Three ways to get on the water in Aruba, three very different bills. A shared cruise charges per person and you ride their route with 40 to 60 strangers. A private charter charges per boat and goes where you ask. Here is the honest math on when each one wins, using real 2026 prices.
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The quick comparison
| Shared cruise | Private boat (speedboat) | Private catamaran | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $55–$100 per person | $900 for the whole boat | $825 for the whole boat |
| Group size | You + 40–60 strangers | Up to 10, just your group | Up to 12, just your group |
| Cost at full group | $55–$100 each | $90 each | About $69 each |
| Duration | 2–3 hours, fixed | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Route | Fixed stops, fixed schedule | You choose with the captain | You choose with the captain |
| How you pay | Full amount up front | $180 deposit, $720 cash on the day | $275 deposit, balance on the day |
When the shared cruise is the right call
Two people, or a couple who want zero planning. At $55–$100 a head, two of you pay $110–$200 and someone else handles everything. No private boat beats that for a pair. The trade-off is the crowd, the fixed route, and snorkel stops timed to the boat’s schedule rather than yours. Our sunset cruise guide compares the shared operators.
When the private boat wins
From about six people, the math flips. Six friends on a shared catamaran at $85 each is $510 — and you still share the boat. Six on a private boat charter is $900 total, $150 each, with the boat to yourselves and the route yours to choose. At the full ten guests it is $90 a head: private for roughly the price of shared.
When the catamaran wins
Bigger groups and anyone who wants space to move around. The Isabella catamaran takes up to 12 guests at $825 for the boat — about $69 each when full, which is genuinely cheaper than most shared sunset cruises. A catamaran is also the steadier ride if anyone in the group worries about seasickness.
The deposit system, plainly
Both private options work the same way on this site: you pay a deposit online to hold your date, and the balance goes to the captain in cash on the day. If the trip does not run, you are not charged the balance. You are never paying a stranger the full amount months in advance.
Short version: two people, book the shared cruise. Six or more, price the private boat before you pay per-person anywhere. Ten or more, the catamaran is usually the cheapest option per head on the island — shared cruises included.
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