FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WEDDING:
Q: Will I receive an invitation in the mail?
A: No, the Save the Dates are the only mailed item that you will receive. Please RSVP online at your earliest convenience prior to March 1, 2024. Your RSVP will require you to provide your travel dates and the hotel you staying at as we need to provide this to our wedding planners. If you are attending, please RSVP once your travel is booked.
If you cannot attend, please RSVP no and include n/a in the fields. The fields in the RSVP form require input to submit.
Q: Can I bring a plus one?
A: All Save the Dates are addressed to those invited: individual, couple, plus guest or family.
Q: Will there be transportation to the venue?
A: There will be transportation provided to & from the wedding from the lobby of each of the three resorts: Divi AI, Tamarijn, and Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort. Shuttle time will be provided on itinerary sheets in the welcome bags. If needed, there will be a shuttle on call to bring guests back to the hotel during the reception.
Q: How far away is the venue from the hotels?
A: The wedding will be held at Pure Ocean at the Divi Phoenix Aruba resort. It is 3.8 km (less than 2.5 miles) up the beach from the accommodations.
Q: Is the wedding inside or outside?
A: Ceremony & reception will be on the beach. There is a giant palapa to hang under if you want to stay out of the sun prior to the ceremony.
Q: What should I wear?
A: To the ladies, please dress in your best & brightest island resort chic. Think sundresses and jumpsuits. If you’re wondering about footwear, you will be in sand. Flats or bare feet are encouraged.
To the gentlemen, please leave the suits and ties at home. You are on island time. We do kindly ask that you leave your shorts in your room for the ceremony and opt for a pair of slacks.
To all, pinks, blues, purples and oranges are encouraged. We ask that all guests avoid dark colors, such as black, dark blues, and dark greys.
Q: Would you like us to take photographs of your ceremony and reception on our phones and tablets?
A: While we are so grateful that you are offering, we have hired the very talented Demian Gibbs Photography Team to handle this for us and want to make their jobs as easy as possible. Please leave those phones tucked away for the ceremony. After countless months, Brian has talked Lindsey out of requiring everyone to lock their phones in a sealed pouch so please do not let him down.
Q: What is included in our welcome bags?
A: To assist with packing, we wanted to let you know what you would be provided with upon check-in. Each adult staying at the Divi resorts will receive a drawstring backpack including an insulated cup, 2 towel clips, a silicone straw, and stickers to help identify your cup. Feel free to bring your own stickers if you would like as well.
Q: Could you provide more information about the cruise on the day after the wedding?
A: We have chartered the Red Sail - Rumba for the day after the wedding as a thank you to all for making the journey to celebrate with us. There is no expense to wedding guests for joining us on the boat. Kids are welcome as well. The boat leaves from a dock at the Hyatt on Palm Beach.
The Rumba has plenty of space and seating – both outside and undercover as well as two bathrooms on board. It’s a large boat as it can accommodate 100 people. The charter will be from 12-4 pm on Saturday May 18, 2024. It includes three snorkel stops, a full buffet lunch, and open bar (including beer, rum cocktails, soda, juice & water). Snorkeling at the designated stops is optional; one stop is a WW2 shipwreck and is pretty cool.
For those who have other people joining on their vacation, they are invited as well. Please reach out to Lindsey for more information regarding non-wedding guests.
HOTEL:
Q: Where are the Bride & Groom staying?
A: We are staying at the Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort. This hotel is across the street from the beach and sits between the Divi AI & Tamarijn. If you are in a room at the far back of the resort, it is less than 10 minutes leisurely walk to the beach. We are currently booked from May 14, 2024-May 21, 2024.
Q: Is there a minimum number of nights to use the wedding discount?
A: Yes, there is a 3 night minimum for each resort.
Q: How many people per room?
A: There are max 4 people per room. The only exception would be the two bedroom suites at the Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort which sleep up to 8. Please call the resort directly to reserve this type of room.
Please note that all persons staying in the room count towards the headcount regardless of age.
Q: Are there shuttles between the three resorts?
A: Yes, there are large golf carts – each accommodate ~12 people that are constantly running. They typically travel around the Divi Golf between guests rooms and the lobby, between the Divi Golf & Tamarijn, & between the Tamarijn & Divi AI. If you need a shuttle, there is typically a door man who will call them for you. You can also call them for pickup from your room. There is a shuttle to the casino. Please note that shuttles to the Divi Golf end at 11 pm. The one exception is the casino. The casino shuttle runs until 2 am and drops you off at your room.
Q: I’ve been studying the resort map and know what building I want to stay in. Can I make a special request?
A: If you are staying at either the Divi AI or the Tamarijn (beachfront resorts), you sure can! Please note that they may not be able to accommodate your request but they do try. Unfortunately, you cannot make any requests if you are staying at the Divi Village Golf resort as this is a timeshare resort and depends on the availability of the unit.
Q: I’m trying to decide between the Divi All Inclusive and the Tamarijn. Both are beachfront, how do I choose?
A: Great question. The Divi AI is known to have the better beach but not all rooms are beachfront. While all rooms at the Tamarijn are beachfront, Mother Nature has been known to adjust the sand to rock comparison from time to time. While the Tamarijn is continuously working to fix this, there is a chance that you cannot use the beach directly outside your room if that is what you looking for. The parents of the bride would highly recommend the Tamarijn and already have secured their reservation for FitzyCon. If Brian and I were staying at one of the beachfront resorts, we would choose the Divi AI – so you cannot go wrong with either.
Q: Is golf included in our stay?
