‘Really???’: Woman Vacations In Aruba. Then She Says It ‘Sucks’ Compared To Curaçao. Now She’s Launched A Furious Debate Over The Best Caribbean Island

A 14-second video shot from under a beach umbrella in Aruba has racked up more than 1.4 million views by nominating a clear favorite between two of the Caribbean’s most-compared islands and then standing by it. The clip’s verdict on Curaçao versus Aruba has touched off thousands of indignant replies, drawn defenders of both sides, and prompted a third faction to argue that the real answer is Bonaire.

The video was posted by Prinnā (@krushin_), a TikToker whose bio identifies her as an army veteran, a law-enforcement officer, and a college mom. Her channel mostly covers family moments and everyday incidents rather than travel, which gives this one its tone — a travel recommendation from somebody whose followers were not expecting one.

“People are going to get mad”

Prinnā delivers her ruling in four short sentences, smiling at the camera with palm fronds behind her.

“People are going to get mad, but I’m currently in Aruba,” she says. “I went to Curaçao last year. Curaçao is better than Aruba. Food, activities, weather, everything.”

The fact that she’s ranking the pair from inside the country she is placing second did not diminish the controversy.

The ABC Islands

The two islands sit roughly 50 miles apart off the coast of Venezuela, and along with Bonaire they make up what travel writers call the ABC islands. Aruba and Curaçao are constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands proper.

All three share Dutch colonial heritage, a dry climate that sits outside the main hurricane belt, and a tourism economy that depends heavily on North American visitors.

Curaçao’s capital, Willemstad, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as an example of a colonial trading and administrative settlement, with four historic districts — Punda, Pietermaai, Otrobanda, and Scharloo — whose 17th and 18th-century architecture survives largely intact. Aruba’s draw is built around the resort strip along Palm Beach and Eagle Beach rather than a comparable historic core.

The Aruba Defense

Aruba’s tourism has exploded recently, with the Government of Aruba reporting 1.4 million stay-over tourists in 2024, a 13% increase over the previous year, with North Americans accounting for 80% of the annual mix.

That’s almost twice the 700,000 stay-over arrivals the Curaçao Tourist Board reported in the same year.

In the comments, Aruba’s defenders argue the appeal is exactly what Prinnā dislikes.

“Aruba is for people who go on vacation to relax,” wrote juliannannnn, a sentiment that drew dozens of replies agreeing. “I don’t want a full itinerary. I want to lay on the beach all day and sleep on and off,” wrote one.

@Princess_Lalaa told the thread she’d been put off by another tourist’s pitch: “Talked to a white [lady] who said she’s been to Aruba 8 times because it caters to Americans and reminds her of America and I immediately didn’t wanna go lol it’s an odd way to describe a place.”

The Bonaire Faction

Prinnā’s video also gave the floor to a third contingent. “Curaçao is 100x better than Aruba but Bonaire is 100x better than Curaçao,” wrote one in what became the most liked comment on the post. Prinnā replied immediately, “I keep seeing this! Let me book a flight.”

That faction has a point that is hard to argue with on the technical side. Bonaire is consistently described by diving industry sources as one of the Caribbean’s best dive destinations, with healthy reefs, calm conditions and shore access along much of the leeward coast.

The trade-off is that the island delivers a narrower experience than its neighbours. As one commenter who said she had family on the island put it, “If you like scuba diving then go there. No activities — you will cry.”

Mambo Beach Vs Eagle Beach

The most useful exchange in the thread might be the one about specific beaches. Candice Rauch credited Prinnā’s pick to one site in particular — “Curacao is a total vibe! Mambo beach is top tier” — and got a long reply from travelwith_lexie: “Mambo beach felt too commercialized for me. Manmade beach. It’s cute but I prefer Eagle Beach in Aruba. Better bright blue water, better sand & much more spread out / not people on top of each other.”

The comments show that, as usual in such debates, it’s not about whether one destination is objectively better, but which you would prefer. Would you rather have Willemstad’s painted facades or Aruba’s long stretch of white sand? The choice is yours — travel budget and vacation time permitting.

BoardingArea reached out to Prinnā via TikTok direct message for additional comment. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.

@krushin_ Curaçao is better than Aruba. #curacao #aruba ♬ original sound – Prinnā