Always looking for alternatives, I decided to find out more about Express Cargo, particularly as Rocargo charge so much to get a box from Miami to here.
So I phoned the owner, Kenneth Geerman who of course is in Curacao to ask him about costs and shipping schedule.
He told me the cost structure, definitely cheaper than Rocargo, and I asked him how long it would take to get a package from Miami to Bonaire. 7 days was the answer, but at present they don't have a direct service, so it goes first to Curacao. he said one day from Cur to Bonaire, which mentally I translated into 3-4 days. I also mentally allowed a few extra days in Miami before the container actually moves, so say 2 weeks.
Actuality: My package ( a new printer) arrived in their premises in Miami on Feb 12th. of course I don't yet have it because if I did I wouldn't be typing this post now.
The most disturbing thing is that Kenneth in Curacao doesn't ever know where anything is. the company in Miami dont give him any notification of what they are sending and when, he only knows when the container is opened in Curacao. I know that about two weeks ago my printer was in Curacao because he asked me to send a copy of the invoice for customs, which I did immediately. No customs delay to blame - he told me the next day it had cleared customs and was coming to Bonaire.
What I had not figured in my timeline was that of course he was then going to use Don Andreas!!!!!
Allegedly my printer was, or at least might possibly have been in a container that arrived in Bonaire last Thursday night - it should have been Wednesday night but couldn't dock because of a cruise ship - Bull S*** - Caribbean Princess left just before 2pm, and Freewinds wasn't here so he can't blame that either!
Friday, DA were unloading the container, but no-one knew what was on it because there is no paperwork! Friday 5pm they hadn't finished unloading it. Monday I found out that there were 5 containers to unload which could take weeks at DA's rate of working. "Express" Cargo have 17 packages somewhere in those containers and are "pretty sure" my printer is among them.
Apparently DA can't unload more until people pick up what they've already unloaded.

SO - if you have a package at Don Andreas - PLEASE go and pick it up immediately - I WANT MY PRINTER!!

By the way, my advice would be Don't use Express Cargo - in future I'll bnorrow a yacht and sail to Miami to pick up boxes myself!

Phil, just sign up for EZone at the Post Office. Not the cheapest methody, but it's pretty reliable and sounds like the costs would have more than justified the frustration with this. It's too expensive for really heavy packages, but I've sent whole computer systems when I needed them quickly; you probably would have had your printer within ten days of hitting Miami.

I ordered a lap top via my ezone. It arrived in Miami on a Monday and was in Curacao on Wed and I had it the following Monday. total cost to ship $15. No duty on computers just sales tax. No customs clearing fee, dock fee, fee fees, etc. Next time e mail me and I will be glad to help.

LoL, fee fees. That's like when you have to pay income tax on the income tax refund you received the previous year. Tax tax. Thanks for the laugh M@CnB.

e.

I used E-Zone while I lived on Bonaire, and add my recommendation. Always worked, always trackable, never any damage.

If you ship something that weighs 73 lbs through ezone, it would be cheaper to fly to Miami and pick it up. I use ezone for anything up to about 25 lbs, after that Rocargo is cheaper.
Ezone is a really good service and I use it and recommend it as much as possible.

To update the story - someone from Express phoned me (Yes it's true - they actually phoned me, totally unheard of for any Bonairian company) She told me that she had something for me, which turned out after some questions to be 5 parcels, since I was waiting for 1 box in this shipment and 2 in a shipment which should be about a week behind, I was a bit puzzled, so I went to look.
out of the shipment which arrived in Miami on Feb 12th, I have now received 5 printer cartridges, but no printer. Wince the supplier told me it was one box containing all the above, I am now seriously worried. I'm now waiting for someone in Miami to get back to me to find out what the &*^% is going on. I see an insurance claim coming up and months of delay, so now I will probably have to buy locally a printer I don't want, that won't quite do the same job, just so I can catch up with work.

By the way another reason for sometimes not using ezone, is when it's something that they won't accept for air cargo -hazardous stuff, so guess who I won't be using next time I've got any of that - "EXPRESS" CARGO remember the name folks. - - 26 days so far.

None of them accept hazardous material..you need to use rocargo and fill in a hazmat form.

Unfortunately they classify specialised paint as harzardous, but no-one has ever asked us to do a Hazmat form!!

the latest on my printer is even more confusing.

According to the Miami Agent, she signed for the delivery as being complete and consisting of 5 items. In fact the delivery was either 1 box (according to the supplier) or 6 boxes, but she says there were only 5 even though she signed as complete!

According to the guy on Bonaire. Only the 5 items (spare toners) were sent from Miami and he has the paperwork at last from Don Andreas to prove it!

According to the guy on Curacao, he himself, personally gave the printer to DA last week ( a week after he gave them the toners) and it was on a container that arrived on Bonaire last Thursday evening. there was no cruise ship blocking the way - as there never is on athursday evening anyway - so the containers were unloaded and are now at DA, but of course there is no paperwork outside the containers so no-one knows what the ^%$£'s in them!

So take your pick
1) The supplier didn't supply the printer, although they say they did and have proof of delivery.
2)The printer never arrived in Miami, although they signed for it.
3)The printer disappeared for a week somewhere and miraculously reappeared when I sounded threatening.
4) The printer is not in a container waiting to be unpacked.
5) The printer is in a container waiting to be unpacked.
6) none of the above.

Day 31 and counting - EXPRESS???????

I suppose it could be worse it could have been delivered to Litman's last week.

Amazing - I got all my boxes this afternoon, 33 days for a 7 day service. I think the only reason I got them today was that when Express told me they hadn't been unloaded yet and they didn't know whether they were on the container or not, I went to Don Andreas & the first thing I saw inside the door was my printer and just behind it 2 other boxes that I was waiting for.

So I can thoroughly recommend Express Cargo Services for any shipments you want from Miami if you don't care how long it will take

Phil, glad to see an end to the story....33 days? After reading this I have scrapped my plans on moving to Bonaire...I'm going to bookmark it for the next time someone who has never been to Bonaire, or been there maybe once asks about moving to Bonaire...haha

I've heard stories...but none so detailed as to change my mind...