What did you do on Curacao?

I've been trying to see what there is to do on Curacao but not sadly I'm not finding a variety of excursions. Are there any beaches/hotels for day guests. Are the beaches nice on Curacao? We are doing the ABC islands and I am just trying to get a feel for what we should do and on what island. I've researched the Princess excursions and also the other cruise lines and trip advisor. I'm just wondering if anyone would suggest something that I am not finding online. Please include any special excursions on Bonaire and Aruba too. Thanks in Advance!

I would go to Curaçao under ports of call and see what other people are doing on the island. We hired a taxi and did a tour on year. We went to Blue Bay beach and it was very nice. You can walk to town and cross the bridge view the fish and fruit market. Have fun!

My DH and I visited Curacao three years ago.

When we got off the ship,we intended to walk into town to get to the unique bridge that goes to the other side of town.

However,we saw tourist buses lined up and decided to take an island tour.

The guide was very pleasant,but I felt sorry for her as she pointed out schools and public buildings as interesting sights.

We stopped at a viewpoint of the coast which was really a gift shop.

The views of the coastline showed narrow,rocky beaches.

We also went to the factory where they produced the blue Curacao liquor.

If we ever return to that island,we would probably stay on the ship or try to get to the downtown area where the swing bridge is located.

If you want information,you could check the port forums on CC ,your ship's roll call to see what others have planned or consult travel guide sites such as Trip Advisor.

Enjoy your cruise!

We did a private ATV Tour. Great fun and we saw parts of the island we missed in other tours. As well as driving along rugged coasts we stopped at the ostrich farm and aloe plantation/factory store. DH did the driving.

There still was time to enjoy the waterfront cafes afterwards.

In Aruba we did the Aruba Trikes tour. Another private booking.

We've been to all the islands several times so are always open to new ideas.

If you will be in Curacao until a bit later in the evening, taking a Sunset Catamaran sailing is something to consider. :)

I've been trying to see what there is to do on Curacao but not sadly I'm not finding a variety of excursions. Are there any beaches/hotels for day guests. Are the beaches nice on Curacao? We are doing the ABC islands and I am just trying to get a feel for what we should do and on what island. I've researched the Princess excursions and also the other cruise lines and trip advisor. I'm just wondering if anyone would suggest something that I am not finding online. Please include any special excursions on Bonaire and Aruba too. Thanks in Advance!

Bonaire has the BEST snorkeling we've ever experienced. We use Woodwind Snorkel ( http://www.woodwindbonaire.com/cruise-ship-guests/ ) who cater to novices and experts. Say Hi to Dee if you see her!

Curacao

1. Best excursion we had there is probably not offered - snorkeling to a sunken tugboat.

2. Walking - go through the fort to the pontoon bridge. Very picturesque houses and typical Dutch style buildings. Just over the bridge we found a very nice maritime museum.

Go to the Blue Beach. Very nice. Changing rooms,bar and nice restaurant and lounge chairs under umbrellas. One of my favorite places. Just take a taxi and let them

Know when you want to be picked up.

Kenepa Beach is quite a distance from the port but is reputed to be a top beach.

We booked the Princess Sea Aquarium Beach Break to use as reliable transportation, and then after spending an hour on the beach, we walked to the aquarium to do a snorkel encounter where we got to feed sharks, turtles, and sting rays and swim with thousands for fish and sting rays. It was quite the experience, and I highly recommend it! We booked through Viator because it was the same price as booking directly through the aquarium, but it was a worry-free shore excursion, so it would provide a refund if our ship couldn't dock that day. We then walked back to the beach, used our free drink coupon, and took the transport back to the ship to shower, change, and eat lunch. After, we explored walked around Willemstad and walked over the floating bridge.

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Be sure to also check out the ports of call Board to get ideas.

We got a taxi and negotiated a rate and had them take us all around the island. They have one of the oldest synagogues in North American not too far from port and we also went to a very unique cave about 45 minutes from the port. Do spend a couple of hours walking around the local area.

Keith

Go to the Blue Beach. Very nice. Changing rooms,bar and nice restaurant and lounge chairs under umbrellas. One of my favorite places. Just take a taxi and let them

Know when you want to be picked up.[/quote

How far is Blue beach from the port? Thanks

We have taken several excursions in Curacao.

Went to Blue Bay for the morning via the Beach Express. Nice resort.

Walked all over Willemstad to enjoy and photograph beautiful buildings.

Did some shopping there also.

Took a taxi up to Fort Nassau for the panoramic review and some refreshment. See website.

Took a tour which stopped at the Museum, Jan Thiel, and Chobolobo Liqueur Factory.

There are many cove beaches on Curacao. There are reviews here of many of those.

We like to wander around town in Curacao. Visited the old synagogue. Window shopped.

On Aruba I like the beach. Easy to get to. Just take a public bus from the main bus station and get off at either Eagle or Palm beach (some people prefer Eagle). Then grab the bus back to town when done.

Curacao is one of our favorite islands. We have been there several times for week long vacations and we have chosen 2 cruises based on the cruises porting here.

The western beaches are the best and way better than Sea Aquarium beach and even Blue Bay. Blue bay is nice but not the nicest.

The town itself is interesting to walk around and shop and check out the history. There are several museums in town that are very interesting imo.

