What do you want to know about Amber Cove?

Amber Cove from above. One interesting tidbit is that in the middle of the property, there's a massive rock formation that the builders simply couldn't move. So they incorporated it into the facility, and now it'll house one of the world's windiest bars (so windy that tables will have built in cupholders so drinks don't blow away). It's also quite close to the entrance to the pool slide and the zipline.

Remember, too: Amber Cove is not quite finished, and what's lacking at this point are the prettiest touches (and merchandise in stores and food in restaurants, etc.!). It's got another month to get all that done.

Carolyn

Mentioned yesterday how beautiful the harbor is. Was a murky afternoon so photo doesn't do it justice but trust me :)

Carolyn

PS It did clear enough eventually to give us the most gorgeous sunset....

Oops! Here's a photo. To describe it, it's a bit (to me anyway) of a cross between New England and Chile. Different!

Carolyn

Can't wait to hear and see more! We are going to Amber Cove on Fantasy the week of October 11!

Can't wait to hear and see more! We are going to Amber Cove on Fantasy the week of October 11!

Greenesailor we will be with you on this cruise. looking for all the info on Amber Cove. Hope to run into you on the cruise.

We have booked Ocean World Day pass for DR. Our 17 month granddaughter will be with us.

We need a lot of info on Ocean World and the Zoo. Thanks

Just posted a bunch of photos on Cruise Critic's Facebook page -- feel free to wander on over!

Carolyn

Hi, Lizardhowson. Everyone here is committed to Victory's October 6 debut -- and clearly folks are working overtime to make that happen. Most of the structures are fairly done, and the easiest stuff - moving in merchandise, supplying restaurants, filling the pools -- is the kind of down-to-the-wire task you typically see completed right at the end.

 

Carolyn

Hi,

As the Victory will be there Oct 6th is there anyway that our DR port La Romana will be changed as we are to be in DR Oct 7th on the Conquest. Fingers are crossed. Many thanks

Christine

Hi, Christine. Asked for you; alas, no, your ship will he's to its itinerary

Carolyn

Hi,

As the Victory will be there Oct 6th is there anyway that our DR port La Romana will be changed as we are to be in DR Oct 7th on the Conquest. Fingers are crossed. Many thanks

Christine

Christine, what I meant to type (damn auto-correct) was that no, your ship will stay on its same itinerary. Interesting for this DR newbie to realize that the north coast, where Amber Cove is, and the south coast, where the resort areas are, are totally different in feel. This is not Punta Cana. It's an area with a lot of history, a lot of gorgeous mountains. Reminds me of the parts I like best about Puerto Rico....

Definitely not touristic at this point, really...there's a soul to the region abour Amber Cove if you want that, and if you want a clean, fun place to hang, than Amber Cove is that, too.

Carolyn

Hi, Christine. Asked for you; alas, no, your ship will he's to its itinerary

 

Carolyn

First: No time to do beaches, alas. It's not all glory, I tell you :)

The good news: There are a lot of great beaches around Amber Cove and, despite worries I've heard about rough ocean seas, a lot of them are on lagoons and in bays, so are really placid. Still, if you like windsurfing and other active watersports, you can find those, too.

Here's what I learned yesterday, from the staffer at Carnival who's actually organizing the shore excursions, there are lots of ways to get to a beach, many but not all offered on official paid tours. But pretty much you do have to book the beach via a tour.

The rundown:

*The nearest: Right next door is the Riu all-inclusive resort. You can walk to it in five minutes but you'll need to pay a day fee. It's not the most upmarket, but is the most convenient. A day pass at this point, subject to change, is $39 - $45 and for that you get drinks and food. Kids are half price.

*The nearest-nicest: The Lifestyle Beach Resort, which is where we stayed but I'll be damned if I got to spend any time on the beach (!), is upscale, a sort-of Miami Beach-esque kind of club scenario. There's white sand, lounge chairs, beds, and a bar and restaurant, and the fee is inclusive, around $59 per person. Includes transportation to the resort (and back), and it's genuinely lovely (we had dinner there but it was dark and aside from a gorgeous full moon, hard to see much!).

3. The beach that the local folks most recommended, bar none, was Coconut Beach. It's a little bit further away, about 20 miles or 45 minutes, and a multi-layered offering. It's a good bit for families, and you can opt for all-inclusive or not. It's a bit more secluded than the resort hotels' beaches but has the same services.

Pricing: $39 per person to get to Coco Beach with no extras. The tour for beach with lunch and all-inclusive drinks is $79 per person. There's a family option, with babysitting, for a bit extra.

4. The best-but-furtherest-beach is Rusia. Cruise transport takes you to a beach, and then you board a speedboat that transports you to Paradise Island, which is encircled by coral reefs (great snorkeling, great diving!). From what I'm told -- and please remember, that the operation is so new that it's still in testing mode, the cost, including transportation, is $89. Folks who don't want to go all the way to the island can hang at the Punta Rusia Beach Club for $69 for the day, including food and drink.

