After Five Years, Back at Aruba Surf Club

[dioxide45]

Does the lazy river have a stronger current than Lakeshore Reserve? We were at Lakeshore in April. I had been looking forward to the lazy river, but I was quite disappointed in how slow / weak it was. The Grand Mayan lazy river is one that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Yes, having been in both, the lazy river at Aruba Surf Club has a lot more current. The only issue with the one at the Surf Club is that it can get very crowded mid afternoon and you are always bumping into other people, or trying to avoid them. Then you also have the people that attach together and clog up the whole thing. The rule is no more than two can hold on to each other, but security wasn't enforcing it. Though they were enforcing wristbands, so don't think you can just cut yours off like some people *cough* who were staying at the Ocean Club *cough* claimed they did because it was uncomfortable. The wristbands really aren't removable. You have to sleep, eat and bath with them on.

 

[Pamplemousse]

You can do enrollment on arrival at several airports. Just have to get approved first and then next time you return to the US do the interview as part of your arrival back in the US.

Once you do the initial paperwork how long do you have to do the interview?
For example could I do the paperwork now and ask for an interview at Logan Airport next time we will be in the area?

 

[dioxide45]

Once you do the initial paperwork how long do you have to do the interview?
For example could I do the paperwork now and ask for an interview at Logan Airport next time we will be in the area?

I think for this to work, you must interview upon arrival in the United States. So you need to be returning from an international trip. If you just want to pop in, you must have an appointment.

Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival

Securing America's Borders

www.cbp.gov

 

[Pamplemousse]

I think for this to work, you must interview upon arrival in the United States. So you need to be returning from an international trip. If you just want to pop in, you must have an appointment.

Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival

Securing America's Borders

www.cbp.gov

I was thinking I would make an appointment.
Just for a few months into the future.
I’ll look into it more.
Thanks.

 

[GrayFal]

I would highly suggest Global Entry. Many credit cards will cover the cost. There were only two people in front of us in the GE line. It seemed to have it's own dedicated officer.

You can do your global entry interview on Aruba from 9 am-6

When landing in an international terminal follow the signage directing you to CBP officers who can complete your Global Entry interview during your admissibility inspection. If you require assistance for your Global Entry interview because of a disability, immediately inform the interviewing CBP officer of your need for a reasonable modification or auxiliary aid or service to participate in the interview. For your planning purposes, please understand that if you use EoA and are requesting a modification, aid, or service at that time and an effective modification, aid, or service is not readily available, the interview may be scheduled for a later date.

To complete the interview via EoA, you must be in possession of the following documents:

• A valid passport. If you travel using more than one passport, please bring them all to the interview so that the information can be added to your file.
• Documents providing evidence of residency. Examples are: driver's license (if the address is current), mortgage statement, rental payment statement, utility bill, etc. This is not required for minors.
• A permanent resident card (if applicable).

If you are a conditionally-approved Global Entry applicant, save time and participate in Enrollment on Arrival. A list of participating EoA airports is below.

Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival

Securing America's Borders

www.cbp.gov

 

[dsmrp]

The trick is finding a processing center.
In Maine there is only one and it is in Calais- right on the Canadian border.
Almost 4 hour drive from Portland, 3 hours for me.
Open Tuesday- Thursday 8-4 so a day off from work.
Although there are none at all in NH and for all of MA the only place is Logan.
Wish it was easier we would do it for sure.

You might want to consider getting the Canadian Nexus pass if a Nexus interview center is at Calais. Nexus includes reciprocal US Global Entry and costs half as much. It was $50 but could have gone up in price since I got it.

 

[jwalk03]

You might want to consider getting the Canadian Nexus pass if a Nexus interview center is at Calais. Nexus includes reciprocal US Global Entry and costs half as much. It was $50 but could have gone up in price since I got it.

Still only $50 and it includes Global Entry, TSA Pre-check, plus the added benefits of Nexus with Canada like special Nexus lanes at land boarder crossings!

If you live in reasonable driving distance to the Canadian Boarder its well worth the effort. My wife and I both got it a couple of years ago by driving up to Port Huron, MI for an interview.

