Oranjestad, Aruba

We arrived in Aruba a little late due to headwinds and engine speed. As a result we were second in the line-up for the Local Pilot to come aboard in order to dock the ship. In the end we were only about 1 hour late and they adjusted our disembarking time so we could have the same time on shore as orginally planned.
The port area where the cruise ships dock are similar to a lot of other Caribbean Islands and you run a gauntlet of local cabs and tour folks as you exit the port area. After this is the endless line of booths selling local and imported handicrafts, t-shirts, knick-knacks, etc.
After a bit of a walk around we found a wi-fi hotspot at a local shopping mall where we downloaded e-mails and uploaded a web post.
From here we headed to the beach for a swim and some sun.

After a while at the beach Brenda and I decided to head back to the ship so we left Dean and Judy to soak up more sunshine. On the way back we poked through some of the shops and found a couple trinkets as mementos of Aruba.

From there we headed back to the ship for a light lunch and to relax.
Dinner tonight was casual dress in the Rotterdam Dining Room.
The evening entertainment was a lady who sang and did voice impersonations of famous singers – male and female, she was very good and it was a fun show.
Then it was off to The Crow’s Nest to listen to some Karaoke (which was terrible 🙁 and a nightcap.
Tomorrow we are at sea all day prior to entering the Panama Canal.