Overall, an excellent cruise with a spotless ship, outstanding cuisine, very nice cabin, good service, and nice port calls. Just be aware that the alcohol, internet usage, and ship-based excursions are quite pricey. Still worth the booking and trip, though.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very smooth, no delays, friendly and helpful port staff.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We went to all the specialty restaurants, the main dining room, and the Lido buffets. The food was consistently excellent and among the very best of cruise lines. The wine was crazily over-priced, though.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Really enjoyed the MS Digital workshops. Enjoyable instructor. Would have liked even more workshop topics, perhaps at the intermediate Windows 10 level.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
$18 for a small bottle of OTC cough syrup in the store? Really?
The fitness center was large, spotless, with great ocean views and with very high-quality equipment. Among the best I have ever seen on a ship.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Having the hand sanitizer dispensers scattered about is an excellent idea. The whole ship seemed to gleam with spotlessness.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Probably the best cabin in its category we have ever had on any cruise line. Didn't feel cramped. Even the shower was very well designed -- a rare find on a ship.
Ship tip
The specialty restaurants were worth the price. But if you plan to drink, there is no escape from the price gouging. A mediocre bottle of wine was $40. Along that line, a small bottle of OTC cough syrup was $18 in the shop. The internet connection was spotty, and when it did work, it was agonizingly slow -- an annoyance when you're paying such a high per-minute rate. But let us say that overall the cruise was very professional and smooth, with excellent food and a very comfortable and quiet room.
Do not take any valuables with you if you plan to take any car or truck rides (e.g., for shore diving with a dive operation). The Bonaire policy emphatically prohibits rolling up the windows and locking the doors when the vehicle is left unattended because the shops do not want to pay for the windows broken by thieves. But they will tell you that they have no crime. I had my watch stolen and another diver had all his cash stolen from the unlocked vehicle. The dive shop said it was our fault for leaving valuables (even though we hid them) in the vehicle. Much more of this nonsense and Bonaire will be losing many of their visitors.
I need to put in a good word here for the excellent dive operation (Aqua Adventures) in Sosua Beach. The owner-operator, Pablo Santos, speaks perfect English, is flexible, and a very good dive master to boot. Arrange for the dive(s) on the internet (very easy to do) before you depart and they'll give you a nice ride to their location, complete with a talk on island history and culture. And you gotta try their attached small restaurant in between or after the dives.
Other than the pricey excursions, there's not much to do there other than sun bathe. Very little sea life for the snorkelers to see, too. And almost no waves for the swimmers.
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