Chels

Hi,

I am going to Aruba in about 3 weeks, and I would like to book a snorkel tour to the Antilla, as well as a sunset cruise. I have found numerous companies that offer such trips. From experience, does anyone prefer one company over another? (I am leaning towards Red Sail Sports or De Palm.)

Also, I read that I should try to avoid these tours on days that cruise ships are in port due to overcrowding. Does anyone know which days are "cruise ship free"?

Thanks in advance,
Chels

Kristen1206

I knew of one for Grand Cayman but not Srtuba (though I am sure there is one!).

We did our snorkel tour with the Jolly Pirates and I would recommend them. We stopped at 4 spots, the last being the Antilla. They also have a fun rope swing.

The other compnay I would recommend is Tranquilo.

I would probably stay away from Red Sail as it is one of the large commercial operations.

Our cruise wasn't crowded, nor were the snorkel spots. No idea if cruise ships were in port or not, but i don't think the smaller companies are affected as much.

christiegr

Go with La Palm tours.When my husband and I were in Aruba we were going to do a snorkeling tour and everyone suggested La Palm.I wish that we would have as the snorkeling from shore is not good.I understood that they take you to La Palm island to snorkel and that you get a nice lunch while on the tour.It was recommended by all the locals.

christiegr

OOPs I meant DE palm not LA palm.

schmerl

I was also going to suggest DePalm tours. We did some great snorkeling with them.

alya

We used Red Sail and found them to be well organised but then I can't compare them to any other snorkel company in Aruba.

The sea was very choppy when we snorkelled around the Antilla and while I would have liked to have spent more time there I found it too uncomfortable and was glad to return to the boat, perhaps a seasoned snorkellor wouldn't be so worried.

We did De Palm island as part of a kayaking tour and the guides took us snorkeling. It was the best snorkeling we did on the island, wonderful variety of fish and also the best tour.

karameli

Hi Chels,
I'm going to agree with everyone who suggested DePalm. We did a DePalm snorkel tour (the 'happy hour' cruise) which stopped at three sites, including the Antilla. They allowed plenty of time at each site for exploring, but not SO long that we got bored, and the crew was super-friendly and drinks were free. We loved it. The free snacks were not so tasty, but who cares?

Chels

Thank you for the replies - we will probably end up with De Palm because of their many options.

Does anyone have any further information regarding days of the week in which there are many cruise ships in port? I'm not sure from where I should get this type of information.

Thanks again,
Chels

karameli

We just asked the locals -- they have the cruise schedules memorized. But the DePalm hut isn't next to the cruise port, so it's not overly swamped. No matter what, you'll have pretty much the same # of people on your tour whether it's a tour day or not; just make your reservations in the a.m. and you'll beat the rush

Chels

Hi,

Thanks again for the replies!

Additionally, I have answered my own question regarding the days that cruise ships are in port in Aruba. Check on http://www.arubabycruise.com/stats/

This is a listing of days in which cruise ships are scheduled to be in port.

Thanks again!

Chels