Captain Don's Habitat

My wife and I go to Capt Don's at least once a year. the dive operation is going to be better than ever. the new dive area has been redone with new lockers and new diver's peir. i am older dive and on the boat dives the dive master and boat captain are always ready to give this old guy a hand in and out of the water. This year i watched a 12 year old get her C-Card.

We just returned home from two awesome weeks at Captain Dons, we love the jr. suites with the ocean facing balcony. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, their diving is great very easy entry and exit to dive on the house reef, the captains and dive masters on their boats are very helpful and knowledgeable, if you’re driving to different sites getting tanks to your truck is very easy. Can’t wait to return next year

Special thanks to Valerie. Our stay was perfect in every way. The location is right on the seafront. Lovely views over the sea. Easy to swim, dive and snorkel. A ladder is there for easy access to the sea. Dive school onsite. Rum Runners restaurant is right there and open all day. .

My husband and I had a very positive experience, and would stay at Captain Dons again. The dive shop was well run and organized. Dive masters were professional and always enjoyable to dive with. Our room was large and updated. All the staff was pleasant and professional,especially Rumrunners servers and bartenders. (Rumrunners is a different company) Food and drinks were good and averaged price for the island. We didn’t experience the negative issues others mentioned. The only thing I would say is that the stairs used for the house reef need an additional hand rail. You will need your own lock for the dive lockers. And, (reef safe) hair conditioner.

My first time visiting Captain Don's and I can’t wait to go back. If you love diving whenever you want this is the place. The updated rooms are fantastic with good amenities and great housekeeping staff. Captain Don’s truly is diving freedom and I can’t wait to go back.

Captain Don’s was a disappointment. Yes, we were on vacation in beautiful Bonaire, but Captain Don’s was just “adequate” at best. Upon arrival, we were given a mediocre welcome with no explanation as to where anything was or how the dive shop operated. We had to put down a $600.00 deposit for the hotel and a $500.00 deposit for the attached restaurant. This was not a terrible issue for us but for someone travelling on a budget, $1100.00 is a lot of money to have tied up for over a week. Our room was very basic, reminiscent of a 2 star type motel. You have to lock your door from the inside with an actual key, which seemed unsafe, in the case of a fire. There were several times we would go to leave and remember to get the key out and unlock the door so we could exit. Maid service was very hit or miss. A few times during our stay we would come back late afternoon and they had not touched the room, or they did part of the room and never came back. One time, they left our door unlocked (thank God we used the safe). There was just no attention to detail. The restaurant was PAINFULLY SLOW. We would try to have lunch in between our dives and would often almost miss the boat. The service was very nonchalant and aloof, sometimes borderline rude from the female server. The food was very good once we received it. We showed up at the bar the first night to be ignored and then treated as if we were a hassle. The prices for drinks were pretty high and we never went back after the first night. This is unusual for us as we love to hang out at the bar when we are on diving trips to meet and visit with other divers. There is no pool service, so you have to get out of the pool and walk around (a fair distance) to the bar to get drinks. The one time I did this, I was admonished for getting their (outside concrete) floor wet. The dive shop was just meh. The boats were decent but they took us to several of the same dive sites over the week. We observed a newer diver being admonished very publicly, which made me feel bad for them. The dock was torn apart when we were there which made for an interesting time getting in and out. They started tearing the gear lockers apart while we were there and did not tell us beforehand. They took gear out of peoples lockers and just laid them on open tables. After leaving, I noticed that the restaurant charged me for food and beverages leftover from someone who had used our room from a month before we arrived. Make sure you really check your receipts to make sure they don’t add someones tab to yours. While there we walked over to Buddy Dived and when we come back to Bonaire, that is most likely where we will stay. Captain Dons needs to step it up.

My recent stay at Captain Don's Habitat on the picturesque island of Bonaire left much to be desired. While the natural beauty of the surroundings was breathtaking, the overall experience at the resort fell short of expectations, leaving a lingering sense of disappointment. One of the first signs of trouble was the lackluster welcome we received. The promised welcome drink never materialized, setting the tone for a series of service-related issues throughout our stay. The need for guest intervention became apparent when we discovered that our TV remote was dysfunctional. Instead of a quick resolution, we had to take it upon ourselves to drop off the remote at the front desk and then return later to retrieve it. The disappointments continued with the dining experience. The service at the restaurant was painfully slow, testing the patience of even the most laid-back guests. The dive services were equally subpar, with a notable lack of attention to detail. The use of a rusty handcart for tank transportation to and from the fill station was not only inconvenient but also reflected poorly on the overall maintenance of the facilities. For those opting to shore dive from the resort, further challenges awaited. The damaged dock and dilapidated wetdeck for diving, equipped with only a couple of tiny wash tubs for rinsing gear, left much to be desired. The lack of parking exacerbated the inconvenience, forcing guests to wheel their loaded carts considerable distances to their vehicles. Even the boat diving experience, which should have been a highlight, proved disappointing. The crowded conditions and absence of basic amenities highlighted a lack of attention to the comfort and enjoyment of guests. In summary, while Captain Don's Habitat boasts a stunning natural setting, the guest experience is marred by a series of shortcomings. From sluggish service and malfunctioning amenities to inadequate dive services and a lack of attention to facility maintenance, the resort falls short of delivering the level of hospitality one would expect in a destination like Bonaire. It is my hope that these issues are addressed promptly to ensure a more positive and enjoyable experience for future guests. My suggestion is to stay and dive with Buddy Dive!

The rooms were comfortable, clean and spacious with daily room service. The rooms have a big patio that was comfortable to store all the diving gear. There's also a restaurant in house that prioritizes the hotel guests and has good lunch and dinner options for vegetarians. The highlight was the dive shop. We were certified in open water diving very recently and wanted more support in the water as we worked on our skills. The daily boat rides from this resort were convenient and did a great job helping us get more comfortable. We did 7 dives over 3 days (they do 3 boat dives every day and it's extra $$). We loved diving with Cristina, Ludson and others and would be happy to stay here again.

Standard room is tight for two guests. Not enough parking spaces on site. Overall, staffs are friendly, though management must be improved. Dive operations by minimum crews. It is not bad, though wish to have extra safety pre-cautions especially on the dive boat. Bar and restaurants are excellent in foods and services.