# eating and drinking in Aruba



## alliebrian (Nov 17, 2009)

My friends keep pushing for an all inclusive in MX.  I really want to go to Aruba but need to be able to convince them that we can eat and drink well and safely in Aruba for less than the $80-100 AI fees we would pay in MX (if that is true).  Am looking at the Marriotts and Costa Linda as possible exchanges.  Are there good, reasonable places to eat and drink nearby (and would we have to drive) that would not cost an arm and a leg?  Is it reasonable to expect to be able to have breakfasts in the room, light lunch, dinner out, and drinks throughout the day for under $80-100 a day?  Have no clue as to the cost of things on Aruba!   Thanks.


----------



## CatLovers (Nov 17, 2009)

*Food and drink is expensive*

Generally speaking, food and drink in Aruba is expensive.  Definitely at restaurants, and also to a large degree at the grocery stores.  Generally speaking, food in Mexico is cheaper because of a lower cost of living, plus of course food is grown there, unlike Aruba where almost everything has to be imported in.

If you really wanted to scrimp and save, you might be able to achieve your $ goal per day.  But your money would certainly go a lot further in Mexico, even more so if you didn't go AI.  Don't get me wrong, I loved Aruba, but I am responding to your question about the cost of food.  Sorry, it's not the answer you were hoping for!


----------



## LDT (Nov 17, 2009)

alliebrian said:


> Is it reasonable to expect to be able to have breakfasts in the room, light lunch, dinner out, and drinks throughout the day for under $80-100 a day?  Have no clue as to the cost of things on Aruba!   Thanks.




That is what my wife and I spend per day on the average and we usually eat all three meals out.  We are not fancy eaters.  We look at food as a necessity and don't go for the top gourmet meals.  We don't buy a lot drinks out.  Stock up at the local super markets.


----------



## sun&fun (Nov 17, 2009)

I guess it depends on what you mean by "eat and drink WELL" but my experience has been that when eating breakfast and preparing light lunches from our kitchen in the timeshare and eating out for dinner we can always beat the cumulative daily per person charge of AI.  It's a case of two can live cheaper than one.  

I think the advantage of AI is for those who drink a great deal more than we do around the pool and beach bars.  We usually have a "happy hour" cocktail at the beach and pour other cocktails and wine in the timeshare. They also serve beverages in the casinos and we do tip for those. We're not heavy drinkers.


----------



## tombo (Nov 17, 2009)

alliebrian said:


> My friends keep pushing for an all inclusive in MX.  I really want to go to Aruba but need to be able to convince them that we can eat and drink well and safely in Aruba for less than the $80-100 AI fees we would pay in MX (if that is true).  Am looking at the Marriotts and Costa Linda as possible exchanges.  Are there good, reasonable places to eat and drink nearby (and would we have to drive) that would not cost an arm and a leg?  Is it reasonable to expect to be able to have breakfasts in the room, light lunch, dinner out, and drinks throughout the day for under $80-100 a day?  Have no clue as to the cost of things on Aruba!   Thanks.



The AI prices for most resorts in Mexico on RCI are between $1750 to $2400 for 2 people for a week. That breaks down to $250 to over $340 a day per couple. You can eat and drink quite niceley in Aruba for that price range, and you get to eat and drink at many varied places that really have great food. Most AI resorts have a lot of so-so food with few remarkable meals. There are many remarkable meals at many great restaurants to be had in Aruba. You can eat great suppers for $60 to $100 a couple and wondeful lunches for $20 to $30. We averaged less than $100 a day on food eating 2 meals out and cereal and milk in the room for breakfast. We would only have a drink or 2 (if any) with our meals. If you drank moderatwelly at your meals you could still get by for less than $150 a day, and that is averaging $50 or more worth of drinks with your meals. Even if you drank it up to $200 a day per couple it would be cheaper than a $2000 AI fee. 

