Cruising Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire--advice?

Hello all! We're considering a future cruise to Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire. I'd love to hear from others who have cruised there--any must-do's, tips, advice. Would you recommend a port or a starboard cabin?

We just returned and I would book a port cabin if I could do it over again. We just took tours of Aruba & Bonaire - bus rides around. We walked around Curacao on our own.

One of the best excursions we have done was in Aruba. Trikes-Aruba

Easy and if your older, it is still so much fun.

http://www.trikes-aruba.com

Soon there will the Trikes-Cozumel. :D

Highly recommend Woodwind Snorkel tour in Bonaire. If you have a late departure in Aruba have dinner at Barefoot, a $10 cab ride away for the 4 of us. In Curacao we did a 3 hour tour to see the island and were dropped at Mambo beach after. The tour was $20 each I think and cab back to the ship was $5 each. We loved the ABC islands!

Be sure to see the flocks of wild flamingos on Bonaire and Curaçao.

We did the custom Trikes in Aruba, really a great time as the tour covered the entire island. EZ to operate, fun to ride. We had a late departure in Aruba so we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at El Gaucho. "The Best & Biggest Steaks in Aruba", they were amazing steaks w/ a great local ambiance. Would do again.

In Curacao, we did an all inclusive private beach resort, Santa Barbara Beach Resort. We enjoyed it. Nice spot but would most likely attempt to experience something different given the opportunity.

Bonnaire... have not been but I hear the snorkeling is the best!

Enjoy!

Don't know what your likes are, but if you like snorkeling the best snorkel tour we ever did was with Windward on Bonaire. Very highly recommend. In Aruba you can catch a bus right across street from pier to several beaches for just couple of dollars. Shopping area/bars/casino very close also. Curacao very picturesque. We usually just walk into town and wonder around waterfront and shops. Really depends on what your interests are.

Jane

Hello all! We're considering a future cruise to Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire. I'd love to hear from others who have cruised there--any must-do's, tips, advice. Would you recommend a port or a starboard cabin?

Have lots of thoughts and ideas to consider for visiting these "Dutch ABC's". Interesting and varied area. Much depends on your personal interests, travel desires, likes, etc. Tell us more on your past travel history, loves, desires, budget flexibility, etc.

See below on some of my quick visuals samples, plus the below links with much, much more to check and consider. Not sure that port or starboard will make that much difference as most sailing is done at night and/or at some distances from the shore scenery. Added reactions and questions?

For Curacao: Pix's, Fun, Experiences Feb./2015!, see:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2263377

For "Aruba: Pix's, Fun, Experiences Feb./2015!", see:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2262154

For "Bonaire: Pix's, Fun, Experiences Feb./2015!", see:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2262075

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 46,779 views for these postings.

We enjoyed our day in Willemstad, Curacao. It was a fun sail-in with their unique, floating, wooden bridge, etc. Here is one quick visuals from their main downtown buildings with their colorful Dutch-style architecture.:

At the Curacao Sea Aquarium, we saw some cute flamingos. Lots of action, focus on keeping themselves looking great. Wonderful to see this creatures so "up close and personal"!!:

And, then there was their fun and interesting dolphin show. Very smart animals to be able do so many different tricks, etc. Great work by the trainers!:

Aruba's Eagle Beach gets high marks as the top beach on this island. Some even mention it as one of the best in the world. We can understand why. It is about six miles long with amazing sand. Busy, but not too crowded. We came back later in the afternoon via a cab to enjoy its fun, people, sights, activities, etc. At one end of the beach, however, are lots of high-rise hotels/housing. Personally, we prefer more of the low-rise, less-busy settings. The varied shades of the blue waters were so great. We had a fun part of the afternoon to be here. BUT, it was hot this day with a very intense sun. Did we enjoy? Yes!:

Earlier on Aruba, we covered a wide range of the island, including the residential areas, airport, etc. Then we headed to the California Lighthouse. Here is an example of a view from that location. This includes desert-style cacti growths that cover this dry island.:

 

Bonnaire... have not been but I hear the snorkeling is the best!

 

Enjoy!

This is true. We just took a boat over to Klein Bonaire with our snorkel equipment, walked up the beach and the drift brings you back. Turtles everywhere ... it was so fun!!!

In Aruba, we went to DePalm Island for my 50th birthday ... I absolutely loved it!!! Loved it, loved it, loved it!!

Eagle beach and Palm beach are equally as beautiful. We've also hit the shops and the fun casino right there in town. So many excellent things to do here.

