street from the gas station. However, it does get moved for events. And this trip was no exception. With World Cup viewing parties being held at the Renaissance Marketplace, the sign was moved over there and put next to the stage area for people to get photos.
Next is Royal Plaza Mall, which is hard to miss thanks to its bright pink Dutch-Caribbean architecture. It’s right across from the port area and is one of the most recognizable buildings in downtown Oranjestad. Even if you’re not in a shopping mood, it’s worth walking by just for the look of the building, and there are shops, souvenir stops, bars, and restaurants all clustered around it.
A little farther into town is Fort Zoutman and the Willem III Tower, one of the better historic stops you can reach on foot. Fort Zoutman dates back to the late 1700s and is considered the oldest structure on Aruba, so if you want something with a little more than another magnet shop, this is a good stop. It’s roughly a 14-to-18-minute walk from the cruise terminal, depending on your pace and the heat. FYI, right now the Willem III Tower is in the midst of a reconstruction project.
Another easy stop is Wilhelmina Park, a small waterfront park near the Renaissance area. It’s not a major attraction where you’re going to spend half the day, but it’s a nice place to slow down, get a little shade, take in the water views, and escape the downtown shopping traffic for a few minutes. It’s about a 15-to-19-minute walk from the cruise terminal.
And finally, there’s Renaissance Marketplace and the marina area, which is probably the easiest “wander around and see what happens” spot near the port. You’ll find restaurants, bars, shops, casino access, waterfront views, and a little bit of everything in one area, as I mentioned earlier.
So if you don’t feel like doing a formal excursion in Aruba, you’re not stuck. It’s an easy DIY port day, and you can do all of it without getting in a taxi.
Is Aruba Safe for Cruise Passengers
Any time Aruba comes up, especially with American travelers, the topic of safety usually isn’t far behind. Overall, Aruba is considered one of the easier and safer Caribbean islands for tourists, and the U.S. State Department currently lists Aruba at Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions, which is the lowest advisory level. That doesn’t mean nothing ever happens, of course. Like anywhere with crowds and tourists, you still want to watch your belongings, be aware of your surroundings, and use common sense when walking around town, taking taxis, or heading to the beach.
Like any tourist destination, petty crime such as pickpocketing and purse snatching can occur, along with theft from vehicles, hotel rooms, and rentals. So while Aruba generally feels very comfortable, especially around the cruise port and main tourist areas, it’s still not a place to leave your bag unattended on the beach or flash a bunch of cash or that used Rolex you bought onboard while wandering around.
And then, of course, there is the case that many people still associate with Aruba: Natalee Holloway. Natalee was an 18-year-old from Alabama who disappeared in Aruba in May 2005 while on a high school graduation trip. Her case received massive media attention in the United States and became tied to Aruba’s image for a lot of travelers. For years, there were searches, investigations, arrests, and endless speculation, but her remains were never found, and she was declared legally dead in 2012.
In 2023, Joran van der Sloot, who had long been the main suspect in Natalee’s disappearance, pleaded guilty in the U.S. to extortion and wire fraud charges tied to the Holloway family. As part of that case, he admitted to killing Natalee in Aruba in 2005. He was sentenced to 20 years on those federal charges, to run alongside the prison sentence he was already serving in Peru for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores.
It’s a tragic case, and it’s understandable that some travelers still think about it when Aruba comes up. But it’s also important to separate one horrific, high-profile crime from the day-to-day reality of visiting the island. Aruba remains a major tourist destination, and for cruise passengers spending the day in Oranjestad, Eagle Beach, Palm Beach, or on organized excursions, the usual travel rules apply: stick to populated areas, don’t wander off alone at night, keep an eye on your stuff, use licensed taxis, and don’t put yourself in sketchy situations just because you’re on vacation.
For me, Aruba always feels safe to wander around during the day and at night. The cruise port area, downtown Oranjestad, and the main tourist zones are built around visitors, and you’ll see plenty of other cruise passengers doing the same thing you are. As always, use your head, but I wouldn’t let safety concerns keep me from enjoying Aruba.
My Day in Aruba
My day in Aruba was broken up into two parts: day and night.
I headed off the ship around 1 p.m. and did some wandering around the port area, quickly realizing that it was a blazing hot day outside. Even with the stiff winds, it was still hot. Aruba may be windy, but windy does not always mean comfortable!
I did manage to use my Ray-Ban Meta Glasses to record a nearly 20-minute walk from the ship over to Renaissance Marketplace, including stops at Wilhelmina Park and Governor’s Bay Beach, so you’ll want to check that out below. Unfortunately, in a few clips, the brim of my hat got in the way. But pay no attention to that.