These are the AI fees at Aventure Palace for exchangers through RCI:
7 DAY MANDATORY ALL INCLUSIVE PROGRAM. ADULTS-ONLY RESORT (OVER 18 YRS OLD) ALL FEES ARE PER ROOM PER WEEK IN DOUBLE OR SINGLE OCCUPANCY2009 FEES: JAN01-APR18 US$2,256; APRL19- AUG22 US$1,834; AUG23-DEC17 US$1,747; WEEK 51&52 US$3,115 ADDITIONAL ADULT US$632 P/P/WEEK 2010 FEES: JAN01-APR10 US$2,346, APR11-AUG21 US$1,907, AUG22-DEC16 US$1,816. WKS 51 & 52 US$3,239ADDITIONAL ADULT US$657 PER WEEK PALACE OWNERS CANT EXCHANGE INTO PALACE PROPERTIES THRU RCI ***EVEN IF STAYING LESS THAN 7 DAYS, THE FULL WEEKLY FEE MUST BE PAID***

We ate at Texas de Brazil (all you can eat Brazilian steakhouse) for buy one get one free with the online coupon they mail you after you join their free club (join less than 30 days prior to your trip because the coupon expires in 30 days). That was a $100 meal for $50. We ate the early bird special at Chalet Suisse one night for $30 a person for appetizer, main course, and dessert. We ate another 3 course meal on the sand watching the sun set over the ocean in front of us at our resort for $35 each. We also ate a $100 chef's special meal for 2 at Flying Fishbones on the sand with our feet and table actually in the water watching the sun set. Then there was the Champagne Brunch at the Hyatt with everything you could imagine to eat and all you could drink champagne. I could have eaten at a different great place each night for 3 weeks or more if I had the time and never eaten at the same one twice.Madam janettes, Screaming Eagle, Passions, etc, etc, etc. So many great ones I ate at, so many more great ones I want to eat at in the future. This Island has a lot of great food.

 Here is a list of the top 10 Aruba Restaurants (some will disagree) whch only scratches the surface of all of the great dining to be had in Aruba. http://www.restaurantsaruba.com/topten.html

 I drank mixed drinks and beer on the beach that I purchased at the grocery store more often than paying the high prices at the beachside bar. I filled a collapsible soft sided cooler with carry on items like cameras, hats, sunglasses as I packed for our trip and carried it on the plane and stowed it overhead as my carry on. We always had sandwiches and drinks in that cooler as we drove around the island and by us as we sat under our Palapa on the beach. Ice, beer, and mixed drinks from our blender filled the cooler at the beach. A couple of nights we went out to have a few drinks at the bars but we mostly enjoyed our folding cooler on the beach and the views from our balcony after supper while drinking our own mixed drinks. When you factor in drinks and food I can assure you that we lived quite well in Aruba for less than $120 a day average per couple, and we could eat anywhere on the whole Island we wanted, not just at the restaurants on site at our resort. My food and drink expenses were MUCH LOWER than I would have spent on an AI vacation.

I have been to Cancun , Cozumel, and Aruba.  If I could only visit one of these locations ever again, it would hands down be Aruba.


----------



## pgnewarkboy (Nov 18, 2009)

Everyone has their own tastes, likes, and dislikes.  Personally, I don't like buffets or other "mass produced" meals.  When I mean mass produced I mean produced for the tastes of an entire resort.  Mass produced food usually caters to the lowest common denominator of acceptability as in "it better not be too spicy" or unusual in any way.

In Aruba you will find excellent restaurants of various varieties that individually prepare meals in accordance with the style of the restaurant.  I think that is "eating well". 

I am sure the AI's in Mexico offer an overall good value when considering activities, amenities, etc.  I am not opposed to the AI concept in any way.  I just wouldn't go to one for their food.


