Samana

[NikkiAlexisNJ]

I'm going on the Norwegian Spirit at the end of August.

We're stopping in Samana, Dominican Republic.

I heard that it's a really poor place.

 

Is it worth getting off?

Is there anything to do right off the ship?

 

Thanks everyone. :)

[luv2cruise08]

We did the NCL excursion to Cayo Levantado and loved it. At first I thought it was a little pricey, but after going I would do it again.

 

Have a blast!

[jollycruise]

We did the ATV excursion through NCL and LOVED it! We had a wonderful time. Samana is poor but I would not stay on the ship. This place has some real beauty. We met some wonderful people while we were there. There's not much to do in town. There are a few shops and a local market. If all you do is go into town you probably will be dissapointed. Try an excursion through the ship or a tour. Samana and Tortola were our favorite stop's on our cruise.

[jenn6743]

What kind of local shops do they have downtown ???? I love going shopping in mexico bc the locals make same really neat stuff....

[jollycruise]

What kind of local shops do they have downtown ???? I love going shopping in mexico bc the locals make same really neat stuff....

 

There is the local market that is set up just down the street from the dock. It's on the other side of the road from the dock. There are maybe a couple dozen vendors selling an assortment of stuff. Then if you walk a little further into town there is a row of new shops. You can't miss the new shops when you walk down to them. They stick out like a sore thumb. There were about 5-8 shops and a tiny casino when we were there in January. If your in need of a restroom the Casino had really clean ones. It's nothing super exciting but I'm happy we did go look. Samana is absolutly not a shopping meca. But we found a few items at the market that I love.

[npb1894]

If you have kids, go with the beach break to Cayo!! It is a beautiful beach, white sand, beautiful water!! They come around with parrots, a monkey, a baby sea lion, iguana and you can have your picture taken with these animals. The pics were great and at $8 a piece, quite a bargain compared to the ships prices!! There was shopping and there was food and drinks available at a cost. The drinks here were cheaper than on the ship and the drink served in a pineapple for $5 was great!!! We would go back again in a heartbeat!!

[Havi2000]

love2cruise08 & npb1894~I have been trying to get some tips about both Samana & the Cayo Levantado excursion. I would like to do the Cayo beach trip but am wondering....

 

how difficult is it to get into the boat that takes you there from the ship? I'm assuming that you tender right from the ship to Cayo?

 

My youngest son is not a beach lover...would there be anything else for him to do on Cayo? Is the Bacardi Rum factory there? Much shopping?

 

If we do go to Cayo...would we have time to come back & tender to Samana for a quick look around...or is this planning too much for the day?

 

Thanks in advance for your help! I appreciate having the details. We're on the Grandeur leaving July 24, I think we're in Samana on the 29th.

[Havi2000]

jollycruise~ How far is it to town from the pier...walking distance? How much time would you allow just to go see the shops there & make a stop in the casino...I know my DH would like to see that...did they have slot machines/tables in the casino? I'm hoping that we can go to Cayo Levantado for the morning & walk in town in the afternoon. Does this sound doable? Would we have to take a 2 tenders? One to Cayo & back to the ship & then one to town & back? Thanks for your help!

[rcommon]

We took the Norwegian Spirit to Samana and only walked into the edge of town where there was a small market. It was about a quarter mile walk and we were pestered by kids wanting to sell shells the entire way. The market had nothing that we found appealing..cheap jewelry and carved wooden animals and such.

 

The ship docks quite a way off shore and there are a series of tenders that take people to shore. We opted not to take any of the tours as we didn't bring any beach wear with us and were a bit taken back by the cost of the tours...$80 to $120.

[luv2cruise08]

love2cruise08 & npb1894~

how difficult is it to get into the boat that takes you there from the ship? I'm assuming that you tender right from the ship to Cayo?

 

My youngest son is not a beach lover...would there be anything else for him to do on Cayo? Is the Bacardi Rum factory there? Much shopping?

 

If we do go to Cayo...would we have time to come back & tender to Samana for a quick look around...or is this planning too much for the day?

 

Thanks in advance for your help! I appreciate having the details. We're on the Grandeur leaving July 24, I think we're in Samana on the 29th.

 

It is not difficult at all, you tender over right from the ship. There isn't anything else to do on the island, so if your son isn't a beach lover he will probably be bored. My kids (4 yrs old) played in the water and dug in the sand. And played with friends they met in kids crew. My daughter got a few braids in her hair. The rum factory is in San Juan. I wouldn't think you would have enough time to do both, especially if you wanted to get your monies worth out of Cayo.

[jollycruise]

jollycruise~ How far is it to town from the pier...walking distance? It is about a 10-15 minute walk at the most to the shops and the casino at the end of town. The little market is only about 5 minutes from the pier. There are guys with carts attached to motorcycles that can take you in if you want a ride. We took a ride in and then walked back.

 

How much time would you allow just to go see the shops there & make a stop in the casino We were probably in town for an hour tops. DH got some Cuban cigars and was very happy.

 

...I know my DH would like to see that...did they have slot machines/tables in the casino? Yes, the do have slots and tables. We were the only ones in the casino. It's very small. We went in to use the bathroom and ended up leaving $40.00 up from the time it took both of us to use the restroom. It worked out nice. :)

 

I'm hoping that we can go to Cayo Levantado for the morning & walk in town in the afternoon. Does this sound doable? Would we have to take a 2 tenders? One to Cayo & back to the ship & then one to town & back? Thanks for your help! Can't help you on this one. We did not go to Cayo so I'm not sure on that one. (sorry)

!

As another poster said there were kids bugging us to sell seashells and one was particulary annoying. But I would still go back and not change a thing.

Just please keep in mind that you need to be aware of your surroundings in this area as well as your belongings. I never felt threatened but it is a place to stay more alert than say St. Thomas. Enjoy your time there. We loved Samana and hope to go back again someday.

[Modernnycruiser]

Just got off of the Spirit and did the Discover Samana tour. Our tour guide was great. He took us to a museum, shopping market (which was nice and you could pick up nice gifts for a good price), a beach, and even stopped to get us some homemade coconut bread (very tasty). Is it poor? yes but it made me appreciate what we have even more. Everyone I spoke to that took a tour from NCL seemed to love Samana. However, I heard mixed reviews from the people who decided to do it on their own. Their major complaint being that they felt pestered by children trying to sell them things and there was a limited amount of things to do at the port.

[Slyfox16]

Can you tell me which tour firm you used in Samana and how much they were?

[flashdog_1]

A tour by that name is offered on the ship and is $49 each. I'm thinking about it. Here's a link to a video of Las Terrenas which is a one hour stop on the tour.