Cayo Levantado excursion question

[MissRabbit]

I'm sailing on NCL Pearl on Halloween. We're thinking of taking the excursion to Cayo Levantado. For someone who has gone, can you answer the following questions please?

 

1. How long is the tender ride out to Cayo Levantado?

 

2. I read that the tender leaves from the ship directly. COming back, does it drop you off in Samana (where you have to then tender out to the ship) or does it return you directly to the ship?

 

3. I read that after 2 hours, tenders start coming back and you can leave when you want. Is it possible to leave to go back to the ship for lunch, then return to Cayo Levantado? Also along those same lines, they say the excursion is 5 hours. If you take the first tender, do you *have* to return at the end of the 5 hours or can you take a later tender back?

 

4. I know it's going to be crowded, but are there places (maybe near the ends of the main beach area), where you can find a little bit of privacy/room to yourself?

 

5. Is it better to take an early tender or a later one?

 

thanks everyone. We want to be able to get into Samana briefly for some shopping but also want to do the Cayo Levantado excursion as well.

[comcox]

You may want to check directly with your cruise line about whether you will be docked or anchored at this port. I know for Oceania we anchor and never see Samana unless we take a shore ex over there. Our ship's tenders will only run from the ship to Cayo, none available to Samana.

[lbt43]

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT DO IT!!! First off, there in nothing to do on Cayo except purchasing a lunch the line provides that should have been free anyway!!! Secondly, it will be way overpriced. You could have a group of people, get off the ship on shore and ask a guy in a boat to take you to Cayo for the same price for 1 person on the ship. If you are dead set on going to Cayo Leventado, try and do that.

 

Here are the answers to your questions below.

 

1. 5 minutes, if that.

 

2. I have no clue, however, my parents were on Oceania and they were taken right from Cayo to their ship. (We found out our way to Cayo after doing our own excursion, I was living there at the time.)

 

3. No idea, and I assume you will not find out the correct answer until you are actually on the ship.

 

4. You're kidding, right?

 

5. Depends on you.

[MissRabbit]

NOOOO!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT DO IT!!! First off, there in nothing to do on Cayo except purchasing a lunch the line provides that should have been free anyway!!! Secondly, it will be way overpriced. You could have a group of people, get off the ship on shore and ask a guy in a boat to take you to Cayo for the same price for 1 person on the ship. If you are dead set on going to Cayo Leventado, try and do that.

 

Here are the answers to your questions below.

 

1. 5 minutes, if that.

 

2. I have no clue, however, my parents were on Oceania and they were taken right from Cayo to their ship. (We found out our way to Cayo after doing our own excursion, I was living there at the time.)

 

3. No idea, and I assume you will not find out the correct answer until you are actually on the ship.

 

4. You're kidding, right?

 

5. Depends on you.

 

I would love to avoid taking a ship excursion but from everything i've read here (and googling), there is no way to get to Cayo Levantado independently. Sure, ppl on shore say they will, but they get stopped and turned around when they try. So unless something's changed or there's a trick i don't know about, i'm stuck using the ship excursion.

 

And why would i be kidding about #4? I know the beach is going to be packed, but just from the photos online and google earth, it appears like there could be at least some areas on the ends of the beach that one could get away from the masses. Hence the reason i asked.

[MissRabbit]

You may want to check directly with your cruise line about whether you will be docked or anchored at this port. I know for Oceania we anchor and never see Samana unless we take a shore ex over there. Our ship's tenders will only run from the ship to Cayo, none available to Samana.

 

 

I am pretty sure we will be tendered. I know the Cayo excursion runs from the ship, but didn't know if they dumped you off in Samana and the end of it to encourage ppl to shop.

 

Will keep checking. thanks.

[C-Ya]

Miss Rabbit,

 

I too have the very same questions.

 

I have read some of the most awful reviews of Samana on tripadvisor, however, Cayo Levantado seem like the thing to do, but I would like to avoid Samana at all costs.

 

 

 

Here is my question:

 

Do you have to pay for a Cayo Levantado excursion? or can you just get on a direct tender to the island? (NCL Dawn)

 

As a side note:

I would hate to think that NCL has made some form of a deal with the local tourism board, forcing all of its passengers to have to endure the pier onslaught, just to get to an island in the other direction......so the locals can try to sell you something!

 

I saw a show on the travel channel "Cruise Inc...Big Money on the High Seas" which pretty much followed an NCL Pearl cruise and showed all the different ways that the cruise-line makes money. On the show, NCL had a 20 to 40 percent cut from the shops on Belize that they steered their passengers to.

 

"Hey NCL, if you force me to stay on the ship in Samana.......I am going to have 6 seperate lunch seatings.......I might even see if the fish I feed like broiled lobster and filet mignon!" (a little humor)

[MissRabbit]

C-Ya......

 

I know NCL has a deal with the Dominican Republic that if you are on an NCL cruise, you cannot get to Cayo Levantado without going through the cruise ship. (same setup with Carnival cruise and Maya Key in Roatan) I've read that you have to show proof that you're *not* on an NCL cruise ship before you can independently get out to the island.