I would not "stay on the ship" at this port. Well worth it to get yourself to one of the more western beaches if you can if you like the beach and snorkeling.

We will be there in June and chose VIP Tours. According to Trip Advisor and posts I've seen here on CC it sounds like we can't go wrong. Here is where Edo from VIP Tours will be taking us:

- 9 am pickup from the harbor

- Drive to the west of the island and visit the Christoffel Park

- Visit Shete Boka where you can see the rough north coast of the island (here you can also try some of the local dishes if you like)

- Visit several stunning beaches for a photo stop

- Visit the Salt Lakes of Jan Kok and try to spot some Flamingos

- During this tour there will be several photo stops at nice viewpoints on the way.

The tour goes from 9am to 5pm. I can't wait!

We have taken several excursions in Curacao.

Went to Blue Bay for the morning via the Beach Express. Nice resort.

 

Walked all over Willemstad to enjoy and photograph beautiful buildings.

Did some shopping there also.

 

Took a taxi up to Fort Nassau for the panoramic review and some refreshment. See website.

 

Took a tour which stopped at the Museum, Jan Thiel, and Chobolobo Liqueur Factory.

 

There are many cove beaches on Curacao. There are reviews here of many of those.

Hi cruiseapril, this is our first time to Curacao. Are there cost associated with transportation and access to Blue Bay? It sounds like you did a lot for one day. Any advice is appreciated.

Crammed a lot into one day. Visited the Hato caves and the ostrich farm in the morning. Both were interesting and worth the price of admission. Went to Blue Bay beach in the afternoon. Nice beach and a great restaurant with some unique menu items (schnitzel for example). Finished off crossing the pontoon bridge and shopping. They have a "seven even" knockoff convenience store on the other side of the bridge for buying items that you might need or forget to pack when traveling. Sometimes cheap convenience stores are hard to find in touristy areas, so just mentioning this for anyone (like me) that loves a good convenience store on a road trip.

Looking into ATV & Buggy Tours... has anyone toured with them in the past? East vs West?

Hi- There is a fee for Blue Bay and cost of transportation from the pier.

We took the Beach Express which covered all costs. One can e-mail Blue Bay Resort to get an update on the fee. There may still be a website for the Curacao Beach Express. Some cruise lines offer that excursion. We felt it was worth the cost, as the bus is on time to bring cruisers back to the pier.

We didn't do all of the excursions in one day! We have been there several times. We went to Blue Bay one morning and then spent that afternoon walking around Willemstad.

I've been trying to see what there is to do on Curacao but not sadly I'm not finding a variety of excursions. Are there any beaches/hotels for day guests. Are the beaches nice on Curacao? We are doing the ABC islands and I am just trying to get a feel for what we should do and on what island. I've researched the Princess excursions and also the other cruise lines and trip advisor. I'm just wondering if anyone would suggest something that I am not finding online. Please include any special excursions on Bonaire and Aruba too. Thanks in Advance!

We did the Santa Barbara beach resort for the day. Just goggle it. Had a great day by the pool and they have a lagoon. The food and drinks included. No crowds. Very peaceful. We were in Curaçao twice before and we're bored. This was a nice change.

A group of us stayed a week in Curacao last June. It was a fabulous week. We visited many beaches. My favorite was Playa Lagun. If you are able to get a taxi or rent a car I would highly recommend it.

The area is not big. But big enough. There are some lounge chairs that can be rented. There is a restaurant on top of the cliff. Great food. Drinks. Iguanas. Staff. We had the best time.

The snorkeling was awesome. Saw a sea turtle. Many locals were bringing in their small wooden boats with tons of local fish. It was just a great place to take in some culture with the locals and enjoy the beautiful scenery and the water.

Highly recommended!!!

Good to see reviews posted.

How far is Playa Lagun from Willemstad?

Bonaire has the BEST snorkeling we've ever experienced. We use Woodwind Snorkel ( http://www.woodwindbonaire.com/cruise-ship-guests/ ) who cater to novices and experts. Say Hi to Dee if you see her!

 

Curacao

1. Best excursion we had there is probably not offered - snorkeling to a sunken tugboat.

2. Walking - go through the fort to the pontoon bridge. Very picturesque houses and typical Dutch style buildings. Just over the bridge we found a very nice maritime museum.

on 30 March we snorkeled the Tugboat with Scubacao, group of 13 (3 scuba divers, 1 discovery diver, and 9 snorkelers), picked up from ship, two shore dive/snorkel sites and lunch (with beer). Great time!

Good to see reviews posted.

 

How far is Playa Lagun from Willemstad?

It is approximately 30-40 min if my memory serves me. It's toward the west end of the island.

Crammed a lot into one day. Visited the Hato caves and the ostrich farm in the morning. Both were interesting and worth the price of admission. Finished off crossing the pontoon bridge and shopping. They have a "seven even" knockoff convenience store on the other side of the bridge for buying items that you might need or forget to pack when traveling. Sometimes cheap convenience stores are hard to find in touristy areas, so just mentioning this for anyone (like me) that loves a good convenience store on a road trip.

Ebay33 - yours is the first post that hit two of the stops we want to do for sure - did you get a taxi at each spot? Are these walkable from the ship? How were the caves?

Thanks!