Curacao, Sea Aqurium Resort ?

[scuba jeff]

I have found a lot of helpful info on Curacao and what the diving is like, but I cannot find anything on the Sea Aqurium Resort. I have a time share that I am trading and I can trade with this place, but I would like to hear from some divers who have been there. Is it nice, how's the beach, the pool, the location, the staff, etc. Do any of you know anyone who has stayed here. I know they use Ocean Encounters for their dive op. I have heard mostly positive things about them.
Can anyone help?
If I don't get Curacao, my back up is Aruba but I would much rather go to Curacao.

 

[fins]

I have found a lot of helpful info on Curacao and what the diving is like, but I cannot find anything on the Sea Aqurium Resort. I have a time share that I am trading and I can trade with this place, but I would like to hear from some divers who have been there. Is it nice, how's the beach, the pool, the location, the staff, etc. Do any of you know anyone who has stayed here. I know they use Ocean Encounters for their dive op. I have heard mostly positive things about them.
Can anyone help?
If I don't get Curacao, my back up is Aruba but I would much rather go to Curacao.

Jeff,

I have not stayed there but we did walk around the property and take a look at one of the rooms after visiting the Seaquarium one time.

As for the rooms, one one side of the building the rooms look out over the Seaquarium and are directly above the dolphin habitat. One the other side of the building the rooms looks out across Seaquarium (or Mambo) beach. The rooms are quite nice and can be configured as a single hotel room or as a suite with kitchenette, living room etc.

The beach is fairly small and faces the Lions Dive hotel and Ocean Encounters.

There was a small restaurant (beach grill) onsite but we did not try it.

If you're looking for a nice quiet place to stay this is not it. There is lots of foot traffic in and out of the Seaquarium and the Seaquarium beach is quite busy and can be rather loud at night when the beach bars get going.

If you're looking for a nice place to stay close to a dive op (Ocean Encounters) Seaquarium resort would be a good choice.

Good Luck,

 

[pgarch]

Mark,
We stayed at the Sea Aquarium in January 05. Loved it. Very nice rooms and the room service is great. The resort is relatively new. The Beach Grille restaraunt dosen't look like much but the the food is very good and reasonable. The beach is narrow but perfectly manicured.. We did boat dives with Ocean encounters and were very pleased. Rent a car for a day or two and go west to the tip of the island. Shore dive up there at some of the beaches. All the reefs are easy once you get started. Seems most of the locals swim while the tourists dive. Great reef conditions everywhere. Get into town and park in the large parking area near the main bank. You can't miss it.

 

[Martini]

I stayed at Lions Dive across the way and dove with Ocean Encounters two years ago. I toured the time shares and almost bought one. The rooms are nice and the beach grill has great food. We ate lunch there almost every day. I would certainly reccomend a trip there. I found Ocean Encounters to be one of the best dive operations my wife and I have every used.

 

[scubamax]

Stayed there back in 2002 just after they opened (in fact they still had some construction going on). Rooms were really nice, pools great, location central. Beach nothing to write home about. We almost bought a unit there but almost every night there was loud music blasting from the beach until 2-3 AM. THIS was the ONLY bad point to the area IMHO, but when I am on vacation I want to rest, not be blasted out of my bed in the middle of the night!

The dive op at Ocean Encounters is pretty good and well staffed and would dive with them again.

Anyone else experience the noise in recent times?

Scubamax

 

[scuba jeff]

One more question about Curacao.

How did you book your flight over there and with what airline. I checked out Expedia and the prices right now to fly to Curacao our really high. Anyone find any good luck with smaller companies?

 

[GoBlue!]

Jeff-

I've been looking into Curacao vs. Bonaire for next March. Flights on Orbitz are running $723 roundtrip, American Airlines (that's Nashville to Curacao, through Miami).

Jim

 

[fins]

One more question about Curacao.

How did you book your flight over there and with what airline. I checked out Expedia and the prices right now to fly to Curacao our really high. Anyone find any good luck with smaller companies?

Both times we have used American Airlines out of Miami booked through the AA website.
Believe it or not, we actually found the best pricing directly on the AA website)

 

[scuba jeff]

Both times we have used American Airlines out of Miami booked through the AA website.
Believe it or not, we actually found the best pricing directly on the AA website)

Dang it, I need to find airfare to somewhere for my next vacation for like $450 or lower.