How Upscale is Aruba?
 

Hello~
I'm trying to plan my honeymoon (at the end of September); and the hurricane season is forcing me to consider Aruba. Its not my choices (I wanted to go to St. Bart's), but all the travel agents seem to think its a safe bet to avoid bad weather and/or hurricanes. The problem is that I've seen so many negative stories on T.V. about the Aruba that I envision it being a place full of cheesy bars and drunken college students. The travel agent told me the shopping and restaurants are upscale and comparable to South Beach, but I find this hard to believe. Can anyone please clue me in.

Thanks~
Elisa

Can anyone please tell me about Aruba?

Sounds to me that you have been watching WAY TOO MUCH FoxNews Channel. Aruba is quite nice.

I'll admit its all those Natalie Holloway stories that have made me shy away from Aruba. Not because I'm scared of crime, but because it looks like a circus for college students. I'm not a fan of Fox though. :)

Aruba is not full of college students. I did not think much of the shopping, but I did not really look for it. The downtown area was not my favorite part of the island. Aruba is arid and not very pretty in landscape. The hotel areas are all lush and beautiful like you would expect. The restaurants are excellent. There are many nice upscale restuarants. But, Aruba is not dressy. It is more casual. We had a great family vacation on Aruba.
For a quiet, basically no kids hotel, I would recommend the Bucuti Tara Suites.
For a hotel with more action, the Marriott, Hyatt and Radisson are all very nice. I read in another post that the Hyatt will be having some construction until Dec.
I think you should go where you want on your honeymoon. Hurricanes can strike anywhere on the islands including Aruba. Although it is more rare.
Did you think about Hawaii? We were just there and had a great time. You would need about 10 days to make that trip worthwhile.
If you truly love St. Barts, then go, just buy trip insurance.
Have you also thought of Bermuda? It is very nice, quiet and pretty there and it is further north than the caribbean islands. It also does not get hit as often by hurricanes.

Aruba does not have the captivating beauty you may be looking for on your honeymoon. There may not be millions of places for you to choose from out of the hurricane belt, but there are others. Trinidad and Tobabago, the Grenadines, Bermuda, and Hawaii are some that come to mind. You don't say where you are flying from or your time frame, but Hawaii and Bermuda are some of the best journeys I've made and would make a great honeymoon playground. We personally got married in Hawaii and had our ten year wedding anniversary in Bermuda and have so many wonderful memories of so much enchanting beauty.

Hello and congratulations! I have been to Aruba twice and had a great time both times. I am 32 and my husband and I are not huge drinkers and we had a relaxing and fun vacation there. Both times we stayed in the hi-rise area and it was not full of spring breakers and cheesy bars at all. In fact I was in South Beach this March and I would never compare it to Aruba. Aruba is a lot more relaxing and low-key. The shopping in town is better than when I was in Miami, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Barbados. There is even a little Gucci store in town, so how bad can it be? There are some cheesy bars downtown where the cruise ships come in, but when you are staying in a nice hotel in Palm beach you wouldn't notice that. The beach is gorgeous, the hotels are nice, esp. Hyatt and Radisson, and the food and weather are great. I would also say that the people are some of the most friendly I have encountered in the caribbean and I always felt totally safe there. We live in Manhattan so I feel like we know about shopping and food, hee hee. Good luck and have fun!

I wouldn't listen to the travel agents. If you're worried about being in a cheesey kind of place for your honeymoon, I don't think Aruba is for you. There are nice hotels, sure. Some nice shops, but it is not St. Bart's. I went a couple of years ago and stayed at the Radisson. There was a Dunkin Donuts everywhere I turned, not to mention Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Sbarro Pizza - not the type of surroundings I would want for my honeymoon. Can you find places to go to eat that are not American chains? Of course, but it felt way too Americanized for my taste. Hawaii and Bermuda are both nice alternative suggestions. Or, just book St. Bart's, or even Anguilla, which I think is a fabulous place, and get insurance.

What about Europe? There are some lovely beach options there, too. So many choices in Italy, the Cote d'Azur, Spain, too many places to name. . . .

Elisa, maybe Antigua??? I was in Antigua once in December, and once in late August, and once in July (honeymoon). No rain except at night...great sunny weather everyday. I asked the locals what the weather was like at other times and, of course, they replied always perfect!!!

I agree about Bermuda too...beautiful and perfect for a honeymoon. I was there in July, late August, and another time in April (cold). Great beaches and shopping...lots of beaches to explore on a motor bike.

College students won't be anywhere in late September will they??? I have been to Aruba in the summer as well as December, and February. Great weather all 3 months...always a little windy. I also agree with the other posters and did not think the shopping was that wonderful, but we had a great time.

