Excursions vs. Wandering Around

[USCcruisecrazy]

We are going on our first Southern Caribbean cruise so we have 4 new ports to explore.  We really don't want to do Excursions for all 4 locations, so I'm trying to get feedback from folks that have been to all 4 locations.  The stops are:  Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire, and Curacao.  Which are best for Excursions and which are good for wandering around the port to shop, eat, drink, or take in sites near the port?  If you recommend that port for an Excursion please provide one of your favorites.  Thanks in advance.

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

We are going on our first Southern Caribbean cruise so we have 4 new ports to explore.  We really don't want to do Excursions for all 4 locations, so I'm trying to get feedback from folks that have been to all 4 locations.  The stops are:  Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire, and Curacao.  Which are best for Excursions and which are good for wandering around the port to shop, eat, drink, or take in sites near the port?  If you recommend that port for an Excursion please provide one of your favorites.  Thanks in advance.

I think you would be better advised to post in the ports of call thread. 

[USCcruisecrazy]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I think you would be better advised to post in the ports of call thread. 

I shall use your advice and post it in both locations.  I figured since it's a Princess Cruise that the clientele that responds will be more in the same stage of life as us, so likely tastes that are very similar.

[skynight]

Assuming you are permitted to wander.

Dominica & Granada do not have very much to see close to the dock.

Bonaire, I suggest renting a golf cart to explore on your own. Check out bonairecruisers.com. strongly recommend. We have done this twice and you see all the same sites that tours take you to. Bonaire is also a very good place for snorkeling if that is your thing.

Curacao has a main street and business area you can explore.

Edited February 2, 2022 by skynight

[Potstech]

As of the first week in December, Dominica only allowed people on ships excursions.  May have changed but would be something to keep an eye out for.  These things change at the drop of a hat lately.

[PacnGoNow]

54 minutes ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

We are going on our first Southern Caribbean cruise so we have 4 new ports to explore.  We really don't want to do Excursions for all 4 locations, so I'm trying to get feedback from folks that have been to all 4 locations.  The stops are:  Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire, and Curacao.  Which are best for Excursions and which are good for wandering around the port to shop, eat, drink, or take in sites near the port?  If you recommend that port for an Excursion please provide one of your favorites.  Thanks in advance.

You don’t say when you’re going but,

check health protocols shore excursions to see if you’re permitted for independent exploration.

Love Curaçao….so quaint….we love to walk around the town, shop a little and enjoy the great views.  
 

Bonaire is fabulous for diving and snorkeling as the protected underwater

marine park 700 acres is one of the

best in the world.  The town is very 

quaint also.

 

You should do research and see what

interest’s you the most.  Everyone is different.  
 

Grenada we always buy spices.

[USCcruisecrazy]

2 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

You don’t say when you’re going but,

check health protocols shore excursions to see if you’re permitted for independent exploration.

Love Curaçao….so quaint….we love to walk around the town, shop a little and enjoy the great views.  
 

Bonaire is fabulous for diving and snorkeling as the protected underwater

marine park 700 acres is one of the

best in the world.  The town is very 

quaint also.

 

You should do research and see what

interest’s you the most.  Everyone is different.  
 

Grenada we always buy spices.

Great feedback.  We aren't actually sailing for 11 months.  We have been looking at excursions...many of them require lengthy bus rides and we don't really want to spend time in a bus if there are options around the port.  That's why I was asking that particular comparison.  Curacao sounds like a great walking around stop.  Thanks. 

[beach_fever_4ever]

Bonaire - the best snorkeling/diving in the Caribbean, IMHO - we booked snorkeling with Woodwind, a 1st class tour company. A non Princess tour, need to book it early, as it fills up quickly. You can walk to the departure point

 

Curacao - walk over the canal on the famous swinging bridge to town. Lovely town, lots of shops and places to get food and drinks

 

Have fun !

[skynight]

Curacao has the floating bridge which you have to walk over to get to and from the ship. It opens a lot. Remember to allow time when returning to the ship.

[PacnGoNow]

Just now, skynight said:

Curacao has the floating bridge which you have to walk over to get to and from the ship. It opens a lot. Remember to allow time when returning to the ship.

There’s also a ferry you can jump on, if the bridge is open.

