Bonaire Diving from Cruise Ship

[Web Monkey]

Well, my well-intentioned boycott of Bonaire didn't last long. I'm on the midnight flight tonight. I carved a week out of the schedule at the last minute, and the direct flights worked nicely. Hopefully I will return with pictures of an unspoiled tropical paradise.

I suspect that the people "boycotting" Bonaire because of the cruise ships would be hard pressed to tell if a ship is even in port, without going downtown or looking up the coast.

Aside from giving the t-shirt shops and wind-sailng operator a little boost, the ships are really a non-event.

Terry

 

[tedtim]

...
Aside from giving the t-shirt shops and wind-sailign operator a little boost, the ships are really a non-event...

We were watching one of the ships come in during a surface interval at Calabas Reef near the Divi during the last week of November. The folks at the Divi were busy moving tanks to one of their dive boats. Well, off we went for a dive and it was very noisy, no it was damn loud, in the water the whole time from the prop sound of the cruise ship. The ship had docked by the time we surfaced. The dive boat from the Divi was headed off in the direction of the cruise ship with a full load of tanks but no divers. I guess that there was a charter set up. I will bet that the divers never set foot on the island.

In the current issue of the Bonaire Reporter (Dec 7 - 21, 2007) there is a letter to the editor:


[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]"[/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]FREE [/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]R[/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]IDE [/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]F[/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]OR [/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]C[/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]RUISE [/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]S[/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]HIPS[/FONT]

Dear Editor:
After four years of promises, cruise ships passengers still pay absolutely nothing when using the Bonaire National Marine Park. They pay no departure tax nor any other fee per passenger, unlike the overnight quests who must pay room tax at $5.50 per person per night and departure tax of $32. The only exception are divers who must pay either a $10 day pass or $25.
Four years ago it was decided that there would be a major increase in Park fees and cruise ship passengers would also pay $10 per person. The cruise ship part was delayed one year and then another and then another with the final decision being that passengers would pay a $.50 (50 cents) head tax starting this year. Even that apparently has been dropped under tremendous pressure by the cruise ships.
Why the Bonaire government is giving these people basically all
this for free is not understood.
Many islands in the Caribbean are now realizing how much damage cruise ships do and how much they cost to have. These islands have woken up and are starting to charge a head tax and not just 50 cents. Many have a $5 charge and some even higher. Look around and learn instead of sticking one’s head in the sand.
Concerned Islanders"​

There are similar letters in the two previous issues as well written by people who live their permanently. In an article from the last edition, Bruce Bowker (long time resident and owner of Caribe Inn) raised concern about the forecast number of cruise visitors rising to over 200,000 per year in five or so years. That is four times the number of total visitors to the island per year as compared to the last few years.

Perhaps on a single day the arrival of a single cruise ship may seem to be a non-event, but unless and until the infrastructure of the island with a population of 14,000 is improved there will be longer term effects with such a significant increase in the total number of visitors.
​

 

[reefdiva]

I suspect that the people "boycotting" Bonaire because of the cruise ships would be hard pressed to tell if a ship is even in port, without going downtown or looking up the coast.

Aside from giving the t-shirt shops and wind-sailign operator a little boost, the ships are really a non-event.

Terry

While the cruise ships may seem a "non-event" to some visitors if they avoid playa (downtown) they do have an impact on the residents. Last winter there were several weeks in a row when the grocery shelves were almost empty. The reason was that the container ship from Curacao could not dock because of the cruise ships in port.

 

[Web Monkey]

Last winter there were several weeks in a row when the grocery shelves were almost empty. The reason was that the container ship from Curacao could not dock because of the cruise ships in port.

That would be a good reason to complain to the portmaster.

The ships are quite capable of anchoring in open water and bringing the passengers in with tenders.

Terry

 

[vladimir]

Some random observations from my trip last week, some on topic:

Continental lost half of my luggage (with strobes, half my equipment, and most of my underwear) for a couple of days. They should deliver delayed luggage, but picking it up was not that big of a deal. To be fair, the rest of my Continental experience was pleasant. With a borrowed ScubaPro Probe and full-foot fins, I managed to enjoy my first two dive days anyway. My strobes were MIA, so I took some natural light shots.

I stayed at the Harbour Village Beach Club, for the fourth time. Obviously, I like the place. One of the things I like the most about it is their restaurant, La Balandra. The food is good and the setting, on a pier jutting out from the end of the marina, is even better. Unfortunately, La Balandra was closed the week I was there. It would have been nice to know in advance, and if I were plannning a trip in the near future, I'd inquire about its status. Another thing I like about the resort is the view, which is spoiled whenever a cruise ship is in port. There may have been cruise ships in port on one of my prior trips to Bonaire--I have never noticed. The ones that docked last week were behemoths--impossible to miss--and, in my opinion, real eyesores. I spoke to a couple of locals in the tourist industry and they thought the cruise ships were a good thing--that they would bring them extra revenue. I saw no evidence of cruisers spending money on the island (but it's likely I wouldn't.) Dinner reservations were never necessary, for example, but I think the ships only stay in port for the day.

There is a new (to me) Indonesian restaurant in town, whose name escapes me. I have spent a lot of time in Indonesia, and I heartily endorse the place for its authentic food and excellent service.

People often talk about PBD (post-Bonaire depression.) I had post-Cocos depression. I'm not complaining, but it was hard to get excited about the diving sometimes, after my most recent trip to Cocos. Nevertheless, the reefs looked generally healthy, with all the usual suspects in residence. Lots of turtles, a nurse shark!, dolphins (from the surface) and a myriad of tropical reef dwellers.