ABC, Easy as 123... A Live Beyond Cruise Report

[registrar]

My Dream is to swim with Turtles 🐢!!!!

Thats awesome, are those pictures taken with your cell phone?

[hcat]

wow.. great pics of your snorkel trip..esp the turtle!  what a thrill that must have been!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 hour ago, registrar said:

My Dream is to swim with Turtles 🐢!!!!

Thats awesome, are those pictures taken with your cell phone?

No, Woodwind has a photographer onboard who is in the water with us (and on the catamaran) and takes pictures. It was $40 for the set - I would

have paid $40 for just one of the turtle pics!!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

wow.. great pics of your snorkel trip..esp the turtle!  what a thrill that must have been!

 I was trying not to cry in my mask. I love turtles!! They are my favorite animal!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

For those curious, for Dreams in Eden, an hour ahead of showtime there are pretty much no seats on stage level. I’m partly behind a pole. contemplating going upstairs.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Spoiler alert - I did go upstairs. The place is PACKED! People are kneeling or standing behind couches, etc.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Good morning from Curaçao!

 

 

I’m chilling in the Irie Tours office - apparently I am the only one from the ship doing this one. We are at the Renaissance where the bus will pick me and a group up.

 

I realized I did not take food pics last night. Oops! Sorry about that. I had the prosciutto appetizer and the lamb shank but with mashed potatoes rather than couscous.

 

I’m sporting a new rashguard with SPF50 that I got in Bonaire because my back, in spite of sunscreening the heck out of it, it red from yesterday.

 

I had thought I’d go to the OVC for a quick breakfast, but the crew member at the gluten-free bread station stepped away and like 10 minutes later had still not returned. So Blu it was. And while I am not a big complainer, I do believe in letting them know things they can fix, so I used the QR code to just let them know that it would be a good idea to keep someone there if possible. Very politely but so they are aware. It’s great they have a gluten-free bread area but no good if it is not staffed.

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

I had thought I’d go to the OVC for a quick breakfast, but the crew member at the gluten-free bread station stepped away and like 10 minutes later had still not returned.

 

 I thought the buffet was self service? Is this section not the same as the others? 

 

[cruisegal40]

How was the snorkeling trip in Bonaire. I am looking at the same exact company. How is it getting up on the boat after the tour. Were they nice to work with? Thanks for any reply and keep having fun on your cruise.

[20soccer20]

Love the snorkeling pictures! We did the same cruise in April and also loved our snorkel trip with Woodwind! Didn't get to see any turtles, but the whole area around Klein Bonaire is like something you'd see in a marine life documentary. Simply amazing and something everyone should do if they have a stop in Bonaire. 

[hcat]

What's the tour on Curacao?

We have mostly gone to beaches...

[NutsAboutGolf]

7 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Good morning from Curaçao!

 

 

I’m chilling in the Irie Tours office - apparently I am the only one from the ship doing this one. We are at the Renaissance where the bus will pick me and a group up.

 

I realized I did not take food pics last night. Oops! Sorry about that. I had the prosciutto appetizer and the lamb shank but with mashed potatoes rather than couscous.

 

I’m sporting a new rashguard with SPF50 that I got in Bonaire because my back, in spite of sunscreening the heck out of it, it red from yesterday.

 

I had thought I’d go to the OVC for a quick breakfast, but the crew member at the gluten-free bread station stepped away and like 10 minutes later had still not returned. So Blu it was. And while I am not a big complainer, I do believe in letting them know things they can fix, so I used the QR code to just let them know that it would be a good idea to keep someone there if possible. Very politely but so they are aware. It’s great they have a gluten-free bread area but no good if it is not staffed.

 

Great blog!  Assuming you have time, consider sitting at the restaurant after the platoon bridge immediately to the left with outdoor seating.  Assuming it's still the same restaurant (had Ignana in the name), the food was surprisingly good, but if you have other plans you can still sit and order a drink or even just bottles of water.  Hopefully, while you're sitting there they move the bridge.  If you want the footage of it, consider propping your phone with something like a mug and use a time-lapse

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

4 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I thought the buffet was self service? Is this section not the same as the others? 

 

Not the gluten-free bread area. They have a toaster and to keep it clean from regular bread they have to do the toasting.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

4 hours ago, cruisegal40 said:

How was the snorkeling trip in Bonaire. I am looking at the same exact company. How is it getting up on the boat after the tour. Were they nice to work with? Thanks for any reply and keep having fun on your cruise.