A: If you are staying the Divi Village Golf & Beach Resort, green fees & golf carts are included. Brochures state that golf is free until 3 pm. However, when we were there, it was free from 7 am- 7 pm. The last available teetime is 5 pm for 9 holes & 3 pm for 18 holes. Clubs rentals are $40 and shoe rentals are $5. There is a chance that due to hotel occupancy, the free green fees times are changed. It is a 9 hole course. Each hole has 2 sets of tee boxes: one for the front 9 and one for the back 9.
Q: I am not sure I can attend yet but wanted to hold a room. Is there any penalty for cancelling?
A: Please note that each reservation requires a one night deposit upon booking. For the Divi Vollage Golf & Beach Resort, reservations are fully refundable up until 30 days prior to arrival. If you cancel within 30 days, there is a one night fee. For the Divi AI & Tamarijn, there is a $100 fee to any cancellations or changes to your booking made prior to 30 days of your arrival date. If you cancel within 30 days, there is a one night fee.
Q: Do all hotels have WiFi?
A: Yes, each resort has WiFi and you can access all hotels WiFi once you arrive on site.
Q: Are electrical adapters needed for outlets?
A: No, all outlets are the same as we have in the US.
Q: Can I drink the tap water on the island?
A: YES! Aruba has some of the best water in the world. There are plenty of water and ice machines located throughout the resorts. If you are staying at the Divi AI/Tamarijn, they are currently providing guests with water bottles in the rooms to fill around the resort.
Q: Is there anywhere I can get more information?
A: There is a group on Facebook called “Divi AI & Tamarijn Aruba.” There are lots of helpful hints and questions that people post that may help with your planning.
Q: Are tips included in the hotel rate?
A: Yes, some service gratuity is included. Tipping above this is optional. Bartenders, Shuttle Drivers, Waitstaff, and Bellhops are very appreciative of any generosity that guests provide.
DINING:
Q: Are reservations required for dining?
A: If you want to eat at Palm Grill (self cook stirfry at your table), Paparazzi (Italian), Ginger (Asian), Pure Lime (Mexican), or Red Parrot (Steakhouse), reservations are required. These are only open for dinner. Reservations can be made after 8 pm up to 3 days in advance. For example, if you want to dine on Saturday evening, you can make your reservation anytime after 8 pm on Wednesday. These can be made on the App which can be downloaded from your phones App store or at the concierge upon your arrival. The app is called Divi & Tamarijn All Inclusive. We recommend that everyone download the app prior to arrival.
For all, breakfast & lunch can be found Pelican Terrace (Divi AI buffet) & Cunucu Terrace (Tamarijn buffet). Lunch can also be found at the two lobby bars for pizza and paninis as well as the Sandpiper Bar. Sandpiper is a fan favorite for burgers, their grilled sandwich, hot dogs and pasta carbonara. The buffets at these resort are less traditional buffet and more of a food court style where you order at a counter, receive a buzzer and many things are cooked to order.
For late night – the two lobby bars around open until 1 am serving pizzas.
For those staying at the Divi Village Golf, Mulligans & Seabreeze restaurant are included, sit down options as well for breakfast, lunch & dinner. The infinity pool also has a restaurant for lunch.
Q: Is there a dress code for the restaurants?
A: All restaurants require shoes and bathing suit coverups. Dress code is resort casual. Shorts, sandals, and tees for men are fine at all restaurants on propert.
Q: What time do the bars open?
A: Bars open daily at 11 am. There is one exception which is mimosas are served at Sunday breakfast.
Q: Are tips included in the hotel rate?
A: Yes, some service gratuity is included. Tipping above this is optional. Bartenders, Shuttle Drivers, Waitstaff, and Bellhops are very appreciative of any generosity that guests provide.
GENERAL ARUBA:
Q: What is the best way to get from the airport to the hotel?
A: We recommend taking a taxi. The rate for taxis is set by the government. Taxis hold up to 5 people but the number likely depends on your amount of luggage. For Monday-Saturday, the cost is $26 per taxi. For Sunday, the cost is $31 per taxi. There is no free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. Another recommendation we have received is DePalm Tours. They offer bus, van, and private transfer (up to 4 passengers). Please check their website for reservations if that is your preferred method.
Q: How early should I be at the airport when leaving FitzyCon and heading back home?
A: It is HIGHLY recommended that you be at the airport 3 hours in advance of your flight, especially if you are leaving on Saturday or Sunday. You will clear both Aruba and US customs in Aruba and depending on the day, it can be a lengthy wait. We also recommend obtaining Global Entry to ease with the US customs length.
Q: What do you recommend for sunscreen?
A: First, double whatever you were thinking as sunscreen is expensive to buy on the island. Reef safe sunscreen is not required but is highly recommended. Please remember that Aruba is close to the Equator which makes the sun a lot stronger than where many of us live. The weather in Aruba is the same year round with days being sunny , windy, & 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to wind, we recommend leaving spray sunscreens at home and grabbing the old school lotion as you are more likely to get your spray suncreen on your neighbor rather than yourself.
Q: Are there any recommended offsite restaurants?
A: Madam Jeanettes is the most recommended restaurant on the island. Other great options include Gianni’s & Flying Fishbone.
Q: How much is a cab to Palm Beach?
A: Palm Beach is the beach in Aruba with all of the high rise hotels. It is a $10 cab ride from the Divis. There are many hotels and casinos on Palm Beach.
Q: How should we communicate with people once we arrive on the island?
A: We recommend that everyone download WhatsApp prior to arrival. WhatsApp is a free phone/messaging service that runs on WiFi.