Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa

June 21st - June 28th, 2003 by Keith

For starters, let me begin by saying if it were not for the Radisson our family trip would not have been worth it. The resort had the best pool and beach of all the resorts on Palm Beach. It was very beautifully landscaped and the open-air lobby created the appearance of being on a tropical island. The staff (especially the concierges) was very polite and helpful. The slots in the casino were actually pretty loose which was something I certainly had not expected. If I had to complain about anything, then it would be about the size of the room. It was nicely designed and decorated, but it was fairly small for a family with two small kids. The resort was one of the few bright spots on the island of Aruba.

Desert Island

I was warned about the desert terrain, but I was hoping all the accounts that I heard were over-exaggerated - they were not. The island is very desolate in appearance and there is nothing tropical about it at all, so don't expect it. The water was beautiful, but I have seen clearer waters in other less expensive Caribbean destinations. The natural bridge and lighthouse were a beautiful part of the landscape. The iguanas/lizards were plentiful and fun to look at if you are a reptile lover. For non-reptile lovers (my wife), you will get used to them running around. After the 2nd day, she stopped flinching when she saw one, and after the 4th day she was humorously searching for the biggest iguana on the island. The winds were very high, but not annoyingly high. I actually enjoyed the strong breezes.

Activities

Watching the ships and sailboats floating out on the ocean was very stress relieving. Watching the stars at night on the beach while listening to the ocean waves will put you in a hypnotic state. The snorkeling was okay...there is not many places to go snorkeling because the visibility isn't that great. De Palm Island had the best snorkeling, but the packages are somewhat pricey (but meals are included). I heard from other people who bought the Snuba (Snorkeling/Scuba) package on the De Palm Island that it was pretty short (20 minutes) for the money. Baby Beach is great for kids who are learning to swim and snorkel, but it is not for intermediate snorkeling buffs. We took the kids out on the SeaWorld Adventure (Semi-Submarine); it was great! They had a wonderful time viewing a reef made from the remains of a sunken ship. I definitely would recommend taking one of the bus tours that takes you around the island, but do it early in your trip.

Restaurants

Food/Drinks are relatively high in price. I actually researched food prices via the Internet before the trip, but I obviously did not do enough research on the drink prices. A lot of places sell 8 and 10-ounce beers for about $4/5. Be warned...a 15 % Service charge is included on most bills...it is supposed to be for entire staff to split. One waiter told me that they actually did not get any part of the gratuity, so the waiters somewhat expect you tip over and beyond the 15 % service charge. I typically tip 20 % wherever I go, but it was kind of hard to do in Aruba. That is mostly because in relation to the prices, the service at a few places was lacking. The drinks are pretty watered down wherever you go. Here is a quick five-star dining review ranked from highest to lowest.

Amazonia - Great food...great service... $33 per person w/o drinks but worth the price! - 5 stars
Tango's - Great food...great service...good price...great ambience! - 4.5 stars
El Gaucho - Great food...great service...and not as expensive I thought. - 4 stars
Driftwood - Great food...poor to fair service - 4 stars (Best Seafood on Aruba)
Eat at Paddock's - Good food...good service...good price - 3.5 stars
Buccaneer - Great food...poor service...good price...- 3.5 stars
Iguana Joe's - Good food...okay service...good price - 3 stars
LaGuna's - Good food...good service...good price for hotel food - 3 stars
Gilligan's - Good food...good service...hotel prices...good view - 3 stars
Pelican's Nest - Fair food...great service...overpriced - 2 stars
Waterfront Crabhouse - Fair food...fair service...overpriced - 2 stars
Aqua Grill - Poor food...bad service...terribly overpriced - ½ star

Family Report

For those traveling with small kids please read...there is a program set up by the Aruba Tourist Association called "One Cool Family" for families with kids 12 and under. It runs through the summer, and it provides discounted/free activities/food for kids at local establishments (hotels/restaurants/tour companies). The program actually states that kids 12 under eat free for each purchased adult entrée, and the list of restaurants is fairly extensive. Ask your hotel about it before or during check in...some hotels will allow kids to stay free, so you may want to ask before you go. We found that everyone at the Radisson was very knowledgeable of the program, but unfortunately past the Radisson every establishment that we tried to use the discount was pretty much clueless as to what it was. At every establishment, a manager/owner seemed to be the only person aware of the program. Two establishments would not honor the program's commitment (Aqua Grill & Salt and Pepper). Overall...it was worth the trouble to get the manager involved because food prices in Aruba are higher than most vacation destinations (i.e. Cancun, Hawaii, Orlando Theme Parks...etc...).

Shopping

Shopping here is no different than shopping in other vacation destinations. The downtown open market shopping area is where you will more than likely get the better deals on souvenirs; their prices are more flexible. The stores and boutiques prices are pretty much fixed. There is not a particular shop, kiosk (stand) or boutique that stands out; they all pretty much carry the same merchandise. The hotel prices and shops closer to Palm Beach were higher of course, but again the same merchandise. Do not buy souvenir cigarette lighters because you will not be able to take them back on the airplane. By the way...most shops open late and close early (10 - 11 AM and close at 6:00 PM).

Few other things....

There are quite a few hotels/timeshare soliciting on the street; they will try to get you to take a one hour tour (more like 2 hours) of their property hoping to sell vacations. We fell into the trap needless to say, but we did receive a $100 gift certificate that we used to go to De Palm Island.

I would not recommend renting a car despite the fact the taxi drivers charge different prices to go virtually to the same locations. The skill level of the drivers is pretty scary...I am one those guys that has to have a car to get around in. My yearning to rent a car lasted for about a day on the island. We took the bus back and forth from Palm Beach to downtown, and we found them to be fairly convenient. The cost is $1.25 one-way, but be sure to ask for round-trip...it will only cost you $2.00.

If you are kind of the tourist that purely likes the beach and/or desert and casinos for that matter, then Aruba is a pretty cool place to go...but if you are looking for something more than those three things I would strongly recommend Destin or another Florida destination far less expensive.

Keith