The shipping platform

Location: Oranjestad is located on the SW end of Aruba, which is one of the islands of the Lesser Antilles. General overview: Oranjestad is protected from the SW by a reef of coral and stones on which lie several inlets. Gaps in the reef provide 2 channels, the NW which is used mainly for entering the harbour and the SE channel which serves as an exit. There is over 1,240m of berthage capable of handling five cruise vessels and a container berth with facilities for general cargo, containers, liquid cargo, passengers, Ro-Ro ships and tankers. Traffic figures: Approx 950 vessels (300 cruise ships), 165,000t of cargo and 51,800TEU handled annually. Load line zone: Tropical. Max size: LOA 250m and draught 9.8m. Largest vessel handled: "Queen Elizabeth 2".