Thanksgiving on the Spirit Review

[1kaper]

We (DH and I) just got back from our Thanksgiving cruise on Carnival Spirit and thought I'd post a little review.  

To note, we are not American and had no idea it was Thanksgiving when we booked.  Y'all take it very serious 🤣

We had originally booked an AirBNB in St Lucia but flights changed and it was going to be a long travel day on the way home and I just didn't want to spend all that time travelling (spoiler alert - I did anyway).  After reading TXteach's review on his Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao cruise I was sold.  We ended up not doing the exact itinerary but close.  We booked on a casino deal that came with $200 OBC plus we got our $100 stock credit.  We put the $200 towards Cheers and I spent the $100 on an excursion.   Initially we had booked an inside but we got the offer to upgrade to an extended balcony a couple days before for around $300 I think (my husband got the call).  It was our 10 year anniversary celebration so we opted to upgrade.  

This was our 5th cruise with Carnival. 

 

Schedule 

Miami

Half Moon Cay

Grand Turk

Sea Day

Aruba

Bonaire
Sea Day

Sea Day

Miami

[1kaper]

Getting There

We were flying in from Canada and there have been some major issues with delays and luggage, especially going through Toronto airport which we could not avoid.  So we opted to go carry on only which was a bit of a challenge for me. 
We flew Westjet because of some leftover credits we had due to covid cancellations.  This will be the last time I fly with them.  Since covid they have focused their operations on the west coast which has affected flight availability here.  Before we even left we had flight changes.  We also had to drive 4 hours to the airport as they no longer fly where I live but we knew that when I booked. 

So we left after work on Thursday, drove to the airport and stayed over night.  Up at 4 am to catch a 6 am flight. 
 

We bought this backpacks for our 5 year anniversary adventure. They came in handy. It has small detachable backpack you can take off. Without the back pack it has fit easily in any over head compartment we’ve used. And they were on some small planes. 
 

Toronto wasn't too bad.  When you fly WJ you have to leave the secure area to get to your connection which means going through security again which tends to be a nightmare.  We also have to clear customs there.   We seemed to hit everything at a good time that day.  We did have a long wait to get through security but the line blew up behind us.  After about an hour we were through security and customs and waiting at our gate. 

 

We flew into  FLL as it is considerably cheaper than Miami.  We booked the Hilton Downtown Miami to stay and opted for a Lyft to take us to the hotel.  It wasn't too bad, I think around $38.  Again, I think we hit it at the perfect time.  When we left it was going to take approximately 58 minutes to get there and traffic wasn't bad.  It quickly changed due to an accident.  Our 58 minute ride took us about 90 minutes.  And trust me, once it opened up and we gave our driver the ok to take the toll road he made up some serious time.  I was a little nervous, not going to lie.  

 

We checked in no issue.  We had booked this hotel with airmiles so there was no cost except taxes.  They offered to upgrade us to a downtown skyline view for $40 but we declined.  The room was nice.  Bed comfortable.  Clean.  We could hear people talking through the vents.  When we went to sleep I asked my husband if he was watching a video on his phone because I could hear people talking.  Nope.  It was sounds from somewhere else in the hotel.  I was so tired it didn't really matter. 

I had also called ahead to check if I could get parcels delivered there.  Shipping to Canada from the US can be quite expensive and I had a few things I wanted to get for our kid.  I ended up shipping two boxes (one wouldn't have shipped to Canada at all).  Unfortunately, both arrived late.  At check out I asked if they would hold it for us until we returned from the cruise.  They said no problem.  What they didn't tell us was that they were going to charge me $10 "handling" fee either of the times I spoke to them about receiving mail there. 

