Ports of Calls to-dos

[rizkeeper]

I wish more people would submit reviews for ports visited when they return....I'm stopping in Bonaire,  Curacao, and Aruba next week and there isn't much new info in those threads.  I will provide a few bullets on each when we return.  

 

Are there other forums out there that provide port reviews? Besides youtube 🙂 ?

[shipgeeks]

Have you been checking on the Ports of Call section of Cruise Critic? There is usually some good info there; some might be older (keep scrolling through more than page 1). The Caribbean section has separate sub-sections for each island.

Personally, I don't read reviews (if that is what you are actually looking for), but rather the posts I mention above, with exchanges of information as well as opinions of good/bad experiences.

[1025cruise]

Have you checked the ports of call boards right here on Cruise Critic?

[DaKahuna]

4 minutes ago, rizkeeper said:

I wish more people would submit reviews for ports visited when they return....I'm stopping in Bonaire,  Curacao, and Aruba next week and there isn't much new info in those threads.  I will provide a few bullets on each when we return.  

 

Are there other forums out there that provide port reviews? Besides youtube 🙂 ?

 

 I assume that you have visited the information for those Ports here:

 

 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2-ports-of-call/

 

I am seeing very recent activity for those ports of call. 

 

 

[rizkeeper]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

Have you checked the ports of call boards right here on Cruise Critic?

that's what i'm talking about, the stops I'm hitting have little no no new activity.

[rizkeeper]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I assume that you have visited the information for those Ports here:

 

 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2-ports-of-call/

 

I am seeing very recent activity for those ports of call. 

 

 

most of the resent responses are from me asking questions

 

[DaKahuna]

27 minutes ago, rizkeeper said:

most of the resent responses are from me asking questions

 

 

 Well, I do not know what to tell you.  We've been to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao multiple times, the most recent was last March - April on Celebrity Silhouette.  

 We have not done a shore excursion in quite a few years in any of those ports and any experiences from past ones would be at least 4 to 5 years old.   Lately we have just walked about the immediate port area and done a little window shopping or picking up some nick-nacks. 

 We will be sailing to Aruba and Curacao in February and do have "Picture Aruba" scheduled so that i can update some of the pictures I took many years ago.   

 

 

[Gabrielle R.]

I haven’t been to the ABC islands since 2019.  I’m guessing many people are like me and haven’t been cruising.   If you give an idea what you’re looking for perhaps some of us have a suggestion 
I have gone to Trip Advisor and found some ideas. Wish I could help more. 

[Tree_skier]

I was in A and C in February.  I'm not really sure what to tell you except you'll enjoy yourself.  We did.  Specific questions may elicit more responses.

 

Here is a link to my live review from Odyssey in February that includes stops in Aruba and Curacao.  

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2830373-not-homer’s-odyssey-semi-live-odyssey-of-the-seas/

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Tree_skier

[KelJ]

We went to A and C in September on Allure. Here’s a link to my review:

 

http://click.email.cruisecritic.com/?qs=db6bfdd3f63eb22c65171b1285ff4e963996561aeb6a29963fedb4b874cc075e6c9ae9b3d5d7b795d3e67c8617050a9d010f0c9c72fe0833b72a2ef336acf27e

[pcur]

Aruba has a free trolley that picks up at the port.  The trolley cars have all been refurbished from old trolley cars donated to them.  They have shiny red lacquer paint, wood and brass accents, and the cool spiral stairs to the second level.  I LOVE these trolleys.

Edited November 18, 2022 by pcur

[ARandomTraveler]

Even though the posts are old on the port of call board, the info is generally still relevant. People's recommendations for favorite beaches, tour companies and sightseeing stops don't change much.

 

Check out the Aruba Trikes tour, it's a 3-wheeled motorcycle you ride around the island with a tour group. It's a good way to see the island. Very popular, and they only have about a dozen trikes so it sells out. 
 

There's also lots of debate about Palm Beach vs Eagle Beach in Aruba. If you read a bunch of the different threads about it, you should be able to figure out which one you'll like better based on what resonates with you (I much prefer Palm Beach. The areas at the Hilton and Riu hotels are nicest). The sand is soft and clean, the water is warm and calm and you can easily float in it all day long (Eagle has rougher water but is a quieter Beach if you prefer to hang out in a lounger and don't care about getting in the water).

 

A lot of people rave about Mambo Beach in Curaçao. I thought it sucked. It's man made. It often has jellyfish warnings, and is basically just a crowded outdoor shopping center with water and lounge chairs. The moving bridge near the port is iconic, and there's pretty and colorful Dutch houses along the shoreline that make for pretty pictures. And you can buy big wheels of Gouda there. Other than that, I didn't think curaçao was that great, but maybe if you do a tour or go to a nicer beach it would be better.

 

Haven't made it to Bonaire. I hear it's got the best snorkeling and scuba diving.

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[Coralc]

43 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Haven't made it to Bonaire. I hear it's got the best snorkeling and scuba diving.

 

 

It does! The Windward snorkeling expedition is awesome. It is drift snorkeling, so they drop you at one end of Klein Bonaire and the current sort of floats you down to where they pick you up. It is like watching Disney or a Nature film in the clear water as you float over all the beautiful fish and turtles and coral. Probably our best snorkeling experience ever! ☺️

The Manta Ray was before we even left the dock to board the catamaran. On our sailing, we had a professional underwater photographer that took photos of the whole experience that we were able to purchase on a CD. She took these. 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Coralc

[shipgeeks]

If I'm going to a new port, I always read through the cruiseline excursion listings, just to get an idea of what types of things might be available there.

I agree with the above re old posts still being relevant.