Friend of the show Andrea James and I talk about the Coronavirus impact on our personal lives and what we hope happens for the island of Aruba.  This was recorded in April.

Recorded in April, Aruba Curt and Regina talk about how the Covid 19 pandemic has affected their personal lives.  We also commend Aruba on how they have handled their unique situation as a contrast to how the United States has handled theirs. 

Today I am being joined on the podcast by the Otoski’s, Cindy and Rob.  Rob and Cindy are both long time visitors to the island and friends of the show.  While on the island they split time between the Renaissance and the Marriott, giving them a multifaceted view of the Aruba vacation experience.  Together they are part of the group that founded and runs the Renaissance Oceans Suites Aruba Timeshares Facebook or ROSAT for short.

Rob and Cindy were actually supposed to be on the island at the time of recording but because the world is all sorts of upside down now instead Rob posted a hypothetical “What If..” style trip report, photos, and all.  

Some of the places mentioned in this episode of the podcast are:

• Renaissance Ocean Suites
• Marriott Surf Club
• Bully Taxi
• Superfoods
• Montefort Ship
• Jolly Pirates
• Pinchos
• Zeerover
• LG Smith
• Coco Loco
• Pinchos
• Yemanja
• Papygayo
• Maroc

On episode 125 of One Happy Podcast I talk with Marlene Nichols Purcell who lives on the island of Aruba.  Marlene has been a guest on the show on many other occasions (EP32 and EP115) and today she is here to give me a glimpse into what life on the island is like during the Covid 19 pandemic.  

Among the topics Marlene and I talk about on this episode of the show are:

• What an island devoid of tourists is like
• What measures the island of Aruba is taking to flatten the curve
• A new foundation formed to help feed the children of the island
• And more

Businesses mentioned in this episode:

• No child goes hungry - Aruba
• Aruba Wine and Dine
• Alfie’s in Aruba
• Scott’s Brats

One Happy Podcast

Joining us today is Ray Ellin from Aruba Ray's Comedy, and he's here to give us a run-through of the terrific lineup of Aruba Comedy happening down in the island for the rest of this month and the beginning of February.

On this most recent trip to the island I ran into Ray at the Holiday Inn which is the new venue for Aruba Ray's Comedy and it is fantastic.  Not only is the space larger than past Aruba Ray Comedy venues, but the centralized location of the Holiday Inn cannot be beat.  Also, there is a new piano bar across the hall from the comedy show called the Palicoco which is a lot of fun.

Ray and I talk about a lot on the show such as, obviously the Aruba Comedy shows, Ray's availability and plans for future schedules, as  "This Week at the Comedy Cellar", which is the television show he produces which airs on Comedy Central. We talk a bit about the the behind the scenes and his experience with working with the fantastic team behind it. 

For more information regarding Aruba Comedy, please visit https://www.arubacomedy.com/ and book your tickets to catch the remaining shows! They are fantastic and trust me you do not want to miss it.

In this episode of One Happy Podcast, I am being joined by Maggie.  I know it has been a long time since we have spoken but after this episode, you will understand why.  

Over the last several months my life has been completely turned upside down, but now that things are starting to normalize, its time to get back to recording.  

In this first episode, you not only learn the story of why the podcast has been dormant but also we talk about the fact that we are returning to Aruba at the end of the month.

Some preparations have already been made for our next visit to the island including booking an Airbnb rental, pre-flight hotel, and rental car.  So on this episode of One Happy Podcast, we talk about all of that.  I hope you enjoy.  

onehappypodcast.com The Officially Unofficial Podcast of the Island of Aruba

Today I bringing you the second part of my March 2019 Aruba trip report.  This was actually recorded a while ago, but due to technical difficulties was not released until just now.  

On this episode, we talk about some of the restaurants we visited during the second part of our trip, including a couple of new ones.  We also talk about adopting our kittens from the Aruba animal shelter and the process of securing a flight home for those kittens.  Also, we talk about the Airbnb we used for the second half of our trip to the island.  So if any of this sounds interesting to you, please do enjoy episode 122 part B, of One Happy Podcast... the Officially Unofficial Podcast of the island of Aruba.

Hey all! Maggie and I are down in Aruba as of this moment for our first vacation trip in the island for 2019 and we’re here to give you a blow by blow report of our experience so far.

Upon departing, we left Delaware on Friday night to fly out of BWI. We stayed at the Sheridan this time around which was great and ate some really good crab cakes which are Maryland’s specialty. After that, it was an early start the next morning for a 4 ½ flight to Aruba.