 

We checked in, changed and headed out.  We needed to eat and also needed to pick up some stuff that we couldn't carry on, like sunscreen.  The plan was to hit up target.  After talking to the staff at the hotel, they told us an uber would be cheapest.  It was pretty pricey at that time so I checked my phone and decided on public transit.  An option popped up that was there earlier - the trolley.  So we headed for the trolley stop and asked a person there how much it was.  Turns out the trolley goes all way up and down for free.  It was a short walk to a large shopping and restaurant area from the trolley stop. I was surprised the staff didn't mention that.  

We did our shopping, picked up a few Christmas gifts for our kid which meant I was going to have to find a beach bag or something to carry on as well to take home. We couldn’t find any at Target as it was out of season. 
 

Headed back to the hotel to grab some much needed sleep. 

 

[Jamman54]

Thanks for the review. We are on the Spirit in January. 😎

[1kaper]

 

 

November 27th Embarkation Miami

 

Somehow we snagged a 10-10:30 check in time.  I stayed up late to check in right when it opened but was still surprised.  I saw a note in the book of Faces group that the next day early check in was still available so I suspected some sort of glitch and assumed we'd arrive to chaos. 

 

I got mixed up and thought our check in was 10:30 and by the time we realized our error it was after 10.  We ordered a Lyft and made it to check in for 10:30 on the dot.  
The longest part of the process was waiting to get through security, which wasn't long 10 or 15 minutes maybe.  I was pleasantly surprised to see things running extremely smoothly.  Keep in mind that when we sailed in March out of Galveston embarkation was PAINFUL.  The line was zig zagging all the way down the terminal and out the door.  It was a slow march through.  

We packed 2 bottles of wine and didn't take them out.  They just went through the scanner in our bag (I know this was a discussion on another thread about whether or not they inspect them).  

We kept moving until we got to the boarding area, checked in again with someone along the way.  No wait.  We sat down, logged into the wifi, sent a couple messages.  Posted a selfie and our boarding zone was called.  

Away we went again.  I had to laugh when we got to the escalator there was someone stopping us to spread people out on the escalator only to get to the top and stand in a quick moving line again close to each other.  

Then we were on board. It was so smooth and easy.  I was very happy.  Good start to the cruise. 

First pic on board

 

First stop was a drink to celebrate vacation. 

And then some food. I wasn’t very hungry but after the thread on favourite Carnival food I had to try the confetti cheesecake. 
It was good. Not a must have for me but glad I got to try. 

[1kaper]

We then headed up to Serenity deck and got some comfy loungers.  It was overcast and sprinkled a bit but still nice. 

For sail away we headed to our balcony.  Sadly we were on port side (I think?) so we didn't get to see South Beach on the way out.  But we have sailed out of Miami before.

 

Stopped by Alchemy for a drink

 

 

And then we opted for the buffet for supper.  I have to say - again comparing our March cruise- the buffet in March was awful.  I like Guy's and the pizza and the MDR on that cruise but found the buffet down right terrible.  Why I ate at the buffet that night, I don't know. But.  I was pleasantly surprised.  There was not one thing I tried that I didn't like.  Back in March there were times I didn't like anything I tried.  My husband was happy too.  

I think after we went to the casino and played a bit of BlackJack, then off to bed.  On vacation I'm not really a night owl.  I don't really do the shows.  I did check out one on this plus the Love and Marriage show and Deal or No Deal.  

Apollo was our rook

steward.  Very friendly

 
Overall excellent start to our cruise. 

 

Tomorrow is Half Moon Cay. We  have been there before and booked a clamshell like the last time.  I also got last minute approval on our stock OBC and decided to go ahead and book horseback riding on HMC for myself.  DH is not a horse person.  

[1kaper]

I guess I forgot.  Before anything we got our Muster drill over.  It was odd.  Our station had a long line but the station near us did not.  We probably had to wait 15 minutes or so.  They took groups of people, she explained putting on the life vest and showed it, told us where they were, scanned our cards and we were off.  The drill was 2 minutes max.  
We heard a number of reminders over the afternoon but they did not have to threaten to close the bars.

