I decided to compare some package prices for 2-person dive travelers staying and diving together, aiming for low season 2022, 7-day stays, shore-diving only, rental truck (left it manual, which is the default), going by posted rates (not sales or individualized quotes). Where I know an offering to have something 'special,' I aim to mention it. So, 7-day package price per person for 2 with cheapest accommodations I see offered, a manual transmission pickup and unlimited shore diving with nitrox (since Dive Friends charges $20 extra over the air package for this).
1.) Dive Hut: $680 (includes room max and CDW insurance and tax on truck). Option to add breakfast for $7.50/person/day.
2.) Tropical Divers Resort: $770 (Includes CDW insurance, tourist tax and late check-out).
3.) Aqua Viva Resort (using V.I.P. Divers, which has 100-cf tanks, a big advantage for some of us): $590 (includes airport transfers, taxes on room/diving/vehicle; I think CDW insurance on truck included but not certain).
4.) Hamlet Oasis: $760 (price 'per unit,' Studio, 1 - 2 persons; does not include $6.50/person/night tax, I did a fake booking 2-9 to 2-16-22 and got $924 for 2 people staying in a Studio). But all I see are accommodation offerings; no dive packages with rental truck! Not even as an add-on. Maybe I'm missing it. I know Dive Friends has a location there. But you might have to put your package together a la carte.
5.) Buddy Dive Resort: 2 People in a Studio: $1,124.35 per person (includes airport transfers and government taxes). Includes breakfast! This is a big deal; in the past I've seen it claimed at $15/day value, and some other places cost near that to add breakfast. I liked Buddy's breakfast buffet. I don't see mention of CDW insurance included.
6.) Sand Dollar Condo.s: Ride to the Reef Package with Nitrox add-on: $905 (but excludes $45.50/person government tax or recommended truck insurance), so with tax, $950.50 per person + CDW insurance on truck.
*In the spirit of not being 'penny wise, pound foolish,' a moderately more expensive room with full kitchen for those who cook and eat in can save some money.
A big issue in pricing packages is whether accommodations are priced per person (often assuming 2 people in the room) or per unit (in which case there may be a tax on extra people, but packing them in is still much cheaper). Each diver has to buy a $45 marine park tag to dive, at week's end filling the rental truck with gas is expensive (maybe $60+ IIRC), and food on Bonaire tends to be expensive.
Not all providers have a house reef, which if good makes for higher trip dive counts as diving, especially night diving, is so convenient. I tried to get these packages equivalent, but it's inevitably apples-to-oranges (e.g.: studio here, hotel room there, house reef vs. no house reef, location-location...), and I may've screwed up and made some mistakes.