1ST DAY

We chose Amigo for our car rental and saddled into our Kia Picanto. It’s a great little car that’s ideal for parking anywhere. Our plan for accommodations on this trip is to stay at our usual rental in Palm for the 1st half and then at an Airbnb in Noord for the 2nd half.

Dinner was spent at The Lazy Turtle, which was becoming a 1st-day tradition. The French Onion Soup they had was notably excellent. We planned to watch the Lighting Parade which was supposed to start at 8 pm until around midnight but we ended up coming too early and missed it.

2ND DAY

The next morning, we had a lovely brunch with our friend Ann at Windows Restaurant and later in the day got the chance to head to the beach. Meltaway Cafe was the destination for dinner. It’s a cool place with a unique concept which is serving cheese-based food.

3RD DAY

Today we opted to go to the beach early and spent almost the entire day at Palm while grabbing some food at Eduardo’s and Scott’s Brats in between. We didn't leave the beach until 5:30 pm, then headed to dinner with Ann again at this new place called Opus Restaurant. We definitely recommend this place. Their food was awesome and they had an excellent staff. This was followed by a short trip to Marriott Stellaris for some gelato which in our opinion is the best on the island.

4TH DAY

This day was filled with excitement as we headed over to the animal shelter, and ended up choosing 2 kittens to adopt. We named our two new bundles of joy Kiki and Koko. We still need time to work out the adoption process so we can fly them back with us to the U.S. but we’re very looking forward to welcoming them in our family!

That’s it for our trip report for part 1, stay tuned for the remaining parts!

ON THIS EPISODE ON ONE HAPPY PODCAST, YOU WILL:

Hear about my story of...

- almost losing my credit card

- our flight attendant showing her bartending skills

- the waiter at The Lazy Turtle being unintentionally funny

RESTAURANTS AND SERVICES MENTIONED:

- The Lazy Turtle

- Amigo Car Rental

- Windows Restaurant

- Meltaway Cafe

- Eduardo's Beach Shack

- Scott's Brats

When: February 17 (Sun) / 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Route: Aruba Entertainment Center - EX DOW, Oranjestad

• The biggest children’s parade includes all of the island’s different Carnival groups to form Aruba’s Grand Children’s Carnival parade.
• Hundreds of children enjoy the opportunity to show off their dancing skills and colorful costumes.
• Held in downtown Oranjestad.

OTHER CARNIVAL EVENTS:

La Ora Loca Jump Up

When: February 15 (Fri) / 8:00 pm - 1:00 am

Where: Santa Cruz

• La Ora Loca (“the crazy hour” in Spanish) a popular tradition involving dancing and partying complete with colorful and festive props and clothing
• Entertainers will put on a spectacular show and will perform as drummers, dancers, stilt walkers and more
• Everybody dons a mask and beads, and revels like the end is nigh

Transfer of Command

When: February 17 (Sun) / 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Where: Bestuurskantoor, Oranjestad

When: February 20 (Wed) / 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Where: Cirkel (Caya G.F. Betico Croes 97-1, Oranjestad)

Hosted by Tribuluna

Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/2188440891404521/

• Full Moons are a great time to gather, share & connect, to harness the potent energy of the bright Moon and get clarity and insight on where you are right now and what you wish to release or grow more of in your life.
• This evening will consist of:
• • a Tribu Yoga session (actively moving along with your breath to release any stagnant energy and come back to a state of balance)
  • a short guided meditation & relaxation
  • chakra balancing exercise
  • self reflection/stream of consciousness writing exercise
  • a chance to share and connect at the end.
• Please bring your favorite fragrant flower, herb, crystals, or essential oil, or any items you wish to share and/or charge in this sacred space.
• Carina @tribuluna is the creator of @cirkelaruba and @mommamoontribe, doula, prenatal coach & yoga instructor, and has been hosting Moon Circles since 2013.
• Sign up required - spaces are limited!
• $15 ✨Package deals available ✨
• For more info or reservations send us a PM or w’app 5927127!

Today I have a very special returning guest who hasn’t been around for a while. Master comedian “Aruba” Ray Ellin joins us once again to talk about the return of Aruba Ray Comedy to One Happy Island this coming 4th of February to the 3rd of April.

