Bonaire is about to see a lot more Carnival Corporation ships. The company expects its cruise capacity on the island to grow by double digits between 2025 and 2027, with seven of its brands scheduled to call there in 2027, according to Marie McKenzie, Carnival Corp.’s senior vice president of government and destination affairs.
McKenzie laid out the projection in a presentation titled “A Global Fleet, A Local Partner” at the Bonaire Tourism Summit, held Sept. 24 at the Van der Valk Plaza Beach Resort. The figures are based on current deployment schedules.
The smallest of the ABC islands usually turns up on southern Caribbean itineraries alongside Aruba and Curaçao, and it sells on a different pitch than its neighbors: diving, marine parks, and outdoor exploration rather than beaches and casinos. Much of McKenzie’s talk focused on making sure the added ship calls pay off for Bonaire itself, with shore excursions, ground transportation, restaurants, shops, and cultural experiences all cited as ways local operators can capture more of the cruise dollar.
“As our presence in Bonaire grows, strong local partnerships become increasingly important. We want cruise tourism to create opportunities for businesses and communities while respecting the natural environment and the qualities that make Bonaire unique,” McKenzie said.
She also walked through the company’s sustainability program, which is organized around climate action, circular economy, sustainable tourism, biodiversity and conservation, and well-being, inclusion, and belonging. Specific efforts she pointed to include cutting food waste, shore-power connection capability, onboard freshwater generation, reforestation support, local partnerships, and guest education on responsible travel.
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