Our first time visiting the beautiful island of Curacao was well over 15 years ago as a cruise port.  I remember being mesmerized by the colorful buildings set in juxtaposition to the waterway.  It was the first time I was exposed to the Dutch architecture and colorway and something about those buildings and their bright pastel colors just made me happy.

When the opportunity to return to the island presented itself, we immediately seized it. It was Christmas 2021, and we were on holiday at Sandals Antigua. It was our first Sandals experience, and they offered a substantial discount to book the next vacation while on-site. Sandals Royal Curacao had not yet opened and the cost was a fraction of what we had spent on the Antigua vacation so we placed a small deposit and planned our next adventure.

It wasn’t until October of 2022 that I started plotting our holiday vacation. I read on online that driving in Curacao was seamless. We didn’t need an international driver license, and everybody raved about Just Drive Curacao as the best car rental company on the island. I booked a car online and received a confirmation that payment would be due on arrival.

Upon arriving at the airport, we exited the terminal, veered right, walked until the sidewalk ended and crossed the street to the rental car shuttle pickup spot.  After about a 10–15-minute wait, we were picked up by the shuttle, driven a few minutes away and dropped off in front of the office while our bags were placed in the trunk of our rental.  The transaction was seamless.  We headed into the office, signed a few forms, was advised which app to use for our navigation and off we went.  It took a bit over an hour to get to the resort as it was rush-hour traffic, and the roads were quite narrow.  

The Sandals Royal Curacao resort was ensconced in a secure secluded gated community. We were allowed to park for free in the parking lot to the right side of the resort’s main lobby. It took a few minutes for us to be attended to as several people were checking in at the same time. Once everything was squared away, we headed to the food trucks oceanside for some much-needed sustenance.

We ordered from all three trucks.  

Kisha was the Asian fusion truck which offered bao, bowls and curries.  

We selected the yakiniku beef which was savory but the meat was a bit tough.  

The chicken bao was fluffy and the chicken was tender but the Asian flavor and seasonings were a bit off.  

From La Palma, we ordered the patatas brava which were crispy and smoky, served with tangy aioli. We also ordered the gambas al ajillo.  

The perfectly cooked shrimp had a bit of heat from the chili.  

My personal favorite though was the steak I ordered from Toteki as it was lightly seasoned, tender and served with crispy fries.

There was a bar in the same section as the food trucks so we took it as a sign to order our first vacation drink.    

After unpacking, settling in and getting a bit of a rest, we headed to Gatsu Gatsu, the Japanese sushi restaurant, for our first dinner.  We started with a few appetizers.  

The chicken karaage was lightly battered and given a bit more umph by the chili sauce.

The tempura was expertly fried with a crispy exterior retaining a moist interior.

We also ordered a ramen bowl which was served with a thinly sliced savory sliver of pork set in the creamy milky broth.  

Next up was the spicy tuna hand roll which was quite traditionally prepared. The ahi albacore salad had a bit of pop as it was topped with masago eggs giving it a slightly salty bite and had a bit of silkiness from the sesame dressing. The salmon sashimi was a bit thicker than the norm but it was surprisingly tender due to the sushi chef’s expert knife skills.  The seared tuna carpaccio was served with a bright pink middle and was extra spicy due to the wasabi but unfortunately, the texture wasn’t quite on point as the carpaccio was sliced too thick. Next up was the lobster roll which was densely packed with the various ingredients and served with a tangy sauce on top. We also ordered a salmon roll which was on par with the quality of the lobster. The creamy pepper jack roll which was unique and cheesier than the other two rolls though clearly not traditional Japanese fare. Of everything we sampled, the ramen, spicy tuna hand roll and salad were my favorites from our dinner.

On our first full day at the resort, we opted to have breakfast at Aolos, the beachside restaurant.  

The quality of my breakfast steak was similar to the prior day’s meal from the food truck. I asked for cheese to be added to the side of eggs I ordered which gave it a creamier texture. The accompanying hash browns were served piping hot and crispy.

My husband ordered a shrimp, mushroom, spinach, pepper, pepper jack cheese omelet which was dense and packed with flavor.

We spent the morning checking out the manmade beach area. Some of the beach chairs were shielded from the sun by thatched huts.  

The strip of sand also had kayaks, and there were a few round large mesh floaties in the middle of the water.  The water was a bit chilly at first but with the hot sun, we acclimated shortly thereafter.  The downside was the lack of clarity of the water so after a while we hopped onto a few of the mesh floaties and chatted with a few of the other guests.  

For lunch, we opted to dine at The Strand which was located beachside of the resort.  

We started off with a cobb salad which was served with fresh crisp lettuce, bacon bits, a sliced hard-boiled egg and lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast.

