Momsez

Just returned from going snorkeling in Bonaire with Woodwind.  Again, a fantastic time.

The first stop is usually a drift snorkel.  Most of the people on our trip used fins, which Woodwind supplies, so no need to bring yours.  Second stop is not drift snorkeling and you'll have to do swimming. 

Woodwind supplies everything you need - even shorty wet suits, masks, fins, noodles, vest, etc.

I highly recommend going with them.

Prodeheaver:  You can easily take the taxi boat over to Klein Bonaire.  You supposedly can drop off your "stuff", get back on the taxi and they take you down the beach to where you can start a drift snorkel back to your stuff.  Entry to snorkel from the beach can be tricky but it's doable.  Be aware that there are ABSOLUTELY NO services at KB.  And no shade. 

If you want to snorkel, a great way to do it is with Woodwind.  They take you over toward KB.  It's a great experience - we've done it several times and plan to do so next month when we go.  You'll see many rave reviews of Woodwind here on CC.

Go zip-lining with Antigua Rainforest Zipline Tours!  It's a blast and very safe.  If an "old lady" like me can do it, anyone can!  Our Celebrity ship had a cruise-line tour that was reasonable and easy.  We've done it twice and would do it again.

Very easy to do the ferry on your own.  No need to pay extra thru the ship.  Be aware, however, that you'll need your own equipment.  Also, there is NOTHING on Klein Bonaire - no shade, no refreshments, no beach chairs, etc.  There is a very easy drift snorkel there, tho it can be difficult getting into the water due to the coral close to shore.  I have read that sometimes the ferry will let you drop your stuff at the landing and then take you down to the beginning of the drift, tho I haven't done it that way.

Thank you everyone for your replies!

Thank you!!

Infinity has Aqua class, but I'm not seeing Blu on the deck plans.  Am I just missing it, or does Infinity not have Blu?  Blu would be the only reason, for us, to book Aqua class.

Be aware that KB has absolutely NO amenities - no shade, no [or little] water, no chairs, etc.  You can drift snorkel there, which is nice and easy, but the entry can be tricky.  I've read that the taxi sometimes will drop you off at the "start" point of the drift snorkel, so you can enter from the boat rather than from shore.  It's an easy snorkel, IF you don't have a problem getting in.  [The reef at the beach where you "land" is very close to shore and has only a few - and tricky - entry points to the water.  Once you get in, it's great!]

Have done both.  KB is terrific if you want to do independent [have your own equipment], don't need any amenities [there is absolutely NOTHING on KB, including shade], and like to drift snorkel.  It can be difficult to get in the water at the beach the taxi drops you off at, though I've read that they will sometimes take you to the entry point so you can get in from the boat.

We've done several trips with Woodwind and they are FANTASTIC!!  Dee and her crew are very attentive and careful and informative.  They have all the equipment you need, including wetsuits if you want, and it's quality stuff - even masks with corrective lenses.  They do two stops, near KB and it's often a drift snorkel.  Crew is in the water with you to point out various fish, turtles, etc.  Highly recommend them.  They give you a very nice lunch on the way back to shore, as well as drinks.

This last time we went with Epic Tours, for various reasons, and it was a nice trip, though the boat itself [not a catamaran] wasn't all that comfortable.  However, we went north from town, rather than south, so we saw some "different" scenes on the beach.  Saw tons of fish, and even had dolphins swimming alongside the boat, which the woman running the tour said she has rarely seen in several years there.  They served beer/punch after the second snorkel stop.

Very odd-looking pages.  All the posts are very, very old.  How do I get back to the "old" Cruise Critic boards???

This one looks like a very major glitch.

On our recent cruise on Eclipse, we were in Aqua Class. The manager in Blu got us reservations in the specialties at a discount. Plus, there was a "first-night deal" for 30% off a specialty, which, since they couldn't seat us that night, they extended to the next night they could seat us. We did Murano [fabulous] and Qzine [interesting and very good].

:)

Woodwind is OUTSTANDING! We've gone with them three times (my husband won't even consider anyone else). They take wonderful care of you.

