It’s Day 5, and it’s time for our second port of call on this Southern Caribbean “ABC” cruise aboard Carnival Horizon. Today, we’re checking off the “B” on the list. “B” for beautiful, and also “B” for Bonaire!
If you’re a snorkeler or diver, you probably already know that Bonaire is one of those bucket-list Caribbean stops. The reefs around Bonaire form a narrow reef that begins practically at the shoreline, and the waters around Bonaire are protected as part of Bonaire National Marine Park. In other words, this is one of those places where the good stuff isn’t miles offshore. A lot of it is right there, close enough that people are snorkeling and diving from shore all over the island. So for the snorkelers on this cruise, welcome to paradise.
A little bit about Bonaire: it’s part of the Dutch Caribbean and (obviously) one of the ABC islands, along with Aruba and Curaçao. Aruba was our port yesterday, Bonaire is today, and Curaçao is tomorrow, so we’re working our way across the southern Caribbean alphabet one island at a time. Bonaire sits off the coast of Venezuela and is known for its dry climate, colorful capital city of Kralendijk, salt flats, flamingos, windsurfing, and, of course, that underwater world that brings divers and snorkelers here from all over.
Carnival Horizon arrived around 7 a.m., and guests were cleared to go ashore around 8. One thing to know about Bonaire is that if your ship is scheduled to be here, there’s a very good chance your ship will be the only large cruise ship in port. Bonaire introduced a one-large-ship-per-day policy in 2022 as part of its Tourism Recovery Plan, with the policy almost fully implemented in April 2023. The policy allows for one large cruise ship per day, plus a second smaller ship carrying fewer than 700 passengers. So you’re not going to see Carnival Horizon sharing the pier with another giant floating hotel, although you could see a much smaller vessel in port on the same day.
Bonaire is also an extremely easy port to visit. The ship docks right in Kralendijk, and just a few steps from the ship you’re basically in the center of town. Once off the ship, you walk through a small group of port shops, and unlike some Caribbean ports, nobody was out there aggressively high-pressuring everyone who walked by. There aren’t a ton of stores right in this immediate port area, but there is duty-free shopping and a few places to grab souvenirs before heading back to the ship.
Once you exit onto the main street, immediately outside the little shopping area and to the left, you’ll see the taxi stand. You really can’t miss it thanks to the big sign. Continue a few steps farther and you’ll find tour operators lined up along the street, where you can book excursions or grab tickets for the water taxi. The water taxi goes over to Klein Bonaire, the small uninhabited island just off the coast that is popular for beach time, snorkeling, and that classic clear-water Bonaire experience.
If you keep walking left from the cruise port, you’ll run into Fort Oranje, the small historic fort near the waterfront. Fort Oranje was built in the 1600s to help defend Bonaire and later became tied to the island’s government and harbor history. Today, it’s one of those quick photo stops you can easily work into a casual walk around town. Nearby is Plaza Wilhelmina, a small park and square area where merchants often set up selling local crafts, souvenirs, and sometimes local food.
The waterfront itself is easily walkable for a good distance and is perfect for strolling and taking in the view of that ridiculously clear water. There are a few restaurants and shops lining the street, and some of the restaurants sit right on or even over the water, making this a great place to grab a drink or a bite to eat at lunchtime. This is also where you’ll find places like Karel’s Beach Bar, which is right on the boulevard and also serves as a water taxi departure point.
If you continue along the waterfront, you can check out the floating pier area at Parke Tului. This is not really a beach, but more of a floating sea pool/open-water swimming spot where locals and visitors can get into the water, cool off, and enjoy the ocean right from town. For those with mobility issues, this is fully accessible with a ramp down from the street and a ramp right into the water.
If you want to do a little more shopping, head one block inland to Kaya Grandi, the main shopping street in Kralendijk. It runs parallel to the waterfront and is lined with shops, boutiques, restaurants, and colorful facades that make for great photos. It’s not huge, but it’s easy and very walkable from the ship.
That’s all if you head left from the cruise port, which is really where most of the action is. If you make a right at the cruise port, you’re not going to find nearly as much. What you will find is a small waterfront beach area with benches and a little spot where locals and visitors can take a quick jump into the ocean. This is going to be your absolute closest beach-type option, and it’s not large, fancy, or what most people picture when they think “Caribbean beach day,” but it works if you want to walk five minutes, cool off, and still be right near the ship.
All along the waterfront, you’ll see people in the water snorkeling and swimming, but in most areas, there really isn’t a beach. The water comes right up to the seawall, so there’s no place to lay out a towel, and the immediate shoreline can be rocky with coral. Most people use these spots as places to get in the water, snorkel a bit, and get out. That’s why the floating pier is one of the better options if you want to be able to get into the water, dive in, and cool off without dealing with a rocky entry. The floating pier area also has ramps leading down to it and ramps going into the water, while the small beach area closer to the port uses steps, so it’s not as accessible.
