By Kristin Wadle on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 10:53 am: |
Does anyone have any experiences on the ferry that they can share with me? I've read a few conversations and know that people often get seasick. I'm wondering what kind of boat it is and if it is possible to sit outside? Also wondering how reliable the company who runs it is? Does it get cancelled often due to weather? Any infomation would be helpful. Airfares in June are much cheaper to Curacao then Bonaire and they ferry might be an option for us.
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By Linda Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 11:10 am: |
Someone just pointed out to me that they have a website. http://www.flamingofastferries.com
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By Ann Phelan on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 11:30 am: |
Kristin, I too have been finding SUPER high airefares for my clients who are opting not to come to BON in June..717.00 pp from PHL and 1000.00 pp from DEN..Is CUR that much cheaper??
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By michael gaynor on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 12:23 pm: |
folks...check with the dive tour operators listed on infobonaire web site. They have agreements with the airlines and the prices should be considerably lower.
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By Kristin Wadle on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 12:23 pm: |
Annie, We are traveling from Seattle and Tampa. The american fares have been very expensive from both. We would save a couple hundred per ticket flying to Curacao.
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By Edwin van Woerkens on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 3:19 pm: |
hehehe ... on their website:
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By alan markus on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 5:26 pm: |
We came back against 8-10 foot seas and took over two hours. While some people got seasick, my wife had the new electronic wrist band which actually worked (she normally gets sick in the car if she even reads a litte).
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By Carole Baker on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - 10:05 pm: |
Sounds like my kind of boat ride! No kidding, either. I'm an old Fort Lauderdale kid and it has never left my soul. I will have to try it out...Joe will have to take some seasick pills or something, however. Wild Mouse ride, eh? Yippee! Carole
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By alan markus on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 9:16 am: |
Ok Carole...
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By lonnie hoover on Sunday, April 14, 2002 - 3:02 pm: |
kristin, I tried the ferry at Christmas from Curacao to Bonaire, and it wasn't the best experience. The ferry was over two hours late leaving and apparently the ferry operators rarely observe or follow a rigid schedule. I have noticed that the ferry is frequently one to two hours late arriving in Bonaire, and sometimes a great deal later than that. Also when we attempted to land in Bonaire, it took over 40 min.(for some unknown reason, they were trying to land at a different location and after much running about discovered that the gang plank was broken and finally landed at their usual location). Upon arrival you have to clear customs on the boat which is more than a little inconvenient. We didn't get off that damned boat until nearly 11pm. It was scheduled to arrive around 7pm. Overall, the ferry operation is a rag tag unprofessional transportation system. Don't expect much accountability. And, ofcourse, no one appears to be in charge, and it would never occur to any staff person to communicate with the passengers as to what is going on when there is a delay. I found the overall experience to be a lot like ALM. The ferry itself is very nice and very comfortable, but even in fairly calm seas, sea sickness is a definite possibility. I was on the verge of sea sickness during much of the trip, even though I took medication before leaving. It is cheaper than flying from Cur to Bon, and if you are not prone to sea sickness and if a couple of hours one way or the other would not cause you any grief, then the ferry is probably a good bet. One other thing, I found it impossible to book the ferry on line or any way from the US. When I was there in Nov. I had to go to the ferry trailer on the pier in Kralendijk to personally book the trip. When doing that you will need the passport for every person you are booking. You know the Antillean fettish for meticulous record keeping....
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