Moldy Bonaire - The Last Chapter - Captain Don's Dirty Habitat

[Sue Sue]

PartyStar, I find it interesting that with the negative experiences you have had in the past that you returned to "Moldy Bonaire" . It probably would be best to not travel again until you find a dive destination or any other place to visit that could not possibly have any Mold, mildew, viruses, system glitches, tall, blonde or black staff who may not be up to your standards. *** Also, it may be best to avoid air travel during major holidays or any other time of year that there is a possibility of inclement weather or even delays due to unforeseen problems.

*** the OP's Racial and descriptive references in reporting poor service is inappropriate. Poor service is just that, poor service, regardless of who is giving it.

 

[Kharon]

I've stayed at Coco Palm Garden twice and experienced no mold - and I AM allergic. I use Dive Friends and their shop at Cliff asks that you only take 2 tanks per diver (air or Nitrox) since they are such a small shop. I usually try to drop off more than I take. I've found some rude people on Bonaire, but most are happy and helpful. +1 on the OP wouldn't be happy anywhere.

 

[lmorin]

Perhaps it really is "Bonaire" that is moldy, in the sense that the mold is in her mask. All sorts of stuff can grow in masks if they are not rinsed well and allowed to dry completely before being packed in storage.

 

[PartyStar]

I love diving on Bonaire - just sensitive to mold! Please Google "Moldy Bonaire" and you will see other unhappy campers. In no way am I high maintenance / rude. Just understanding that I am not able to stay at dive resorts which seem to have more mold because divers / guests / children will sit on chairs in their wet bathing suits or they drip their gear all over the room. Clorox clean-up travels with me and my gear is thoroughly cleaned. Deducting that the dive locker could have infected my mask and made my face puff again to the point where we missed dives. We forgot to clean our lockers this time because we were so eager to dive! SUMMER in Bonaire is better because we don't wear wetsuits and the snorkel / diving in front of Captain Dons is stunning.

 

[Mike]

All dive resorts, no matter where they are or who they are, no matter what are always more focused on the diving experience then the hospitality experience. I don't care who they are, or what they say in their marketing, they simply will not live up to anyones expectations if they are looking for a 4 or 5 star experience.

If your focus in on the resort experience over the diving, you simply have to stay at a non-diving resort and dive with somebody else, there is no way around this no matter how many resorts want to pretend they are a top notch resort as well as dive resort, and no matter how many people want to chime in about this place or that and how nice it was, they may be nice but they aren't a luxury experience.

So partystar, please stop staying at 3 star dive centric resorts expecting 4 and 5 star experiences. It's just unrealistic for anyone to expect a 3 star dive resort to have their hospitality staff so focused on extremes of room maintenance when they don't attract those type of customers with those types of expectations. Divers simply put the diving at the top of their agenda over squeaky clean sanitized room conditions, when fully being aware they are staying in tropical destinations.

I think you're going to forever be disappointed in your accommodations and also scuba diving operators if you can't accept nature has designed mold based organisms to thrive in tropical destinations and they will show up all the time and you'll especially be the one noticing them when other don't if you have a sensitivity to them. Nature has put that burden on you, and it's up to you to either except it and deal with it in a good natured and accepting manner or forever bitch and complain and be miserable about something you can do nothing about.

 

[mjrob]

Try Atmosphere or Amun Ini Resorts in the Philippines. At least four stars and the diving is excellent.

 

[Ray and Pam]

There's another thread here bashing the Habitat, whether it needs it or not. We've stayed in the older Oceanview units the last 3 years and enjoyed it. Sure, if you look for it you can fine mold around the leaking minifridge, ac, bathroom, etc, just like at home if you're not diligent in cleaning it. I've heard complaints about the toilet being flushed with a stick. The bathroom counter has been extended across the top of the toilet to give you more space to pile your crap. I guess you could reach up under the countertop to flush or they could have ran a string to pull but instead there is a stick to push, how inconvienient, nearly ruined our vacation the last 3 years we stayed there.
We like the location, the view, easy access to diving, boat diving, restaurant, groceries and bar, and happy hour of nearby resorts. We stay for 2 weeks and don't need to rent a vehicle, but everyone is different with different needs, expectations.

 

[drrich2]

PartyStar just posted a positive trip report about a place in Cozumel. I thought a comment made there was interesting:

I always tipped my breakfast server and daily maid $5. Another person was complaining that his room was always cleaned around 5 PM and he told me that he does not tip hotel maids. Maybe I am over-tipping but I appreciate all they do after years of working in the hospitality industry at fancy joints.

I'd thought the frequency of commenting on tipping was a tad unusual. Now perhaps in the greater context this makes sense; this is someone who worked in the 'hospitality industry' at 'fancy joints.' I would imagine such a person would've had to make a more upscale experience and some finer points important to hold a job, and might be irked by perceived poor service more than most folks would. Kind of like eating out with somebody who used to be a waiter.

Also this comment from the Little Cayman Beach Resort thread -

All the reviews had me thinking we were going to a classy resort and towels, suits hanging over balconies confirmed to me that this was not upscale enough for my preference.

When I stayed at Eden Beach Resort in Bonaire, we hung scuba gear out to dry on bushes in front of our apartments, and at Buddy Dive, of course we laid stuff out on the balcony.

And this comment from this thread -

A girl can dream. Until then, she will have to upgrade to Four Seasons and take Charters off site because scuba dive resorts are full of mold and mildew.

I'm glad to hear the Cozumel trip worked out.

Richard.

 

[Lorenzoid]

We saw no mold at Buddy Dive when we stayed there a couple of years ago. But I've read reports from others who did find mold in their rooms at Buddy's. I guess it's the luck of the draw.

Buddy's also requested that we take no more than 2 nitrox tanks at a time. I didn't think this was unreasonable. How much easier can it get to pick up more tanks than a drive-through fill station?