Best things to do Amber Cove

[jcruiser8888]

We are going to be sailing on the Sunshine Dec 1, 2017, we have never been to Amber Cove. I'm looking for your help in finding the best excursion or thing to do while there . What has been your experience there' what did you like the most ?

 

Thanks

[BoDidly]

Most people just hang around the port.

[SonOfSailor]

We are going to be sailing on the Sunshine Dec 1, 2017, we have never been to Amber Cove. I'm looking for your help in finding the best excursion or thing to do while there . What has been your experience there' what did you like the most ?

 

Thanks

We got a poolside cabana and had a great day at the port. Zipline and pool floats included with Cabana. It's a great pool area.

[ABQrobin]

there is a FORUM down in the Ports of Calls - Caribbean

 

go there and read all the posts, tons of information

[Gertie17]

Though I'm against swimming with dolphins, my friend wanted to, so I did, and that excursion was good. The people at the water park had a lot of knowledge about the dolphins and they seem to be taken care of.

[wannagonow123]

There is a place called "Ocean World" and it is really nice and a good value. They have different animal/ water-life shows. They have a huge dolphin facility I do not remember if they have swim with dolphins there, but they have a huge tank that you can snorkel with fish. Worth every penny imho.

[beachbum53]

We've been to the D.R. twice. First time was at La Romana, and last year at Amber Cove. Our daughter and one of our nieces went with us. Not my favorite island, and in no big hurry to go again. However, you asked about Amber Cove. At the port, there is no beach access. There is a large swimming pool (no charge to use), a shopping area, and a few other amenities, such as zip-lining, cabanas, etc. for an additional cost. If you're not interested in hanging around the port area, there are several excursions available that you can book through Carnival. We opted to book the "All Inclusive Coconut Cove Beach Break". It was okay. We had fun, but it's not the greatest beach we've ever been to. If you opt to book an excursion, take time to read the comments posted. This may help in deciding what most interests you.

[BoDidly]

ThoughI'm against swimming with dolphins, my friend wanted to, so I did, and that excursion was good. The people at the water park had a lot of knowledge about the dolphins and they seem to be taken care of.

Now you have me confused :o

[wemjam]

We just returned from there last week and we rented one of the Ocean Cabanas and enjoyed the day very much.

 

We have also done the boat snorkeling excursion that included lunch and REALLY enjoyed that very much.

[wemjam]

Now you have me confused :o

 

MAY be like me. Years ago was excited to swim with Dolphins on a trip and then after I got there and was with them I cried when I left. COMPLETELY against it now. To see these amazing, beautiful creatures pinned up and doing tricks for our enjoyment made me so sad. It was a very nice "facility" and the staff obviously cared for the animals well, but still they are meant to be free.

 

Then again my husband says I am a tree hugger... so :rolleyes:

[jordanaire]

We chilled out at the pool for the entire day. Loved it! Great food, drinks and entertainment.

 

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Forums mobile app

[evandbob]

I'll stay on the ship when the Horizon docks there next May. I don't like Carnival built ports in general, and this one doesn't even have a beach.

Over 15 yrs ago, I stayed in Puerto Plata for a week - that's about the closest town to Amber Cove. . Ugly gray Atlantic ocean, coarse yellow/brown sand and 2 star hotels.. They were still building Ocean World then and I it was maybe 3/4 finished when I went. I vowed never to go back to that location.

 

I also visited the towns of Sousua and Cabarette, and enjoyed those day trips, but they are further from Amber Cove than Puerto Plata. I've visited the Dominican Republic maybe 10 or 12 times since, mostly in Punta Cana, once at Dreams LaRomanna. Punta Cana, with its aqua blue and sugar white sand is a fav of mine, in fact I'm celebrating my next B-Day there this mid November.

[Ocean Dancer]

MAY be like me. Years ago was excited to swim with Dolphins on a trip and then after I got there and was with them I cried when I left. COMPLETELY against it now. To see these amazing, beautiful creatures pinned up and doing tricks for our enjoyment made me so sad. It was a very nice "facility" and the staff obviously cared for the animals well, but still they are meant to be free.

 

Then again my husband says I am a tree hugger... so :rolleyes:

The worst animal excursion we were on was whale watching in Cabo. Absolutly discusting:'):'):')

[csoud68]

I really dont understand why these massive cruise outfits are stopping at locations in the carribean with water thats not clear or where you cant swim..

 

Could it be that its more profitable for the company? I answered my own question..lol

[coevan]

Oh, you mean dolphin prisons, maybe fun for the kids, but it just plain cruel. As to Amber Cove, we thought it was just OK. While the pool area is nice, maybe I'm a little older, but the music was unbearably loud. We bought a couple of years used the fast internet and went back to the ship. There is a very nice, empty Lido Deck and pool with free food. Why would you sit by a pool and pay for food?