So lots of options, just not so many d-i-y choices.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Carolyn

So there's a zipline on Amber Cove (in Amber Cove?) but it's pretty...pallid. I'm told that there are two zipline experiences offered, outside the facility, one's oriented to beginners, the other includes more adventure (truck ride through the gorgeous -- seriously gorgeous -- countryside, and a horseback ride) and other activities. The famous Monkey Jungle is not offered as a tour (but there's no reason why you couldn't take a taxi there). Our sister site, TripAdvisor, offers the scoop on that:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g317146-d2043433-Reviews-Monkey_Jungle_and_Zip_Line_Adventures-Sosua_Puerto_Plata_Province_Dominican_Repub.html

Carolyn

I was just wandering what happened to the zipline excursion that Carnival had offered about a month ago. It has since disappeared. Would you recommend doing this privately, or has it disappeared because they feel it is not safe?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Can you guys tell that I really love this place?! It's an amazing new port, not necessarily because of Amber Cove, but because of Puerto Plata, and the fact that you can do the beach, do the mountains, go crazy like a monkey on the zip, rent a villa (my vote, for the second visit! First visit I want to explore the area). Exciting, and what really makes it special is that the folks here are so eager and invested in making visitors feel welcome. That's not always a given, as many of my fellow cruise vets know. Love this place. Did I say that already?

I am loving your enthusiasm for Amber Cove.

question; I don't see a beach right at Amber Cove. Is there one? or does one have to venture away from Amber Cove to Puerto Plata to spend time on one. Not a deal breaker for me. Since I now sail solo mostly, beach days are rare for me, since don't like to get in the water and leave my stuff unguarded on a chair, nor do i want to hang it around my neck in a ziploc baggie to get in the water:D Just wondering. I plan to do an excursion, probably a Carnival one, so I can say that i saw something of the Dominican Republic. The photos do look nice though. I always look forward to visiting a new island/country in the Caribbean. Thanks for all the info and photos.:)

Hi, there, check out post (or maybe I should post again) on page three...no beach directly at Amber Cove, but lots of beach options nearby.

Carolyn

I am loving your enthusiasm for Amber Cove.

 

question; I don't see a beach right at Amber Cove. Is there one? or does one have to venture away from Amber Cove to Puerto Plata to spend time on one. Not a deal breaker for me. Since I now sail solo mostly, beach days are rare for me, since don't like to get in the water and leave my stuff unguarded on a chair, nor do i want to hang it around my neck in a ziploc baggie to get in the water:D Just wondering. I plan to do an excursion, probably a Carnival one, so I can say that i saw something of the Dominican Republic. The photos do look nice though. I always look forward to visiting a new island/country in the Caribbean. Thanks for all the info and photos.:)

Lots of good questions from those concerned with mobility issues. The port of Amber Cove itself is pretty easy to navigate. The trick is to make sure if you're exploring beyond that you pick tours that include buses with wheelchair lifts, and attractions that are navigable. For instance, on several Puerto Plata highlights tours, the major fort is not very friendly for those with mobility issues. On the other hand, frankly the nicest part is the grounds all around it, and that's pretty easy to navigate.

The lovely museum that's a major part of town, named for Luberon (forgive, don't have notebook handy but it's the only museum on the tour circuit) is charming, and it has an elevator.

Any other questions in this regard, let me know.

Carolyn

Hi, there, check out post (or maybe I should post again) on page three...no beach directly at Amber Cove, but lots of beach options nearby.

 

Carolyn

thanks I will go back and read again:o I do miss things at times. I love your reports though so far, love the info, and am looking forward to my cruise which will dock there in late October.:)

Any insight as to the possibility of a 4-wheeler adventure type tour?

Thanks,

Denise

I just tried to secure the excursion to Paradise Island and it is not showing up now under my excursion list for Carnival Fantasy the week of Oct. 11. I have seen it before but it has been removed. Does anyone know why?

We were told there is one, Denise, but didn't get a chance to check it out. However, we did spend a marvelous half-day (of what's normally a full day) tour of the Outback Adventurer and that was absolutely fabulous. Just great. I'm writing about it in the slideshow I'm working on from the trip, will keep you posted.

Carolyn

Any insight as to the possibility of a 4-wheeler adventure type tour?

 

Thanks,

 

Denise

They have several photos on their Facebook page-

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Cove-Dominican-Republic-cruise-port/697795690328703

Putting finishing touches on the Amber Cove slideshow today and will send a link when it's up. Any questions in the meantime? Here are a few extra photos.....

Carolyn

Your excitement is exciting [emoji1]

What's your suggestion for spending the day in port at Amber Cove for families? We'll be there next March with our 4 kids, age 5-14.

I guess I should add that we like excursions that are easy to get to and enjoy! Though I'd love a tour of puerto plata, I don't think my kids would be on board with that, and we've promised that this cruise vacation will be all about fun!! What's your opinion on what's looking fun for families?

Putting finishing touches on the Amber Cove slideshow today and will send a link when it's up. Any questions in the meantime? Here are a few extra photos.....

 

Carolyn

Can't wait to hear about these Amber stones in the pic

We were told there is one, Denise, but didn't get a chance to check it out. However, we did spend a marvelous half-day (of what's normally a full day) tour of the Outback Adventurer and that was absolutely fabulous. Just great. I'm writing about it in the slideshow I'm working on from the trip, will keep you posted.

 

Carolyn

You are wonderful - thank you so much!

The slideshow will be up Tuesday. Thanks, activeac, for the nice words!

Carolyn

You are wonderful - thank you so much!