Cayo Levantado port on Riviera Dec. 2, 2015 cruise

[oceansandseas]

I have looked at the Ports of Call section for this answer, but found nothing. We are on the Riviera in February 2016. I was looking over the shore excursions and was surprised to read about the one at Cayo Levantado.

 

It says that for $79.00 you can take a speed boat ride from the Riviera to the beach at Cayo Levantado and enjoy the beach with chair, umbrella, and (do not remember exactly what drink or food was included).

 

We were there before, and I think it was 2 years ago. This is an anchor port. We were given the speed boat ride to Cayo Levantado (no charge). We could use the beach to swim or sit. We had to sit on the plastic chairs. The padded chairs were for rent. There were people who came around to offer drinks that you had to pay for. We were then taken back to the ship on the same boat. One boat came back and forth and operated like a tender. Those who had shore excursions were tendered to Samana. We were told that there was nothing there, so we went to the island.

 

However, it is now listed as an excursion for $79.00. I sent an email to my TA and she said that maybe it would be offered at a more reasonable price from the shore. By taking this from the shore, we would have to take the tender to Samana and then take the speed boat to Cayo Levantado and then take the speed boat back to Samana and then take the tender to the Riviera. DH would not go through all of this even for a day at the beach.

 

My question is - what did they do on the Riviera cruise of Dec. 2, 2015? Was anyone on that cruise, or has anyone been to this port in the last few months. Any help would be appreciated.

 

I just wanted to mention that the port is listed as Cayo Levantado in the itinerary, they shouldn't make you pay to get there. lol

 

o

[LHT28]

Maybe the fee is for the beach BBQ & chairs & use of washrooms ;)

[sail57]

I was on the December 2 cruise.

We went to the beach by tender directly from the ship and used the free chairs

The passengers on the ships tour to the beach sat in a private area with lunch and drinks.

[cruisingxpert]

The beach excursion in brochure is a bit confusing. It does make it sound like that is the only way to get to that beach.

 

We were there last March. I almost booked the tour but decided not to and the next morning realized that I could get on the tender and go directly to that beach - get off the tender and pass the people who took the excursion - they were standing around waiting for their wristbands to identify them as part of the excursion.

 

 

When we walked to the beach and grabbed a free chair, we saw yellow tape -think crime scene tape - blocking off a small part of beach where they brought the excursion people and served them some drinks and a simple lunch. Not worth it in my opinion.

[Iamthesea]

We are also on the February cruise. Does this tender run constantly, so that we could go early and then return to the ship for lunch?

[cruisingxpert]

We are also on the February cruise. Does this tender run constantly, so that we could go early and then return to the ship for lunch?

 

Yes, the tender runs constantly. You might have to wait awhile in the morning if you are early risers until they have their excursion people to Samana taken care of.

[Iamthesea]

We are early risers, but in no hurry. As long as we can get back to the ship by 2:00 or so and eat lunch there. ;)

[oceansandseas]

Thanks to all that answered. When we were there before, it was a speed boat that took us to the island. I guess it is the regular tender that takes us now.

 

Hope we have nice weather for the beach day.

 

 

o

[Caroldoll]

This is one reason we are backing off Oceania.

[DrHemlock]

Agree with Caroldoll's subject line. Utterly boring; not worth a day of your cruise. But it's not just Oceania. We stopped there with Regent a few years ago and even their more expensive fare couldn't make it fun or interesting.

[Paulchili]

This is one reason we are backing off Oceania.

 

Of all the possible reasons for leaving Oceania, this one has me laughing (in disbelief)

Choose a different itinerary or stay onboard :D

Edited January 8, 2016 by Paulchili

[CintiPam]

The beach looks lovely. I am looking forward to my day there next month!

[Iamthesea]

I am too! Let's hope for great weather. :):cool:

[beachmudhut]

We visited this stop last year. Yes it is just a beach but it is beautiful. We really enjoyed our time there and would love to return.

[ORV]

This is one reason we are backing off Oceania.

 

What was the problem with it?

 

We were scheduled to stop there a couple of years ago on Regatta but missed it due to weather. Apparently we didn't miss much.

[hondorner]

The beach is OK. The first time we were there was in December, 1980 on the old Carnival Carnivale (it started life as either the Empress of Britain or the Empress of Canada; I forget which, their other ship was Mardis Gras). We landed on the north shore of the Dominican Republic at an old Chiquita Banana company dock, the took a hair raising taxi ride in an old Toyota Corolla with nio brakes to the town of Samana, where we boarded an even older, rickety, wooden CrisCraft to the island. It was infested with kids selling conch shells and "hand carved mahogany" ash trays that turned out to be ceramic. Carnival gave us a packed box lunch with fried chicken; Betsy paid $5 for an ash tray while my 8 year old son traded a drum stick for one :).

