Aruba Ocean Club logistics

[wballoni]

The family, 4 adults and two small children, will soon be heading to Aruba Ocean Club for a week. We will be renting a compact car with 2 car seats so we can get the kids safely to the resort and have a car available during the week for grocery runs and other miscellaneous commuting. I had a couple of questions:

How easy is it to catch a taxi from the airport to the Ocean Club mid afternoon? We are arriving at about 1:30pm. The kids and their parents will take the rental car to the resort and my wife and I want to take a taxi. We are only renting one compact car to save on expenses.

How much time should I allocate before our flight on departure day to drive to the airport, return the rental car, get through US customs, and get to the gate? I assume we need to allow at least 3 or 4 hours. Curious how much time others have allocated for this recently.

 

[Pamplemousse]

The family, 4 adults and two small children, will soon be heading to Aruba Ocean Club for a week. We will be renting a compact car with 2 car seats so we can get the kids safely to the resort and have a car available during the week for grocery runs and other miscellaneous commuting. I had a couple of questions:

How easy is it to catch a taxi from the airport to the Ocean Club mid afternoon? We are arriving at about 1:30pm. The kids and their parents will take the rental car to the resort and my wife and I want to take a taxi. We are only renting one compact car to save on expenses.

How much time should I allocate before our flight on departure day to drive to the airport, return the rental car, get through US customs, and get to the gate? I assume we need to allow at least 3 or 4 hours. Curious how much time others have allocated for this recently.

You’ll find some airport advice in this thread

After Five Years, Back at Aruba Surf Club

We were last at Marriott's Aruba Surf Club in 2018, pre-pandemic. When we got to the airport we weren't really sure we would make it as we failed to complete the Aruba ED Card online. Easy enough, we did it from our phone about 5 hours before arrival. No one checked for it and when we got to...

tugbbs.com

 

[dioxide45]

We just came back from the Surf Club and rented a car, but getting a taxi shouldn't be an issue. As for the return, allow at least three to three and a half hours at the airport. So plan to leave the resort about four hours before your flight. This will give you time to return the car and go through all the crap that makes up flying out of Aruba to the US.

 

[wballoni]

We just came back from the Surf Club and rented a car, but getting a taxi shouldn't be an issue. As for the return, allow at least three to three and a half hours at the airport. So plan to leave the resort about four hours before your flight. This will give you time to return the car and go through all the crap that makes up flying out of Aruba to the US.

Good to hear that we shouldn't have any major issues catching a taxi. Being the paranoid traveler I am, I may leave 4.5 hours before the flight.

Oh, one follow up... our flight out of Aruba leaves close to 5pm. Is Marriott flexible in letting you depart the room an hour or two after checkout time?

 

[dioxide45]

Good to hear that we shouldn't have any major issues catching a taxi. Being the paranoid traveler I am, I may leave 4.5 hours before the flight.

Oh, one follow up... our flight out of Aruba leaves close to 5pm. Is Marriott flexible in letting you depart the room an hour or two after checkout time?

Generally no, checkout is 10am and they rarely, if ever, grant late checkouts. There are exceptions and you can ask, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[wballoni]

Generally no, checkout is 10am and they rarely, if ever, grant late checkouts. There are exceptions and you can ask, but I wouldn't count on it.

Oh well, thanks Jeremy, thought I'd ask. I'm sure they must have a place to store luggage short term. After checkout maybe we can do that and spend a couple of hours by the pool before the trip to the airport!

 

[jwalk03]

Oh well, thanks Jeremy, thought I'd ask. I'm sure they must have a place to store luggage short term. After checkout maybe we can do that and spend a couple of hours by the pool before the trip to the airport!

They will store your luggage for you, and there are locker rooms near the fitness center where you could get changed and stuff after the pool before your flight.

 

[Dean]

The family, 4 adults and two small children, will soon be heading to Aruba Ocean Club for a week. We will be renting a compact car with 2 car seats so we can get the kids safely to the resort and have a car available during the week for grocery runs and other miscellaneous commuting. I had a couple of questions:

How easy is it to catch a taxi from the airport to the Ocean Club mid afternoon? We are arriving at about 1:30pm. The kids and their parents will take the rental car to the resort and my wife and I want to take a taxi. We are only renting one compact car to save on expenses.

How much time should I allocate before our flight on departure day to drive to the airport, return the rental car, get through US customs, and get to the gate? I assume we need to allow at least 3 or 4 hours. Curious how much time others have allocated for this recently.

Taxi is easy and a set price. I would allot 3 hrs at the airport and leave 3.5 hrs ahead of your flight.