Tony Randall, best known for his role as Oscar Madison in the hit television series The Odd Couple, played the lead role as famed detective Hercule Poirot in the 1965 movie, The Alphabet Murders. Throughout the film, Poirot investigates a series of murders committed in alphabetical order by the victim’s names, while at the same time chasing his prime suspect, a woman with the initials A.B.C.
On this 8-day Southern Caribbean cruise, we’re chasing islands in alphabetical order with the first stop in A – Aruba, the second in B – Bonaire, and the third in C – Curacao. Today it’s time to talk a little bit about B – Bonaire.
When you hop off the cruise ship in Kralendijk you’ll find yourself smack dab in the middle of a colorful downtown with little shops, beachfront eateries, and of course, the craft market. If you’re into snorkeling or diving, Bonaire is well-known as one of those “must-dive” places due to the abundance of rainbow-colored coral reefs and all kinds of cool fish. People who live on the island make their living off us tourists with a focus on eco-tourism. They balance between making money and looking after their natural treasures. So, if you’re into things like diving, birdwatching, or wind-surfing, you’re gonna love this place.
Now, let me pretend to be Poirot for a moment. Many say that Bonaire is not safe, full of crime, and has a high murder rate. While their small towns and streets may not look modern and beautiful Bonaire is pretty safe, day or night and the island has a low crime rate. The locals are friendly and make tourists feel welcome. Of course, you are in a foreign country, so don’t forget your common sense and don’t venture out with valuables, lots of cash, etc. But generally, you’re good to go.
As I mentioned in my previous reports for this cruise, since this is my third cruise on Carnival Celebration in a short period of time, these reviews are going to be much shorter and just point out some of the day’s highlights. For more detailed reviews of the Celebration itself, be sure to check out these reviews:
- 7-Day Western Carnival Celebration Cruise Review (April 2023)
- 7-Day Eastern Carnival Celebration Cruise (June 2023)
We arrived in Bonaire a little before 8 am and were scheduled to depart at 10 pm. Now, there’s isn’t a whole heck of a lot to do here so spending a full day on this island is a waste of time. I usually just walk around the port area and check out some of the local scenery.
Once back on board, I took notice that these signs started appearing on the many glass panels along balconies and in stairwells:
When I was heading back to my stateroom, a crew was replacing two glass panels in one of the stairwells, so it appears that either guests are damaging them or they are somehow breaking due to pressure. Either way, these warning signs are cropping up all over the ship which definitely takes away from the intended aesthetic.
For dinner, I decided to go to the ship’s Italian restaurant, Cucina del Capitano. Wait times were not bad this evening, with all restaurants running an average of about 30-minutes. I started off with the Caprese salad which was just your store-bought mozzarella and a couple slices of tomato. Rating – average.
For my entree, I chose the short ribs. While fork tender, flavorful, and quite delicious… the portion was very small.
Service was good, although it took a good half hour for the appetizer to arrive then once I put my fork down, the entree was in front of me.
Around the ship, many were out on the decks as we prepared to sail away. As the clock was approaching 10 pm, a page went out for Mr. So and So to please contact guest services… a few minutes later this Mr. So and So could be seen running towards the ship. He made it just in time or he would have had to find a way to Curacao or back to Miami on his own. Yes, in case you’re wondering… the ship WILL leave without you if you’re out on your own, not on a ship sponsored excusrsion, and you do not make it back to the ship in time.
Our next stop is Curacao, so stay tuned.
FunTimes for July 19, 2023:
The FunTimes for July 19, 2023, is also available as a PDF.