Carnival Sunshine - I was on the Sunshine in January 2018, out of Port Canaveral and went to Aruba, Bonaire, and was planned for Grand Turk but got re-routed to Dominican Republic/Amber Cove (a nice stop) because of two medical issues. Though we couldn’t snorkel at Amber Cove, l I thought the island was beautiful, the shopping area looked brand new and there is a very nice resort area with swimming, chairs, zip lines, and a sky bar on the side of the hill with great views. The locals were extremely friendly, I’ve been to other islands where that’s not always the case. No hard sells.

Aruba - Didn’t think the island itself was all that interesting looking, lot of construction going on too. We took a bus to Boca Catalina beach, and snorkeled from there. It was great fun. The bus ride is 2.50 or 2.60 per ride, cash only. Tell the driver where you want to get off and ask where to wait for the return bus. Way cheaper than a cab and a good way to see the island like a “local”.

Bonaire - Gorgeous lush island. Shopping areas near pier, interesting jewelry and other items. Locals very friendly. We took a snorkel trip on a Sailboat with Compass. It was amazing. Only about 15 people on the boat, the captain shared LOTS of info about Bonaire, as well as other islands..she was funny, and interesting hearing about how her life got her to Bonaire. The crew were wonderful...after snorkeling there was an open bar and free snacks. It was an amazing trip and they posted pics on their facebook page to view when we got home. Read more