{"id":15823,"date":"2023-07-25T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefullpassport.com\/?p=15823"},"modified":"2023-08-08T10:57:02","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T14:57:02","slug":"aruba-sunset-dinner-cruise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefullpassport.com\/aruba-sunset-dinner-cruise\/","title":{"rendered":"Worth the Splurge: An Aruba Sunset Dinner Cruise"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
Looking for something special to do on your Aruba vacation? Try this sunset dinner cruise on a luxurious wooden schooner! It was one of our favorite things that we did during our week in Aruba, and would be perfect for a honeymoon, special occasion, final night of vacation, or just to treat yourself!<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t As we were planning our third mother-daughter vacation<\/a> – this time to the Caribbean<\/a> island of Aruba<\/a> – my mom, sister, and I were on the hunt for unique activities. We wanted to find something special that was unlike anything we’d done in Belize<\/a> or Puerto Rico<\/a>. A snorkeling excursion, guided tour of Aruba’s north shore<\/a>, and a day trip to the southern city of San Nicolas<\/a> were already in the works, but as exciting as those plans were, something seemed to be missing. Something with a “wow” factor, like Belize’s remote Mayan ruins<\/a> or the unexpectedly pristine and deserted beaches of Vieques<\/a>.<\/p> Happily, our research into sunset sails led us to the\u00a0Monforte III<\/em>, a luxurious wooden schooner that plays host to sunset dinner cruises along the Aruban coast<\/a>. Almost immediately, we knew we’d found our special splurge for the trip.<\/p> What we didn’t realize was that we had just found the best thing we would do all week, as well as one of the best meals of our entire vacation<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Our original goal was to take an Aruba sunset dinner cruise on our final night on the island. A last hurrah, if you will. As it turned out, however, the cruise is only offered on certain nights of the week, so we ended up booked in the middle of our vacation. No matter! After a day of exploring Oranjestad and the Aruba Aloe Factory and Museum<\/a>, we made our way to Pelican Pier to meet our ship.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t The Monforte III <\/em>is a 115-foot, two-masted wooden schooner that was crafted in Brazil. Most of the forward part of the ship is open, with bench seating along the sides. Toward the stern is a covered area that houses the majority of the tables as well as the bar.<\/p> Unlike the snorkeling trip we had taken earlier in the week, our dinner cruise was a small-group tour that seemed to have fewer than thirty passengers. As a result, the ship never felt crowded, we could move about freely, and we never had to wait for more than a person or two at the bar.<\/p> It also helped that, to our delight, our assigned table happened to be at the front of the ship just under the forward mast. This allowed us to spend the entire evening in the open air, with the only obstruction to our panoramic views being the ship itself.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t