I LOVED it!!! It’s an easy walk back to the ship. Like 10-15 minutes tops and most of that is walking through the resort where Woodwind’s offices are.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

46 minutes ago, hcat said:

What's the tour on Curacao?

We have mostly gone to beaches...

I went with Irie Tours Wonders of Curaçao - we went to the Hato Caves, turtle beach, Porto Maya beach, and by the salt flats to see flamingos.

[bluwes]

Just caught up with your review.A big thanks from us as well be doing this itinerary on the Reflection next April for my special birthday. It’s always been a bucket list cruise for us. We should have done it April 2020 but got cancelled three weeks before owing to the dreaded pandemic 

[hcat]

28 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

I went with Irie Tours Wonders of Curaçao - we went to the Hato Caves, turtle beach, Porto Maya beach, and by the salt flats to see flamingos.

Thanks.  sounds like a nice tour.. will make a note of it!

[horseymike]

Super review with great photos.🚢😎👍

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

So here are some photos from today. 
 

The Hato Caves were HOT but interesting. There are steps and places

where you have to be aware of your head. You are only allowed to take pictures in what they call the Window Room. There are fruit bats who live in the cave. Most were sleeping but a few

were moving around. They won’t hurt you though unless you’re fruit! If you’ve been on Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and done the regular line, the Hato Caves gave definite vibes from the first indoor queue area - to the point I would not be surprised to learn they were Joe Rohde’s inspiration when imagineering that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was off to Playa Piscado. There is a guy there who acts like he owns the turtles. Our guide warned us that he was especially prone to picking up women, holding them like a baby, and having a turtle come up over their belly. And then saying “That was $5”. Not to mention the turtle’s flippers could cut you. It was more manufactured than the spontaneous sighting yesterday, but it was cool to be that close. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

There were also pelicans, and this one kept almost running into me.

 

 

The bus we were on was brand new.

 

 

Then we headed to Playa Porto Marie. We were there for a couple of hours. I hung out at the bar watching the women’s all-around because I could not find a chair on the beach in the shade. (Chairs were $3.50 - not included in the tour because the beach won’t work with them to reserve the number of chairs for guests on the tour. I’m glad I looked for one that would work before paying!)

 

Once all-around were over I wandered up to the lookout in the parking lot for a view.

 

 

 

 

On the way back we drove by the Williwood Sign and the salt flats to see flamingos.

 

 

 

 

 

I got dropped off at the ship and others were dropped off at their hotels.

 

Took a shower and had dinner - French Onion Soup with gf bread, mixed greens salad, and pork tenderloin. 
 

 

 

 

Stopped by the store to get more aloe and then grabbed my kindle to get a seat in Eden. Tonight’s show is called Decadence. I’m tired, but we have 2 sea days so I can rest.

[hcat]

 great review continues..

Beach, Flamingos & your happy smile were great...but the  caves looked too confining..I am also not a bat fan..had enough of them in Costa Rica,  and at times in Fla  (I know those do good work,  but I can't feel comfortable around them..even if they are  asleep)

[Dancing Shoes]

Did Woodwinds go to another reef besides the drift snorkel at Klein Bonaire?  We have reservations with them for February!!!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 hour ago, Dancing Shoes said:

Did Woodwinds go to another reef besides the drift snorkel at Klein Bonaire?  We have reservations with them for February!!!

No - it’s 3 drift snorkels at various spots around Klein Bonaire.

[cruisegal40]

20 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

I LOVED it!!! It’s an easy walk back to the ship. Like 10-15 minutes tops and most of that is walking through the resort where Woodwind’s offices are.

Thank you so much for this. Booking now. Hopefully I did not wait too long.  How is it getting back on the boat after the snorkel? 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 hour ago, cruisegal40 said:

Thank you so much for this. Booking now. Hopefully I did not wait too long.  How is it getting back on the boat after the snorkel? 

Oh, sorry! I misunderstood.

 

When your drift time is over each time you flow

your guide to deeper water and the boat comes around with a yellow rope behind it. You grab the yellow rope and pull to the boat, then there is a ladder to steps. It was pretty easy. One time the rope was against the current so it was a bit tougher, but your guide stays in the water until all are on so they can help you.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

15 hours ago, Dancing Shoes said:

Did Woodwinds go to another reef besides the drift snorkel at Klein Bonaire?  We have reservations with them for February!!!

I will add that even though you stay around Klein Bonaire each drift is very different.