The appetizer of choice was the bittenballen which was quite unique and was similar to a hush puppy but had a creamy savory filling. Our server mentioned that it was a local favorite but sadly, it did not resonate with our taste buds.  

The grilled fish was a thick fillet which was served with a cream sauce and capers. Oddly, the fish seemed a bit tough or perhaps not completely thawed out in the middle.

The jerk chicken was a decent portion and was as spicy as one would expect.  The Strand was fine, but service was rather slow.  

After the midday meal, we ventured into the gym for our daily workout.  As the resort officially opened just six months prior, the equipment still looked new, except for one piece of equipment which seemed to be a bit sticky.  

We started off with a short cardio workout on the side-by-side ellipticals and then did a full upper body set using machines and free weights.  

After an hour, we headed back to our room to change for our favorite leisure activity at the resort: hanging out at the infinity pool. 

That evening, as return customers, we were invited to a loyalty dinner which began with sunset cocktails and outdoor music as well as photo sessions.  We were then escorted to one of the ballrooms where there was a presentation throughout the dinner applauding the various levels of loyalty.  We were served from a prix fixe menu which seemed fine but nothing stood out as exemplary.  

The starter carrot soup wouldn’t have been my first choice but it was quite creamy and sweet. The croutons added a bit of crunch.

My substitution request for the melon salad was just a regular salad.  

The lobster was pretty good but the steak was an inferior cut of beef, tough and fatty with very little edible meat. The mashed potatoes were creamy and had a bit of sweetness from the carrot purée sauce.

The cheesecake on its own was phenomenal but the popcorn served alongside was odd and bitter.  I took the meringue off of the dish as it didn’t seem like a good pairing for the dessert. The dark chocolate though was quite good. 

Because we didn’t feel we experienced enough umami, we opted for a second dinner at Gatsu. We ordered a solid favorite, the shrimp tempura, as well as the savory shrimp wonton soup and the prior night’s spicy tuna hand roll as well as the crisp shrimp tempura hand roll, the seared tuna roll and salmon lover roll. All were pretty good though I think the hand rolls were superior.

New to us and not available the night before was the chicken and beef ishiyaki. Both were solid and required some self-grilling.

My husband ended the meal with 3 sampler mochis which he enjoyed.  

The next morning we had our first breakfast at Pietra and sampled from their breakfast buffet and their made-to-order omelet station.  The food was solid fare but the best part was the orange juice machine by the beverage stand and being able to watch the juice squeezed from the oranges and poured into your glass.  

After breakfast, we headed out for our first self-guided island exploration.  It took just under half an hour for us to drive to Mambo Beach from Sandals which was a fairly easy drive with very little traffic at that early hour. Parking was plentiful, and the area was easy to navigate. We chose the beachfront restaurant, Riley for its proximity from the walkway and the restroom by the main entrance as well as for its well- stocked bar and its well-equipped beach which had thatched huts shielding the beach chairs.

We paid $5 per chair and $3.50 each for admittance to the beach. We were greeted by a lovely gentleman who would be our server during our stay.

Rider served us our burger with fries and chicken quesadilla. The pigeons hovered aggressively and unsuccessfully made attempts to hop onto our beach chairs to have a few nibbles of our meals.

The water was quite chilly upon entering but became refreshing as the day wore on. Overall, Mambo was a winner, and we would definitely recommend a trek to this beachside community. 

We returned to the resort to unwind and ready ourselves for dinner at Pietra.  

Our beef lasagne was perfectly cooked, savory and herbaceous with a creamy tomato base.

The chicken parmesan had an abundant amount of spaghetti with crispy moist chicken which was breaded heavily like a fried chicken breast. The tomato sauce was plentiful and added a nice contrast.

After dinner, we caught the tail end of the beach show which was a tribute to the 80s.

There was a Michael Jackson stage performance and then there was a piano sing-along in the main bar followed by shots with new friends.  

At around 10:30 p.m. we ordered a pizza from Pietra which was right below the main bar and had it as a late-night snack, soaking up all the alcohol we had ingested.

The next morning, for breakfast, we once again dined at the breakfast buffet at Pietra after which we took a quick morning nap before heading to the gym for our daily workout.  

Then we headed back to Pietra for lunch.  The order took close to 40 minutes to arrive and they all came at the same time.

The mahi mahi was a thick filet, perfectly cooked with fries crispy.

The shrimp Caesar had a lot of Parmesan cheese sprinkles throughout but not heavily dressed, and the shrimp was cooked just long enough that it wasn’t transparent.

The cheese ravioli was the standout with a super creamy gooey ricotta center.

After our lunch, we readied ourselves for our late afternoon adventure in town.  

I had previously booked a free walking tour of Punda Vibes which only occurred in the late afternoon/evening on Thursdays in the center of town.   We met our guide, Gabriel, who gave us a very detailed history of the background of the island.  

