THIS WEEK IN ARUBA: 12 - 18 FEBRUARY, 2018

One Happy Podcast

Let's find out what's happening this week in Aruba, February 12th to February 18th.

As you know, the sole purpose of this podcast is to help you make your week in Aruba as flawless as possible and we do that by highlighting some of the events and activities in the island that you can add to your schedule as well as cruise ship schedules.

Events happening around the island are pretty sparse as expected due to Aruba Carnival having just ended, however, this is also the most romantic week of the year and there are a few places you can go to make your Valentine's Day more special.

But before that, let's get on the cruise ship schedules first, because what better way than to spend Valentine’s with your sweetheart than on the beautiful beaches of Aruba? Check out the schedules below to help you know which days are the most or least crowded so you can venture away to less-touristy areas:

All in all, it's a pretty light week as far as cruise ship traffic goes.

Now, let's talk about what's going on the island. The theme for the week is none other than romance. Those of you looking for a night-out have probably planned reservations. But for those of you who have not, here are some restaurants who are offering special Valentine’s events for you and your darling:

Valentine's Day Aphrodisiac Menu at White Modern Cuisine!When: 14 February / 5:00 pm - 11:00 pmWhere: White Modern Cuisine (Diamante 300, NA Noord)Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/182583869181635/ Website: http://www.whitecuisine.com/

Book your table now to enjoy an evening of romance and mystique here at White Modern Cuisine with our special 4-course aphrodisiac menu for just USD $55 per person. You can also have this special menu with wine pairings for $85 per person! And what's on the menu? That will be in a separate post, but to summarize it here: 1st course is red snapper ceviche, 2nd course is Cajun-marinated tuna, 3rd course is pan-fried tenderloin, and dessert is In Love with Chocolate - all prepared as only WMC does it! Call us at [phone] to reserve your table.

Treat your loved one to a luxurious Valentine's day dinner

When: 14 February / 5:00 - 10:00 pmWhere: Matthew's Beachside Restaurant (J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 51, 0000 Oranjestad, Aruba)Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/405976013192270/ Website: https://www.matthews-aruba.com/

Details for a successful Valentine's day night! Treat your loved one to a luxurious dinner at Matthew's beachside restaurant. Hearts will flutter over a glass of champagne included in our Valentine's day menu, followed by an intimate four-course dinner. This for only $47.95 (++)p.p Click here for our menu https://www.matthews-aruba.com/specials/valentines-day-special-2018/

For reservation please call us at 588-7300.

Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses Dinner On The Beach

When: 14 February / 7:00 - 10:00 pmWhere: Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino (Oranjestad, Aruba)Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/152788042170978/ Website: http://www.arubaprivateisland.com/

Finding the path to a dream come true begins here. Kindle the evening with sizzle romance only on Renaissance Private Island. Delight in your own Aruban love story, as the evening sun sets the mood for your private Valentine's dinner - catered with a 4-course menu, a welcome cocktail to spice things up, a bottle of sparkling wine and a rose for the special lady. The 'Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses' experience will be $195 per couple excluding 15% service charge. This Valentine's Day...Surprise your loved one with a Romantic Private Island Dinner. For more information or reservation, please visit or call our Navigators at 5236115.

Of course, there is no shortage of world-class restaurants in Aruba that you can visit on that special day. I’m also gonna clue you in on a brand new restaurant that very few of you listening have visited so far.

If you’re familiar with the ultra-upscale limited seating single-service restaurant concept, where a restaurant has a seating for less than 20 patrons and the chef prepares a menu for those patrons only for the entire night. There’s a new entry in that category which is Senses Fine Dining. It’s only about a month old and is already drawing rave reviews. Do check out my interview included in the podcast with the owner, Sebastian Kruisselbrink, to hear about his humble beginnings and how he came to establishing his amazing restaurant.

