Bonaire dive vacation cancelled again

[5Miler]

We had to reschedule our 4 week dive vacation scheduled for April of this year to early August for - you know why. We have been expecting a cancellation as the Bonaire government hasn't opened up to U.S. travel yet and doesn't appear to be inclined to do so anytime soon. Went out to the Delta web site and found our flights have been cancelled as well as those of our friends from other states. Still no official notice from anyone though.

We are giving up on this year and all of us are booking our trips for April/May of next year. Yes, we are depressed about it. The resort wanted full payment up front to get the same discount for early booking we were getting this year - 10%. Not willing to risk $9k in this situation. Too many potential downsides.

Next scheduled vacation is a Caribbean cruise for mid December. Not really having high expectations at this point.

I do remember when this was all so much easier. Seems like so long ago now.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Well, as we all know that is how it is these days for so many travel destinations. I am waiting to see if I will be able to go to Europe this year. I just don't know.

 

[5Miler]

Well, as we all know that is how it is these days for so many travel destinations. I am waiting to see if I will be able to go to Europe this year. I just don't know.

It all appears to be a toss up these days. We are also scheduled to fly into Rome next September for a 10 day Med cruise. Who knows at this point. I'd be worried about a trip to Europe for this year for sure. How do they expect all of us to properly blow all our money at this rate?

 

[Montecfo]

We went to Bonaire and Curacao last summer and had a great time. So glad we travelled a good bit last year. Sorry you and we are missing trips this year. Hopefully next year.

 

[O2Bfree]

Feeling some of your pain. We had to cancel our first ever trip to Europe scheduled for May.

We did a diving/windsurfing trip to Bonaire some years ago and had a great time. Lots of excellent shore diving, just drive to a beach and go. Glad we brought dive gear as the wind wasn't too cooperative that month. Crazy powerful sun there, we did some tanning sessions beforehand to prep our PNW pale skin for the shock.

 

[5Miler]

We went to Bonaire and Curacao last summer and had a great time. So glad we travelled a good bit last year. Sorry you and we are missing trips this year. Hopefully next year.

Yeah, not much to be done at this point. We did get our 4 week dive trip in last April/May and even did a drive by (so to speak) in January this year when we stopped in Bonaire and Curacao while on a cruise. At least we got to see some of our friends for an afternoon and knock back a few Amstel Brights.

 

[5Miler]

We did a diving/windsurfing trip to Bonaire some years ago and had a great time. Lots of excellent shore diving, just drive to a beach and go. Glad we brought dive gear as the wind wasn't too cooperative that month. Crazy powerful sun there, we did some tanning sessions beforehand to prep our PNW pale skin for the shock.

Lots of windsurfers there. We have received our fair share of sunburns on that island. After spending all day in the water and with the high winds, it's easy to forget just how much that sun is beating down on you.

 

[donheff]

I like Bonaire. I was there about 20+ years ago and did a lot of shore dives. Fun.

 

[cathy63]

I really love the ABC islands. Unfortunately, it looks like they're in for a rough weekend with Tropical Storm / Hurricane Gonzalo passing by. Hopefully the storm will weaken as predicted and there won't be much damage on the islands.

 

[5Miler]

I really love the ABC islands. Unfortunately, it looks like they're in for a rough weekend with Tropical Storm / Hurricane Gonzalo passing by. Hopefully the storm will weaken as predicted and there won't be much damage on the islands.

They are out of the hurricane belt so it is rare that they take a direct hit in Bonaire, but I have seen near misses do considerable damage to the reefs and docks over the years. I have also seen the effects of underwater avalanches on Kline Bonaire and how it can totally destroy whole sections of reef. Mother nature can be tough.

 

[5Miler]

Just re-booked our Bonaire vacation for four weeks next April/May. Had to haggle a lot with the resort but they finally came around as we have been going there for so long. Wanted to deny us the normal special for our time period as it only applied to new bookings. Finally told them fine, cancel us and give us a refund so we can establish a new reservation. It finally made sense to them what they were doing.

Also had to use a Delta agent on the tickets as the web site couldn't accommodate keeping our reservations/itinerary together as we were using ecredits from our cancelled trips. That was rather painless and saved us around $500 each on our first class tickets. We can use that credit next year for our Med cruise if it comes off as planned.

Getting tiresome booking the same trips without the satisfaction of participating in any actual travel. We'll just have to keep trying. Looks like all our dive companions were able to make the same changes so we will see them there, eventually. We all want to go diving some kind of bad now. We have never gone more that 8 months between dive trips until this year.

 

[Bamaman]

American Airlines is holding $ from two tickets to Berlin 4/2020, and they refuse to refund it. Next year's flights are. 3x the airfare.

We have.until 7/31 to book flights with the $. Problem is the Corovid has increased everywhere we would want.to go. And many cities are.still locked down for tourists. And that includes Puerto Rico and much of the Caribbean.

The travel world is in such an uproar, and who knows when things will get to an acceptable level of risk. Travel may have to be by ground and spur of the moment in the next couple of years.

 

[braumeister]

The travel world is in such an uproar

Don't feel singled out. I was just reading about one airline that has been flying their A380s in circles, with no passengers, just so their pilots can get their required hours in to maintain their currency.

 

[Doribe]

We went to Bonaire in March of this year. We came back on the 23rd of March and it was the last flight out to the US before they shutdown.

It was great diving and a little eerie with so few people around. The divemasters were deciding to either stay or go. There options were limited as to where they could go, since so many places were closing borders.

I think Cayman Island will open to tourists soon. They require a five day quarantine on arrival.

 

[5Miler]

We went to Bonaire in March of this year. We came back on the 23rd of March and it was the last flight out to the US before they shutdown.

Have to admit that I'm pretty jealous that you got to make a dive trip to Bonaire this year. I found that most of our favorite Dive Masters have gone back to their home countries for the most part. I am hoping they decide to return when things open up again.