He mentioned that the island was embroiled in the battle for wealth and dominance in the English, Dutch and French wars.  The other side of the waterway had slaves from Venezuela, St. Maarten and Africa. The Punda Vibes side housed the Governor, delineating a socioeconomic divide in the island’s early history.  The rule of the land in olden times was each married couple was obligated to have 2 boys and 2 girls at a minimum. Gabriel also shared that the Jewish side of that part of town had different and stricter laws which resulted in some instances sentencing offenders to two years in prison. There once was a prison which in current day is now a bank. Though Curacao no longer has a prison, if one commits a crime in present day, that person is forced to get a tattoo to let others know that he/she has committed an offense akin to the “Scarlett Letter.”  The local language on the island in present day is a combination of all the languages: Dutch, English, Portuguese, Spanish. 

The island’s current doctors are either Dutch or Colombian and speak Latin.  Nurses also have to speak and understand Latin and be able to translate the doctor’s orders or advice to the patient’s dialect.  After our tour, we thanked Gabriel for the education and headed back to the resort.  

We chose Zuka for dinner that Thursday evening.  

The tortilla soup had a thick tomato base with a bit of cheese.

Our starter quesadilla had a jalapeño flavor but fortunately wasn’t overly spicy.

The ceviche was my favorite as it was light, fresh and citrusy. Our entrees arrived shortly thereafter.

On my dish, the pork skin was crispy and both the pork meat and short rib were tender.

My husband’s chicken entrée was sumptuous and moist with tomato and celery flavorings.

Our third shared entrée, the red snapper was a thick cut, served crispy on the outside but had a flaky interior. Its chorizo accompaniment was tasty as well. 

The first dessert was like pillows of heaven with a tart aftertaste. It was called pastelists de guayaba.

The second dessert, the apple fig colada, was refreshing and served as a palate cleanser of sorts.

Our third dessert, the tres leches had a light texture and was sprinkled with coconut shreds.

The next day, Friday, we headed out for our longest road trip in Curacao to the north west section.  

First, after an hour on the road, we parked our car on the side of the road and crossed the narrow street to check out the local flamingos.  We were going to check out the turtles on the other side of the island but as it turns out, the road was closed so we headed to our third destination, Grote Knip.  We had no issues finding our way, thanks to our local navigation app.  

There was plenty of parking and once we were at the top of the hill, we looked down and could see the magnificent almost fluorescent blue waters below us.  I had never seen that deep of a turquoise color before and collectively, we have been to many Caribbean, south Pacific and Asian beaches.  It literally was the color of a blue curacao drink.  

We made our way down to the beach and paid the fee for the beach chairs and umbrella.  

Once we were settled, I headed up to the snack bar up the hill.  

I ordered a double burger which honestly tasted like fake meat.

Fortunately, I had selected the chicken plate with salad for my husband which was a much better selection.  

It was incredibly relaxing being there and in hindsight, we should have brought our snorkel gear or rented a pair because that was an excellent location for exploring the underwater sights.  After about an hour or so, I noticed that the dark, ominous clouds headed in our direction and decided to head back to the resort.  Just as we reached the car, the sky opened up and started to pour.  As with all tropical destinations, the rain was short lived and dissipated as we were leaving.  

After some R&R at the resort, we headed to Butch’s for dinner.  

The bacon on my dish was incredibly tender and savory, no knife needed, and had the perfect melding of flavors and texture. The warm salad served alongside was a pretend healthy accompaniment as the volume of bacon far outweighed any healthy aspirations.

The shrimp appetizer was perfectly cooked and garlicky.

The crabcake, as my husband pointed out, had an excessive amount of breading but the crab meat portion was quite good.

The filet was tender, juicy and perfectly cooked at medium and the lobster was unbelievably tender and moist.

The truffle fries were spectacularly crispy, and the brussels sprouts were tender.

The wrapped chicken breast was surprisingly fully cooked and moist.

The mushroom tasted earthy, juicy and savory, and the mashed potatoes which we quickly devoured and forgot to capture on camera were incredibly creamy and buttery.

The chocolate sin cake had three layers: the top was a light mousse, the middle was a slightly bitter dense section and the bottom was a crispy crust. The vanilla ice cream which accompanied it had a nearly spongy texture.

Saturday morning we headed to Willemsted for our second walking tour which coincidentally was once again with our prior guide, Gabriel.  

He shared a few fun facts about that side of the island.  1) The right side of the plaza was Italy.  The left side was deemed as Paris. 2) Sushi translated means trash or poop. 3) Laraja tree is where blue Curacao comes from. 4) On Otrabande, when the Dutch bought half of Punda, the Jewish people moved across the waterway and established their businesses on the other side where they sold their wares for a fraction to sell to the slaves who lived on that side of the island.

