#BensCaribbeanAdventure Day 7 Blog

Friday 24th January

Ventura arrived into Kralendijk on the Dutch island of Bonaire at around 08:00. I was up on deck to watch as we made our way towards the pier and for the ship to be secured. It was amazing to think that the island is just 50 miles north of Venezuela in South America; a country and continent I would love to visit one day. After grabbing a quick bite to eat from the Waterside I headed ashore to see what there was to see and do.

From the pier itself the walk into the two main shopping streets in Kralendijk was not very far at all. Along the way there were a number of gazebos in place where locals were offering snorkelling, mangrove, water taxi and on-the-land tours. I came across a lovely little market where you could purchase handcrafted gifts and souvenirs including jewellery and bits made out of glass, metal and wood. There was also a man cooking Caribbean-marinated Chicken on a giant barbecue. The smell was delicious but it was far too early to even consider lunch.

As I walked along one of the streets it became apparent to me just how friendly the locals are. The buildings are colourful and there was an array of both high-end and souvenir-style shops. I wandered through an arcade which led to the waterfront and a number of bars and restaurants. As I looked out into the open distance I noticed a cruise ship heading our way. The shape and style looked very familiar and it turned out to be the Emerald Princess; which is almost-identical to the Ventura. Eventually the ship berthed just behind ours and even more people descended on the already very-busy Kralendijk. After stopping for a drink in a waterfront bar I headed back it was getting very hot. Once back on board the ship I had some afternoon tea and then sat outside for a little while enjoying the sunshine and the music.

We departed Kralendijk at 17:00 with a fun horn battle with the Emerald Princess before heading out into the Caribbean Sea. Our next port of call would be Willemstad in Curacao; however it is only 30-odd miles away so the ship didn’t go that fast at all. 

The evening was a 60s and 70s theme with a party on deck from 21:45; so the showtimes were slightly earlier than usual. The Headliners Theatre Company presented “Blame It On the Boogie”; a fun and very energetic show that was absolutely brilliant. For dinner I went to the Waterside buffet and had Roast Pork with Potatoes, Carrots and Peas; which was delicious! After dinner I passed some time by resting with a drink in The Glass House and then at the Tazzine cafe-bar before heading up to the Laguna Pool to catch a bit of the 70s and 80s party; which was incredibly popular. It was fun to see everyone having a good time singing and dancing along to some groovy music. I stayed there for a little while before grabbing a cookie from the Waterside and then headed to bed.

Click here to read Day Eight.