Shopping in Aruba is not comparable to South Beach. South Beach actually seems more multi-cultural than Aruba. Aruba is like Miami Beach in that it is built up with one hotel after another, been there twice it is just too crowded for my taste and very family oriented. If you want to be out of the hurricane zone look at Curacao, we liked it better and much more interesting than Aruba. Also, has some nice smaller properties for a honeymoon -- check out the new Kura Hulanda Lodge. We stayed at the Marriott which is less intimate than the Kura Hulanda but still a nice property, much smaller than Aruba Marriott.

Aruba is a desert island on which, even is September, you will not get "rained out" on your honeymoon. Your travel agent is giving you some good advice about selecting Aruba. You will, and are getting a lot of differing opinions here. My husband and I return to Aruba year after year for only these reasons because there is NOT a wild party atmosphere. The whole Holloway thing is so blown out of proportion by the American media...

Why do we love Aruba?
1. guaranteed good weather
2. variety of 4 star resorts (no 5 stars yet, Ritz will open someday)
3. fantastic restaurants with a wide variety of cuisine
4. beautiful beaches.

For a honeymoon I highly suggest the Bucuti Beach Resort www.bucuti.com They cater to honeymooners and couples. An oceanfront Tara Suite would be idylic for a honeymoon. Other suggestions include the Radisson, Hyatt or Marriott.

If you were thinking St.Barts, Aruba most probably won't measure up on the luxe and style factor:it's a mass tourism destination with lots of chain hotels. Tho at risk for hurricanes (you'd be wise regardless to buy
comprehensive travel insurance thru
Travelguard International), Playa del
Carmen is South Beach in style (see Hotel Basico and Hotel De Seo). South of Cancun, the romantic (a keyword rarely fulfilled by Aruba) factor is well-fulfilled by upscale boutique
resort/hotels like Maroma and Ikal del Mar.

Hello Elisa,
Aruba offers a variety of hotels that provide more upscale services and also those that do not. We dressed for dinner almost every evening, as there are some very nice restaurants, some are very pricey but worth both the food and atmosphere. However, Aruba is not a lush island as it is very arid and dry, but some of the hotels grounds create a lush atmosphere. I also like Grand Cayman; again, not lush, but beautiful 7 mile beach that is nicer than Aruba's Palm beach. Bermuda is upscale, but unpredictable end of Sept. Water is rougher, but lots of fun stuff to do and see. Good luck and have a wonderful wedding celebration!

Check out this great message board for more information on Aruba:

http://www.aruba-bb.com/index.php

My wife and I are going there for the first time in November and cannot wait!

Marc

I certainly do not wish to hijack this thread, but ArubaLisa,would you explain your comment..........

"The whole Holloway thing is so blown out of proportion by the American media..."

I agree with Kissy that Grand Cayman's 7 mile beach is nicer than Aruba's Palm Beach.

I would go to Grand Cayman or St John if I were you.If you choose St John..Caneel Bay resort or the Westin are both good resorts.

Christie

Guess what I (again) and a few others recently have been banned on the TA forums for saying about the censorship on the Aruba forum on their 'Off Topic Chatter' forum. That "censorship" thread is now removed, but a new one wondering why it was removed is there.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...c_chatter.html

Seems you cannot say anything negative, even though it is factual or give a negative opinion on Aruba.

Just a heads up to the newbies to Aruba, seems the moderators on the Aruba TA forum are biased and so much for their logo, "get the truth, then go", when only positive remarks or facts about the island can posted.

By the way, I recently posted as Sandi_Shore and if you want to check my posts on TA site. Of course anything negative (but factual) I said on Aruba has been taken off. I never have any trouble with any of their other travel destinations forums and have even been thanked repeatedly for my help, so what gives???

Try reading this thread there as well, if you want.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...c_chatter.html

Should say that thread on the TA website that was removed had nothing to do with Natalee Holloway, but giving out good factual information about water clarity, how windy it is, how it is a basically flat desert island and how it is a very small island and that it has many American fast food restaurants and is quite Americanized, which is all good honest and factual information. Seems you can't mention anything negative about Aruba on TA Aruba forum or it will be removed or you will be attacked by those who own timeshares on the island and Aruba has more timeshares than any other island in the Caribbean.

Sorry for sounding off here, but it is frustrating and seems a shame when you try to help newbies and can't give them good honest, factual information and you own personal opinions about the island, if they are negative in any way.

This is a much better and friendly forum for getting unbiased travel information.

TA logo, "get the truth, then go" is a joke, so don't believe most of what you read there.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Aruba is nothing like Miami in terms of anything.

Miami is very multi culturual.
Aruba is not.

Miami is lush with lots of vegitation.
Aruba for the most part is arid rocky desert.

