Bonaire Diving from Cruise Ship

[riftvalley84]

Hi, we are going on a cruise next month and one stop is Bonaire (at Kralendijk). We are there from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. so we would like to do a 2 tank afternoon dive. Any suggestions as far as Dive Shop to use? Another option could be shore dives although we would prefer to do a boat dive. Thanks

 

[00scuba]

I would contact Buddy Dive, they have a great operation.

 

[herman]

You best bet is Wannadivebonaire. They run a shop down town within easy walking distance of the cruise ship dock. Unless they are doing something special for the ship, I am unaware of any op on Bonaire that does 2 tank dives, all I am aware of only do 1 tank dives. Really, your best bet is to rent a truck, grab several tanks and do shore dives. You will get a lot more bottom time.

 

[tedtim]

Good Luck.

AFAIK, you will have to do the check-out dive required of all divers on Bonaire. I suggest contacting one of the dive operators well in advance to see if they will do this for you in the short time you have on the island. An eight hour stop may not be enough time to sort all of this out.

 

[mike_s]

Hi, we are going on a cruise next month and one stop is Bonaire (at Kralendijk).

What cruise line actually has port of calls in Bonaire? (just curious...)

you will have to do the check-out dive required of all divers on Bonaire.

sounds like a way to me to generate more fees on divers on the island, or more dive master fees, etc... i.e., tourist tax.

 

[riftvalley84]

What cruise line actually has port of calls in Bonaire? (just curious...)

Crown Princess, leaving from San Juan, Puerto Rico (San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba)

 

[diversteve]

What cruise line actually has port of calls in Bonaire? (just curious...)

More than you'd think, the big ones are Princess and RCCL. Once a week or so. Cunard even puts the QE in there at Christmas.

Here's the schedule:
Info Bonaire - Ships and Cruise Lines that visit Bonaire

Here's what happens when two show up:

Somewhere behind there is City Cafe...

 

[diversteve]

AFAIK, you will have to do the check-out dive required of all divers on Bonaire.

Since the orientations are done in the morning mostly, I think I read somewhere that cruisers just pay $10 and they waive it. Or you do a quick one with the diveop. Actually that's all ours was, five minutes showing the divesites on the map, five minutes showing the dive facilities/NOX analyzer and we were on our own to do our checkout dive.

 

[bcleveland]

Holland America has one as well, the 9-day seafarer Caribbean holiday. Fort Lauderdale to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Grand Turk and their private island. We're going on Dec. 19. Can't wait!

 

[diversteve]

Hi, we are going on a cruise next month and one stop is Bonaire (at Kralendijk). We are there from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. so we would like to do a 2 tank afternoon dive. Any suggestions as far as Dive Shop to use? Another option could be shore dives although we would prefer to do a boat dive. Thanks

I can't think of anyone that does two tanks in the afternoon.

Buddy's does a 2:00PM dive daily. Bonaire Dive & Adventure at Den Laman does also. I'd guess so does Capt. Don's Habitat. All three are mostly across the channel from Klein Bonaire, which is where you'd likely want to go boat diving. There's a drift dive(Hands Off), a turtle dive(Jerry's) or a black coral(Forest) divesite option - as well as about 15 other sites. All three diveresorts are on nice house reefs for your second dive.

BD&A is on Bari Reef, officially cited by REEF as the most prolific fish-spotting location in the Caribbean. So you could do a dive with them out to Klein Bonaire - just across the channel - and then shoredive Bari Reef. They even have a naturalist(or 2) who will accompany you (for a fee), and point out the fish u/w so you can do a REEF fishcount while there.

Buddy's, Habitat and BD&A are a short cab ride north from Town Pier. Assuming you can get a cab in town when the ship docks - there's not a lot of cabs on Bonaire. As herman said Wannadive is closest but they've got a pretty small boat - 10 max. And I don't think they keep it at the marina in town.

hth,