Setting Sail to Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao

The westernmost of the ABC islands is Aruba, which is known for its wide swaths of wide-sand beaches and crystal clear waters. A few of Aruba’s beaches are known for their resorts, restaurants and water sports. Others are far less populated with a more remote island experience ideal for snorkeling and quiet relaxation. We decided to spend our day on Palm Beach, which is the vibrant heart of activity yet not at all crowded. We booked beach chairs and an umbrella in advance through Frank's Place Watersports. They have two locations on Palm Beach and were very easy to find.

In addition to enjoying the Aruban sun and water, we enjoyed a delectable breakfast at Coco Café at Boardwalk Boutique Hotel (open to the public!), fruit smoothies at Eduardo’s, a fresh seafood lunch at Hadicurari and an afternoon cocktail and light bites at MooMba Beach Bar & Restaurant. As the sun is quite hot in this region, we decided to return to the ship for a much-needed late-afternoon break from the heat. We then ventured out to experience sundown at Barefoot, a picturesque beachfront restaurant with the perfect sunset views over the water and outstanding food. The espresso crème brȗlée is a must!

Tips:

• Taxis are conveniently located at the port as you disembark the ship. If you wish to return to the ship by taxi, hotels and restaurants along Palm Beach and elsewhere are generally happy to assist you. Be sure to request a taxi that has access to the port area itself, as not all taxis have this access. The taxis with special access display a yellow placard. Otherwise, you will have to walk a longer distance in the hot sun to get back to the ship.

• If you are interested in exploring more of the island, other highly recommended places to visit are The Butterfly Farm, the Aruba Aloe Factory & Museum, Eagle Beach and Tres Trapi beach for snorkeling! You can also rent jeeps in Aruba if you want to visit a variety of places!

• Don’t forget your sunscreen, including for sunset at Barefoot! The sun is intense, even at sundown!

• Speaking of the intensity of the sun, aloe products made in Aruba make a wonderful souvenir! There is a shop in the port area itself that is perfect for shopping at the end of your port day!

Located between Aruba and Bonaire is the island of Curaçao, which is the largest of the three islands and is known for its vibrantly colored buildings and recognizable Dutch architecture.

Although there are many wonderful ways to spend a day in Curaçao, we decided to enjoy a luxury beach day here at the stunning Baoase Luxury Resort, which was recently named the number three Best Resort in the Caribbean by Travel + Leisure. This is not an experience that can be booked through your cruise line or through any of the popular “resort pass” websites. Instead, it is the type of experience that travel advisors who know the island well can arrange for you!

Visiting Baose is like entering a secret tropical garden paradise! Baoase was originally built as a family home with guest villas, and it has not lost its feeling of being at a luxurious, very private retreat. As you walk through the large wooden doors and down the stone paths under lush palm trees, you will quickly feel as if you are in a world of your own. Once you set eyes on the beach, with spaces thoughtfully spread out to allow everyone peace and privacy, you will feel as if you have this slice of heaven almost entirely to yourselves!

A day trip to Baoase includes luxurious cushioned beach loungers under a shaded pergola as well as another set of loungers in the sun. You will have bottled water replenished throughout the day, and you are treated to a multi-course lunch and an afternoon snack. You have use of their quiet lagoon, their bar service and their snorkeling and kayaking equipment. There is even a fun selection of children’s beach toys available if you are traveling with kids — a really thoughtful add-on for families! Their service was really friendly and impeccable. Be sure to ask your Fora advisor if you are interested in this very special, exclusive experience!

On our way back to the ship, we asked our driver to drop us off at the central area of Willemstad, including the painted Dutch buildings, the Punda Love Hearts and the Queen Emma Floating Bridge. These are all located together, so it is easy to get several pictures and return to the ship!

Finally, as we walked back to the port, we stopped by a stand that sells one of the most unique Caribbean souvenirs — Kukudushi! These are small shells made into beautiful jewelry pendants, but that is not all! They contain a special chip that allows you to use a smart-phone to track a marine animal of your choice! Not only are they beautiful and unlike any other souvenir you could find, proceeds from these benefit conservation efforts for marine life.