[1kaper]

So I just found out today I took home an extra souvenir.  I had a test at the hospital today and woke up feel like I had something on my chest and a dry, minor cough.  Not wanting to risk bringing covid into the  hospital I did a home test. For the first time ever, after doing two other cruises, I tested positive for Covid 19. Now I knew it was a risk. I’ve taken the boosters. I didn’t mask up.  Few people did. So it is what it is. 
 

Half Moon Cay

 

We were here in March and I’ve said before that the water is the most beautiful colours I’ve seen.  The beach is gorgeous. Photos don’t do it justice. 
 

We had booked a clamshell because we need shade. We also ended up getting our $100 OBC from owning stock after initially being denied. We had already paid for Cheers and tips at that point so I decided to splurge on the horseback ride. 
 

We headed down to the tender at the appointed time. I think we may have been second group off. No hassle. But they didn’t even verify if we had an excursion or not. 
 

Last time we weren’t in a rush to get off and ended up having to walk the whole beach to get to a clamshell. My husband wanted to be in a better spot this time round. We got there. Set up the clamshell, went for a swim and hung out for a bit. I heard people saying the water was cold but I found it warm. I also live where the water is typically cold so it might have just been me. 
People often say the clamshells are hot. It was this time around. But we propped up the back with a pile of sand and a rock we found to get some airflow and it helped considerably. 

 

 

I headed over by myself to the meeting spot. I left a little early to look around the shops. I was looking for a beach bag but they were too expensive. I had a beer at the bar while I waited. 
 

Once we all got there we headed for a short drive to the stables. Now. Before I booked I read all the reviews, good and bad. I knew a few things.

1. The ride is pretty short. Under an hour.  
2. The ride in the water part is even shorter. 
That definitely helped manage my expectations. I also read a lot of older comments about staff being rude and abrupt. All I can say is Carnival must have addressed that because the staff was phenomenal.  It seemed to me there was one guide for every two guests and they were very good at helping us. And they have us a little info about the island. 

[1kaper]

We get to the stables and they give us the run down of how it will work. There are lockers there to store stuff and you take the key with you. Closed toed shoes are required and they checked when I checked in. 
 

 

Oh and this friendly guy was hanging around. He loved attention.
 

 

Got our helmets on and lined up for the horses.  They seemed to select which horse for which person as they came out. Which makes sense. I got Black Beauty and a beauty he was. You get up on the horse and ride around the arena or whatever it is just to get used to it. Now. For someone who is an experienced rider I don’t think this would be a great experience. For someone with little to no experience - I think it’s great. The horse mostly know what they are doing. They will listen to you a bit but I wouldn’t say you are riding a horse in a real way. If that makes sense. 
That’s my horse coming  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2022 by 1kaper

[1kaper]

After a short tutorial we head out through a trail for a bit. 
 

 

 

 

Then back down along the beach. 
 

 

Then we head back where we started where they helped us off the horses, grabbed a drink of water while they changed saddles to water saddles.  Now you are allowed to go barefoot and no helmet. 
 

They broke us into two groups. I went with the first. There are no stirrups so you are holding on with your legs and holding the saddle with one had.  Reins in the other. As much as I wanted to take pictures and video I didn’t trust myself not to drop the phone. So you’ll just have to imagine my big goofy smile instead. At one point my horse broke into a trot. 
beware. The horses are animals and they do, um, relieve themselves in the water sometimes. A horse ahead of us did but my horse went out of his way to avoid it. 
It was short but honestly it’s a lot of work to hold on in the water. I was fine with the amount of time. 
 

We headed back in. Then the second group went and that was it. There are showers. And we got a ride back. 
 

When they are done they just let the horses go and they make their way back to the stable on their own. 
 

Staff was excellent to take your phone and take pictures and video if you want. The ship photographer is there too but I kept doing some weird straight back thing sitting up. They do get nice shots of you in the water with the ship in the background. I did not buy one. 
 

