BONAIRE ??

[AIROHS]

Hello all tried posting in the Bonaire forum but no replys .will be there in early january we have never been to this port is there things to do/see within walking distance of ship(shopping etc )

[Hlitner]

Just now, AIROHS said:

Hello all tried posting in the Bonaire forum but no replys .will be there in early january we have never been to this port is there things to do/see within walking distance of ship(shopping etc )

Its actually a lovely island with lots of natural sites.  When you get off the ship you are actually on the edge of town so you have access to numerous restaurants, shops, etc.  But this island is quite famous for its diving and snorkeling.  We think the best snorkel tour is on a small catamaran called the Woodwind.  If interested you can Google the Woodwind, but chances are it will already be booked.  That boat is owned and run by a wonderful lady, Dee and her husband.  Another interesting thing to do is rent a golf cart (gas powered) and drive around the island.  Its a fun way to see a lot and especially great if you have a long port day.  This should be reserved in advance, online.

 

Hank

[phoenix_dream]

There is some very nice shopping within easy walking distance of the ship, although much smaller than Aruba or Curacao.  Bonaire is famous for diving and then snorkeling.  We are not into the former, and rarely do the latter so having been there a few times before we usually just walk around town.  However, for first timers, if you are not into the snorkeling or diving, I highly recommend an island tour.  You can pick one up right at the dock for much cheaper than on the ship.  Bonaire has some beautiful sites to see.  If you can find someone to give you a full island tour, that is my top recommendation.  Most will do one side of the island or the other - still worth the $$.

[Cruise Raider]

We've caught a water taxi over to Klein Bonaire ... a beautiful little island with no services but a fantastic beach and snorkeling / swimming.  White powder sand and lots of sea life.  

 

The last time there, we took a rather inexpensive tour from the ship 'The Best of Bonaire'.  It really was the best!!  We visited the salt flats and slave huts, a most beautiful beach and saw so much wildlife, mostly flamingos but also some wild donkeys.  It was great!  

 

[TangoCruz]

"Best excursion ever". Quote from a member of our group of 14 when we toured the island via golf carts. Travel at your own pace and stop whenever you want. Reserve early as they almost always sell out. See www.bonairecruisers.com for all the details.

Edited October 31, 2018 by TangoCruz
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[Luvcrusn]

It's the least spoiled of the ABC's. Beautiful island with great diving a snorkeling. There are shops and restaurants within walking distance from the port. There are some beautiful beaches. When we returned to the ship we were fortunate to be invited to a sail away on the heliport and watched snorkelers an divers a short distance from the ship enjoying the crystal clear water. Returning from a walk from town back to the ship we saw beautiful tropical fish swimming near the walkway back.

[OCruisers]

3 hours ago, AIROHS said:

Hello all tried posting in the Bonaire forum but no replys .will be there in early january we have never been to this port is there things to do/see within walking distance of ship(shopping etc )

No problem walking to a rather nice vendon area and getting to resturants/bars.  Enjoy!  

[lineman]

Try Bonaire Vista Tours www.bonairevistatours.com  used them 2 times , they do a very nice tour of the island.

[Ozzmund]

Bonaire Cruisers Golf Cart rental was a blast.

We drove all the ay around the island stopped to swim, eat. Great fun.

 

http://www.bonairecruisers.com/

[Marelaine]

We were there on a Sunday. Most of shops the were closed, but there was a nice craft market adjacent to the port with interesting vendors. There were tour guides lined up on the main road filling up 8 passenger vehicles for tours of the islands. We saw the flamingo preserve, salt flats and the Cadushy distillery. The guide pointed out animals and various plants, talked about the economy and history of the island.  We're very happy to be going back there in March. 

 

[meadowlander]

5 hours ago, AIROHS said:

Hello all tried posting in the Bonaire forum but no replys .will be there in early january we have never been to this port is there things to do/see within walking distance of ship(shopping etc )

If you can book the snorkel excursion with Woodwind...do it!!! They break guests into 3 groups based on experience level. The craft market is literally across from the road upon exit from the cruise dock. Many stores within easy walking distance.

[Baron Barracuda]

Agree the golf carts are great fun.  DW and her friend drove the entire island in one and enjoyed it tremendously.

[tartan cruiser]

I would also give a thumbs up for bonaire vista tours. Great price and the husband and wife owners are some of the friendliest ever. They really know the island.  If you've never been to Bonaire I would suggest a guided tour rather than on your own. Having someone explain what you are seeing really adds to the experience IMO.

[AIROHS]

Thank you all

[DiamondDiva]

A third positive for Bonaire Vista Tours. Their whole island tour is excellent.

 

[Duanerice1]

Back to your question, there isn't a lot to do close to shore.  Not too many shops, maybe an hours worth.  But, there is some beautiful water right by the pier where people snorkel and go swimming, so that's an option.  

 

Everything else is already posted at the Bonaire forum. 

[DENIE]

We are going for the first time in December 2018 on the Silhouette.  After doing much research on these boards and other travel sites, I was steered towards snorkeling with Woodwind, so booked them.  We did book early, and they may already be filled up for a January 2019 cruise.   I know ours got book up, from what I understand, a couple months ago.

[Sabres Doc]

Agree with the others. We did the "best of Bonaire" excursion two weeks ago and it was one of the best tours I've done through Celebrity in the Caribbean. If you plan to do golf carts, make sure you contact them ASAP as they are limited and sell out quickly. As the others have said, if you are into diving or snorkeling, this is the place. My wife did a dive and was in heaven. It's very easy to find places to dive locally. I loved the island and will definitely go back. Plenty of shops and restaurants off the pier, although not nearly the same as Aruba or Curacao. Enjoy!

[Kdanemjm]

On 10/30/2018 at 5:56 PM, Hlitner said:

Its actually a lovely island with lots of natural sites.  When you get off the ship you are actually on the edge of town so you have access to numerous restaurants, shops, etc.  But this island is quite famous for its diving and snorkeling.  We think the best snorkel tour is on a small catamaran called the Woodwind.  If interested you can Google the Woodwind, but chances are it will already be booked.  That boat is owned and run by a wonderful lady, Dee and her husband.  Another interesting thing to do is rent a golf cart (gas powered) and drive around the island.  Its a fun way to see a lot and especially great if you have a long port day.  This should be reserved in advance, online.

 

Hank

We agree1 The best snorkeling we have ever done was with the Woodwind! We would do this again in a minute if we ever return to Bonaire.