----------



## dreamy624 (Nov 18, 2009)

Without a doubt, aruba has the best food ive ever had so far on any island. the restaurants are fantastic and you will not be sorry. you should go to the supermarket there as we do, and we pick up some items for breakfast, bagels, eggs, cereal and milk.  the same for lunch, we get some cold cuts for sandwiches, yogurt for snacks, etc.  Yes, lunch can get expensive at any resort, but it depends where you go.  At the Marriott you can get a huge chicken caesar salad for somewhere around $11 i think and thats enough for 2 people to share. Drinks are never cheap at the pool or any resort in my opinion and the all inclusives do nothing but water down their drinks or use cheap liquor. Most places yes, you do need to drive to the restaurants or take a taxi but its definately worth it. You can eat on the strip for lunch, dinner too. but most of the really good places you will need to drive to.  For a review of all the restaurants, and to see the menus and prices go to http://www.restaurantsaruba.com/ - do not do an all inclusive in aruba, Im telling you, the food is amazing and aruba is very safe!! i go all the time, you will not be sorry....and you will dine like a king for no more money then you would normally pay in nyc or chicago or any big city at a really good restaurant.  anyone ive ever introduced to aruba has already gone back a 2nd or 3rd time, i havent met anyone yet who didnt love aruba, the smiling faces, the amazing food and of course the beautiful beaches!!! Remember another thing with the all inclusives, you get what you pay for. you are not going to get great food, everything is buffet style and generally glitch in my opinion.  again not everyone will agree with me, but thats ok.  When i go on vacation i like to eat really good food at reasonable prices and aruba definately fits into that category.   let me know if you need any other info.


----------



## alliebrian (Nov 18, 2009)

*which resort are closest to good eats?*

Would you recommend Palm Beach or Eagle Beach for being closest to the good restaurants?  Thanks for all of your past and future replies!

Karen


----------



## sun&fun (Nov 18, 2009)

I would choose Palm Beach over Eagle Beach for a greater choice of restaurants, most in walking distance, albeit a long walk from the Marriott complex.  However, many of the really good to excellent restaurants are a taxi trip from either Palm Beach or Eagle Beach, so the proximity of restaurants wouldn't be the sole factor for me. We stay at Costa Linda in the spring and at the Surf Club in the late summer and the two vacations are completely different experiences.


----------



## tombo (Nov 18, 2009)

This is the texas de Brazil site where you join their rewards program. it's free and within a few days of joining they will e-mail you a buy one get one free certificate good for 2 weeks to a month from the date they send it. Join 4 or 5 days before you leave and you will have the coupon to print out and take with you. It will save you $50 on a great all you can eat meal. The salad bar is unbeleivable and they will bring you prime rib, lamb, filet mignon, pork, chicken, sausage, and lots more until you tell them that you just can't eat anymore. You will also get coupons e-mailed to you on your birthday and anniversary.

http://texasdebrazil.fbmta.com/members/UpdateProfile.aspx?Action=Subscribe&InputSource=W


----------



## lvhmbh (Nov 19, 2009)

We spent 30 weeks in Aruba this year so you know we had to budget our food consumption.  There are many places that have good food that you can spend relatively little.  There are also happy hours in alot of places.  We rarely went out for lunch and I think we had breakfast out a couple of times in all those months.  Check out www.aruba-bb.com and www.aruba.com.  Many of the people posting in those forums will tell you how much they spent in their restaurant reviews.  I monitor those sites daily when here in the US and from Aruba to see what's new and what's going on with the restaurants.  Linda


----------



## m61376 (Nov 19, 2009)

You can enjoy some of the best dinners I've eaten anywhere for generally under $40pp, exclusive of alcoholic beverages (we're not drinkers). I would definitely go with picking from the great array of restaurants in Aruba. Mexico is nice too, but all inclusive meals don't compare. Save some money by perhaps buying some of your own beverages and taking a cooler to the pool or beach, as many people do. Even at a couple of drinks apiece per day, you'll still be way ahead of the game.

Have fun!!


----------