Overall I’m glad I did it. It was pricey but I love horses. I love HMC. I got to ride on the beach and in the water at HMC on a beautiful horse. It’s definitely one of those things that really just depends on your own preference. It is pricey. 

[1kaper]

I headed back to the clamshell to meet back up with DH.  He grabbed some lunch and brought me back a burger. It was fine. A bit dry. 
 

We swam some more. We over heard someone talking about a “moon jelly”. Turns out we had company in the water.  All kinds of these clear jellyfish. They don’t have long tentacles but they do sting.  I did hear and see a few people getting stung.  You can kind of see it in this picture. It was mostly clear. 

 

DH did NOT understand the assignment. This was the best I could get. 

[1kaper]

According to my pictures it was elegant night that night.  There was a long wait when we checked in the app for our time dining but the rest of the time (with the exception of seaday brunch).  I think it was 30-40 minute wait. 
 

Neither of us are interested in the lobster on board. I had the carbonara. DH had a fish with gnocchi.  It was pretty underwhelming.  I didn’t eat much and ended up getting sushi from Bonsai later on. After a few hands of blackjack. Sushi was excellent. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up - Grand Turk.  We just planned to head to Jack’s Shack for awhile. 

 

[EngIceDave]

I am impressed y'all were allowed to do tricks

[1kaper]

Grand Turk

 

The last time we were here, I was pregnant with our now 8 yo.  We went to Jack’s Shack back then and DH wanted to do the same. He remembered their jerk chicken and wanted it again. 
 

It seemed to me there are quite a few more places offering umbrellas and chairs than the last time. I’ve also heard Jack’s is no longer a secret and it gets quite packed. It didn’t seem too bad to me.  Yes there were more people than last time but it wasn’t crazy. 
 

I have to say. The loungers were in rough shape. Mine in particular. My husband asked if they’d switch it out and the guy said no. I was practically sitting on the sand and it was a challenge to get out of it. 
 

We grabbed a bucket of local beer for about $30 ($5). I ended up having a drink at the bar while using the wifi. The connection wasn’t great so if you are counting on it, don’t. Margaritaville was worse though. 
 

my beer cozy from last trip 

Jack’s Shack used to have two doodles. One was Topher who would dig for crabs on command. I was aware Topher had passed away since our last trip. When we got there there were 3 other dogs hanging around. Very friendly. The owner of the bar told me they live nearby and when they hear golf carts they know the shops are in and come down to the beach. After seeing everyone giving them treats and food I know why. I even saw some at Margaritaville getting fed. 
 

Hanging out by my chair 

 

 

 

 

Helping herself to some of our ice water. 

 

We hung out there for a few hours. DH did get the jerk chicken and it was excellent.  As good as we remembered. 
 

then we wandered back to the port. We took the roadway back. The beach is really soft and hard to walk on. 
 

i bought a Christmas ornament and magnet for souvenirs. I always buy a magnet on our trips. 
 

We got back on.  Had a nice nap. Went to dinner and to the casino for a bit.  We were surprised how fast dinner was. Like very shortly after we ordered it. I ordered the schnitzel and it was terrible. I didn’t eat much. Can’t remember what DH ordered. Steak I think. 
 

Later that night I grabbed more sushi from Bonsai. Again delicious. 

 

Next up Sea Day. 

[1kaper]

SeaDay 

 

This is going to be a pretty short one. 
 

We decided to go to Sea day brunch particularly to get the heurvoes rancheros. I loved them the last time. It took FOREVER. I know there was a bit of a wait after checking in on the app but the food itself took forever to come after ordering. 
We were served coffee when we sat down and that was it. No topping up. 
I did not like my food and ended up leaving the table while DH finished. 

I headed up to Serenity deck and was able to snag two loungers. After a bit even one of the shells opened up. They aren’t very comfy though. 