 

[dioxide45]

Still only $50 and it includes Global Entry, TSA Pre-check, plus the added benefits of Nexus with Canada like special Nexus lanes at land boarder crossings!

If you live in reasonable driving distance to the Canadian Boarder its well worth the effort. My wife and I both got it a couple of years ago by driving up to Port Huron, MI for an interview.

We did the same when we lived in Ohio and drove to Detroit for our interview. When we had to renew, we lived in Florida and renewed as GE with no interview required. Not sure if the same would have been true if we had of renewed under NEXUS.

 

[jwalk03]

We did the same when we lived in Ohio and drove to Detroit for our interview. When we had to renew, we lived in Florida and renewed as GE with no interview required. Not sure if the same would have been true if we had of renewed under NEXUS.

You probably would not have needed an interview for the renewal, but there is always a chance they could require one for some bureaucratic nonsense.

 

[StaceyM]

We did the same when we lived in Ohio and drove to Detroit for our interview. When we had to renew, we lived in Florida and renewed as GE with no interview required. Not sure if the same would have been true if we had of renewed under NEXUS.

We have had NEXUS long enough to renew twice. Both times, they required interviews at a center on the Canadian border. But the second time was during COVID and eventually they just gave up and it auto-renewed. It was immediately after a trip to Germany where we re-enrolled in the German e-gates due to passport renewal, maybe the Germans vouched for us? But we have a lot of random weird countries that might have flagged us for interviews. We transit the Middle East frequently.

On a couple of trips transiting a Canadian airport, we found it was easier to enter-and-exit Canada at the airport using NEXUS than it was to go through the normal international transit procedure. I forget why the international transit was clogged up.

 

[dioxide45]

You probably would not have needed an interview for the renewal, but there is always a chance they could require one for some bureaucratic nonsense.

Yeah, that was the concern and it wasn't worth the risk. Only $100 more for each of us to renew under GE and one was covered since we paid with the United credit card from Chase.

 

[amsunshine]

You can do your global entry interview on Aruba from 9 am-6

When landing in an international terminal follow the signage directing you to CBP officers who can complete your Global Entry interview during your admissibility inspection. If you require assistance for your Global Entry interview because of a disability, immediately inform the interviewing CBP officer of your need for a reasonable modification or auxiliary aid or service to participate in the interview. For your planning purposes, please understand that if you use EoA and are requesting a modification, aid, or service at that time and an effective modification, aid, or service is not readily available, the interview may be scheduled for a later date.

To complete the interview via EoA, you must be in possession of the following documents:

• A valid passport. If you travel using more than one passport, please bring them all to the interview so that the information can be added to your file.
• Documents providing evidence of residency. Examples are: driver's license (if the address is current), mortgage statement, rental payment statement, utility bill, etc. This is not required for minors.
• A permanent resident card (if applicable).

If you are a conditionally-approved Global Entry applicant, save time and participate in Enrollment on Arrival. A list of participating EoA airports is below.

Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival

Securing America's Borders

www.cbp.gov

So, does this mean you would complete the application on your way out of Aruba? If so, does anyone know if the EoA officer is at the "Global Entry" area, or the regular U.S. customs area? (Or a whole different area?)

 

[jwalk03]

So, does this mean you would complete the application on your way out of Aruba? If so, does anyone know if the EoA officer is at the "Global Entry" area, or the regular U.S. customs area? (Or a whole different area?)

You have to complete the application online and be conditionally approved before you can schedule or complete an interview.

 

[amsunshine]

You have to complete the application online and be conditionally approved before you can schedule or complete an interview.

Oh, sorry, I misspoke. I meant, would the interview for enrollment on arrival be on the way out of Aruba? I assume it would not be on the way in, but not sure.

 

[jwalk03]

Oh, sorry, I misspoke. I meant, would the interview for enrollment on arrival be on the way out of Aruba? I assume it would not be on the way in, but not sure.

Yes it would be on the way out of Aruba with the US Customs & Boarder Patrol there.

