Aruba: dock in downtown Oranjestad, Eagle Beach ten minutes away
Aruba’s cruise terminal sits on the edge of downtown Oranjestad, so you walk off the ship into pastel Dutch storefronts, and the island’s famous white-sand beaches are a short cab ride up the coast. Most cruisers split the day between Eagle Beach or Palm Beach and the shops, or go off-road into Arikok National Park for the Natural Pool. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Aruba
A world-class beach, a 4x4 day in the desert national park, or Oranjestad on foot; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Eagle Beach or Palm Beach
- Eagle Beach is about 10 minutes by cab, about $15 to $20 per taxi each way, with powder sand and the famous fofoti trees
- Palm Beach has the high-rise hotels, water sports, bars and a pier for catamaran snorkel trips
- Arubus runs from downtown to both beaches for a few dollars
Best for: families, couples, anyone who came for the sand
Arikok and the Natural Pool by 4x4
- UTV or jeep across the cactus-and-boulder desert to the Natural Pool, a swimming hole walled off from the surf
- Stops at the California Lighthouse, the Alto Vista chapel and the Ayo rock formations
- About 4 to 5 hours, about $125 to $170 a person through the ship
Best for: adventurers, photographers, repeat visitors who have done the beaches
Oranjestad on your own
- Walk off the pier onto Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard: Renaissance Marketplace, the Royal Plaza and Main Street are 10 minutes away
- Free streetcar loop through downtown, Fort Zoutman and the Aruba Aloe shops
- Lunch on the waterfront and back on board in five minutes
Best for: short calls, shoppers, anyone with mobility concerns
Aruba cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Aruba from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Aruba
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Aruba
Pick a home port and the list above narrows to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Aruba
One happy island: beaches rated among the best in the world, a desert national park and a walkable Dutch capital.
Which lines call at Aruba?
Aruba is the anchor stop on Southern Caribbean and ABC island itineraries from Florida, San Juan and the Northeast.
When to go
Aruba is dry, sunny and breezy all year and sits south of the hurricane belt; January to March is the coolest and busiest, October to December the showery season.
Aruba questions we answer every day
Where do ships dock in Aruba and how far is town?
Ships dock at the Aruba Cruise Terminal on Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard, three berths at the north edge of downtown Oranjestad. Every ship is a walk-off; the Renaissance Marketplace and the Main Street shops are about 10 minutes on foot, and the free streetcar loop starts near the terminal.
How do I get to the beaches and what do taxis cost?
Taxis wait at the terminal gate. Fares are set by the government per taxi (up to 4 or 5 people), not per person, with no meter: figure about $15 to $20 to Eagle Beach and about $20 to $25 to Palm Beach, with a small surcharge on Sundays and holidays. The Arubus from the downtown depot is a few dollars each way and stops at both beaches. There is no Uber.
What currency, language and time zone?
The Aruban florin is fixed at 1.79 to the dollar, but US dollars are accepted everywhere and prices are usually quoted in them; cards work almost everywhere. Dutch and Papiamento are official, and everyone in the tourist trade speaks English. Aruba is on Atlantic Standard Time all year, which matches the US East Coast in summer and is an hour ahead in winter. US phones roam here on most plans.
Is Aruba safe?
Aruba is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean and the U.S. State Department rates it at its lowest advisory level. Normal precautions: lock valuables on the ship, do not leave bags unattended on the beach, and use the licensed taxis at the terminal.
What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?
If you only do one thing, take the catamaran snorkel sail to the Antilla wreck. For something different, the UTV run through Arikok to the Natural Pool is the one people talk about for years. Beach days you can do on your own by taxi; for the 4x4 tours and De Palm Island, booking through the ship guarantees the time slot and the ride back.
Do I need a passport?
On a round-trip cruise from a US port, US citizens can sail with a government photo ID plus an original birth certificate under the closed-loop rule, but we recommend a passport: Aruba requires one to fly in or out, so it is your only way home if you miss the ship. Sailings that start in San Juan are still US departures.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to an Aruba cruise specialist
We know which Southern Caribbean sailings give you the longest Aruba day and which carry bonus onboard credit, so call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.