Dominican Republic

[JMOD]

With all of the information I am ready about DR, why would Royal Caribbean want to make it one of it ports? It seems it might be a beautiful place, but very dangerous.

[becomingophelia]

The DR is one of the most beautiful places in the world!

 

My boyfriend and I stayed at an AI there when I was only 20 and him 22 by ourselves with no friends or family for 5 days. We arranged many tours and were treated wonderfully. I never felt unsafe once, at our hotel or outside of it in other parts of the area. As long as you play it safe, keep your head about you it is a great place to be. I would give my left arm to go back there again!

 

One of the most memorbale experinces we did was a tour where you climbed up 7 out of 27 waterfalls that all fall into each other, and then you have to jump down into them!

 

Another one we went horseback riding in the mountains.

 

The Dominican Republic is just like any other port, as long as you don't do anything stupid that can put yourself in danger, you will be fine!

[whitsmom]

The DR is one of the most beautiful places in the world!

 

My boyfriend and I stayed at an AI there when I was only 20 and him 22 by ourselves with no friends or family for 5 days. We arranged many tours and were treated wonderfully. I never felt unsafe once, at our hotel or outside of it in other parts of the area. As long as you play it safe, keep your head about you it is a great place to be. I would give my left arm to go back there again!

 

One of the most memorbale experinces we did was a tour where you climbed up 7 out of 27 waterfalls that all fall into each other, and then you have to jump down into them!

 

Another one we went horseback riding in the mountains.

 

The Dominican Republic is just like any other port, as long as you don't do anything stupid that can put yourself in danger, you will be fine!

 

I totally agree! We stayed at an AI for 7 days and loved it. We were treated great. Now that being said, you still have to use some common sense. We were at Punta Cana, which may be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

[syndyj]

The DR is one of the most beautiful places in the world!

 

My boyfriend and I stayed at an AI there when I was only 20 and him 22 by ourselves with no friends or family for 5 days. We arranged many tours and were treated wonderfully. I never felt unsafe once, at our hotel or outside of it in other parts of the area. As long as you play it safe, keep your head about you it is a great place to be. I would give my left arm to go back there again!

 

One of the most memorbale experinces we did was a tour where you climbed up 7 out of 27 waterfalls that all fall into each other, and then you have to jump down into them!

 

Another one we went horseback riding in the mountains.

 

The Dominican Republic is just like any other port, as long as you don't do anything stupid that can put yourself in danger, you will be fine!

 

By any chance was this the Waterfall tour in Puerto Plata where a young boy drowned in 2005? Here is a link to the story:

[becomingophelia]

By any chance was this the Waterfall tour in Puerto Plata where a young boy drowned in 2005? Here is a link to the story:

 

 

Yep, but if you look on that page under DAMAJAGUA WATERFALL WARNING

it says

"note, this page was written prior to implementation of the safety improvements by Sun Village Resorts and The Elliott Foundation."

 

When I went they had safety precautions in place, I felt completely safe the entire time. My boyfriend and I are also both strong swimmers. If you are not a strong swimmer, this is not a tour for you.

[syndyj]

Good to know they implemented very neccessary changes. The rivers and waterfalls of the Caribbean are beautiful but even living here I am VERY VERY careful when I visit one and do not go swimming there. That being said the Dominican Republic has made our local news about developing investments and it's economy doing well.

[cb at sea]

Haiti (it's neighbor) has more trouble than DR!

[heatherb1958]

People from the UK fly out everyweek to the Dom Rep for one or two week AI packages, it is a very popular destination. RCI have secured charter flights from the UK to make up cruise and stay packages . I'm sure they will be very popular but as yet the prices are more than we want to pay.

[sea-cruise]

Haiti (it's neighbor) has more trouble than DR!

Yes, you're right....see this warning site:

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_917.html

[Foxhat]

Yep, but if you look on that page under DAMAJAGUA WATERFALL WARNING

it says

"note, this page was written prior to implementation of the safety improvements by Sun Village Resorts and The Elliott Foundation."

 

When I went they had safety precautions in place, I felt completely safe the entire time. My boyfriend and I are also both strong swimmers. If you are not a strong swimmer, this is not a tour for you.

 

 

And you should be thankful that someones else's tragedy made your expereince a safe experience.

[Schplinky]

The DR has been a popular destination for Canadians and Europeans for years. It is one of two places in the Caribbean that we all seem to flock that Americans don't; the other is Cuba. I'm not sure why Americans don't seem to like the DR. It's no more or less sketchy than, say, Jamaica or St. Lucia and lots of Americans go to those places.

[MGoBlue2]

With all of the information I am ready about DR, why would Royal Caribbean want to make it one of it ports? It seems it might be a beautiful place, but very dangerous.

Sort of like New York City, New Orleans, Miami, etc.?

[negc]

Sort of like New York City, New Orleans, Miami, etc.?

 

So true but so often disregarded. I can remember the warning about pickpockets and street criminals when we visited Caracas in 1980 and thinking that those very same warnings could have applied to tourists visiting my home town, Boston.:rolleyes: It also amazes me how much more impact one negative report can have than a dozen positive ones.

Americans, at least those in the Northeast, have begun to discover the all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic. The numbers of tourists from this area has increased dramatically over the past few years and the prices have risen accordingly. There are still some good rates for first-rate resorts but rarely the bargains that were available just a year or two ago.:)

[Schplinky]

Sort of like New York City, New Orleans, Miami, etc.?

 

Good point. When I tell people here that I love visiting Washington, DC, they look at me like nuts. The perception persists that in DC you would be crazy to walk one block off the beaten path when in fact, it feels no different than any other North American City to me. There are good and bad neighborhoods but I'm reminded that common sense goes a long way no matter where you travel.

[mikenjane]

We've been to the DR at least a dozen times and have never had a problem. Although very poor, the people are some of the warmest and friendliest I've ever met. It's a beautiful country and should not be missed.

[smeyer418]

Sort of like New York City, New Orleans, Miami, etc.?

NY City? not in the same league as these other too. NY is the safest large city in the US.

 

I have been on the tour where this poor boy tragically drowned. My Wife My son and his girlfriend. We commented that they would never allow the tour in the US. I am a good swimmmer--on the swim team in High School, I thought it very dangerous. But remember even in "safe" beaches people drown every year. Tom Brokow was just talking about a rafting trip(in the US) where the person he invited to come along also drowned.

 

So I wouldn't condemn all of DR because of this and DR is relatively safe. Safer than Jamaica and Columbia...(and probably safer than Russia). I go to the DR about once every two years and besides a manana attitude sometimes I love it.