[Arubalisa]

Originally Posted by jamaicamom

Did have another question...We are only doing carry on. Is it the same at the airport have to drop your luggage off or just walk over and have them scan it? SIlly but never have been there. We did the same for Jamaica. Worked out great. 3 Hours before you leave-ugh. We depart at 4:45 pm am thinking of trying to stay at hotel until 2 pm... Crazy or what!

If you are departing on a weekend, 3 hours prior to your flight is a good rule to follow. Otherwise, 2 hours will be a safety net. When you depart Aruba you will also be going through US Immigrations and US Customs. There is a very thorough description of the process at http://www.orrin.org/aruba/. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to "airport notes".

As to your carry-on, when departing Aruba, you will as noted in the link above, be going through " x-ray security (possible long queue)" as soon as you enter the main building following airline check-in. You will later pass through " a second x-ray security (possible long queue)" after leaving US Immigrations & Customs.

When you arrive deplane in the US, you will not be going through US Customs or Immigration.

For a short trip, I think the Renaissance is a good choice for scoping out the island. Do though take a ride down to Eagle and Palm Beaches to see if those beaches, or any of their resorts compare to the Ren and it's private island.