Aruba Comedy is a New York-style comedy show held at the Marriott-Stellaris featuring a top notch line-up with his fellow master comedians. Trip Advisor rated it as #1 on Tripadvisor in the “Nightlife” Category, the “Fun Activities and Games” Category, and the “Show” Category.

For more information about the line-up and shows, you can visit www.arubacomedy.com. It is encouraged for interested persons to purchase discount tickets online because it’s more guaranteed and can save money. As an added perk, there will be a raffle after the show for a few lucky ticket holders.

The incredibly strong line-up for the upcoming shows consists of the list below. Most are familiar faces in Aruba Ray Comedy but some are first timers.

• Brian Scott McFadden
• Mike Vecchione
• Katie Hannigan
• Pete Lee
• Judy Gold
• Gary Vider
• Tony V
• Dan Naturman
• Brian Scolaro
• Jim Colton
• Chloe Hilliard
• Robert Kelly
• Chuck Nice
• Ricky Velez
• Rachel Feinstein
• Christine Hurley
• Mike Cannon

Ray and I also talk about our mutual interest in football and his show “This Week at the Comedy Cellar”. It’s one of the premiere comedy clubs in the world. So many comedians have passed through there on their journey to fame. To find out more about this show, you can visit: http://www.cc.com/shows/this-week-at-the-comedy-cellar

This week in Aruba is evolving yet again and I hope you enjoy these changes we are making.  On this episode we talk about the following:

• What food items people pack when coming to the island
• Grocery store cost comparisons between Aruba and the United States
• KYSS Bags
• When is it appropriate to pack for Aruba

Additionally there is a new segment called “The Good, the bad and the ugly”.  And of course we talk about a couple of events happening and the cruise ship port schedule for timeshare week 3 of 2019.  

• The Children & Youth Carnival Queen election is when Aruba chooses its youngest Carnival Queens.
• Carnival excitement builds as Aruba elects its first queens of the season.
• Contestants in the Children’s Carnival Queen election are 6-9 years of age.
• Youth Carnival Queen contestants are aged 13-17.
• All demonstrate their carnival spirit through dance performances, speeches and carnival shows.
• Venue: Aruba Entertainment Center at 7.00 p.m.

• Aruba's Carnival Queen & Mrs. Carnival election and coronation will take place at Aruba Entertainment Center (Oranjestad)
• The central figure of Carnival in Aruba is the Queen.
• The role of the Carnival Queen is to lead all the street parades and to make a public appearance that promotes Carnival. The carnival queen represents the Aruban carnival at home and abroad during her reign.
• The queen is elected during the carnival period and represents one of the many Carnival groups.
• In addition to the Carnival Queen election, there is also a Carnival Youth Queen election, Carnival Children's Queen election and Mrs. Carnival.

SHIP

OPERATOR

TIME

CAPACITY

January 18 (Fri) TOTAL: 1,952

Arcadia

P&O Cruises

8:00am - 5:00pm

1,952

January 19 (Sat) TOTAL: 4,256

Zuiderdam

Holland America Line

1:00pm - 11:00pm

1,916

Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Cruise Line

8:00am - 5:00pm

2,340

January 20 (Sun) TOTAL: 4,768

Koningsdam

Holland America Line

7:00am - 5:00pm

2,650

Columbus

Cruise & Maritime Voyage

8:00am - 4:00pm

1,578

Freewinds

International Shipping Partners

11:15pm (departure)

540

January 21 (Mon) TOTAL: 8,306

Monarch

Royal Caribbean Cruises

8:00am - 6:00pm

3,647

Jewel of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Cruises

8:00am - 11:00pm

2,501

Celebrity Summit

Celebrity Cruises

7:00am (arrival)

2,158

January 22 (Tue) TOTAL: 8,162

MSC Magnifica

MSC Cruises

8:00am - 6:00pm

2,550

AIDAdiva

AIDA Cruises

9:30am - 8:00pm

2,050

Celebrity Summit

Celebrity Cruises

5:00pm (departure)

2,158

Rotterdam

Holland America Line

7:00am - 11:00pm

1,404

January 23 (Wed) TOTAL: 3,680

Caribbean Princess

Princess Cruises

7:00am - 5:00pm

3,140

Freewinds

International Shipping Partners

6:00am (arrival)

540

January 24 (Thu) TOTAL: 7,551

Serenade of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Cruises

8:00am - 11:59pm

2,490

Carnival Freedom

Carnival Cruise Line

12:00nn - 10:00pm

2,980

Queen Victoria

Cunard Line

7:00am - 6:00pm

2,081