NEW RECORD FOR CRUISE VISITORS
Aruba is a regular port of call for giant ships, bringing increasing numbers of passengers to the island

Oranjestad, the pretty and historic capital, is an ideal place for cruise passengers to shop. Day visitors enjoy quality service, according to the Cruise Tourism Authority

The growth of cruise tourism has been a remarkable success story in Aruba, where passenger numbers have virtually doubled in recent years. This year, the island is on course to break all previous records by receiving around 570,000 passengers, the first time the number has exceeded half a million and up from 487,000 last year. The number of cruise ships to dock in Oranjestad, will this year reach 343, again the highest ever figure.

There are several reasons for this extraordinary growth. The fact that cruise ships have gotten bigger and are carrying more and more passengers is a key factor. Royal Caribbean International’s ‘Adventure of the Seas’, for example, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, carries some 3,800 passengers and has become a familiar sight in Aruba port, docking there every two weeks.

Other important cruise companies whose mega-cruisers visit the island include Cunard, Royal Cruise Line and Princess Cruises. Even during the off-season—from May to September—this year Aruba has been welcoming up to nine large cruise liners every month.

KATHLEEN ROJER Marketing & PR Director of the Cruise Tourism Authority

Kathleen Rojer, Marketing and PR Director of the Cruise Tourism Authority, explains why Aruba is proving such a popular destination for cruise ships. “Quality service and the safety factor play a key role in this increase. Cruise passengers come here for a day visit and the experience they get is marvellous,” she says.
Arrivals are greeted with courtesy and the Aruban smile. Along the wharf, merchants sell fresh fish and produce right off the boats every morning. The proximity of the port to the town center is an important selling point.

“It’s a great advantage that the terminal is literally a few steps away from the center,” she adds. In the city itself, there are the tall multicolored houses of Wilheminastraat, which combine carved wooden doors and traditional Dutch tiles, with sloping Aruban-style roofs. There is shopping, there are museums, and an array of other attractions.
The short stopovers can even be enough to entice some visitors back for longer stays, a benefit to the local hotels sector, according to Ms. Rojer. “They can come back and spend more time on the island,” she says. “Happy cruise passengers mean more business for Aruba because they keep the ships coming. We have done surveys and many people say they took the cruise because Aruba was on the itinerary.”
Since the September 11 attacks, Aruba’s reputation as a safe location has made it a popular choice among cruise
liner executives and American tourists. Three-quarters of Aruba’s cruise ship visitors originate from the United States.