My wandering eventually ended over at the Renaissance, where I headed to their pool and beach area, bellied up to the bar, and had a few cold Amstel Brights and some light bites. They had decorations and TVs set up for the World Cup, and as I mentioned earlier, the marketplace also had a huge screen set up with chairs for people watching the game. I happened to be sitting at the bar when Argentina won, and the people around the bar and pool area went wild.
After that, I walked along the water, had a cigar, worked on my melanoma, and just chilled in the heat before heading back to the ship to freshen up and get ready to head back out later for dinner.
Now, before I tell you where I went for dinner, for those staying onboard the ship, here’s a look at what was being served in the ship’s main dining room tonight.
Carnival Cruise Line Main Dining Room Dinner Menu - Night 3
Some ships in the fleet are still offering the pre-2026 new menu. This is NOT the 2026 new menu release.
Available on: all ships
For me, however, I had two spots on my radar for this visit. In December, I had dinner at Italy in the World, which is a really unique Italian restaurant not far from the ship. Unique in many ways. You can read about that visit here. While it gets a solid 4.6 on Google Reviews, it definitely did not score that with me, so I was not making a return trip.
Tonight was going to be decided on the flip of a virtual coin: L.G. Smith’s Steak & Chop House inside the Renaissance Casino or Fresco, an outdoor Italian spot located at the Renaissance resort’s beach. I settled on outdoor Italian.
Earlier in the day, I stopped by the front desk of the hotel and asked if I needed reservations for either spot. I was told they are “recommended” but not required. Not knowing how busy it would be or how long service would take, I headed off the ship around 6:30 p.m. and took a slow walk over to the restaurant, arriving around 6:50. There were only two other tables seated, so reservations were definitely not needed, at least this early in the evening. It seemed everyone else was still gathered around the TVs by the pool watching sports.
The restaurant is set up with tables in an open-air setting, so there was a nice breeze throughout the meal. Nice, that is, until you realize you have to stay on your toes to make sure your food doesn’t go blowing away with the silverware.
My server came over to introduce himself and take my drink order. On the menu were 12-ounce and 20-ounce draft beers, so I ordered a 12-ounce draft Amstel Bright and was told they don’t have draft beer, only cans.
Okay?
So a can it was.
Now, beer in many Caribbean islands is served in much smaller cans than we’re used to in America. They’re usually as small as 8 ounces and sometimes as large as 10 or 12 ounces. Why? Because the breweries here believe that the heat of the island impacts the beer so much that putting it in smaller cans keeps it cold for the entire drinking session. Whether that’s actually the case or they just put them in smaller cans to sell more beer, who knows. But at $7.75 a can for an 8-ounce beer, it’s not exactly cheaper just because it comes in a smaller can.
While waiting to place my order, my server came over with some focaccia bread and a trolley with an assortment of about six different olive oils, each with a different infusion. I went with the garlic-infused oil and some balsamic vinegar.
For starters, I went with the bruschetta, which was served on large pieces of the same focaccia with mozzarella, marinated cherry tomatoes, frisée lettuce, and Romano cheese. Not bad, but it was a little messy to eat since nothing was really holding any of the ingredients together.
I also went with the wagyu meatball stuffed with mozzarella cheese. As far as meatballs go, it was really tough, to the point where a knife was needed to cut into it. However, the sauce it came with was really good.
For the main course, I went with the chicken Parmigiano, which was a breaded and fried chicken breast topped with mozzarella and béchamel sauce, served over bucatini pasta with pesto sauce. Definitely a mix of sauces here. The pasta with pesto was basically flavorless, but the chicken was exceptionally crispy and juicy, and the béchamel gave it a nice taste.
When it came time for dessert, I skipped, but my server brought over a complimentary shot of their homemade limoncello.
After dinner, I wandered around the waterfront a bit watching the sunset, then headed across the street to the main casino, where I played for a short while and did not win a thing. The only patrons in the casino were a few locals who you could tell were regulars and a lot of Filipino crew from both ships wagering their salaries at the blackjack tables.
With all-aboard time quickly approaching, I made my way back to the ship in time for that 9:30 p.m. call. As soon as the clock struck 9:30, the announcement came over the ship’s intercom asking a very long list of names to stop by Guest Services or call the extension. Obviously, some people did not get the message that 9:30 means 9:30.
A few minutes later, that list had a significantly smaller number of names on it. Then, finally, one last announcement was made with just one person’s name. It was a little after 10 p.m. when we finally set sail.
Side note: as I’m writing this, a security officer just passed by with a drug-sniffing dog. So in yesterday’s report, I mentioned that I wasn’t sure if dogs were on the ship or not. This confirms that they are!
After watching the ship slip away from Aruba, I hauled myself back to my stateroom to call it a night.
We’re currently heading to our next port of call, Bonaire, where tomorrow we’re scheduled to arrive at 8 a.m. and have a 7:30 p.m. all-aboard time.
More then, and as always, thanks for following along.
Fun Times for Day 4:
This is also available as a PDF by clicking here.