Ships Tender to Cayo Leventado?? (Dominican Republic)

[Olwyn]

Hi Everyone!

Those who have done the Caribbean on Oceania, might know this...can one take a tender to Cayo from the ship and return via tender, when you want, without taking their expensive $89 excursion?? This price does not even include lunch!

Just wondering!

Best to post this here, on the Oceania site, since each line has their own policies!

Thanks

Olwyn:)

[hondorner]

Not on our recent cruise, which visited Samana this past December. The tenders went from the ship to a small dock about a mile or two out of the city center.

[Aussie Gal]

When we visited Samana in October on the Veendam our tender took us to the dock. We were then able to buy a transfer from a local guide for $10p.p. return to Cayo Leventado. Our guide came with us and stayed on the island whilst we were there. We didn't have lunch though there were restaurants available. We stayed for a few hours and then our guide organized for the boat to take us back to tender wharf. We loved being on Cayo Leventado and have some lovely photos of that beautiful island. It only took about 10-15minutes to get there from the dock.

 

By the way, a brand new hotel was due to open there in January this year.

 

Jennie

[llarsen]

Good luck getting to Cayo Leventado. The ship tenders you to the dock where there are many scooters, but only one person (according to the people at the pier) to take you to Cayo Leventado. We had arranged a trip with him to the island, but he never showed up. We were told he took some other people ahead of us and would stay there until they wanted to come back. We waited and waited and realized this was true.

We could not find anyone to take us there. Samana needs to get their act together and realize what tourism is about. A tender every 30 minutes or even on the hour would bring in some $$$ for them, but they haven't figured that part out. Oceania hasn't figured out yet that they need to offer a tender for their passengers, since the town is filthy and there isn't anything to do or see there. By the way- the expensive tour Oceania offers also did not stop at Cayo Leventado that day as the tour describes, passengers were upset and demanding refunds. I think Aussie Gal might be the only person I've come across that actually made it to the island. I'm so jealous, we really wanted to go there!

[Aussie Gal]

I am going to try and instert a couple of photos of the island. I am not sure how to do it, so please bear with me. There are quite a few boats that do go to the island as quite a few of the crew from the Veendam were there as well as us and other cruisers as well.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, it is a beautiful unspoilt beach with hardly anyone around. Paradise!

 

Jennie