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Carnival Vista | Day Six, Aruba

aruba-1

Today we woke up early to go snorkeling. We pulled into port at 8 a.m. and needed to get to our tour immediately. We signed up for the Antillas Shipwreck snorkel tour. Our tour picked up from the Hyatt and we had to take a cab to the hotel. At the hotel we made it to the beach and checked in for our tour. We were divided into two groups and taken by a small boat to the catamaran.

The tour was great! We started out by cruising on the sea towards the shipwreck. At the wreck our guide told us a bit about the how the shipwreck
came to be.

carnival_vista-49It was a very interesting story of a WWII ship that was cornered by the British. The captain and crew knowing they were doomed sank the ship and jumped over board. The ship has been in the ocean ever since forming a nice reef for the fish.

After the briefing, we got suited up and headed into the water. Because the seas were high, the crew recommended that people wear life vests so that they were not fighting the current. We took their advice. The shipwreck was unreal! I never expected there to be such a large ship so close to shore where you could see it easily by snorkeling. Additionally, the fish were everywhere. After being in the water a little while I was glad for the life vest, the seas were definitely pushing us around.

After 30 minutes, it was time to get back on the ship to head to the second stop. On the ship we had music, fruit, sandwiches and drinks. All of this was included in the tour at no additional fee. carnival_vista-48Swimming makes you very hungry, so I was happy to have something to eat. When we made it to the second stop we were told that this area was like a “bathtub” with fish. The water is much shallower (10 feet deep) and the seas much calmer. Because of this, life jackets were not necessary. Again the fish were amazing! You could just float along and watch them go about their little lives.

Once back on the ship, we were able to eat more and relax on our trip back to shore. When we made it back to shore, we had a couple of hours to hang out at the beach before we needed to head back to the ship. We took the opportunity to grab some water and walk along the boardwalk that connects all of the major hotels. We even found a cornhole set up to play.

Finally, it was time to head back to the ship. We grabbed a cab at one of the hotels. Once we made it back to the ship, we headed to the room to shower. Salt water can really stick to you! Once we were all clean, we headed up to the buffet to grab some food. After dinner, we attended a magic show at the Punchline theater and then headed back to the room to rest up for the next day.

Reflections and tips:
Aruba was my favorite island: I highly recommend Aruba either as a cruise stop or for a hotel stay. We were able to walk by and around many of the Palm Beach hotels and the area is beautiful!
Book excursions with extras: If our excursion had not had food, we would have been hungry. As your Vacation Specialist, I will make sure that your excursions are providing everything that you might need while you are on them.
Enjoy every minute in port: If you have time to walk around after an excursion, do it. Enjoy the islands as much as possible.
Make sure you have cash: If you are doing an excursion that requires a taxi ride, I will assure you are aware of this. Once you know this, make sure you have cash. Remember, many cabs will not have change, so assure you make change on the ship ahead of time.

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