 

if you picked up on the book in the pic- I do. Or recommend. I was so excited for this, I thought I was going to love it. I almost bought the second book right away. It took me soooo long to get through it. And I hated the ending. I know a lot of people love it. I just didn’t. I started this on embarkation day. I finished it our 2nd last day. I started me next book last sea day and finished it on the plane home the day after. 
 

Another nap, supper and drinks in Alchemy Bar which became our favourite spot that night. The staff were excellent and made fantastic drinks. One of the bartenders made my husband and special drink and he kept going back to get it. 

 

Next up - Aruba. 

Edited November 30, 2022 by 1kaper

[eastoftheboston]

On 11/28/2022 at 1:52 PM, Jamman54 said:

Thanks for the review. We are on the Spirit in January. 😎

I'll be getting off the Spirit when you're embarking. We'll try to leave her in good condition for your trip!

[eastoftheboston]

This is a great review. You don't see many reviewing the Spirit (I'm boarding the Spirit in January!) so I'm enjoying every word. Thank you! 

[havanadaydreaming]

great trip review.  we get on the Spirit next weekend (Turk, Amber, Bimini).  

 

you had a bargain for a Lyft from FLL to MIA.  last time we did that it was $100.   well done! 

[Ladyfunk25]

So sorry to hear you caught COVID, hope you feel well soon. I'm loving  your review so far, thank you!

[slavigne5577]

Is there a charge for the sushi? 

[kwokpot]

3 minutes ago, slavigne5577 said:

Is there a charge for the sushi? 

Bonsai is a for fee, a la carte restaurant. 

Edited December 3, 2022 by kwokpot

[1kaper]

Aruba 

 

 

A few months before someone in a social media group mentioned that there is a WindCreek Casino in Aruba.  They have a free online game. You spin once a day to get points and get points as you play. You can use the points to buy free play. 
 

DH and I spent some time playing and spun every day. We ended up with enough points to buy $100 Freeplay. Once you buy one, the points cost changes and it was too expensive to buy anymore but I was happy with $100. I also won a $10 freeplay in a tournament. 
 

So our plan for Aruba was find a beach nearby for awhile and then stop by the casino.  We were in port until 10pm so lots of time. 
 

The ship owned by the Church of Scientology was docked next to us. 
 

We didn’t rush getting off. I’d say we got off an hour after you were allowed. We stopped in the port to use the wifi for a bit. While I was there I chatted with a taxi driver. Rates are pretty set to get to anywhere. I asked about a private tour. It was $50 per person per hour for a 2 hour tour. I didn’t want to spend that much so we started to leave and came across one of the bus tours. I’m a sucker for a tour. They were offering a 2 hour tour of the island that stops at the rock formations, aloe farm, California lighthouse and then they will drop you at the beach and come back to get you 2 hours later (or you can just return to port) for $25 pp.  It sounded like a great deal. 
 

We signed up and had to wait awhile for the bus to fill up.  At about 11 am they finally made the call to leave. Our guide was a very nice local. First stop was the rock formations. It was pretty good but you might want to wear good shoes.  Climbing the rocks in flip flops was sketchy. We were given 15-20 minutes and were supposed to meet back at the bus. 
 

The rocks are supposed to look like things. I don’t know if I have enough imagination but it was still a pretty cool place 

View from the top of the rocks 

 

The stairs were quite steep and slanted 

we had to go through a sort of tunnel to get there 

 

Next stop was Aruba Aloe Farm.  I was not interested but there was free wifi there so I just caught up. 

Up next California Lighthouse.  There were beautiful views of the islands and shoreline. There was also a nice restaurant there but they charged money to use the washroom. 
 