 

[USCcruisecrazy]

5 minutes ago, beach_fever_4ever said:

Bonaire - the best snorkeling/diving in the Caribbean, IMHO - we booked snorkeling with Woodwind, a 1st class tour company. A non Princess tour, need to book it early, as it fills up quickly. You can walk to the departure point

 

Curacao - walk over the canal on the famous swinging bridge to town. Lovely town, lots of shops and places to get food and drinks

 

Have fun !

With the snorkeling, do you launch from off a boat or do they go to a beach?  My wife hates launches off a boat.  Love the Curacao idea!!  Thanks.

[skynight]

35 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

There’s also a ferry you can jump on, if the bridge is open.

 

Yes true. But, don't get caught last minute. Allow some time to get back to the ship.

[beach_fever_4ever]

2 hours ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

With the snorkeling, do you launch from off a boat or do they go to a beach?  My wife hates launches off a boat.  Love the Curacao idea!!  Thanks.

You launch from a catamaran.

 

[Mike45LC]

On a first time visit to almost any port, my preference is to take an "island highlights" tour, whether through the ship or one of the excursion sellers at the dock.   This solves the problem of transportation.  And if a Harbour Cruise is included (I prefer no open bar on board), so much the better.  

[wowzz]

If you are not going for 11 months,  I would do nothing until November.  See what the world  is like then ! 

[Torfamm]

I didn’t enjoy walking around near the port in Dominica at all. People seem to enjoy Carambola Beach there as well as the train. 
 

In Bonaire, I think scuba diving, snorkeling or activities like a glass bottom boat or kayak in the marine park would be the “must do” excursions 

[Rick&Jeannie]

I may have missed it in a previous post...but you should also join the specific Roll Call for your cruise (if you haven't already.)  You will probably get a good idea as to what your fellow travelers are planning.

[paradiselivin1]

9 hours ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

With the snorkeling, do you launch from off a boat or do they go to a beach?  My wife hates launches off a boat.  Love the Curacao idea!!  Thanks.

We spent a week in Bonaire at a dive resort and did multiple walk-in dives with no problem. I have no clue where the cruise ship docks or anchors but you should be able to research for walk-in diving and find a place. There diving there is amazing!

[capriccio]

10 hours ago, beach_fever_4ever said:

Bonaire - the best snorkeling/diving in the Caribbean, IMHO - we booked snorkeling with Woodwind, a 1st class tour company. A non Princess tour, need to book it early, as it fills up quickly. You can walk to the departure point

Not only is the snorkeling wonderful, it is also easy.  It is drift snorkeling and requires very little effort.  On Woodwind the passengers are divided into groups of about 7 or 8 (on our excursion 5 years ago) with a guide.  You jump off the boat and just drift with the current.  The boat meanwhile cruises along with the group and eventually stops and everyone re-boards and goes to another stop and repeats the process.  Afterwards we had food and drinks on board.  We are looking forward to doing it again next month with my 2 brothers and spouses (their first time in Bonaire).

[Steelers36]

Years back, we toured independent with Bumping Tours at Dominica and it was good.  That is more of a touring and experience island than wander around town. 

[geoherb]

Our first time in Bonaire, we took an island tour because I had sprained my wrist and couldn't go snorkeling. We purchased it from one of the vendors at the port for a lot less than Princess charges. We had a great guide and saw lots of wildlife and sights. 

 

Curacao is great for walking around. There are the museum and synagogue that you can tour. As others have mentioned, just make sure to time your return to the ship. On one of our HAL cruises, the ship left behind a passenger who was stuck on the wrong side of the floating bridge. 

[555]

5 hours ago, geoherb said:

Curacao is great for walking around. There are the museum and synagogue that you can tour.

For a $10 per person admission charge. 

[sunsetme]

Bonaire has a ferry to Little Bonaire where there is walk in snorkeling, very easy to get there.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, 555 said:

For a $10 per person admission charge. 

a reasonable price.

[Unicorn and Rainbows]

If you can get yourselves to Champagne beach in Dominica, and you like to snorkel, you'll love it. Definitely a cab ride away. My favorite out of the five islands I visited at Christmastime. A great selection of fish, and coral, and the warm gas bubbles coming for the volcanic seabed were so fun. It's a somewhat rocky entrance into the (beautiful) water so water shoes, if you have them.