While Sheryl and I were in Aruba, we made a point each night to watch the sun set with our feet in the sand. We would normally just go to the high-rise area, find a good bar with cheap drinks, and sip on a beer while the sun set on the horizon. The first few nights, thanks to the rain, the sun was hidden behind the clouds. On Wednesday and Thursday, the skies were clear, but we still missed the sun behind some looming clouds. But hey, no rain! But on Friday, one of our last nights on the island, we went out with the intention of seeing that darn sunset.
We enlisted in the Jolly Pirates of Aruba to show us a good time and make sure we saw our Caribbean sunset. The concept was pretty cool actually. They picked you up on the beach, took you out onto a pirate ship (no, the boat really did look like a pirate ship), and traveled up and down the coast drinking, singing, and just having a good time. It was only a two-hour boat ride, but it was awesome to be surrounded by a ton of other tourists doing just the same.
Open Bar on the Pirate Ship
One of the benefits of the Jolly Pirates was the open bar. Now, it was only liquor, but hey, it was a two-hour open bar featuring rum punch and Jolly Pirate drinks. They have their own concoction that includes all the clear liquors and a splash of something red. Who cares, it was delicious!
Sheryl and I actually looked at a ton of other sunset cruises, some of them nicer, offering dinner. Some of them were longer, included snorkeling, and were a bit more expensive. But the Jolly Pirates was only $25 a person and had the open bar. Perhaps that was a factor in our decision!
And Away She Goes
I didn’t take part in this, and neither did Sheryl, but when we were halfway through our journey the boat stopped. One of the pirates went to the front of the boat, grabbed a rope, and swung out into the middle of the ocean! He let go, did a few flips, and splashed into the water below. For the next half an hour or so, the folks on the boat had the chance to do just the same. Some guys tried to do impressive flips, while others just tried to land in the water safely.
That was a nice added bonus, and equally entertaining. That just helped the time go by faster, and gave us something to cheer for. Sheryl snapped a few photos and even took some video of people jumping off the ship.
Sun Sets on the Horizon
During our trip, the boat took us down to Eagle Beach, the beach we were staying at. Folks on the beach and in the water were excited to see a real life pirate ship pull up, and people were waving and cheering us on.
After leaving Eagle Beach, the sun was about to set. But alas, we didn’t get to see it truly set. There were a few clouds that night too. But the fun we had hanging out on the boat, sipping rum drinks from the pirates, and meeting new people made it all worth the $25.
Saying Goodbye to the Pirates
After the cruise was over, we said goodbye to the pirates and would eventually say goodbye to the island of Aruba. Most of you know our trip wasn’t all that great, but if there is anything on the island that I would recommend it would be this. The guys on the boat were fun, the open bar was a nice touch, and assuming there are no clouds you would have a nice view of the sunset.
Consider this my personal thank you to all of the pirates down there in Aruba helping us enjoy our vacations. And for making our drinks! Ahoy!
My wife, sister, brother-in-law and I took this same “little cruise”. Out of all the places we’ve been, for some reason we always come back to talking about this ship. (Music, drinks, rope swing and believe it or not real flying fish along side the boat!) We had a blast for and it didn’t cost us much. At the end of the night we tried to take a cab, but were soaking wet from the rope swing plunge and were refused a ride. We were in such a good mood from the pirate ship we laughed all the way back to the Divi. Thanks for reminding me of our trip.
Jim, thanks so much for your comments. So glad that I could bring back such great memories! And it’s nice to hear that you had fun. We ended up hanging out with some of the pirates later that week, and it was great to connect with them again. They all hang out on the beach drinking the night away!
Thanks again sir, and I hope to hear more comments from you in the future. Cheers!
That water is gorgeous. I love the Caribbean, just a laid back pace of life. For the most part the only thing you have to worry about are hurricanes, but if that’s a prerequisite to live in paradise, I’m okay with it.
Thanks for the comment buddy. This was actually one of the worst trips of my life. It was my first time to the Caribbean, and I might not ever go back. The island was filthy, the people were rude (for the most part) and everything was expensive. Just not what we expected, I guess. But the Jolly Pirates made it all worth while! What’s your favorite island? I say I will never go back, but I might be going to Bonaire to dive later this year!