While each of the stops were nice, it was a lot of waiting. Every stop people were late back to the bus. It was hot on the bus. And the driver talked non stop. He was a lovely person but by the end I was just ready to get off. It ended up being almost 3 1/2 hours. By the time we got to the beach I was a bit frazzled. He dropped us at a restaurant on Eagle Beach. DH was starving. There was no where to sit to eat and a huge line to order.  The line to the washrooms was so long. At this point I was just done.  We ended up asking one of the other busses from the same tour to take us back. I did snap a pic of the beach 

 

I did find someone from our group to let them know not to wait for us.  

We headed back to the ship. I got a shower and we grabbed some lunch. I had the Blue Iguana tacos. For some reason on my last cruise I didn’t have any  despite liking the pork a lot on the cruise before. I had the pork and chicken. DH liked both but the pork was my favourite by far. 
 

We headed back out to wander around and use our free play at the casino. On the way there a guy gave us a voucher for another free $10.  We had to show ID and were able to claim our $110 freeplay. 
 

i put $20 in and hit a jackpot. $175. I caused that out and kept playing my freeplay. I ended up walking out with about $225. Hubby had over $100. And we didn’t spend a cent of our own money. 

We wandered back to the ship at just about sunset.  I tried to catch it from my balcony but it was a little too late.

DH went to supper on his own. I wasn’t feeling it. I headed for sushi. And then on to Alchemy for an espresso martini (they don’t have espresso machines at any of the bars like on the Dream. They either make it with coffee liqueur or you can grab espresso from the coffee shop and bring it. Which is what I did.
Giovanni did a beautiful job  

 

We spent a while at the Alchemy Bar but I made a huge mistake. One of the other patrons convinced us to try the strawberries they have there that are soaked in alcohol. They had tried both the pineapple and the strawberry and said the pineapple was the worst. So DH and I tried the strawberry. I paid dearly the next day. It was the only time I was hung over the entire trip.  It had to be the strawberry. And before bed I got a Caesar salad and pizza from Pizza Pirate. So. Much. Regret.  
it was all I could taste the next day. Not sure I’m ever going to eat a Caesar again.  
 

Up next Bonaire. 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by 1kaper

[1kaper]

5 hours ago, slavigne5577 said:

Is there a charge for the sushi? 

Yeah. For what I was ordering it was $6-8 for the roll. 

[1kaper]

Bonaire

 

This one is a harder one to write.  Bonaire would have been my favourite stop.  

 

We originally had booked a golf cart on the island.  The plan was to tour the island, maybe find a beach to stop at, do some snorkelling.  Well.  As mentioned I wasn't feeling the best in the morning and slept in a bit.  Full disclaimer, I knew there was a chance we'd lose our golf cart.  I suspected the would give it away. 

Anyway, I rallied and we headed out to port.  Bonaire was probably the prettiest port we went to.  The water at the dock was gorgeous. I could have just jumped in there.  
 

the picture didn’t capture the green water. 

 

We got to the sign for the golf carts and no one was there.  It directed us to the other dock.  So over to the other dock we went. We found the tent and a gentleman was giving people advice on what to do. We find out he is not an employee of the golf carts, but is a local tour guide.  He said he would take us to the golf carts.  We walk a few blocks, maybe 10 minutes and arrive at the golf cart place.  There are two golf carts left and there are two groups ahead of us.  I know at this point I have no golf cart.  

 

My husband gets into a discussion with her and she explains that we were told we had 2 hours to claim the golf cart and we didn't show.  Well.  By the time we had made it there, through the line and started speaking to her it was now 2 hours.  The golf cart was gone before 2 hours.  We pointed out that we had to find that place, wait in line, etc. Either way, the golf cart is gone.  They do not take deposits and I understand that they need to make money although I was a bit disappointed.  

 

So we had back to the main area in front of the ship.  There were tents with taxi listed on them but no one around helping.  Earlier there was.  We waited awhile and no taxis came.  Other people came and went.  We go to another taxi area and there is someone who is helping but there is quite a line and still no taxis coming.  At this point, I am hot and not feeling great.  I decide to head back to the boat.  DH says he is going to look around. 