[BoDidly]

I really don't understand why these massive cruise outfits are stopping at locations in the Caribbean with water that's not clear or where you cant swim..

 

Could it be that its more profitable for the company? I answered my own question..lol

You don't post much ,but when you do (y).

[riclop]

Stay on the ship.

[HawkIVette]

Was at Amber Cove last December. Grabbed a Taxi and went to the Damajagua Waterfalls. Choice of doing 27, 12, or 7 of the waterfalls. We did 12. I would suggest 12 only, as time to do all 27 might take too long. Besides, guides said the best part of the river is doing the 12, or even the last 7 ( last 7 was the best part).

 

Anyway, total cost for 4 of us was $180._____ Breakdown of costs, Taxi, $100 for the round trip (they wait there for you to come back). Was about a 45 minute ride to the Store/ Lockers Stand. Paid $8 pp for the 12 waterfalls. Paid $4 per locker to store belongings (2 people per locker). They gave us 2 guides for the 4 of us (must have thought we would need help, which we did). Walked up river through the woods for about 45 minutes (the guides kept saying 20 minutes, 20 Dominican minutes). When done, which it was a blast, gave each guide a $20 tip. Total cost = $180 for 4, $45 each.

I belive Carnival offers it for around $100 each adult.

 

It was a great excusion and took us about 4 hours RT. Still had time to sit by the pool and relax.

 

Here is a story/ review about the Waterfalls. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic/puerto-plata/travel-tips-and-articles/take-the-plunge-the-27-waterfalls-of-damajagua/40625c8c-8a11-5710-a052-1479d277e6e1

Here is the website for the Waterfalls. http://www.27charcos.com/index.php

[BlerkOne]

On the port. Lots to do there

 

https://www.ambercove.com

[angela12345]

We don't take a lot of excursions. Maybe once per cruise, sometimes not even that. In Dominican Republic, we had a taxi driver for the whole day. He was FANTASTIC ! In addition to the sites we wanted to see, we asked him to take us to see how people really live there. He showed us many things and told us about stuff along the way. When he took us to sites, he would either come in with us, or waited for us and picked us up at the front door as soon as he saw we were done. He took pictures of us at the different sites with our camera so we were all in the group pic. He also took us to a grocery store to buy vanilla. He came in with us, called the manager over to ask questions about the different vanillas we could choose from, paid for the vanilla himself with his own money (he had DR currency so we didn't have to pay exchange fees), and he gave us each some DR currency as souvenirs. We tipped him an extra $100 on top of the $80-90 that was the taxi fare for 4 of us (there was room in his minivan, we could have taken 6 maybe 8). By the way, buy vanilla in DR at a regular store !! We paid approx $2-3 for a BIG BOTTLE like 32oz I think. In the cruise port it was about 2-3x the price for a tiny little bottle.

 

Walk out of the port and there will be people with price signs that will help you get a taxi driver. Ask for an English speaking driver !!! Our driver name was Johnny.

 

Here are the notes I had copied before our trip to Amber Cove . . .

Almost all below I copied from other people's postings.

 

Amber Cove. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio..._Republic.html

Amber Cove - beaches are short cab ride away, but if you want to stay at port, the pools and children’s splash pad area are open and complementary. Lounge chairs are also complementary but umbrellas are available for rent. +Watersides at pool are free ?!!!! : )

Amber Cove - public transportation just outside port. $5 pp Javilla Tours is the public buses and they are safe. Can use them for the cable cars and to go to Santiago the next largest city in the country

Amber Cove - Taxis are very well organized at the dock, taxi supervisors find out where you want to go, the price is $15/hour, they signal the next taxi to pull up, he hands your driver a paper with the negotiated rate on it and where you are going, and you get in. We did the cable car, then the fort, then walked the boardwalk in Porto Plata while he waited at a prearranged place, then drove to the shopping area (forget it), and then back to the ship, just over 4 hours, $70. - make sure you get pricing, items and an English speaker (my note: if you list all the places you want to go, they charge for each price individually. But most of the places are on the way to/from Puerto Plata. So maybe just negotiate for hourly rate or daily rate?)

Amber Cove - Expect to bargain in local stores, but you will find fixed prices in larger stores, and at the airport

Amber Cove - Be careful how much money you choose to exchange into Dominican pesos while on the island. Travelers are only allowed to change back up to 30% of one's pesos for foreign currency upon departure. You will be given exchange receipts each time you change money during your stay, so keep them if you need to change back for dollars, pounds, etc!

Amber Cove - WHALE WATCHING - Samana Bay Jan - early April - maybe see humpback whale as we sail into or away from DR ?