 

For forward to 2006 when, on the way back from the Amazon, Regatta made a stop there. By now it had a fancy name (Cayo Levantado) and a private resort occupied half of the island. We could either tender to the island or the town of Samana. We did the latter and were inundated with old men and young boys selling conch shells and ash trays. We walked a short distance with the locals practically hanging on to our shirt tails, then went back toi the ship.

 

Next, in 2010, we stopped there on a Regent cruise. Regent offers included excursions; we took one across the bay to a national park winding through the mangroves and stopping at a natural cave; there were no beggars. The speedboat then dropped us off at the island beach, where there were craft vendors carefully licensed and controlled. Other than the beach chairs, it was the same as 1980 without the kids. We were not allowed to tender to shore unless we had a shore excursion. Those who took the onshore excursions reported they were disappointed.

 

The extra cost excursion to the island in 2006 was to the private resort, with more comfortable lounges, bar and restaurant and lunch; we didin't avail ourselves of it. We live in Florida so rarely go to a beach on any excursion; we only stopped at the beach in 2010 out of nostalgia 30 years later.

 

While there area is racked with poverty and is not my choice of a port, it would be difficult to use it as an excuse for no longer sailing any cruise line, as almost all of them who sail in the eastern caribbean stop there. The only logical guess I can make as to why is that the D.R. might not charge any fees so it's a cheap stop at an advantageous distance from other ports. Carnival has just completed a new, "fake" port (my term) at Angel Bay on the north shore of the D.R. because of itinerary logistics.

[Floridiana]

Good story! What I remember best about the D.R. is the moment when a young man tried to sell me his well-fed Dachshund. The leash was a rope. To this day I wonder whether his business was to steal dogs and sell them.

[StanandJim]

Good story! What I remember best about the D.R. is the moment when a young man tried to sell me his well-fed Dachshund. The leash was a rope. To this day I wonder whether his business was to steal dogs and sell them.

 

Be very careful of having a big heart for animals while on vacation. A newish friend of ours just moved heaven and earth to bring a stray kitten home from Aruba, and her costs are north of 8k, with more to come. :eek:

We hate to see any living thing mistreated, but there is so much good which that money could have done....

[harryw]

We are docking there tomorrow, and hopefully there will be sufficient umbrellas and chairs to rent...but after a wonderful time yesterday at Orient Bay and today at Cane Garden Bay, I'm too mellowed out to get upset if none can be found. Last port will be Nassau...any suggestions on a convenient beach break with chairs and unbrellas? never been there...

 

Harry and Carol

[cruisingxpert]

We are docking there tomorrow, and hopefully there will be sufficient umbrellas and chairs to rent...but after a wonderful time yesterday at Orient Bay and today at Cane Garden Bay, I'm too mellowed out to get upset if none can be found. Last port will be Nassau...any suggestions on a convenient beach break with chairs and unbrellas? never been there...

 

Harry and Carol

 

You can got to Sandals in Nassau and get an all inclusive day pass for about $100pp.

[RJB]

You can got to Sandals in Nassau and get an all inclusive day pass for about $100pp.

And what do they give you for $100.00 Lunch, drinks? I am sure I can find a beach to go to for a lot less or just stay by the pool for free. Nassau is the last place that I want to go to the beach.

[tropicalkerry2002]

good idea!

[cruisingxpert]

And what do they give you for $100.00 Lunch, drinks? I am sure I can find a beach to go to for a lot less or just stay by the pool for free. Nassau is the last place that I want to go to the beach.

 

 

$100 gives you all you can drink and eat, the beach, the pool and they also have a small island that they ferry people over to.

 

I'm sure you could find a public beach somewhere but I'm not sure you could find a hotel pool to use for free. Most resorts have security gates to enter.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Nassau so a beach is a better alternative to a tour, for me.

[harryw]

We had a wonderful time at the beach today. 5 minute tender ride, 5 minute walk to public beach with plenty of empty free lounge chairs. No umbrellas but palm trees provided shade. No need to take O's beach escape. Drinks and menu service on beach. Beautiful bay. Very tranquil. Craft huts and bathrooms nearby. Some passengers enjoyed horseback riding there.

 

Harry

[LesSails80435]

Re Cayo Levantado: We were on the December 2 cruise; free and frequent transport to the Cayo Levantado beach was locally provided on small catamarans (not ship's tenders). Beach was clean; water was beautiful, lounge chairs were readily available, food and drink were available for purchase. Open-air massage was offered for a reasonable (I was told) price. Restrooms were clean and plentiful, and Riviera provided the beach towels. Plenty of palm trees if you wanted shade. Very nice environment compared to the zoo on Turks & Caicos.