Aruba: Flying and Arriving

Fly

There's no "bad" first class, but there are most definitely some that are better than others. When booking flights on American Airlines, or any airline for that matter, be sure to check what aircraft is flying that route. It could mean the difference between standard domestic first class and a fully flat bed. Me being me, I checked and double checked before booking to make sure that we were flying on the internationally-configured planes on the flights to and from Miami on the way to Aruba. And with my luck, the planes were changed at some point between booking and a few weeks before our trip to standard domestic aircraft. Like I said, there is no "bad" first class and I know it's totally a first-world problem, but nevertheless I called American Airlines about 20 times until finally I got a lovely lady to change our outbound flight to one with flat-bed first class. Unfortunately, our flight back could not be changed, but we "dealt" with it.

We flew to Miami on a 777-200, and she was beautiful. It was the international business class in a reverse herringbone configuration, which in my opinion is leagues better than herringbone because it offers more privacy on the window seats, and more connection in the middle seats, catering to both couple and solo travelers. There's a "bar" set up in the business class cabin by the bathrooms which basically is just a cleared table space stocked topped with snacks and drinks. The flight crew was both professional and light-hearted, taking selfies and gossiping with us. And in case you were wondering, this flight does provide the amenities of international business class (amenity kit, blanket/pillows, etc.)

Frankly, I find the reviews of food in business class cabins on planes slightly ridiculous. It isn't a restaurant, and flavors can only be so good due to the fact that you're in a metal tube 40,000 feet above the closest grill. At least in business class the food is edible, and that's enough for me.

Watched a couple movies and after a bit over 4 hours we had gone from Southern California to South Florida, albeit just for a quick layover before our flight down to Aruba. We flew to the Happy Island on a 737-800, which really isn't anything to write about other than providing solid comfort on the 2.5 hour flight.

Stay

Aruba is tiny. Like seriously the island is absurdly small for how jam-packed it is with tourists. Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California, is bigger with probably less than 10% of the tourists Aruba has yearly. So nowhere you decide to stay will be "far" from the airport. We stayed at the Renaissance Marina and Ocean Suites, on the Ocean Suites side of the hotel.

Basically, the hotel is split into two entirely different buildings across the street from each other. Make sure you tell your cab driver which side you're on. We didn't and ended up having to take a golf cart to the other side. The Marina building has a high-end mall underneath with the expected lineup of brands. There are several fantastic restaurants, along with a Starbucks and Popsicle vendors (which I highly recommend). There's no beach and a small, adults-only pool to go with the adults-only vibe of the Marina building.

Renaissance Food Mall (and movie theater!)

The Ocean Suites side had a nice, open air lobby, big pool with swim-up bar, man-made lagoon, and in general a more tropical feel. The room was large, with a separate bedroom and living room, along with a kitchenette area. The hotel recently upgraded their rooms, so everything looked great and felt super spacious.

Just for the sake of maintaining your attention, I'll cut to the chase with the hotel. Essentially, it's a great product that's confused. By splitting the hotel, there's a lack of character and charm you would want on a tropical vacation. BUT, with that said, I would not stay anywhere else in Aruba because of one main reason: the private island. Hands down the most beautiful beach with the clearest water, solid snorkeling, and more palm trees than people. There are rain forest walks to the end of the island where you can watch planes land directly overhead. The restaurants feel Caribbean. The new over-water cabanas are gorgeous. The gym and tennis court keep you active and busy. The spa is just as stunning as it is relaxing. Only complaint was the last day we were there, they had run out of towels and it became an issue for 30 minutes or so while they scrambled to get more. No offense to Palm Beach or Eagle Beach or Baby Beach, but the Renaissance Private Island is undoubtedly the best beach Aruba has to offer, no question, hands down.

Renaissance gives you the opportunity to thrive in the city with it's downtown location, along with thriving by the beach on the private island, so I wouldn't hesitate to book!

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