In Curacao, one time we went to the Curacao factory ... now that is fun!! It comes with all the tasting!! We were all in a very good mood on the way back to the ship. hahaha! Actually, it is very interesting, too.

And once, we just went down to the sea life park and it was surprisingly good.

Just putting around the fort area and the shops across the bridge was is also very nice.

I love the ABC islands and go back as often as possible. They are relatively safe and absolutely gorgeous islands.

I did the Sail, Snorkel and Lunch cruise on the catamaran Jonalisa. It was fantastic. Booked it thru Bounty Adventures. This was in Curacao. In Aruba try to find an excursion that stops at Baby Beach. Very calm water and best shore snorkel on the island. Trouble is it's difficult to reach on your own.

All those islands have truly fantastic snorkeling. Bonaire probably gets the best reviews but I like Curacao the best. You may want to invest in your own snorkel mask and fins. At most dive stores you can get them for $50-$60. Also a good underwater camera.

Went on Oct on Infinity....loved this itin

Took 3 nice ship's excursions:

Bonaire...Flamingos and Salt tour,..saw quite a bit including windsurf beach, .flamingos in the wild....very scenic and informative..salt flats...

Will post the others later

Our Bonaire Tour was BO38....our bus was air conditioned... had a great guide and bus driver. Beach visit was a stop only at Sorobon...but not a swim stop. Was really a great tour. Afterwards we had a nice lunch at Kraals...waterfront in the port, shopped in a few very nice shops and enjoyed the outdoor market...local items salt, spices.Mailed cards at the post ofc. If you are not snorkeling this would be a nice plan....Other cruisers explored on open air vehicles, in jeeps etc...but in the heat and covering some distance, we were glad we had the AC bus...

On Curacao we booked a beach club tour...long ride to a lovely man made beach, nice beach club,( long walk on slope to get there) clear, clean water with tons of fish...no need even for a snorkel, AC bus as well.....we had a short day in port so we could not go over the pontoon bridge to the area of restaurants and shops...but did get a bit of shopping time at the port..limited. Guess everyone has to pick , won,t be enough time to do it all! Our tour did not include the liquer factory...Those who took that version of the tour got back late ( ship held) but no time to shop!

We'll post abt Aruba later...we loved being back there!

Wow! You guys are great! Thanks so much for all the great replies! And Terry in Ohio--beautiful photos and reviews! Thank-you for sharing that!

To answer your questions about what we enjoy doing--well, just about anything! On cruises and land vacations we've done snorkel catamaran cruises, sailing, bike rides, guided walks, bar hops, day passes at hotels, bus tours, beach breaks, hikes, etc. We love scenery. We do both "touristy" things and off-the-beaten-path things. We're not terribly fond of crowds. We're not foodies but do love to eat and enjoy a local brew. We'd rather dine where there is atmosphere and/or a view. So really, anything that anyone else has enjoyed, we'd love to hear about it! I'm a sucker for cruise critic reviews !!

Highly recommend Woodwind Snorkel tour in Bonaire

Ditto! Best snorkeling we have ever done. Woodwind had every kind of equipment you might need. Snorkeling in groups as to abilities. Each group had a guide to point out all things of interest. Highly recommend this tour, if you can book it. It is a private tour.

We were on the Eclipse last December and the ports included Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. We took an open bus tour of Aruba. Wasn't thrilled with Aruba. On Bonaire, we took the authentic Thai Samur for a sail to Klein Bonaire for snorkeling. Amazing excursion!! Make sure you have lunch at Karel's (delicious burger and mixed drinks). Curaçao we just walked the streets. Enjoy!

.....To answer your questions about what we enjoy doing--well, just about anything! On cruises and land vacations we've done snorkel catamaran cruises, sailing, bike rides, guided walks, bar hops, day passes at hotels, bus tours, beach breaks, hikes, etc. We love scenery. We do both "touristy" things and off-the-beaten-path things. We're not terribly fond of crowds. We're not foodies but do love to eat and enjoy a local brew. We'd rather dine where there is atmosphere and/or a view. So really, anything that anyone else has enjoyed, we'd love to hear about it! I'm a sucker for cruise critic reviews !!

Then I would recommend checking out the forums for those 3 islands to get even more good info from cruise passengers who have been to each of them.

Here are links:

Aruba - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums

Bonaire - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums

Curacao - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums

Wow! You guys are great! Thanks so much for all the great replies! And Terry in Ohio--beautiful photos and reviews! Thank-you for sharing that! To answer your questions about what we enjoy doing--well, just about anything! On cruises and land vacations we've done snorkel catamaran cruises, sailing, bike rides, guided walks, bar hops, day passes at hotels, bus tours, beach breaks, hikes, etc. We love scenery. We do both "touristy" things and off-the-beaten-path things. We're not terribly fond of crowds. We're not foodies but do love to eat and enjoy a local brew. We'd rather dine where there is atmosphere and/or a view. So really, anything that anyone else has enjoyed, we'd love to hear about it! I'm a sucker for cruise critic reviews !!

Appreciate your above follow-up, kind comments and helpful added background/info regarding your interests. Very good!!! Glad you have a nice range of interests. In sharing my pictures, I did not have space initially to give some attention to Bonaire. Below are some visuals from there. As you can tell, we were lucky to have our timing match when it was Carnival time on that island.

Let us know any added questions. We will be back in Aruba this coming early March. But, our timing there will be somewhat limited during that cruise stop on the way to doing a Panama Canal transit on the way up the Pacific Coast to San Francisco.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 166,239 views for this posting.

Here are three visual samples from being in Bonaire National Marine Park. From being at water level and with our expert guide, it was very educational to learn more about these interactions with natural life. At the end, you can see a nest with two baby green heron chicks. Cute? In the middle of this series, you can see when we encountered a couple doing their own paddling around in this nature area with their guide.:

Here are some visuals from the Carnival parade on Sunday afternoon in Bonaire. It was suppose to start at 2 pm. BUT, as our destination speaker Cory Sandler noted, he had the "cover" by saying it would have a "Caribbean Time"!!! starting schedule. That actually meant a timing that started closer to around 3:30-4 pm. It was such total fun to be here to sample these festivities. We really got a feel for some of the "real people" who live here and how they like to enjoy, celebrate, etc.:

Here is my wife getting her picture captured with the "KING" of this segment of their parade group. Are people having fun? The facial expressions summarize the enjoyment perfectly! We were lucky hitting Bonaire when the timing was right/best for this parade. Unfortunately, not all cruises will get this "bonus" activity. Sorry!!:

TLCOhio......I read EVERYTHING you post. You are such an asset to CC. Thank you for everything you post. I have learned a lot from you over the years. :):):)

Following along as we will be visiting these islands in a couple of weeks!

If your port hours permit sunset dinner on the beach in Aruba at Passions on the beach in downtown Palm Beach is one of our favorites. Really nice dinner served on tables set on the beach next to the water.

TLCOhio......I read EVERYTHING you post. You are such an asset to CC. Thank you for everything you post. I have learned a lot from you over the years. :):):)

Appreciate your kind viewpoint on my pictures and posts. Glad to know you're a person of such high class, great taste and wonderful judgment to make these generous comments.

I did show your post to my wife. She kind of rolled her eyes and and had a big question mark look on her face. She knows me well!! Plus, has to put up with me during trips while I am taking the time to take pictures, edit them, post on the web, etc. She "suffers" in this process, but is generally fairly patient under those challenges.

Have you looked through the pictures and details from early 2016 during our Africa adventure? See the link below. Comments, questions and reactions?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 25.258 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

Another vote for Woodwind snorkelling on Bonaire. It was amazing. They have prescription masks for those who wear glasses and they take the time to make sure everything fits. One bit of warning, there is no cover on the deck of the catamaran, so I would strongly suggest that you take a good sunscreen.

Also, we did the Dolphin Experience on Curacao and we would highly recommend it.

The only thing we would recommend against, was the restaurant The Governeur (sp) in Curacao. The service was very inattentive and very bad. We had to find the waitress to get the bill after waiting almost 20 minutes.

We've also done these fantastic islands.

We snorkeled with Woodwind in Bonaire, unfortunately, it was extremely windy and the water was very rough, so not the best conditions. Woodwind was a wonderful group.

Curacao we walked into town and looked around and then rented a car and hit the beach after seeing flamingos. It was great...beaches there can be very rocky, take water shoes.

Aruba....we absolutely LOVED this: http://www.arubabob.com/

Bob picked us up at the port and took us to his shop. We spent lots of time in the water, and while I was a bit concerned about 'handling' the power snorkel equipment, it was the best time we've had snorkeling. He also takes a camera and sends you tons of photos...all included in the price. Highly recommend this. We'll be doing it again next year.

Checkout https://www.iflymagazine.com/EN_GB/beach/littlesecrets-curacao It will wet your appetite. ENJOY