Curacao distillery questions

I cant find a tour that does everything I want to do:rolleyes:, lol. How important is the liquor factory visit if all I really want to do is buy some? Do they have it for sale in the port shops?? Is there a difference?

Thanks, Gena

I cant find a tour that does everything I want to do:rolleyes:, lol. How important is the liquor factory visit if all I really want to do is buy some? Do they have it for sale in the port shops?? Is there a difference?

 

 

 

Thanks, Gena

Apparently some of the products sold in the shops aren’t true Curacao made. We found a tour right across the floating bridge that was $15 a person that included the distillery where we received some free samples. It made some other stops and we had a beach stop where the people that wanted to could be picked up a couple hours later.

Sent from my iPhone X using Forums

you also might check back with your sailing and see if they have added any tours. I'm sailing in May on the Sunshine and recently they added a shopping one that is a beer tasting and Curaco tour. We're doing that as the trip is my son's college grad present. Plus I find it interesting to see these processes. We did Bacardi in PR and that was a lot of fun.

Which beach did you go to on the $15 tour?

Which beach did you go to on the $15 tour?

I really wasn’t sure so I had to look at the map. It was mambo beach. There were several beach clubs there to get some food and lounger. Nobody ever came to collect any money for the chair so I’m not sure if they actually charge for them. Looking at the map there were a few places we could have walked to that were close.

Sent from my iPhone X using Forums

Hmmmm maybe if I have time I can find something in town before the ship sails. I have a Northern Beach hopping excursion planned for the afternoon. Maybe Ill have time afterwards... Maybe there is a store that is till open in the evening that I can go to, or maybe we will stop for some shopping on the tour. Who knows... :)

Thanks for your replies :)

I'm curious as well about the liquor prices at the distillery. I have found a price of $17 for the 5 bottle sample pack but not the bigger bottles. Do they sell the same bottles in the duty free shops near the port for less?

I cant find a tour that does everything I want to do:rolleyes:, lol. How important is the liquor factory visit if all I really want to do is buy some? Do they have it for sale in the port shops?? Is there a difference?

 

Thanks, Gena

Having just done an island tour that included the distillery, I can tell you skipping it is a good call. It is basically a big walk-through area with pictures and vats and such. With the massive amount of people they bring through there, you can't hear anything the guides say anyway, and you can get samples of the liquor right near the pier.

pier area was fun

Having just done an island tour that included the distillery, I can tell you skipping it is a good call. It is basically a big walk-through area with pictures and vats and such. With the massive amount of people they bring through there, you can't hear anything the guides say anyway, and you can get samples of the liquor right near the pier.

Thank you! I have heard this over and over. We had the Distillery high on my list. We would be very disappointed. Now we are going to focus on the other sights. Thank you!

There is now a "storefront " so to speak called The Blue Experience in Punda which is still in the process of being fully completed.

It's ran by Senior & Company who runs/owns the distillery/liquor factory.

Cross the Queen Emma floating bridge, immediately walk to the left. It's in the pink building.

When it is fully completed, it will be interactive experience. You can purchase the liquor there too while enjoying the view of the Handelskade.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

There is now a "storefront " so to speak called The Blue Experience in Punda which is still in the process of being fully completed.

It's ran by Senior & Company who runs/owns the distillery/liquor factory.

 

Cross the Queen Emma floating bridge, immediately walk to the left. It's in the pink building.

 

When it is fully completed, it will be interactive experience. You can purchase the liquor there too while enjoying the view of the Handelskade.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Any idea of when their expected completion date will be? We're going early November and currently have a ship excursion that includes a stop at the distillery. There are a couple other stops on the tour which we are looking forward to, but if we can skip the distillery maybe we can think about a different tour that still has the other parts.

Any idea of when their expected completion date will be? We're going early November and currently have a ship excursion that includes a stop at the distillery. There are a couple other stops on the tour which we are looking forward to, but if we can skip the distillery maybe we can think about a different tour that still has the other parts.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Went to Punda today, The Blue Experience was closed.

Will check again soon.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Went to Punda today, The Blue Experience was closed.

Will check again soon.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

Thank you so much!!

Thank you so much!!

The tasting room/bar is open at 10 am everyday (you can buy the liquor there too).

They would not reveal a completion date, other than to say soon, for the experience part.

I'll update when I can get more info.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

So the Blue Experience was doing construction yesterday.

The tasting room/bar is open at 10 am everyday (you can buy the liquor there too).

They would not reveal a completion date, other than to say soon, for the experience part.

I'll update when I can get more info.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

You are the best - thanks for keeping me (and everyone else) updated!

On ‎5‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 6:06 PM, calmpets said:

Having just done an island tour that included the distillery, I can tell you skipping it is a good call. It is basically a big walk-through area with pictures and vats and such. With the massive amount of people they bring through there, you can't hear anything the guides say anyway, and you can get samples of the liquor right near the pier.

Another vote for skipping!  Waste of time during our wk long visit to the island last week.  We did not pay for a tour thank goodness.  The tastings were some of the smallest we've ever received anywhere. 

On 11/4/2018 at 4:24 PM, cpayne said:

 

Another vote for skipping!  Waste of time during our wk long visit to the island last week.  We did not pay for a tour thank goodness.  The tastings were some of the smallest we've ever received anywhere. 

This is good to know.  I appreciate the advice. I really want to see the Boka Pistol so we will focus that.

Okay, so we ended up doing the tour anyway, as my husband really wanted to do the herb garden.  It wasn't HORRIBLE...but was meh as expected.  There is a self-guided tour as you enter, but our tour guide did the tour instead of us reading the posters.  She gave us a lot more information than we could've ever received from the posters.  We did get three TINY tastes, and got shuffled into the gift shop and bar.  We each purchased an adult beverage and at $8 each was very reasonably priced.

Would I do it again?  Depends on what it's paired with.  Only if it's paired with another great activity.  Will not seek it out on it's own.

So the Blue Experience in Punda on the Handelskade is now fully open as of this week.  They have a small tour and tasting and also you can buy drinks there.  I would highly suggest this over Chobolobo (the full liquor factory) to learn about the liquor process here.  

Also, a great way to sit outside with a cool drink at see the ships (sometimes) in the Santa Anna Bay.

Awww man, we were there LAST week!  Figures...LOL 

21 hours ago, CruisinCons said:

Awww man, we were there LAST week!  Figures...LOL 

I hope you enjoyed your day here!  They are slow to finish anything here - but honestly this was finished and fully opened rather quickly.

If one goes to the Distillery- be sure to have it as only one of the many stops on the tour- as others have said.  The Distillery is in a landhouse- and if one doesn't go to a landhouse in another area- that is a good experience.