Miami has much bigger and prettier beaches than Aruba.

Miami has some of the best shopping in the world. Aruba is more like Cozumel.

I love Aruba and love the rocky desert landscape but the Miami comparison is bad.

Miami is a multi culturual multi ethnic major world city. Aruba is a tiny island in the caribbean.

Miami has probably 50-100 upscale luxury hotels. Aruba may have four.

We love Aruba, in fact we are getting married there this summer. It is reliably good weather; we have gone the last 2 Septembers. Eagle Beach is amazing. We stay at Bucuti & will every time we go there- fabulous staff & Tara Suites are awesome. Dining is very good- El Gaucho, Madame Jeanette's, Flying Fishbones. We find it to be romantic and are looking forward to going again.

Aruba is anything BUT cheesy.

I would suggest you try looking at the Tara Suites at the Bucuti.

http://www.bucuti.com/en/rooms/tarabeach.php

If your agent compares Aruba to South Beach, I think its time to find a new travel agent! I have been to Aruba and basically every other caribbean island. I was married in the caribbean, and I consider myself very knowledgable. I would personally not go to Aruba for my honeymoon. Also, I hated teh constant hot wind while I was there. Felt like I was in a freaky movie or something. I would just pick the place YOU MOST WANT TO GO. after all its your honeymoon. Roll the dices on hurricanes and purchase trip insurance for peace of mind.

I found the beaches in Aruba reminded me of being on a beach in the U.S. I have never been to South Beach, but found Aruba very Americanized. We have travelled a fair amount in the Caribbean and I would recommend either St. Lucia or Barbados for a honeymoon. Anything St. Lucia and southward is less likely to get a hurricane and this includes Aruba, but there is still a chance.

Aruba has a few cheesy bars and I'm sure a few drunken college students, but not half as many as the media would like you to believe. Is it a beautiful island? I think so but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The shopping in Oranjestad is fine for me; there are small shopping kiosks where you can get your standard stuff like t-shirts, etc. and there are stores totally at the other end of the spectrum for fine clothing and jewelery. I've never been to South Beach so I can't compare but the shopping is fine for us. Can say the same for the restaurants; Aruba offers everything from KFC, Subway to fine dining and everything in between. For a honeymoon, the Bucuti gets high marks but I also read reports from other honeymooners who have enjoyed just about every other resort Aruba has to offer. Having said all of this, Aruba obviously isn't for everyone (as you can see by this thread) but it is a solid, wonderful vacation destination for many others. Keep us posted on your choice.

I've been to Aruba twice in the past few years with my DH. We're in our early 30's. I love Aruba because of the constant breeze, the boardwalk in the high rise area and being one of the safest islands in the Carribean. I've been to 6 other islands in the Carribean. If you decide to honeymoon there, I'd stay at either the Hyatt or the Radisson. I would not compare the shopping there to South Beach though. It's definitely a more upscale island compared to other islands, but not compared to South Beach. I would go with your original plan to St. Barts. It's your honeymoon...if St. Barts is where you want to go, go and enjoy! happy marriage!

I understand the comparison of Aruba to Miami in terms of large hotels. Personally, I do not care for Aruba as I prefer my islands lusch, tropical and with intimate inns vs high rise hotels.

I have never found Aruba to have a very distinct personality.

Re safety, I do not this is a concern. Use the same common sense you would anywhere and you will be fine.

Avoid spring break and summers if you want to have fewer kids and teens. I always plan trips to hedge my bets in this regard.

Kissy - where do you stay in Grand Cayman? I have been to Aruba twice and loved it but am always considering new and different places.

My husband and I stayed at the Tamarijn this past January and it was pretty nice - I was disappointed in the shopping downtown and you will not find college kids and cheesy bars. There is a great place in St. Lucia called the Lareda - I'd look into that for a honeymoon!!! Good Luck!

When we've gone to Aruba its been in the summer and then there are a good amt. of college and HS kids and of course there are a good # of bars to cater to them. In fact as we were taxiing to our hotel thru downtown you saw a large # of "kids." :-) I think most of them had breakfast at around 1400 too. :S-. Shoping was pretty good I thought. Cheers. :-)

Elisa -

Have you considered chartering a private yacht in the Grendadines? We did this a couple of years ago and the luxury and intimacy were wonderful. You'll meet the yacht in St. Vincent's where the first Pircates of the Caribbean was filmed and then off to visit islands like Bequi (we dove and I saw my first sea horse) and Mustique. And then to my favorite - Tobago Cays to snorkel and then swim to shore. Can spend an afternoon on a deserted beach soaking up some rays. Meals are gourmet and tailored to your tastes. And the captain and crew provided are all about 'you'. We charted the 'Sea Nymph' who is based out of St. Thomas'. The owners DJ and Laddie have expanded and now have a number of charters available. Much more affordable than you might think - especially with meals and drinks inclouded. If you have additional questions, feel freel to email me at [email protected]. We did our first cruise with them in the Virgin Islands and loved it so much that we did the Grenadines with them later that same year.

