Welcome to the Aruba cruise port guide. Aruba is one of the most popular islands in the Caribbean. It offers everything you look for while on vacation, whether you would like to enjoy Aruba’s popular Palm beach, go shopping in its Oranjestad or visit one of the many natural formations. Aruba offers a large variety of sites and activities to cater any tourist. The island is covered by dry landscapes, cactus, boulder formation and is home to one of the best beaches of the world. Cruise ships arrive in Oranjestad. This is the capital city of Aruba. Its colourful small city centre is close to the terminal and best to explore by foot. Find more details about the cruise terminal underneath.
Cruise Port Guide Oranjestad – Aruba: docked
Cruise ships dock at the Aruba Port Authority. At the port of Aruba you will find 2 modern cruise terminals. Check where your ship is going to dock on the following link: http://www.arubaports.com/main/cruiseship-schedules/. Cruise ships can dock at berth B,C, F and G. All of them are close together. See map above for the details. At the terminals you will find souvenir shops, tourist information, arms, car rental and free streetcar. From the cruise terminal it is about 1 km or 10 minutes walk to the city centre of Oranjestad.
Public Bus Across the cruise terminal on L.G. Smith Boulevard is where you will find the public bus station. The bus service is pretty extensive and it is suitable to take to one of Aruba’s beaches for example. The round-fare is 2,30 dollar. One way is 1,30 dollar. Have exact change with you to pay for the bus.
Taxis in Aruba Taxis don’t have a meter. Every driver should have an official rate table established by the government. From cruise terminal to Palm beach is about 11 dollar, to Eagle beach 10 dollar, to Donkey Sanctuary 19 dollar, Ostrich farm 23 dollar. A taxi cost 45 dollar per hour for a maximum of 5 guests.
ATM There is an ATM in the terminal that can give you Guilders (local currency) or US dollars.
Wi-fi Find the kiosk of Setar N.V. at the Cruise Terminal to buy your phone and internet cards here.
Aruba’s free streetcar Right outside the cruise port’s main gate you will find a free streetcar that takes you to the main street area. The trolley comes by ever 25 minutes between 10 am and 5 pm.
Rent a car You will find the Royal Car Rental and Smart Rent a Car office just outside the cruise terminal. Make a reservation ahead of time to guarantee availability. See map above for their exact location.
Shopping The terminal is close to the city centre of Oranjestad. When exiting the terminal you go right at the main road. This is where the shopping district starts and you will come across more and more stores the closer you get to the city centre of Oranjestad.
Aruba’s beaches Most beaches are located at the west side of the island. All beaches are public, but you might have to pay a fee for use of facilities. Palm beach is where the glamorous hotels and resorts are. At this busy beach you will find lots of facilities. Tourist and locals come here to swim and snorkeling. Baby beach is also a well known in Aruba. It is very suitable for families with small children, because of the shallow waters here. There are hardly any facilities and you will need to bring your own towels. Check the map underneath to see what there is to do in the area:
