Katefromupstate

True, they are wooden structures that looked like umbrellas to me. Good pictures, very helpful. We don’t go there on cruise ship days and we go early in the day so we always get a lounger under one. We find they provide enough filtered shade for us, but your mileage may vary. Hope you enjoy your next cruise to the island. best, Kate

Hi, You book the ferry ticket online on their website, not through email. Go to caribe watersport, click on info for cruise ship passengers and you can book the tickets. I just tried a sample reservation and it’s working. Kate

You will have a great time in October, the sea will be 85 degrees or more, and since the wind dies down then, the visibility will be even better than usual. Andrea 1 is an easy ride by golf cart, it’s just under 4 miles from the cruise port. all the best, Kate

Hi, Sorobon is the name of a resort on Lac Bay, not the name of the beach. The resort Sorobon does have umbrellas and loungers, but does not sell day passes to cruisers. However, you can go to Sebastian’s Beach club on Lac Bay and they have loungers and umbrellas. It may be crowded, since many cruise tours stop there, so I would take a cab there early to get a spot. all the best, kate

Hi Sue, For photography, I’d go to Lac Bay. Beautiful scenery, turquoise water, and colorful windsurfers sailing back and forth in the distance. all the best, Kate

Hi, What time does your ship leave? At midnight, the entire island sets off fireworks in the most impressive display I’ve ever seen. People fly in from all over to see it, and yachts and sailboats come to our harbour from all over the Caribbean. Some ships will pull away from the dock at their sail away time and then sit in the sea offshore so their guests don’t miss it. During the day, most of the normal activities will take place, so look at the Bonaire posts to see info on shore excursions and things to do. The ship docks downtown, so it is an easy stroll to shops and the cruise ship market. Hope you have a great trip! Kate

You can buy a ticket on the day of, IF there is room. That’s why it’s good to have a reservation. The ferry runs every hour. There is a ticket booth right outside Karel’s, a waterfront restaurant an easy walk from the ship, where the ferry docks. You can’t pay on the ferry. Go to www.caribewatersportbonaire.com and click on info for cruise ship passengers. It will show details, times, and a picture of what the ticket booth looks like and directions from the ship. Hope you have a great time on Bonaire! Kate

Hi, Both excursions will follow the same southern route, which will pass salt flats, huts, lighthouse and the mangrove area, so the only difference is the amount of time and which beach area you like best. You can check out Ocean Oasis Beach Club and Lac Bay online. A common mislabeling is that many people and tours call the entire Lac Bay Area “Sorobon” because there is a resort called Sorobon there. However, Sorobon resort does not allow cruise ship passengers or excursions to utilize their resort. There are a number of restaurants and Sebastian’s Beach on the same strip, facing Lac Bay. You will be going to one of those. They’re all fine, it’s the same bay. Lac Bay is very shallow, calm and sandy. It’s like a giant natural swimming pool, with no waves. You need to walk out a long way to even get to waist deep water so it’s great for kids or people who just want to hang out in the water, not so much for someone who wants to swim. You can see windsurfers here and they do a good job staying away from waders and swimmers. If you want to really swim, not just float around, you may prefer Ocean Oasis. This is on the coast, not a protected bay, so it will have waves and get deeper as you go out. The entry is rocky, so bring water shoes. Not great for kids. You can’t go wrong with either, so I would just look up Lac Bay and Ocean Oasis and see what appeals. Hope you have a great cruise! Kate

I would make a reservation for a taxi, although taxis do go by the cruise terminal, you’re going to need a van for that many of you. Try https://www.taxi14bonaire.com/ all the best, kate Bonaire resident

Hi, Bonaire has been repaving many roads this year, most of the ones tourists will drive on are fine for golf carts. For locals, golf carts can be a problem when we’re trying to get to work, the store, appointments, etc. One of the things that folks that rent golf carts can do is to periodically pull over and let traffic pass. The golf carts go slower than cars and most tourists drive slowly to enjoy the scenery and frequently go in large groups, making it difficult to pass them. Locals driving frequently get stuck behind golf carts and are too polite to honk at you, so please check your rear view mirror and if you see cars lined up behind you, please move over so we can pass. We appreciate it! Hope you enjoy your trip, Kate

Hi, On a cruise ship day, the ferries to the small island of Klein Bonaire will be booked for shore excursions, so if you want to go there, you will need a reservation. The ferries usually come directly to your ship and drop you back off there. It’s not a 90 minute round trip unless they are planning a slow boarding time, the ferry to Klein takes a little less than a half hour. If you want to go to chogogo, get there as soon as you can, they have a limited number of day passes and they often sell out. If you arrive and they are sold out, you can walk next door to Eden Beach Resort and buy a day pass there. Hope you enjoy your trip! all the best, Kate

Usually any cruise that goes to Bonaire will also stop at Curacao and Aruba, so you can check a few stops off your list. Due to our location near the equator, you’ll likely be on at least a 9 day cruise to stop at Bonaire. Bonaire is beautiful and unspoiled. It is safe, quiet, and the residents are kind and friendly. (I live on Bonaire, so I’m biased.) The sea is crystal clear and warm. The island takes its eco status seriously, and you will find the sea, corals, and marine life protected. We are divers and other than Indonesia, Bonaire diving is the best we’ve ever done. If you like to snorkel, you can walk into the water almost anywhere, the reef is close to shore. If you take a shore excursion by boat, they will take you to the best snorkeling sites. We have some sandy beaches, but we are not ringed with sand beaches like Aruba. Our shores are more rocky, which is better for the corals than sand. We are a quieter island, without high rise buildings or traffic lights. We do not attract spring breakers, we tend to attract nature lovers and people who live to dive, snorkel, windsurf, kite surf, kayak, etc. We have parrots in the trees and donkeys and goats meandering along the side of some roads. Yet we have every modern convenience and store we need. Our downtown is beautiful and right where the ship docks. If you just come on a cruise, you will not likely have a chance to experience restaurants here, but the island is also known for amazing chef owned restaurants. Many people come back to Bonaire to live or to do a land based vacation after experiencing it on a cruise ship stop. We are a short direct flight from Miami, and there are also nonstop flights to Bonaire from Atlanta, Newark, Houston and Toronto. all the best, Kate

Depending on how much time you have before you need to get back on the shop, you can either relax at Divi Flamingo to enjoy the small beach area, or if you’ve had enough sun and water, walk into town. There are great shops on the waterfront and the street behind it, and there is a cruise ship market with handcrafted goods. It’s all in the same area, so easy to get around. Try Gio’s homemade ice cream on Kaya Grandi. Or, you might enjoy a late lunch or drinks and apps at Karel’s Beach Bar, which is a restaurant with a thatched roof that extends on a pier into the water. The views are great, you can see the ship from there, and in the clear water you’ll see many fish hoping to have some bread thrown to them. enjoy! kate

Yes, a taxi can take you there. Just remember to get the phone number of the driver so you can call for a ride back to port when you are ready. Kate

Glad to hear it was helpful, thank you for letting us know. I hope you have a wonderful time in Bonaire. We’re currently in Japan on a cruise with NCL. best, Kate

So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Next time you’re scheduled for a stop in Bonaire, we’d love to meet you. We are currently in Japan on an NCL cruise and having a great time. all the best, kate

Sorry that happened to you. Going forward, this won’t be a problem with upcoming cruises this spring because Bonaire does not do daylight savings time. So, when you all turn your clocks forward tonight, Bonaire will be the same as east coast time zone. Then in the fall when the US falls back, Bonaire will be an hour ahead of east coast time zone again. Kate

Yes, the beach is now open again. The island did a great job cleaning up and protecting the mangrove area, and installing booms to prevent more from coming ashore. The west side of the island, where most of the beaches, hotels, restaurants and dive sites are located, was not affected. kate

Hi Toni, just got notice that Lac Bay is again open so you can do your full driving loop. kate

Hi Toni, Yes, unfortunately an oil spill made its way to our eastern shore, where the mangroves and Lac Bay are located. The western side of the island is not affected. Our environmental protection group, STINAPA, the government and volunteers have placed oil blocking booms off the east coast in an effort to prevent more oil from coming into the shallows and shore. During this time the area is closed. Since you aren’t cruising for another week, it is possible the area will be open by the time you get here. What date are you arriving? You can look at the Bonaire Reporter online (free weekly newspaper) to see updates and also InfoBonaire. Hope to see you when you arrive, just ring the bell! all the best, Kate

You can rent a boat with captain for your group with Mako Tours Bonaire or Salty tours Bonaire. You can do a private (max 4 people) off the shore (no boat) snorkeling tour with privateguidedtoursBonaire.com. Bonaire is the premier shore diving location, so you don’t need a boat. Our island is surrounded by reefs very close to shore. enjoy! kate

No, the landsailing is its own activity. But you should have time to do both, if your cruise is there long enough. If you book directly with the landsailing people (blokart Bonaire) they can sometimes pick you up, too. Kate

There is no rental shop there. There are many dive shops on the island that rent masks, fins and snorkels for about $8 per piece, or $24 per person. If you have room in your suitcase, better to bring your own, since it is high season and a lot of equipment is rented by the week by divers and snorkelers staying on the island in hotels. Remember to bring water shoes, our beaches are rocky. If you have never snorkeled before, you might want to join a snorkel tour that provides the equipment and instruction. best of luck, Kate

We live on Bonaire. It’s best to make a reservation with a dive shop to ensure they have the space on the dive boat and the equipment you need. Bonaire is the ultimate Caribbean shore diving location, so you will be on the island with many divers who fly in and spend a week or two diving. They will have reservations for equipment and dives. All our dive operations here are great, just google them and check their price and offerings menus. You can also do shore diving from almost anywhere on the island. VIP diving offers guided shore diving and equipment rental. enjoy! Kate

Sorobon (that’s the name of a resort on Lac Bay) has a gentle sandy shallow entrance. There are many similar shoreline entrances into Lac Bay through bars, restaurants and free spots near the parking lot at the far end. However, the sea is about waist to chest deep maximum, so you’ll have to walk a ways out to swim. Ocean Oasis has a rocky entrance. use google earth to see the shorelines of both. enjoy! kate