I ended up spotting the sign for the water taxi.  I found a spot in the shade and kept an eye to see if it was running.  DH ended up coming back and had gotten the schedule for the water taxi, it was leaving in about 15 minutes.  $25 pp return.  

 

Someone on here had mentioned this to me.  I knew it was a nice beach with no amenities but good snorkelling.  DH bought a bucket of beer at the restaurant the taxi left from and she let him take it if he promised to bring it back (he did). 

 

The taxi showed up and we all piled on.  They also sell beer and water on the boat to take with you if you want.  They do rent snorkel gear but it goes fast.  I had a mask but no snorkel.  I ended up waiting for the return guests to get back on to get a snorkel that was returned.  

 

The restaurant/bar the water taxi leaves from

 

The boat ride is 20 minutes?  Maybe 30.  The water is beautiful. Just as we approached they gave us instructions on where you can swim and walk.  There is coral reef all along so in some spots you can't walk out of the water.  There are markings to show you where.  They explain the direction of the current and you can walk up the beach, get in there, snorkel down and get out at the main beach area.  They also remind everyone to pack out what they brought in.  There are garbage cans but they prefer if you bring the garbage back to the boat.  
 

You could see the fish in the waves 

There is not much shade on the beach but you can kind of sit under bushes for a little relief.  We found a spot, set up our towels and then headed up the beach to get in the water.  There were tons of fish in the water.  We snorkelled for a bit and then headed back to our towels.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point, there was an emergency situation with another person on the beach.  I will not go into details out of respect but I did want to relay it here for one reason.  It never occurred to me for one moment that we were on an island, a good distance away from the port, with no other transportation back to the mainland except for a water taxi that comes once an hour.  I didn't even have a number for the taxi company.   I also ended up calling 911 and realized in that moment that I wasn't even sure it was 911.  I know the cruise line provides that information for every port, I just never paid attention.  For the record - I got the message after a few minutes of connecting to the cellular that is actually 112 but I did manage to get through with 911.  

We talked with a group on the water taxi on the way back and they commented how "they" kept it discreet, like someone had taken charge and made these decisions.  I don't think they realized even then how it went.  There was no "they".  No one was trying to be discreet.  It was a bunch of random people chipping in to do their best to help. 

 

I do not know how the situation turned out.  

 

After that I was ready to go back.  Plus we could see rain clouds coming in. We got on the next taxi and headed back to port.  

There was a nice market across from the port with lots of local items to buy.  I had intended to go shopping but ended up just going back to the ship. 

Overall, I liked Bonaire as a port but it is definitely somewhere you have to have a plan of what you are doing.  Many other ports you can just get off and pick up a tour if you want.  Or a taxi.  It isn't like that there.  

 

Edited December 5, 2022 by 1kaper

[1kaper]

Bonaire stop was also Thanksgiving.   We headed to supper and requested a table with DH's favourite servers he had found when he ate without me.  

 

I'm not a big turkey dinner lover but it was ok.  They had a staff member in a turkey outfit for people to take pictures with.  And lots of matching family outfits.  

 

dessert

 

After supper we headed back to the Alchemy Bar.  Sasha and Katia were definitely our favourites.  Sasha made us a special drink.  

 

And then we were off to bed early.  

 

Next up 2 sea day. 

[shawn742]

Nice review so far, I was on the same sailing.

 

For future reference, Sorobon Beach in Bonaire is decent, and only a $5 pp taxi ride each way. They have a restaurant and beach loungers for purchase ($10 each), but we normally just throw our stuff somewhere in the sand just outside of the field of beach loungers. The water directly in front of the beach is just so-so with a lot of protected sea grass, but you can walk out beyond the sea grass through a waist deep channel, and it's beautiful. They also have windsurfing equipment available for rental.

 

We've done this beach both times we visited Bonaire. As you mentioned, the taxi line can be a bit hectic, but they'll eventually get you there.