rrader

July 17, 2016

My 17 year old daughter has been nagging me for a couple of years now to go ziplining. In my pre-cruise research, I couldn't find much to do in La Romana so I thought this would be the opportunity to take her ziplining. We went with Wild Ranch Zipline Canopy. They picked us up right at the port. There was our party of 3 and another group of 8 from Georgia. In our 6 past cruises, I have only ever booked through the ship once (and that was only because they wouldn't book privately with us if we were arriving by ship). I just prefer smaller groups and a more personable experience, which we definitely got. The drive to Wild Ranch was about 30-40 minutes. Wild Ranch is very remote but incredibly beautiful. Rosella, the owner, came out to greet us upon our arrival. This was the 4th day of our cruise and I was missing my fur babies back home terribly. I couldn't have been happier when three of her dogs also greeted us. They were the most gentle and loving creatures you could meet. We quickly got our gear on and headed up a trail to the first platform. This was about the time my husband chickened out and headed back to the hut to play with the dogs. I wasn't surprised at all since he also chickened out last year when we swam with the dolphins. Our guide pointed out cocoa beans hanging from the tree. We got up to the first line and then my daughter also chickened out. She, presumably, also went back to play with the dogs. Never mind the fact that she was the whole reason we were here. So, that left dear old mom to play Tarzan. I've never done ziplining before and I loved it! There were 7 lines. I did them all and had a blast. I'd love to go back but I will have to find some other people to go with. Lol. Believe it or not, I am terrified to drive across bridges, so I think my daughter and husband were surprised that I went without them. I felt very safe. The guides were very professional and spent a lot of time with us. It is really a first class operation. After completing the 7 lines, we walked over to the banks of the Chavon River and kayaked a little ways down and our guide showed us an area that we could get out and wade into the water or just take a break on the shoreline. They don't have gators there (believe me, that is the first question I asked). It was so beautiful. I just wish I had my camera with me but I didn't want to take a chance of getting it wet. After kayaking, we were treated to fresh sliced coconut, mango, chocolate and drinks while enjoying a breathtaking view. The group from Georgia that we were with were an absolute hoot. As much fun as the excursion was, they made it even more fun and enjoyable. This is why I like small groups. They actually managed to talk our driver (who didn't speak a word of English) to stop at a local bar to get some local beer before taking us back to the ship. We made it back in plenty of time. I never once felt in danger. This was the highlight of the cruise for me. For my husband and daughter--not so much.

July 14, 2016

We just sailed on the Splendor July 2-10. We arrived at the port of Miami by car service at our assigned check in time of 11:30 and were allowed right in. Everything went incredibly smooth and fast and we were sitting at a table at the lido buffet in 25 minutes. However, there was a LONG line outside the terminal of people who arrived too early and had to wait for their assigned check in time before being allowed in out of the heat. I love the assigned check in times. It definitely was our smoothest embarkation yet.