Aruba is very windy! All the time!

Hi Lolo12
I haven't logged on in a while so sorry this post is so late. We stayed at the Marriott on 7 mile Beach. the hotel was very nice, but the beach was very small. The Westin was beautiful further down the beach, but there are also many, many condominiums that you can rent. Not sure what the island looks like after Ivan. Maybe someone has been there recently?

Thank you for the great advice.
I did NOT go to Aruba. After looking at pictures and reivews of the "upscale" hotels in Aruba on Trip Advisor I decided it wasn't my kind of place, especially for a honeymoon. I couldn't get excited about a single place to stay there. Some people asked why I didn't consider Europe. We couldn't consider Europe because my husband needs to be connected to the stock market for work. As such, the time difference wouldn't permit us to travel to Europe. So we ended up at the Grand Velas Resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. wwww.grandvelas.com. IT WAS LOVELY! The resort exceeded our expectations. THERE WAS NOTHING CHEESY ABOUT IT and it got the best traveler reviews on Trip Advisor. Its a gorgeous, contemporary resort. The grounds are lush with colorful flowers and the multi-infinity pool looks like it jumped off the pages of a luxurious travel magazine cover. We loved it. The food was incredible and the service was outstanding. We actually only ate dinner in downtown PV (which isn't very nice) one time. Plus, it was all-inclusive. I never thought I'd like that, but this place was top notch. They have top shelf liquor, French, Italian, Gourmet Mexican, and fusion restaurants. It also has a 5 star spa which is incredible. It really was impressive. I would go back. I know PV doesn't sound upscale -- and I didn't know what to expect, but this resort certainly was posh.

I wanted to go to the Mayan Riveria, but it was too risky with the hurricanes. I hear the beaches aren't as nice in PV, but it didn't matter because the weather was beautiful and the resort was amazing. I don't know if I would have enjoyed PV as much if we wouldn't have stayed at the Grand Velas. I think it may be nicer than the Four Seasons in PV--at least that's what many people who stayed at both places were telling us.

Hi Elisachristina,

Thanks for the feedback. it does sound as though you managed to find the perfect place for your honeymoon

But do I understand this correctly? It was your honeymoon (hopefully a once in a lifetime event) and you couldn't visit Europe because your DH had to stay connected to work?

Will you ever have the time to visit Europe?

I wish you all the best in the world.

We traveled many years ago to Bermuda for our honeymoon in late October. The weather was warm enough to go swimming. We may have had a brief shower during the day but overall the weather was great. Bermuda is a beatiful island. If I was you, I would check out The Reefs.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post again about your honeymoon. I'm delighted that you found your own perfect spot. Maybe you can save St. Barth for a future vacation.

Hey, I must admit that I worked a few hours on MY honeymoon, too.

Not all of us are retired or trust-funders; we love our (new) spouses, but if you have a job with a high level of responsibility then taking 14 days off is incredibly difficult. Don't presume to judge situations you know nothing about.

My husband also worked a bit, too; together we probably worked about 10 hours in 12 days, tops. We both came home tanned, relaxed and had gorgeous new paychecks in the bank waiting for us.

newlywed_in_2007

I take it that your post was a response to mine? I however at least have the manners to name the person that I'm responding to.

I don't have a trust fund and at the age of 42 I'm certainly not retired.

I've been married for over 24 years (we married young, on my 18th birtday actually) so you can certainly ensure that I love my husband, we have even in our spare time managed to raise 3 children.

We both have high pressured jobs for a large computer security company but still manage to take 2 whole weeks a year to chill and relax. Yes we are unusual but then we're Brits and 2 weeks isn't an unusual vacation period in the UK.

We feel that we work hard enough to justify that and have never had problems asking for the vacation time.

I feel that a honeymoon is such a special time and will (hopefully) never occur again - isn't that a time that sould be so special and savoured?

So! who is judging situations they know nothing about here?

We went to Aruba on our honeymoon way back in 1992. Honestly, I was not smitten. I remember flying over it as we were about to land and seeing fast food restaurants and thinking hmmmm.....it's just not what I had in mind but my husband planned it so what could I say?! It is not particularly "pretty" as someone else said. The terrain is rough and almost desert-like. I had been to St. Martin a few years earlier and thought the terrain was much prettier. I am not well-travelled so I can't highly recommend another place but just wanted to share my recollections of 15 years ago.
PMCW