Best Beaches in Bonaire for Cruise Passengers
Now, if you’re looking to make Bonaire a true beach day, you’ll probably want a taxi or water taxi. Here are three good options:
- Te Amo Beach is probably the most popular easy beach option for cruisers who want to stay relatively close. It’s near the airport, has white sand, a sandy entrance into the water, and good snorkeling conditions. It’s about 5 to 10 minutes by taxi from the cruise port, so it’s close enough for a simple DIY beach break without committing your whole day.
- Klein Bonaire / No Name Beach is the one to consider if you want that clear-water, undeveloped island beach experience. You’ll need to take the water taxi from Kralendijk, usually from the Karel’s Beach Bar area a short walk away, and the ride is generally around 15 to 20 minutes. There are no real facilities on Klein Bonaire, so bring what you need, but if snorkeling and gorgeous water are the priority, this is one of the big draws. Just keep a close eye on time, and factor in the water shuttle and walk back to the ship.
- Sorobon Beach / Lac Bay is farther away, but it’s a good choice if you want shallow turquoise water and more of a beach-club/water-sports vibe. Lac Bay is also famous for windsurfing, thanks to the steady trade winds and shallow protected water. Plan on roughly 20 to 25 minutes by taxi from the cruise port, depending on traffic and where exactly you’re being dropped off.
Top Shore Excursions in Bonaire
If wandering around town or doing a DIY beach day isn’t your thing, Bonaire has some really solid shore excursion options. This is one of those ports where the best stuff is not necessarily in the shopping district. It’s in the water, around the island, or out in the natural areas that make Bonaire feel different from a lot of other Caribbean stops.
The obvious number one choice is snorkeling or diving. Bonaire is known for its clear water, protected reefs, and easy access to the Bonaire National Marine Park, so if there was ever a port to book a snorkel trip, this is it. You’ll see options for reef snorkeling, drift snorkeling, two-stop snorkel tours, and boat trips to Klein Bonaire, the small uninhabited island just off the coast of Kralendijk. Carnival has excursions that include snorkeling, diving, kayaking, and other active water-based options, so this is definitely the port where water excursions take center stage.
Another popular option is a Klein Bonaire beach and snorkel trip. This can be done independently by water taxi, but it’s also offered in excursion form if you want something more structured. Klein Bonaire is all about clear water, snorkeling, and a more undeveloped beach experience. Carnival’s Beach Express Ferry excursion notes that there are no restroom facilities or vendors on Klein Bonaire, and that beach chairs and umbrellas are not available, so this is more “bring what you need and enjoy the water” than “full-service beach club.”
For something completely different, look at a mangrove kayak and snorkel tour in Lac Bay. These tours usually take you through Bonaire’s mangrove area by kayak, often with a snorkel stop included. Visitors enter the Bonaire mangrove reserve at Lac Bay with an experienced nature guide, which makes sense since this is a protected natural area and not somewhere you just randomly paddle off into on your own. This is a good pick if you want something active but not just another catamaran snorkel trip.
A good land-based option is a south island tour to the salt flats, slave huts, and flamingo areas. Bonaire’s southern end is famous for its salt production, bright salt pans, white salt pyramids, historic slave huts, and flamingo habitat. These tours are a good choice if you want to see more of the island without spending the day in the water. This one of the easier “see Bonaire without snorkeling” excursions.
So if you’re booking an excursion in Bonaire, I’d look at it this way: snorkel or dive if you want the classic Bonaire experience, Klein Bonaire if you want beach and water, mangrove kayaking if you want nature and something active, or a south-island tour if you want history and scenery.
Is Bonaire Safe for Cruise Passengers?
Let’s talk safety and the question I’m asked a lot, “is Bonaire safe?”
In my opinion, yes. Bonaire feels like one of the easier and more comfortable Caribbean ports to explore on your own, especially if you’re staying around Kralendijk, the waterfront, the shops, restaurants, and the main cruise port area. The U.S. State Department currently lists Bonaire at Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions, which is the lowest travel advisory level. That doesn’t mean you should turn your brain off like so many people on vacation automatically do, but it does mean Bonaire is not considered a high-risk destination for American travelers.
As always, the usual travel rules apply. Keep an eye on your bag, don’t leave valuables sitting out while you go snorkeling, use licensed taxis, and don’t wander off into isolated areas just because you’re on vacation and everything looks pretty. Like any tourist destination, you’ll find petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, so common sense still matters.
That said, Bonaire has a very different feel from some other ports in the Caribbean. You don’t walk off the ship into a wall of people yelling for tours, taxis, beach rides, hair braiding, bracelets, or whatever else someone is trying to sell that day. Even the taxi drivers and tour operators are laid-back. They are there if you need them, but nobody was aggressively pressuring visitors or following people around trying to close a sale.