We've also done Klein Bonaire on our own, once on the water taxi thru the ship (that was on our first visit and we didn't know any better!) and the second time by just walking down to the taxi pier and hopping on. The problem with KB is that there are absolutely NO facilities there. There may be a jug of water and some paper cups at the little canopy at the "pier" but that's it. And NO shade. It can be difficult getting in the water, but there is a break in the coral where you can get in and then you drift with the current back to the pier area. It's great, but you have to have your own equipment, or rent it ahead of time I guess, and not need any facilities or shade. I've read that you can have the water taxi drop you off at the spot where you can start the drift, but we haven't done that.

Go with Dee and Woodwind. You can't go wrong. BTW - the "snack" someone referred to is actually a meal, and a very tasty one!

We loved the zipline tour in Antigua. We did it through Celebrity, but I'm sure it could be done on your own. However, it's a bit away from the ship, so we felt better going thru Celebrity. The price difference was negligible.

Snorkeling/beach in Cozumel. Ziplining in Roatan. Check those boards for lots of info.

Snorkeling with Woodwind - definitely. Although it's probably too late to book it now. We've gone with them three times now and it's a fantastic experience.

Check out the info on the Bonaire board or the most info.

Neither Palm or Eagle will be good for snorkeling. Palm will be crowded and loud. Umbrellas $50 when we were there recently. Would never go back.

For good snorkeling, although no facilities to speak of, and you need to have your own gear, take the public bus to the Malmok area.

In late February, it was "Eddie". Didn't care for him, though we didn't really see him that much.

Just recently returned from a Celebrity Cruise that included St. Lucia. Didn't care for the ship's excursion to the Pitons. It was on a big boat (maybe 40 people?), had loud music, horrible rum punch, no beach time (they anchored in the water off shore and you swam to the snorkeling site), snorkeling was only so-so. I wouldn't do it again.

On the other hand, we saw some of Spencer Ambrose's boats, and others, and they were pretty small, not much shade, etc.

If you go to Klein Bonaire - it IS fantastic snorkeling! - be aware that there are absolutely NO facilities whatever there. They may have jugs of water and there's a little "shelter" for waiting for the taxi, but that's it. Also, no shade at all. It's a great drift snorkel, though, if you have your own equipment.

If you decide you want to go on a boat, I highly recommend Dee at Woodwind. We've gone with them three times - my husband refuses to go with anyone else. They have all the equipment - even wetsuits - and Dee is terrific with making sure the equipment is right for you (even if it's your own), that you're completely comfortable, etc. etc. It's not that expensive for what you get and is very close to the pier. They use a small boat, maybe about 20 people (?), so it's not a "party" boat at all.

:D

Too late in this case, obviously, but I once saw a tip that you should always take a picture of your contact info, so if this happens, the finder can contact you.

Did the zipline tour in Antigua two weeks ago. Fantastic!! We've done ziplines in lots of places and this one was a lot of fun. Not my preference to have to use gloved hands to brake, but having done it before, it didn't seem so bad this time. Thought they were just as "safe" as any of the other zips we've done in the Caribbean. It's different doing it there than in the US - here they're hyper-aware of safety, so much so that it takes some of the fun out of it because it's so slow.

Bottom line: would definitely do it again.

:D

Check to see whether your ship has a luggage checking service. You check your bags right through from your cabin door to your home airport! Very convenient. Just make sure you keep a small bag with the things you'll need that night and debarkation morning. You can check that bag at the "bags to go" at FLL and then take the trolley to Las Olas [weekends only] and back. Lots of info at that "sunny" website mentioned above.

Lost patience with Celebrity website....

I found a post about this on the Celebrity board a week or so ago but can't find it now. It had a link to the list of wines available for pre-purchase, similar to buying gifts for someone's cabin before they sail. Can anyone help?

Thanks so much.

In our experience, FLL has limits on how early you can check your luggage. Using the cruise line "luggage valet" is a good bet.

Looking at some of the shuttles from FLL to Miami (downtown) several say there are no services available after 3:00, except for a much-more-expensive ride. Our flight gets in at 2:30, so that would be pushing it. Any advice?

We're thinking of renting a car, but don't know the best company to use for a same-day return in downtown Miami (Holiday Inn Express).

Thanks for any help on this.