 

[wanderer63]

We just applied for Global Entry yesterday and just got our email to schedule our interview. On the ttp website I went to schedule our interview and I was actually able to schedule an interview at the Palm Beach Plaza during our stay. No need to do the interview at the airport! The plaza is within walking distance of the Marriot. When scheduling the interview you must be logged in to "see" Aruba as a location.

 

[amsunshine]

We just applied for Global Entry yesterday and just got our email to schedule our interview. On the ttp website I went to schedule our interview and I was actually able to schedule an interview at the Palm Beach Plaza during our stay. No need to do the interview at the airport! The plaza is within walking distance of the Marriot. When scheduling the interview you must be logged in to "see" Aruba as a location.

Wow, that's so fast - one day to get conditional approval! Fingers crossed that it is quick for us. Hoping to schedule an interview before our Aruba trip, so we can take advantage of TSA precheck on the way out there. But good to know Aruba has multiple options if we can't do the interview before then.

 

[enma]

We love our Aruba Surf Club. We own 3 weeks there and go 1-2 times a year with friends and family. Bought pre-construction . Our youngest son is actually getting married in Aruba next summer. He has been going there every year since he was 6 yrs old and calls it his happy place so getting engaged there and then married next summer was a no brainer for him. A good thing his fiancée loves it , too! This is what I love about our timeshares....our adult kids and their families want to travel with us every year, especially to Aruba. Without the timeshares I doubt they would. Priceless to me!

 

[gln60]

Yeah, that was the concern and it wasn't worth the risk. Only $100 more for each of us to renew under GE and one was covered since we paid with the United credit card from Chase.

Hi Jeremy..thanks for your latest video Resort Tour of the Aruba Ocean Club…spot on review.

 

[dioxide45]

Hi Jeremy..thanks for your latest video Resort Tour of the Aruba Ocean Club…spot on review.

Thanks for checking it out. Plan to do a comparison video between the two sometime in the near future. We have just been to so many new resort lately and I have so much footage and video ideas piles up I don't know when I will get to it all.

 

[Al Savage]

I appreciate the Global Entry discussion here, it nudged me to apply.

Two-day turn-around on my online application, and my in-person interview is now scheduled for 26Sep (ie 2.5 months out) at a location that's a 90-minute drive from my home.

My TSA Pre-Check has expired after five years, last March, so I was due to renew it anyway, and GE covers TSA PC's benefits, so the extra $22 to gain easier US re-entry is worth the coin.

 

[Al Savage]

On the topic of Aruban restaurants, here's a shorth/basic list I put together a few years back of ones we'd visited. This misses quite a few that we haven't tried for one reason or another.

---

Aruba Restaurants:

1) Hostaria Da Vittorio
L.G. Smith Boulevard380
Aruba
Tel: 297-5863-838

Has a fake windmill or bell tower. Food is quite good. Mid-range pricing. Indoor or veranda seating. High on my list, easy to find.

Lunch: 11am - 3pm
Dinner: 6pm to 11pm


2) Chalet Swiss
Fully indoor dining. More formal atmosphere. Fine dining. Not my favorite, but the in-laws really like it. On the expensive end.


3) Smoky Joe's
Noisy semi-outdoor bench dining. Ribs a specialty. I can't get a veggie dish there, so I don't like it. I think of it as a lunch place, but Marc says they do dinner too.


4) Casa Tua
Busy/noisy outdoor dining, fast service and cheap, but not seedy. I like their pizza, and spinach ravioli. Decent house wine. Our go-to spot when we don't want fancy and don't mind bustle. Kinda open-air cafe street dining. Sometimes has live music. A favorite.


5) Madame Jeanette's
Outdoor dining in a gravel and tree-shaded setup, located away from the beach and in a residential neighborhood. A little bit of a challenge to find but worth the effort. Recommended. Marc likes their rack of lamb. Above average desserts. Usually has live music. Top of my list, unless i'm in the mood for cheap (Casa Tua) or in the mood for intimate (Passions).


6) Flying Fishbone
Dining on the beach, feet in the sand, under a gauze canopy. On the expensive end. A bit further south than most (south of the airport).