 

As for your question about paying for a Cayo Levantado excursion.. yup, it's a ship excursion costing $49 (i believe) per person to go out there. The tenders to Samana are free. I'm also considering the excursion to Las Terrenas. It's $5 cheaper, lets me see the Samana Peninsula, go shopping and still gets me to a beach. I'm sure it's going to be less packed than Cayo Levantado.

 

I know alot of ship excursions tend to tour you around the island and stop at some shops for shopping before taking you back to the ship. (the Las Terrenas one does that) It's obvious they're trying to get people to buy stuff there. I figured that the Cayo Levantado excursion might be the same. Although i have read on the NCL excursion page, the reviews from passengers and one of them mentions taking a tender from Cayo Levantado back to the boat. So maybe they don't stop in Samana.

 

As for the aweful reviews of Samana, i truly believe it's just culture shock that has brought the reviews on. It's a 3rd world country. Poverty abounds there and with that comes ramshackle homes and not the cleanest of streets. Children try selling you shells and other locals hock their wares. For many people, that = horrible place and will give bad reviews. I've seen other reviews where ppl have gone with that in mind, have overlooked the poverty (or simply embraced it) and found themselves having a tremendous experience with a wonderful people.

 

I guess it's all in how you approach things. Yes, the reviews have gotten me a bit nervous to wander around Samana, but I am going to go there, go shopping a bit and experience it for what it is.

[lbt43]

I lived in the DR in 2006 and I visited Samana twice. I was NOT ON A CRUISE. My parents were on an Oceana cruise and we got to Cayo Leventado without an excursion offered by Oceania. NCL cannot prohibit you from going to Cayo sans an excursion, they are not the law.

 

I asked one of the local boat persons to take me out there, they said around 40 just for myself, he was trying to scam me, so I said no and told him 20. He accepted. I then just walked off because I was meeting my parents on shore, but I wanted to know for later. We all met up, went to playa rincon in Las Galeras on a trip offered by casadoradoDR.com and once we got back we wanted to check out cayo leventado so we hired a boat that took us out there. It was not related to any cruise line WHATSOEVER.

 

Like I said, Cayo is fine, but it is nothing special. Its a total corporate entity mini island half owned by the lines and half by Bahia Principie resorts.

 

If you already knew the answer to 4, why did you ask? I am sure there will be some days worse than others and maybe you'll get lucky.

 

Finally, the DR and Samana are awesome places. If you cannot see the Beauty in this place, then look to yourself and not blame the people or place of DR. Do not be worried about going about Samana. The Malecon has basically been taken over by cruise partnered shops.

[C-Ya]

My wife and I have been using tripadvisor for many years and have learned to look past several negative reviews, when most of the reviews are on the positive side. However, this is one of the few places that has very few positive reviews and many people with negative reviews over a complete myriad of different subject matters, but the underline gripe that so many bring up in their reviews is "why did (fill in the blank) cruiseline take us here!" and aggressive vendors. I am not passing judgement, I am just pointing out a what a reliable website has to say, and what thought process I am using to make decisions based on the information presented. This particular port is not why I booked my cruise, so I am apethetic as to going ashore or not. Also, it is fun on a cruise to stay on the ship at a port, my wife and I did it several cruises ago and had a great uncrowded time, with steel drum band, poolside seats, waiter services, and food. We won several rounds of trivia and the next thing you know we had won major spa discounts.......priceless!

 

I realize that not all people are going to be happy campers, however, it is very hard to just ignore it, when so many recommend just staying on the ship!

 

We have certainly been to enough places in this world to know what "aggressive-vender" ports look like and it is nice to be able to choose if you wish to put yourself through that gauntlet or not. We have been to enough 3rd world countries to know what we are missing.

 

I just want to sit on a beach or poolside, on the ship, and the only person trying to sell me something is the waiter!

 

I don't know about the rest of you reading this, but I personally start getting a form of sensory-deprivation (tunnel vision) when many vendors are trying to get my attention at the same time. I could give examples of many ports which are like this, but my goal is not to do negative reviews, I am just pointing my own personal reasons for considering staying on the ship, but if all I had to do was jump on a tender and hang out for a bit on an island and come and go at my leisure without the having to deal with the pier, then it sounds like something I would be interested in doing. However, if it is a $50 for a ten minute boat ride to an overcrowded beach filled with overpriced drinks, with little shade, and no available chairs, I personally would rather be on the cruise ship.

 

Don't let my post stop anybody, I am sure there are many people that are going to have a great time with their D.R. experience.