To book a reservation on Senses, visit their website: https://sensesaruba.restaurant/

The bulk of this podcast has been Valentine’s Day, but also happening around the island are:

Aruba Sinatra Dinner Show at The Old Cunucu House Restaurant

When: 15 February / 7:30 - 9:30 pmWhere: The Old Cunucu House (Palm Beach 150, 0000 Palm Beach, Aruba)Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/1659635364330869/ Website: http://www.freddejong.com/

Are you searching for things to do in Aruba? Aruba Sinatra Shows started 6 years ago and we would like to celebrate it with you while enjoying the good things of life any time this year. After more than 300 weekly performances Aruba Sinatra Shows is one of the longest-running productions in Aruba!Experience beautiful composed, orchestrated and arranged music with wonderful romantic lyrics sung by Fred de Jong. Order local food and delicious drinks while watching our Aruba Sinatra Dinner Show at The Old Cunucu House Restaurant or ask for our Dinner Special Menu.Live entertainment every Thursday from 7:30 till 9:30 pm featuring songs like:"Fly Me To The Moon", "I've Got The World On A String", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "My Way", "New York - New York", "The Way You Look Tonight" and many more...The Show Ticket is only $15.00 per person (food and drinks, transportation, gratuities not included). During the show, you can eat and drink something a la carte.

Joyride LIVE at MooMba BeachWhen: 18 February / 7:00-10:00 pmWhere: Moomba Beach (JE Irausquin BLVD 230, 0000 Palm Beach, Aruba)Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/1301276453351371/ Dave and his musical team are notorious on the island. Where ever they show up, a party is guaranteed. So, get ready for an evening with pop, soul, funk and most of all... FUN!

Blues Event: Cosy Cotton Band!

When: 16 February / 11:00 pm – 2:00 amWhere: Alfie's in Aruba (Oranjestad, Aruba)Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/166256510680124/

Cosy Cotton Band's Bert Devries, Terrance Green, Arnold Mohamed and Rowald De Graaf will transport you from Aruba to a Chicago blues club, the swamps of Louisiana, the streets of Memphis, the Mississippi Delta, and back again! If you're a fan of the blues, you won't want to miss this!

If you’re a fan of Karaoke, here are some awesome places that offer Karaoke:

Matthew’s Beachside Restaurant(J.E. Irausquin Blvd 51, Oranjestad)Website: https://www.matthews-aruba.com/ - Karaoke Nights every Wednesdays, 9:00 - 11:00 pm

Soprano’s Piano Bar(Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard 370, Noord, Aruba)Website: http://www.sopranospianobararuba.com/ - Unplugged Nights every Saturdays, starting at 8:00 pm

Ricardo’s Restaurant & Bar(J.E. Irausquin Blvd 53, Aruba)Website: http://ricardosaruba.restaurant/ - Karaoke Dance Party! every Thursdays, starting at 9:00 pm

This is most definitely not complete without Aruba Ray’s Comedy. Here are the details.

Website: http://www.arubacomedy.com/

We are proud that USA TODAY has named this show as one of its “10 Best”!

And Aruba Today called this the ‘BEST SHOW IN ARUBA’ three years in a row… this is a standup comedy show featuring America’s finest comedians, all of whom perform regularly at the top venues in the United States. These are NYC-based and LA-based comedians.

The comedians have appeared on the Tonight Show, Letterman Show, Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central, HBO, movies, TV shows, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, etc etc.

• These shows sell out nightly.

• The show starts at 8:30pm.

• Doors open at 8pm.

• Seating is first come, first serve.

• Show is approximately 90 minutes long.

• Any age can attend, however, the show is intended for a mature audience!

• Line-up subject to change.

February 12-13 and 15-16, 2018 (no show on February 14)Pete Lee, Tony V, Jared Freid, Ray Ellin

February 17-18, 2018Pete Lee, Tony V, Ray Ellin

Feedback thus far has been extraordinary so thank you so much for everyone’s patronage. Although I would most likely not be doing an episode during the time I’m in Aruba from February 24th - March 5th.

If you’re down on the island on February 27th, I’ll be hosting another Meet & Mingle this time on Barney’s Aruba so if you’re available, please do stop by! It starts at 7pm and there will be free snacks (and special prices on food and drinks). See you there!

Please remember to leave a review on onehappypodcast.com/itunes. If you have any suggestions for topics that you want to be covered in the future, do shoot me an email on [e-mail] or call out hotline number [phone].