Amber Cove cable car EL TELEFIRICO http://telefericopuertoplata.com/

go before NOON, often mist/clouds obscure visibility later

approx $ 7.65pp 350 pesos. http://www.google.com/search?q=350+RD$+to+dollars Isabel de Torres. A short cable ride will take you up to the mountain peak to see the gardens there and the panoramic view. That is where the famous statue, Christ a la Rio de Janiero stands. (note: depending on exchange rate, it may be cheaper to pay with pesos than dollars. I think it was $10 when we went but would have been $7.65 for 350 pesos with the exchange rate at that time)

Amber Cove - AMBER MUSEUM Displays pieces taken from the amber mines in the Northerm Mountains with millennial fossils. Duarte Street #61, close to the Central Park. The building that houses the museum is considered a splendid sample of neoclassical architecture with Victorian influence. Open every day except Sunday, from 9 am until 5 pm. Tel. 809-586-2848.

Amber Cove - SAN FELIPE FORT The Fuerte San Felipe (San Felipe Fort) is located on a small peninsula on the Bahia de Puerto Plata, the bay Columbus once had such high hopes for. The Fort is, in fact, the only vestige of Puerto Plata's colonial past. For a little admission fee, you'll be able to look in on a small historical museum, and the tiny cell in which the hero of the Independence movement, Juan Pablo Duarte, was briefly confined. You'll find a number of guides hanging around the entrance to the fort, who for a small fee, will give you a tour. The Malecon leads along the seafront from the fort. It passes a small fish market on the beach and some fishing boats. The beach is tree lined and not suitable to sit there or swim. At end of the Malecon from the fort a rock in the sea has a Trident statue.

Amber Cove - CATREDAL SAN FELIPE - free located in the central park Independence Square (Parque de la Restauracion) Victorian architecture - Mariposa ice-cream shop ,best ice cream in Puerto Plata without a doubt,80 pesos per scoop

Amber Cove - “Luperon Musuem” Calle 12 de Julio 54. A real find. This museum tells the story of General Luperon through the artifacts of the day as well as through an interesting film (as others have said -- insist on seeing the movie first, otherwise the tour is does not make a lot of sense). The building is a replica of the house in which this Dominican hero died and it is beautifully presented. The guides are very friendly but their English is quite limited. I visited twice -- once with a Spanish speaking visitor and realized how much more informative that guided tour was then the English one. Even though the museum is new the signage and information on the exhibits are only in Spanish and the section with audio-clips was only in Spanish. Too bad they did not follow the lead of the Taino Museum (in Samana) or the national museum in Santo Domingo and have English language printed materials and/or audio materials.

The Museum is conveniently located near the Central Park, the Amber Museum (interesting but a little too commercial), The Meeting Place (a volunteer information center where you can get free maps, info), and the Melacon (the beachfront boulevard) where there are lots of little huts and restaurants and which leads you on a short walk to the colonial fort at the end.

Amber Cove - BRUGAL RUM DISTILLERY? $3 includes tour and samples - cheapest prices for their rum is in their gift shop (better than duty free)

Amber Cove. - Vivonte cigar factory ?

Amber Cove - About fifteen minutes from Puerto Plata is the Gri Gri Lagoon. The foliage and wildlife in this area is breathtaking and make sure to visit the river which is surrounded by mangroves.

 

PICTURE OF JOHNNY attached

Edited October 28, 2017 by angela12345
picture of Johnny

[Mawelch]

We are going to be sailing on the Sunshine Dec 1, 2017, we have never been to Amber Cove. I'm looking for your help in finding the best excursion or thing to do while there . What has been your experience there' what did you like the most ?

 

Thanks

I can tell you one thing not to do in Amber Cove, and that is the deep sea fishing trip. Big waste of money and time.:(

[twitzgall]

This was bar-non the best independent-excursion I've ever been on and it was in Amber Cove. Me and a group of about 15 friends did it. The tour operator cannot come in the gate to the port so you have to make a small walk past the gate to the left to get the bus. From there it was amazing.

 

http://www.iguanamama.com/27-waterfalls-of-damajagua.html

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I like Amber cover. the pool and ziplining is an option if you like to stay close to the ship. We went on the best excursion we have ever been on called Outback Terracross Adventure. It's around $100 pp but it's abut 6 hours including transport time and you are served a fantastic authentic Dominican lunch. The actual time on the ATV was just over 1.5 hours. Highly, highly recommend this.

[wemjam]

I really dont understand why these massive cruise outfits are stopping at locations in the carribean with water thats not clear or where you cant swim..

 

Could it be that its more profitable for the company? I answered my own question..lol

 

Where the ship docs and the water around the port here is not clear; however, the waters around other parts of the island are beautiful and teaming with fish. We did the snorkel excursion in Amber Cover, and we were taken to a resort and then boarded a boat and had a nice boat ride to a snorkel area that was absolutely beautiful. Crystal clear and lots of fish and such.

[Martini Mom]

The waterfall excursions look awesome, but I've read so many posts on a travel review site about how dangerous it is.