Tips:

• Bring a lock for the Punda Love Hearts if you wish!

• If you visit Baoase, ask your driver if it would be possible to stop to take a picture overlooking Willemstad and the ship! It is the perfect photo op!

• If you would like to purchase Kukudushi souvenirs, they are sometimes set up at different locations. You can reach out to them on Instagram to find out where they will be!

The easternmost of the ABC islands is Bonaire. It is also the smallest of the three islands. Bonaire is far less developed than its neighboring islands, so it is not a place teeming with resorts, shops and nightlife. Instead, you’ll find a more remote paradise here that offers a quieter experience with some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world!

For our port day in Bonaire, we started with a snorkeling trip on a catamaran with Woodwind Bonaire. I suggest booking this trip well in advance of your cruise. After a short 15-minute walk from the ship, which afforded several great photo opportunities, we met our guides and boarded their catamaran to sail to Klein Bonaire. During our approximately 45-minute trip, our guides did an excellent job giving an overview of the island and assisting us in fitting our masks and fins. They truly excelled in making sure everyone was comfortable in the water, offering specialty items such as prescription masks and defogging mask spray. They even offered “pool noodles'' instead of life jackets, if desired, for a more comfortable swimming experience. Thanks to their excellent options and assistance, this was the most pleasant snorkeling experience I’ve had of many!

Once we reached Klein Bonaire, we snorkeled at two different areas offering different views of the reef and the marine life. We almost immediately saw sea turtles, which was certainly a highlight! We also saw such an abundant variety of fishes and corals. Our guide did such an expert job pointing them all out for us. She also provided so much interesting information as we swam, making it not only beautiful and peaceful but very informative!

While providing us such a wonderful experience, Woodwind Bonaire took every effort to ensure the conservation of the reef and marine life. We were required to use reef-safe sunscreen, which they provided onboard. We were also carefully instructed not to touch any marine life, including the coral reefs, to prevent any damage and to be sure not to drop any items into the water. Our guides even retrieved some littered items from the reef, which they do every time they swim in an effort to preserve this very special site.

On the return trip to Bonaire, they provided us with a delicious lunch onboard! We had the opportunity to relax, take photographs and chat with our guides about our experience. It was a wonderful way to spend a morning!

For the afternoon, we decided to take part in another favorite experience on Bonaire and rent a golf cart with Bonaire Cruises to explore the more remote parts of the island. I highly recommend that you also book this far in advance of your cruise, as they do sell out! We chose a premium cart

When you pick up your golf cart, you are given an island map to guide your trip. It is entirely up to you to decide where you would like to visit! We chose the Southern loop, which passes the salt pyramids and flats, rugged terrain and unspoiled beaches! We passed historic lighthouses and slave huts and even saw flamingoes in the distance! After about one hour on this route, you will reach a few small beach restaurants if you wish to stop and enjoy!

Tips:

• The walk from the ship to Woodwind Bonaire is direct and flat takes about 15 minutes. This walk is shaded in parts. The walk from Woodwind Bonaire to Bonaire Cruisers takes about 25 minutes, with about 10-15 minutes in full sun. If you would like to participate in both activities, you will want to consider the availability of a taxi between these locations.

• If you do your golf cart tour in the afternoon, as we did, there may be very few other golf carts or cars of any kind on the route with you for much of your one-and-a-half hour trip. Cellular phone service may vary throughout the drive. There are only a few main roads, so you should not become entirely lost, but if you would prefer to have more tourists along with you, you may want to do the golf cart tour in the morning. You can also download a map of Bonaire on Maps.me before arriving. These maps do not require any cellular or wifi service to use.

• If you’re looking for a very convenient and unique swimming experience in Bonaire, exit the port area to the right. You will see a pier with ladders directly into the water. Here, you can swim in clear waters right beside where your ship is docked!