To save on daily expenses, the Jewish business owners lived above their businesses. 

Near the end of the tour, we observed the opening and closing of the bridge and watched as some people foolishly tried to run across to make it to the other side which was amusing and infuriating at the same time.  

A bit tired and hungry, we opted to stay for a bite at La Boheme and invited our guide to join us for lunch.  

The food was quite good but during lunch, we experienced another downpour and had to switch to a more shielded table as we were seated outside, exposed to the elements.  Again, it didn’t last very long and as soon as it stopped raining, the sun came out in full force.  

That night, which was Christmas Eve, we had a 7 p.m. reservation for dinner at Vincent. Upon arriving, we knew that we’d be on the slow roll as we arrived at 7:10 p.m., 10 minutes late for our reservation, and nobody came to greet us til 7:17. By 7:58 p.m., our orders had not been taken.

Crystal, the restaurant’s bartender, had served us 2 vodka martinis at that point as a pre-apology. I walked across to complain at Club Sandals that at 7:58 p.m. we hadn’t been greeted by our server or had our orders taken let alone received bread service which eventually arrived at 8:14 p.m., almost an hour after being seated. At some point during my walks to Club Sandals, I stopped a server who immediately took our order. It was as if the servers didn’t know which tables were theirs or were advised by the hostess that their section had been seated. 

Starters arrived at 8:19 pm.

The mushroom bisque was quite good and savory.

The beef bresaola was the proper texture and a bit salty.

The petite iceberg was crisp and fresh, served with a side of tasty bacon. 

By 8:51 p.m., no entrees had arrived.  Nearly 2 hours after being seated, at 9 p.m., our main dishes were served.

My sole meuniere was good, flaky, lightly breaded, and fries were perfectly crispy. The sprinkling of mini shrimp atop were nice and plump.

My husband’s steak was tender and juicy and the mashed potatoes were incredibly creamy.

Liza, a manager or supervisor, came over at 9:10 p.m. and by that point, I was screaming at how terrible the service was, and she was pleading with me to keep the voice down. I told her to talk to the lobby of people waiting as I let them know they should just leave or expect to eat by midnight, and I pointed out that she didn’t stop by earlier when she spoke with the diners seated at the tables alongside ours when she initially entered the premises and that perhaps if somebody had made a scene earlier, things wouldn’t have deteriorated as they had. I asked why nobody had communicated to the guests that it would be a 3 hour wait, that perhaps they overbooked the restaurant, or maybe the menu was too ambitious and couldn’t be served during a normal dinner service. Were they short staffed? If so, they should communicate and let guests know that perhaps they should dine elsewhere. As it was, we were missing the 9 p.m. show. She advised me that the manager would be speaking with us during breakfast service and asked for our room number and when we would be dining at Butch’s in the morning.  

Dessert arrived at 9:35 pm. The marshmallow was quite chewy, as it should be. The chocolate pot de creme had a bit of liquor aftertaste.

The profiterole was fine but nothing to write home about.

On our last full day at the resort, Christmas Day, we headed to Butch’s, where we previously had our fantastic steakhouse dinner.  The coffee at Butch’s is different from the other breakfast establishments on the resort. The orange juice was refreshing though it’s not freshly squeezed like at Pietra. Troy’s parfait was beautifully presented and his omelet was cooked perfectly. My breakfast hash was quite tasty and was a fairly generous portion. Troy finished off with a yummy apple short stack Paula was our server and she was beyond lovely.  To close the loop from the night prior, no manager arrived to discuss our dinner at Vincent.

For lunch, we ate at Pietra.  The tomato soup was piping hot and the crispy croutons were a nice accompaniment. My cheeseburger was perfectly cooked with extra crispy bacon. Troy’s cobb salad had a perfect ratio of bacon, tomato, chicken, egg and lettuce. His mac n cheese was stellar and had a bit of bite from the red bell pepper. The chocolate cake was light and airy. The fruit tarte was creamy with shredded coconut sprinkles.

For our pre-dinner snack, we headed back to where we started our culinary journey: the food trucks. From the Spanish tapa truck emerged a paella which tasted like it was cooked in chicken broth with the shrimp adding a bit of texture and protein.  From Toteki, we ordered a polenta cake was crisp and fish had a tomato and bell pepper flavor. 

On our last night, we once again dined at Pietra.  The spaghetti and meatballs were savory. The alfredo was very creamy and eggy. Our salmon was moist, tender and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.

In sum, Sandals Royal Curacao is my favorite of all-inclusive resorts we have ever visited.

Sandals in general is the top tier of all similar resorts but our experience in Curacao, except for one unfortunate dinner experience at Vincent and few delays at other dining venues, was filled with exceptionally attentive, courteous and friendly interactions with the staff. The positivity in Curacao alone elevated our stay. It made for a very merry Christmas!