Carnival Amber Cove Excursion Lifestyle Resort

We'll be going on April 25 so I'll be sure to come back here and let you all know how our experience was. Hoping someone goes sooner than that and posts about it so I'll know beforehand though. :)

Waiting to hear from you!!

Just got back from Amber Cove. We did the Lifestyle Resort Experience. It was all inclusive, drinks and lunch. We had access to the pool and beach. The restaurant was a buffet lunch. We asked about the difference from the VIP excursion. The VIP is just in another location.

I see here that a few of you were going on this excursion in May.

How was it?

I just noticed a Magic review on the Carnival boards that was not good.

Said food was bad and the drinks were hot.

I was so looking forward to this excursion. If it has indeed gone downhill, I don't want to spend all that money.

If you are just back, please give us an update!:D

anybody that has gone recently.. would you recommend this excursion?

anybody that has gone recently.. would you recommend this excursion?

I'd recommend the excursion WE did, but I'm not sure if it's the same as the others listed.

The one we did back in October was Carnival's "Secluded Villa for the Day" all-inclusive, which was held at Villa #55 at Lifestyle Resort. It was $100/pp and we were pleased with it.

The barbecue lunch was much better than we expected: lobster tail, steak, grilled chicken, shrimp kebabs.

Nice villa which was sized for our group (11 had booked the excursion that day) and each couple had use of their own lockable bedroom. There was a decent-sized pool for our group. Although there was an ocean beach in the area, none of us opted to go there as it was a decent walk and we were going to a beach at the next port.

The open bar was great -- about two-thirds top-shelf stuff and the other third was mid-shelf. And the staff there kept us well-lubricated.

Lifestyle Resort is a time-share operation but we were NOT asked to view anything about it, and we weren't hassled in any way. When one of our group asked the lady in charge about returning (by air) and renting a villa, she politely said she didn't know. I had the impression they might have been warned about hassling excursion guests about the time-share because that HAD been a complaint in past reviews.

All in all, we thought it was actually worth the $100/pp. (!)

After the lack of reviews, we ended up cancelling this excursion.

Our friends still went and stated when they got back they wish they had cancelled.

They went on the more expensive one.

They stated, the beach was not really a beach, it was a small strip of sand with mostly shade and the water was not swimmable because it was very muddy.

There was no oyster bar.

The lunch consisted of hamburgers and hot dogs and awful.

They stated that getting a drink was nearly impossible.

They were so mad that they were trying to get their money back from Carnival. I am so glad we cancelled after talking to them.

We did the more expensive version (I believe it was $89.99 last year, sounds like it has gone up a little). Because this was our first time in the DR, we were hesitant and the lack of information and reviews made it difficult to choose what to do. We were on Carnival Splendor.

For reference, this is the property:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147290-d286726-Reviews-The_Tropical_at_Lifestyle_Holidays_Vacation_Resort-Puerto_Plata_Puerto_Plata_Province_D.html

Both excursions were all inclusive, but the more expensive version gets you a different wristband that supposedly grants you access to more places. Honestly, it was so big and sprawling, I couldn't even tell where or what these extra benefits were. Not worth it in my opinion.

You take a shuttle bus over some really crappy roads to get there, but it didn't take very long -- maybe 20-30 minutes tops? You see some really poor areas roadside as you make your way there.

The resort itself had lots of pools and chairs and beach beds. It got crowded very quickly, so if you do this, be ready to plant yourself in the prime spots.

Beach: Very average for the Caribbean. Small and crowded. Nice view, but there are many better beaches than this one.

Food: Also average. Typical buffet stuff. Similar to what you would get on the ship for lunch, nothing special. They wouldn't let me in the restaurant until my t-shirt shirt was dry (got it wet near the showers). That seems a little strange since it was open air, but whatever.

Drinks: Good drinks, friendly service. We had beer, wine and a few fruity cocktails. Typical stuff. We were full from the average lunch food and didn't drink enough to justify all inclusive.

Overall? About a C experience. We are going back this year and will avoid this and all other Carnival excursions. They are overpriced and you can do much better on your own.

If you're at Puerto Plata or one of the main beaches accessible via taxi, I wouldn't worry about not getting back to the ship. Just plan accordingly and give yourself the extra time!

We just returned from Amber Cove, and wanted to post a little update to this thread since I wasn't able to find much detail before we went.

We did the cheaper Carnival excursion called Lifestyle Resort Experience for $59.99. We did not do the VIP. Our excursion did include unlimited drinks and food. The difference was the location. Both tours ride the same bus. The VIP group is taken to serenity beach which is more secluded.

I would definitely recommend the excursion we took. The beach and pool were gorgeous. Drinks were free flowing. Staff and bartenders were pleasant. We had the option of lunch buffet which consisted of hot dogs, hamburgers, and salads, or taking a bus to a nicer restaurant. We chose to stay at the beach and eat the lunch buffet so not sure what the nicer restaurant had to offer.

Just wanted to clarify that both excursions include unlimited drinks and food. Location is the only difference.