That alone makes the port feel more relaxed. You can walk out of the cruise area, look around, check out the taxi stand, browse the local vendors, or just keep walking along the waterfront without feeling like you’re running a gauntlet. For cruise passengers who like to wander independently, that’s a big plus.
So while you should still use normal precautions, Bonaire is one of those ports where I feel very comfortable getting off the ship and doing my own thing during the day. The town is right there, the waterfront is easy to navigate, people are generally low-pressure, and the whole experience feels calm compared to some other cruise ports where the second you leave the gate, everyone suddenly becomes your new best friend with a van.
My Day in Bonaire and a Pizza Conundrum
My day in Bonaire included a lot of wandering around, exploring the area, sitting by the water, and doing absolutely nothing.
In other words, a perfect day.
You can check out my latest walkaround video below, once again taken with my Ray-Ban Meta glasses. It offers some unfiltered commentary as I walk from the ship to the fort, the merchant plaza, the shopping street, the waterfront, and the little beach area right near the cruise port so you can see what you can experience on your own just by walking around the port area.
Since all-aboard time wasn’t until 7:30 p.m., I eventually headed back to the ship to cool off for a bit. While I was walking around, I noticed that the pizza place on Deck 10 was shut down. Maintenance was being done on the space, and a sign was directing people to the buffet, where pizza was being served instead.
Now, normally, the pizza served here is either round personal pies or traditional slices. I went over to see what they were serving at the buffet and, let’s just say, it was absolutely nasty. Nasty to the point where even Chef Boyardee would consider croaking himself before eating a piece of it.
I took one for the team and grabbed a few slices to see if it tasted as horrible as it looked.
It did.
I’m not sure how they managed to create something that was as chewy as a piece of rubber, yet crunchy enough that you could break a tooth, but somehow, they pulled it off. If they couldn’t offer the pizza they normally crank out at a record pace, which I consider an average pie, they should have just canned pizza completely rather than serve this horrible substitute.
After that experience, I grabbed a cigar and headed outside to watch the sun start to set before the all-aboard horn was sounded.
Dinner at Bonsai Teppanyaki on Carnival Horizon
Dinner tonight was a late one for me: a 9 p.m. reservation at the ship’s teppanyaki restaurant, Bonsai Teppanyaki.
On Carnival Horizon, Bonsai is home to two different dining experiences. There’s the sushi restaurant, with a sushi bar and tables, and then there’s a separate enclosed room with two teppanyaki tables that accommodate about ten people each. Sushi is priced à la carte, while teppanyaki is priced at $49 per person.
This is dinner and a show, with the food prepared on a teppanyaki grill right in front of you while the chef entertains everyone throughout the evening. Reservations here are absolutely required because, with only two tables, space is really limited. They do offer three seatings, though: 5:30, 7:15, and 9 p.m.
Dinner starts with your choice of miso soup or a mixed green salad, followed by two small appetizers: pork belly wrapped around small pieces of asparagus and dashi-flavored fried tuna. That fried tuna is a change from the previous tuna on the rock that they used to serve.
The menu also lists a third appetizer, teppanyaki white shrimp, but that’s really just the shrimp the chef gives you while he’s cooking dinner.
For your entrée, you get to choose from salmon, lobster, shrimp, chicken, tofu, black cod, or filet. You can either do a double portion of one protein or choose two for a combo. If you want to make it a threesome, an additional $15 charge applies.
All meals are served with fried rice, and I went with the filet and chicken. As always, dinner was fantastic.
Now, here’s a big change: you used to get a bento box filled with six different small desserts to wrap up the meal. That’s been axed. Now, you get a small piece of green tea ice cream cake, which is definitely a big change from the dessert overload that used to come with dinner.
Honestly, the change was probably due to so many people opting out of the dessert box in the past. You get a hella amount of food during the meal, and I’m guessing there was just too much dessert waste going on.
Service was top-notch, the entertainment from our chef was great, and once again, the food and portions were well worth the cover charge.
80s Rock ‘N Glow Party
Tonight was one of the biggest party nights of the cruise: the 80s Rock-N-Glow Party held up at the Lido pool.
As expected, there was a huge turnout, and the party was loud, packed, and definitely both rocking and glowing. I stopped by for a bit to check it out before calling it a night.
Now, since my room is just a few steps inside from all that action, yes, I could hear most of it, including the thumping of the bass. But things wrapped up well before midnight, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. That said, those who are early-to-bed types may want to take note that pool party nights can get loud in staterooms located near the Lido pool area.
We’re currently sailing toward our final port of call of this cruise, the “C” in ABC: Curaçao, where we’re scheduled to arrive at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
More then, and as always, thanks for following along.
Fun Times for Day 4:
This is also available as a PDF by clicking here.
