Best tours for early port time...

[Horizon2021]

My port time is 7am-3pm.

 

From what I can tell, a lot tours that cover the whole island are 6-7 hours? Which seems to consist of the entire port time...and I can't help but wonder if those tours actually leave around 7am?

What's the best way to see a lot of the island with a limited time window like this?


 

[canadianbear]

There are usually bus tours right outside the port which would offer tours.  We grabbed onto Ben’s Tours the morning we arrived.  

[Horizon2021]

Right, but do those tours right there at the port START at 7am?

And do the tours from other pre-book operators start at that time? It seems a bit early...

 

Because anything starting at 9 or later means you wouldn't make the ship...

[PelicanBill]

There are quite a few tour operators in the port. They will be tailoring tours to the ship schedule and you only need ask the plan to confirm returning on time. There were many with tours lasting 2 or 3 hours.  We took one that was about 2 hours with a stop at the Blue Caracao factory, then dropped us at Mambo Beach for 2 hours, and picked us up.  Total 4ish hours.

[Horizon2021]

3 hours ago, PelicanBill said:

There are quite a few tour operators in the port. They will be tailoring tours to the ship schedule and you only need ask the plan to confirm returning on time. There were many with tours lasting 2 or 3 hours.  We took one that was about 2 hours with a stop at the Blue Caracao factory, then dropped us at Mambo Beach for 2 hours, and picked us up.  Total 4ish hours.

 

Yeah, I saw that one and it was very intriguing, but I was thinking I might want to see more of the island than just the greater city area....

[PelicanBill]

14 hours ago, Horizon2021 said:

 

Yeah, I saw that one and it was very intriguing, but I was thinking I might want to see more of the island than just the greater city area....

Yes it was short but only $20 and we didn't see any of the nature areas.  Highly recommend you find one and reserve ahead for that.   We actually had such a plan and the tour provider was a no-show. So I shopped the pier and found this tour as an alternative for cheap... and it saved the day!

[Horizon2021]

Yes, I'd like to do that...but my concern/question is what time do they start?

If port time is 7am, and cruise departure is 3pm, are those longer excursions even possible given they take 6+ hours? Are those longer excursions starting at 7 in the morning, because that's the only way this is possible?

[Horizon2021]

So my cruise offers the following half-day tour for $70, which departs at 7:30am and lasts about 3.5 hours:

Fort Nassau
Curacao Museum
Hato Caves
Chobolobo Liqueur Factory
Willemstad: a scenic drive through Scharloo

I'm open to independent options, but so far this seems like the best one to see the most. Anyone have any independent guides that offer anything similar?