7) Passions
Beach dining, on the sand, under the stars. Intimate & dark. Sometimes live music.


8) Linda's Place
Their specialty is gouda cheese pizza (and pancakes?).

 

[dsmrp]

On the topic of Aruban restaurants, here's a shorth/basic list I put together a few years back of ones we'd visited. This misses quite a few that we haven't tried for one reason or another.

---

Aruba Restaurants:

1) Hostaria Da Vittorio
L.G. Smith Boulevard380
Aruba
Tel: 297-5863-838

Has a fake windmill or bell tower. Food is quite good. Mid-range pricing. Indoor or veranda seating. High on my list, easy to find.

Lunch: 11am - 3pm
Dinner: 6pm to 11pm


2) Chalet Swiss
Fully indoor dining. More formal atmosphere. Fine dining. Not my favorite, but the in-laws really like it. On the expensive end.


3) Smoky Joe's
Noisy semi-outdoor bench dining. Ribs a specialty. I can't get a veggie dish there, so I don't like it. I think of it as a lunch place, but Marc says they do dinner too.


4) Casa Tua
Busy/noisy outdoor dining, fast service and cheap, but not seedy. I like their pizza, and spinach ravioli. Decent house wine. Our go-to spot when we don't want fancy and don't mind bustle. Kinda open-air cafe street dining. Sometimes has live music. A favorite.


5) Madame Jeanette's
Outdoor dining in a gravel and tree-shaded setup, located away from the beach and in a residential neighborhood. A little bit of a challenge to find but worth the effort. Recommended. Marc likes their rack of lamb. Above average desserts. Usually has live music. Top of my list, unless i'm in the mood for cheap (Casa Tua) or in the mood for intimate (Passions).


6) Flying Fishbone
Dining on the beach, feet in the sand, under a gauze canopy. On the expensive end. A bit further south than most (south of the airport).


7) Passions
Beach dining, on the sand, under the stars. Intimate & dark. Sometimes live music.


8) Linda's Place
Their specialty is gouda cheese pizza (and pancakes?).

I appreciate your list and others' suggestions. We're going to Aruba for first time in December. We only have a studio with Little/no kitchen so will be 'forced' to eat out more

 

[Al Savage]

I generally go shopping the day I arrive, stock up on gouda, bagels, wine, etc. that covers most of my stay. I'm usually in a Studio as well. I've used Super Foods mostly in the past, but someone above recommended Ling's as having had a major refit and looking better than ever, so I may try them again this year -- we used to use Ling's regularly for years, but at some point switched to Super Foods.

I'm not a picky eater -- though I'm a vegetarian -- so that's a short list, and left to myself, I'd probably eat at Marmok or Champions (now called something else) and maybe Casa Tua if I'm up for a longer walk. Oh, and Hostaria, because their food is just so well done and it's again walking distance --via the beach -- from the Marriotts. My travel companion(s) like to try different places, so I've gotten to visit a few other places, but when in Aruba I rarely travel further south than Oranjestad, though we did eat lunch at Charlie's way down south once, and that was . . . interesting.

I do wish for a real sidewalk on LG Smith from the resort south, as the beach walk is sometimes . . . circuitous in practice, esp. after imbibing, but it's all good, and my un-egged beer is more than satisfactory, if you get the reference.

I'm at the Ocean Club the first or second week in Dec. every year. If you hear singing and guitar on the beach 4:30-6pm, that's us.

 

[amsunshine]

I appreciate the Global Entry discussion here, it nudged me to apply.

Two-day turn-around on my online application, and my in-person interview is now scheduled for 26Sep (ie 2.5 months out) at a location that's a 90-minute drive from my home.

My TSA Pre-Check has expired after five years, last March, so I was due to renew it anyway, and GE covers TSA PC's benefits, so the extra $22 to gain easier US re-entry is worth the coin.

Yes, we appreciated the discussion, too! H and I applied and got approved within a few days and scheduled our interview for this Thursday. We are fortunate to have a couple interview locations in our city. Very excited to have TSA pre-check, and access to SENTRI, as well. Thanks all!