Southern Caribbean on the Epic - Advice needed

[opshannon]

I've never cruised a southern itinerary. I'm considering two on the Epic and wondered if people would weigh in. With price difference being negligible, which of the following would you choose, and if you don't mind, why would you choose it?

 

Itinerary A

 

• Aruba
• Curaçao
• Bonaire
• St. Lucia
• St. Kitts

 

Itinerary B

 

• Aruba
• Curaçao
• Grenada
• St. Lucia
• St. Kitts

 

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[lynelz1]

Bonaire is a wonderful island, not as touristy and very eco minded.  I would jump on a cruise that included Bonaire.

 

[MaineYachtClub]

I'm booked  on the Jan 16 cruise with itinerary A, so that's my choice. 

 

Never been to Bonaire and am looking forward to snorkeling. Been to Granada and was not impressed--too many aggressive spice peddlers. 

[complawyer]

i would choose b purely because i dont snorkel or scuba so bonaire wouldnt really hold any attraction for me.  i have always wanted to see st lucia. the way i see it, whichever you choose it's a win-win situation for you

[ClevelandCruisin]

I'd do A!

 

Aruba is amazing. Love going there. Near the port we go to aruba aloe and buy bottles everytime and the Dutch pancake house is awesome! On the way to the pancake house, get a photo in a vintage London phone booth.

 

Curacao is not my favorite,  but it's beautiful. 

 

Bonaire is incredible! Just walking near the port has a variety of shopping and restaurants. Or you could rent a golf cart and tour the island. 

 

St. Lucia take a catamaran tour between the pitons!

 

St. Kitts I have not been to. Covid canceled that port 3 times for us.

 

Hope this helps,  Enjoy whichever you do!

 

Grenada is only okay if you plan on buying spices. Other than that, it doesn't have much to offer in my opinion. But others may have done something different. Bonaire over Grenada for sure!

Edited July 7, 2021 by ClevelandCruisin

[deweytrader]

Both sound great, I would go with the least expensive option 

[BermudaBound2014]

Bonaire is about the water. Great snorkeling. I use woodwind everytime I visit Bonaire. Woodwind Sailing & Guided Snorkel (Kralendijk) - 2021 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

 

Grenada is more about the land/history with some great hiking opportunities. I recommend 7 Sisters waterfall hike. It's a short hike with a moderate 600ft elevation gain. Doable for most people but this isn't a flip-flop hike., Seven Sisters Waterfall Hike - Saint Andrew, Grenada | AllTrails

 

 

 

 

[trivimp]

Either itinerary sounds great, but be aware, Bonaire was having some issues pre-pandemic with being able to take a full complement of cruise ships & some were being turned away.  I had an ABC cruise booked last year (immediately pre-pandemic) & we ended up missing Bonaire & had an extra sea day.  

 

It's hard to know the whole story, but from what I gathered from random internet goofing about, it's something like: Bonaire has two cruise ship docks, one was badly damaged in a hurricane a few years back, money was allocated & repairs were approved, time went on, something something shady dealings, the money disappeared, Bonaire still has only one useable cruise ship dock.  

 

Anyway, don't get your heart set on Bonaire & then be disappointed if you miss it.  

[P_Mcruisers]

All the ports are Great. Except Grenada is at the bottom of my list. What I am saying is that I could skip Grenada and not be disappointed at all. 

[Seany527]

I would choose B.
 

It’s common to go on a cruise and visit the ABC islands (Bonaire).
 

Grenada isn’t as common so I would try to check that island off my list while I can, as there is a higher probability of stopping at Bonaire on another cruise. 
 

Let us know what you choose. 

[complawyer]

we were on a cruise that stopped in grenada many years ago. not many cruise lines stop there, so if you have a chance i would take it.  we spent a week in aruba and a week in curacao. its nice to stop there for a day or two, especially aruba, but curacao is really unique .

[rmandmm]

I’m doing Option B in December and have done a separate SoCar on RCCL. We chose this year’s itinerary based on the fact I wanted a SoCar and this was the one that met our timing needs. I would have chosen A though because it’s what I think of as ABC+, meaning there are lots of cruises that visit only the ABCs and *maybe* a private island in a week but this gets you all three islands plus St Kitts and St Lucia, and St Lucia has long been a favorite for me. Long answer and maybe too much of my personal opinion, but there’s my three cents. Either will be wonderful!!

[vswan]

Been a long time since I've been to either and things will surely have changed since I've been there. We took a local ferry to a beach in Grenada and it was great - could have been part of an excursion, don't remember. Didn't do anything else around the port. Enjoyed both, but I would pick Bonaire. Love both of these itineraries and would do either in a heartbeat.

[ClevelandCruisin]

Grenada I didn't feel safe walking around really. Many police officers stationed on the streets because of the peddlers asking for money. But it may be different for others. So choose the best itinerary for you, it's basically the same besides 1 port.

[Laszlo]

On 7/6/2021 at 11:40 PM, MaineYachtClub said:

I'm booked  on the Jan 16 cruise with itinerary A, so that's my choice. 

 

Never been to Bonaire and am looking forward to snorkeling. Been to Granada and was not impressed--too many aggressive spice peddlers. 

We have been snorkeling in Bonaire twice, I highly recommend Woodwind.....  https://www.woodwindbonaire.com

 

I only got one Octopus on camera but I saw about a dozen of them in Bonaire. 

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Laszlo

[opshannon]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to respond.

[complawyer]

after reading this post, i really liked plan b, so i went ahead and booked it also. i have no real intereset in snorkeling ( im also embarrassed) to admit i cant swim) but i wouldnt mind seeing grenada again. you think the spice peddlers are aggressive in  grenada, stand out side he collesium in rome for a few minutes, or go to Morocco you'll be swarmed like bees to a flower.