Booking Klein Curaçao: How far in advance, and when is the best time to go?

“Is there still room on tomorrow’s boat to Klein Curaçao?” We get that question every week, and in high season the answer is often no. Here’s how far in advance to book, why there’s hardly any risk in doing so, which boat sails on which day, and what happens when the sea doesn’t cooperate.

How far in advance should you book Klein Curaçao?

Book as soon as you know your travel dates. In high season, popular days often sell out 1 to 2 weeks ahead, and around school holidays and public holidays it goes even faster.

That’s because only a limited number of boats sail to Klein Curaçao each day, and a few trips only run one or two days a week. If you wait until you’re on Curaçao, you’ll often still find a spot, just not on the boat or the day you wanted.

These trips fill up first:

• Klein & Sunset sails on Mondays only. One departure a week, so it fills up fast.
• Weekend Supreme by Miss Ann sails on Saturdays and Sundays only.
• Powerboat takes a maximum of 18 people and sails 4 days a week (Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat).
• Mermaid doesn’t sail on Thursdays. If you want a beach house on a Thursday, Miss Ann is your only option.
• Traveling with a group or family? Then you need several spots open at the same time, so book even earlier.

Isn’t booking early risky?

No, the risk is small. When you reserve through NaarCuracao, you only pay a deposit, and every trip offers free cancellation up to 24 or 48 hours before departure.

You pay the balance just before the trip. There are no booking or reservation fees, and with the lowest price guarantee there’s no need to wait for a better deal either. Here are the cancellation windows per trip:

Note: the deadline counts from the departure time. If your boat leaves at 7:30 a.m. and the window is 48 hours, you need to cancel two days earlier before 7:30 a.m.

Which boat sails on which day?

Monday gives you the most choice (7 trips), Thursday and Sunday the least (4 trips). BlueFinn and Irie Tours sail every day; the rest sail on fixed days.

So hold your vacation plans up against this table. If you’ve set your heart on one particular boat, plan your other outings around its sailing days. Want to compare all trips in detail? Check out our comparison of all Klein Curaçao trips.

A private boat is available any day, on request. From around 6 to 8 people, it’s already worth considering.

When in your vacation should you plan Klein Curaçao?

Plan Klein Curaçao in the first half of your vacation. If wind or waves cancel your trip, you’ll still have days left to go again.

Klein Curaçao lies in open sea, and when there’s too much wind or too many waves, the operator may reschedule or cancel the trip. If that happens on your last full day, you’ve missed your chance. Plan the trip in your first week and you can simply move it a few days.

• Not on your flight day or the day before: you won’t be back until between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., depending on the boat, and there’s no backup day left.
• A few days to get used to the sun first doesn’t hurt: there’s little natural shade on Klein. But don’t wait until the end.
• Not sure about the weather? Send us a WhatsApp, even outside office hours.

What are the weather and sea like on the way to Klein Curaçao?

The sea determines how your crossing goes. The trade wind blows from the east all year round, and Klein Curaçao lies southeast of the island.

That means on the way out you sail into the wind and waves. It can get pretty rocky, and sensitive people can get seasick. The way back goes with the wind and is a lot calmer. With BlueFinn the crossing takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, longer when it’s very windy.

How hard the wind blows varies by day and by week. Nobody can guarantee you a flat sea in a particular month, and neither can we. What you can do is choose your boat based on the crossing: the Powerboat gets there in about 45 minutes, the motor yacht from Miss Ann and the Catamaran Yacht in about an hour.

On the island itself, you snorkel on the sheltered west side, by the beach. The east side has surf, and there can be strong currents around the points. Prone to seasickness? Read our tips for preventing seasickness first.

What happens in bad weather or high waves?

When there’s too much wind or too many waves, the operator may reschedule or cancel the trip. What you get then varies by operator:

You can’t predict a cancellation, but you can plan for one. That’s why we recommend planning Klein Curaçao early in your vacation: that way a new date is always still possible.