ABC Islands cruises are some of the most popular, yet hardest-to-find, itineraries in the Caribbean.
Cruise lines send ships to Nassau, Cozumel, and the usual Eastern and Western Caribbean ports every week. Sailings that visit Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao together are much less common. They’re often longer cruises, limited to certain ships and departure ports, and booked far in advance by passengers who specifically want the complete ABC experience.
That’s why losing one of the three islands feels like much more than a routine port change.
Passengers booked on Royal Caribbean’s January 23, 2027, sailing of Grandeur of the Seas recently learned that Bonaire was being removed from the itinerary and replaced with Santa Marta, Colombia. The sailing’s sea day was also shifted.
Santa Marta may be an interesting destination, but when someone books an ABC Islands cruise and the “B” disappears, it changes the entire feel of the trip.
Why an ABC Cruise Is So Popular
Part of the appeal is that Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are close together geographically, yet each offers a noticeably different port day.
Aruba is the busiest and most developed of the three. It has the big resorts, beaches, casinos, shopping, restaurants, and plenty of nightlife.
Curaçao gives you the colorful waterfront of Willemstad, the Queen Emma Bridge, historic neighborhoods, shopping, bars, and restaurants within walking distance of the ship.
Then there’s Bonaire, which is quieter, less commercial, and much more laid-back.
Together, the three islands create one of the best-balanced itineraries in the Caribbean. Take one away, and you’re not simply swapping one tropical port for another. You’re changing that balance.
Why Losing Bonaire Hurts
I’ve visited Bonaire several times, including during my recent Southern Caribbean cruise aboard Carnival Horizon, and it remains one of the easiest and most relaxing ports to explore.
The ship docks right in Kralendijk. You walk through a small port area, cross the street, and you’re basically in town.
On my recent visit, I walked along the waterfront, stopped at Fort Oranje and Plaza Wilhelmina, checked out the shops along Kaya Grandi, and wandered past restaurants and bars overlooking that incredibly clear water.
There’s no giant cruise complex, no long shuttle ride required to get anywhere, and not nearly as much of the chaos you find in some of the busier Caribbean ports.
You can book an excursion, but you don’t necessarily need one. Bonaire is a place where you can get off the ship, walk around, stop for a drink, do a little shopping, and have a good day without planning every minute.
The island also limits the number of large ships that can visit, which helps keep Kralendijk from becoming overwhelmed with thousands of passengers at once.
That quieter atmosphere is a big part of the appeal.
For Divers and Snorkelers, It’s an Even Bigger Loss
For some passengers, Bonaire may have been the main reason they booked the cruise.
The island is one of the Caribbean’s best-known destinations for scuba diving and snorkeling. Its protected reefs, clear water, and easy shore access attract people from around the world.
Some cruisers book an ABC itinerary specifically because they want to snorkel at Klein Bonaire or spend the day diving.
For them, replacing Bonaire with a historic coastal city in Colombia isn’t an equal trade.
Santa Marta and Bonaire may both sit along the Caribbean, but they offer two completely different experiences.
Santa Marta Could Still Be a Good Day
None of this means Santa Marta is a bad replacement.
The Colombian city offers history, beaches, mountains, and access to Tayrona National Natural Park. Passengers may find tours to the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, where Simón Bolívar spent his final days, or nature-focused excursions outside the city.
It could end up being the surprise port of the cruise.
But it still isn’t Bonaire.
That’s the important point. A replacement port can be enjoyable while still being disappointing to someone who booked the original itinerary for a very specific reason.
A passenger who planned to spend the day underwater may not be excited about a city tour.
Why Do Cruise Lines Change Ports?
Cruise lines can change itineraries for all kinds of reasons.
Weather, mechanical problems, political unrest, port congestion, scheduling conflicts, berth availability, and operational decisions can all cause a port to be removed.
In the Grandeur of the Seas example, Royal Caribbean cited routine scheduling and port arrangement updates. That could mean a berthing issue, a local port agreement change, or an operational decision involving the route.
Passengers may never receive a more detailed explanation.
Cruise contracts also give the lines plenty of flexibility to change ports, times, and schedules. That means losing Bonaire probably won’t give passengers the right to cancel the cruise without penalty.
It may not feel fair, especially when the original itinerary was the main reason someone booked, but that’s the reality of cruise travel.
What Happens to Your Bonaire Excursions?
Anyone who booked a Bonaire excursion through the cruise line should have it canceled automatically. The money should then be refunded to the original form of payment.
It may take some time for the refund to appear, so don’t panic if it isn’t immediate.
Passengers who booked independently need to contact the tour company, dive shop, catamaran operator, or guide themselves.
Most reputable operators in cruise ports have a missed-port refund policy. They understand ships sometimes change itineraries and will usually issue a refund when the vessel doesn’t arrive.
Still, you should always check that policy before booking. Some operators may offer a future credit or deduct a processing fee rather than issuing a complete refund.
Start Researching the New Port
When a new port is added, cruise-line excursions may not appear immediately.
The cruise line has to work with local operators, negotiate contracts, determine capacity, and load everything into its reservation system.
Passengers on the affected sailing should check the cruise line’s app or online cruise planner regularly. There’s no need to check every few hours, but once or twice a week is reasonable.
Limited-capacity tours, especially those heading to national parks or popular attractions, could sell out quickly once they become available.
Independent tours are another option, but passengers should research the operator and the port carefully before booking.
Don’t Let It Ruin the Entire Cruise
It’s completely understandable to be disappointed when an ABC Islands cruise loses one of the ABCs.
These sailings can be difficult to find, and many passengers book them months or even more than a year in advance. Some may have picked the cruise specifically for Bonaire.
But unless the cruise line offers a special cancellation policy, the best option may be to adjust expectations and make the most of the replacement port.
Santa Marta won’t deliver the same experience as Bonaire, but it can still provide a memorable day.
At the end of the day, no cruise port is ever completely guaranteed, even on one of the Caribbean’s most popular and coveted itineraries, but an ABC cruise without Bonaire simply isn’t the same cruise passengers originally booked.
And for cruisers who spent months looking forward to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, losing that one letter is going to sting.
