Aruba | 🏛 Aruba Snorkeling Tour · Boat Tour Aruba

Aruba: Pirate Ship Snorkel Cruise & BBQ Lunch with Open Bar

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1/18

Duration4h

GroupUp to 65

LanguagesEN · DE +3

Mobile ticketAccepted

Snorkel Aruba’s reefs & shipwrecks then swing into turquoise water

You’ll board an 85-foot pirate schooner for a relaxed sail along Aruba’s coast with stops to snorkel Malmok Reefs and explore the Antilla shipwreck. Try swinging off the rope into clear water or just soak up sun on deck. A BBQ lunch and open bar keep things easygoing as local guides share stories and help you spot colorful fish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Board 85-foot teak schooner
Sail to Malmok Reef
Snorkel and swim at Malmok Reef
Sail to Boca Catalina
Snorkel and swim at Boca Catalina
Sail to WWII shipwreck Antilla
View shipwreck and snorkel
Enjoy BBQ lunch on board
Relax under canopy or sunbathe
Try the ship's rope swing
Enjoy open bar and party with crew

The Experience

I still smell the salt on my skin from that day in Aruba — it’s the first thing I remember, actually. We climbed aboard this big old teak pirate ship (the Jolly Pirate, which sounds cheesy but honestly felt right), and the crew was already laughing about someone’s flip-flops going overboard. The wood under my feet was warm and smooth, and there was reggae playing somewhere behind me. I didn’t expect to feel so relaxed before we even left the dock.

Our guide, Miguel, handed out snorkel gear with a grin and told us to watch for parrotfish at Malmok Reefs — “the ones that look like they’re smiling,” he said. When I slid into the water, it was cooler than I thought it’d be, but not shocking. There were flashes of blue and yellow everywhere below me. At Boca Catalina, I tried to follow a school of fish but got distracted by some kid doing cannonballs from the rope swing. The crew cheered every time someone let go — I nearly chickened out but ended up doing it twice (my landing wasn’t graceful).

The Antilla shipwreck was something else — you could see her shape lying sideways in the water, all rusted and ghostly. Miguel told us stories about German ships during WWII while we floated above her. Lunch was simple: grilled chicken, slaw, rice, corn on the cob — nothing fancy but tasted perfect after swimming (maybe that’s just hunger talking). Someone spilled their drink when the boat rocked and we all laughed; nobody cared.

I didn’t realize how sunburned my nose got until later that night. But what sticks is that feeling of floating between sun and shade, music drifting over the water, strangers swapping stories by the open bar. If you’re thinking about a day trip in Aruba with snorkeling and a bit of silliness thrown in — this is probably it.

What’s included

Your day includes sailing on an 85-foot teak schooner with multilingual local guides, use of full snorkeling gear at three sites (Malmok Reefs, Boca Catalina, Antilla wreck), access to two restrooms onboard, unlimited drinks from an open bar, a BBQ lunch (with vegetarian options if needed), plus plenty of time for swimming or swinging off the rope into turquoise water before returning to shore in the afternoon.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Jolly Pirates Sailing Cruises & Snorkeling