By Plane
Before Queen Beatrix International Airport was expanded and renovated in 2000, a blast of dry, warm air welcomed vacationers to Aruba as they descended the stairs of their plane to the tarmac. Nowadays, you walk from air-conditioned plane to air-conditioned terminal with no hint of the arid heat until you leave the building. Lots of folks miss that hot blast -- shorthand for vacation -- but it's hard to find fault with the airport otherwise. It's clean, modern, and organized. Unless your flight arrives with several others (it may on weekends), the lines through Immigration and Customs move rapidly. Luggage doesn't make it to the conveyer belts as fast as you'd like, but does it anywhere? Blame baggage delays on drug-sniffing canines (don't be alarmed; it's standard procedure). Plenty of free luggage carts are available.
The terminal has a bank and an ATM. Most stores are in the departing passenger lounges, but in the courtyard to your left as you leave the U.S. Arrivals building, a handful of small shops sell books, souvenirs, and snacks.
In the interest of protecting cab drivers' livelihood, Aruban law precludes hotels from picking up guests at the airport. If you've come on a package tour, your ground transportation voucher gives you a seat on one of the privately operated, air-conditioned buses that take arriving passengers to the hotels. Otherwise, you can take a cab. Fixed, regulated fares are $13 to Oranjestad, $17 to the Low-Rise hotels, $20 to the High-Rises, and $21 or so to Tierra del Sol. Taxis line up outside the terminal. If you want to get behind the wheel of your own car, 20 or so car-rental kiosks await you on the other side of the taxis. The drive from the airport to the hotels is 10 to 25 minutes, depending on traffic and the time of day.
By Cruise Ship
In 2006, 314 cruise ships brought 591,000 visitors to Aruba. Celebrity, Holland America, Radisson, Royal Caribbean, and Windjammer ships begin itineraries in Aruba, and Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Holland America, Lindblad, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, and Windstar all have ships that make port calls here. An additional eight ships that made a call to Aruba's port were welcomed in 2007. These include the Island Princess, Emerald Princess, Aida Vita, and Sea Cloud.
Cruisers arrive at the Aruba Port Authority, a modern terminal with a tourist information booth, ATMs, and plenty of shops. From the pier, it's a 5-minute walk to the immediately evident shopping districts of downtown Oranjestad. If you're not taking a shore excursion, you can make your way around on your own, allowing some time for the beach (just a 5- to 10-min. taxi ride away), lunch, and shopping. Taxis line up to take cruisers to the beach; if you want to save money, the bus terminal is practically as close as the cabs: After you've walked to the main harborfront road, look for the large pastel bus shelter to your right. Most buses serve the resort areas, but before boarding, ask your driver if he's headed your way. The trip to the Low-Rise area takes about 15 minutes; to the High-Rise area, add another 5 to 10 minutes. Same-day round-trip fare between the beach hotels and the Oranjestad station is $2; a one-way ride is $1.15. Make sure you have exact change. Still a large cargo port, Oranjestad is separating its cruise and cargo facilities and beefing up passenger terminal services. For more information, contact the Cruise Tourism Authority, Royal Plaza Mall, Suite 227, L. G. Smith Blvd. 94, Oranjestad (tel. 297/583-3648; www.arubabycruise.com).
