That's the one thing holding us back. We normally go to Maui or Kauai for these types of trips and we're so used to the 'tropical rainforest' type feel that I'm sure the arid nature of Aruba will be somewhat of a shock to us.

The biggest reason we're trying something new is because the residents of Hawaii have been so inhospitable the past couple of times that we just grew tired of the attitude while on vacation.
Would you say the majority of locals you interact with on Aruba are friendly? Any cons/warnings you would give to someone trying to make this decision?