[Poker]

Just got back from Cayo. Although I was on a Royal Caribbean ship. The tender took us right from the ship to Cayo and it took between 5-10 min. They started running the tender back at 1pm and thereafter every 30 min. We stayed until the end. The place is very nice and clean. The beach we were on is the 'public beach.' We were informed that when a ship is in, the public beach becomes the ships beach........don't quote me on this just what a bartender told us on the island. There was plenty of space and we never felt crowded. Plenty of shade and the prices were reasonable. A lunch consisting of a hot dog, chicken sand, one order of fries and two El Presidente beers (12oz. bottles) cost 18 bucks and they have plenty of roaming waiters to take your order so you don't even have to get off your chair. At the end of the day the tender took us directly back to the ship. We have been to Samana before on a cruise and we did a horseback tour to the El Limon Waterfall. It was great. As my wife said after this year, "Samana has never let us down" Again we were on a Royal ship but I would imagine it would be much the same on any line. I highly recommend this excursion.

[CecilCtyCruiser]

My husband and I love Cayo Levantado! We've been several times when sailing on Royal Caribbean. It remains one of our favorite beach excursions. Yes, there are lots of people, but it never felt overcrowded to us. The beach is beautiful, usually a breeze. Lots of chairs, you can sit under a palm and read or people-watch. The beach area wraps around the tip of the island, so there are several areas to choose from. The water is wonderful.

 

The tender did not take long (5-10 minutes max), and it returned us back to the ship.

 

There is an all-inclusive resort on one side of the island, and you will be directed to the other side. There are a few places to buy food, and on one trip we were able to purchase a buffet lunch with our excursion. Food was just so-so, so the next time we went we just took some food from the ship (fruit, boxed cereal, crackers) and some bottled water.

 

There is a small marketplace where you can buy clothing, jewelry and other things. If you decide to go, be prepared for them to be very persistent. They seem to be very poor, and try really hard to make a sale. Not as bad as on Labadee, though.

 

The few people we've talked to that went into Samana itself said there was not much to do there, and it was very poor.

 

If you decide to do this excursion, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

[nana&poppy2526]

My main interest in going to Cayo Levantado would be to snorkel. Does anyone know if there is much to see while snorkeling? And, is the water calm, or lots of waves (don't enjoy fighting the water to snorkel)?

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Poker]

There is some stuff to see snorkeling but it is far from the greatest. In most spots off the beach it is just sandy and it gets deep quick. It wasn't very choppy when I was there but I am sure that can just depend on the weather. It is a really nice place even without great snorkeling.

[MissRabbit]

I lived in the DR in 2006 and I visited Samana twice. I was NOT ON A CRUISE. My parents were on an Oceana cruise and we got to Cayo Leventado without an excursion offered by Oceania. NCL cannot prohibit you from going to Cayo sans an excursion, they are not the law.

 

I asked one of the local boat persons to take me out there, they said around 40 just for myself, he was trying to scam me, so I said no and told him 20. He accepted. I then just walked off because I was meeting my parents on shore, but I wanted to know for later. We all met up, went to playa rincon in Las Galeras on a trip offered by casadoradoDR.com and once we got back we wanted to check out cayo leventado so we hired a boat that took us out there. It was not related to any cruise line WHATSOEVER.

 

Like I said, Cayo is fine, but it is nothing special. Its a total corporate entity mini island half owned by the lines and half by Bahia Principie resorts.

 

If you already knew the answer to 4, why did you ask? I am sure there will be some days worse than others and maybe you'll get lucky.

 

Finally, the DR and Samana are awesome places. If you cannot see the Beauty in this place, then look to yourself and not blame the people or place of DR. Do not be worried about going about Samana. The Malecon has basically been taken over by cruise partnered shops.

 

 

I know Cayo Levantado isn't owned by NCL, but NCL can prohibit tour guides from taking NCL passengers to the island. If i wasn't on NCL, this wouldn't be an issue and i would take a private tour guide there. It's the same deal with Maya Key in Roatan. They will not accept anyone from a Carnival ship unless the excursion is booked through Carnival. And no, Carnival doesn't own Maya Key but it is a deal they made with Maya Key just as NCL did with the gov't and Cayo Levantado.

 

As for #4, i DON"T know the answer to it, hence the reason i asked. I am assuming there can be places to get away from the crowds just from photos i've seen and google earth but since i've never been there, i thought it made logical sense to ASK someone who has physically been there and dealt with the crowds, as to if my assumption from photos is accurate or not. I don't see why I'm getting ANY grief about asking the friggen question.

 

 

And thank you to everyone else who replied with your experience with Cayo Levantado. I really appreciate it. It greatly helps me in knowing what to expect and how to plan my visit. Thank you,.

[Poker]

Miss Rabbit,

My wife and I were just there on the Enchantment of the Seas and it never felt crowded! Of course this ship had about 2500 passengers and I have no idea how many took this excursion. I would guess it had to be between 200-300 people. There was plenty of space in the sun and shade. They had more than enough chairs! It was one of our favorite excursions. If you are a beach person then you will love it!

[MissRabbit]

Miss Rabbit,

My wife and I were just there on the Enchantment of the Seas and it never felt crowded! Of course this ship had about 2500 passengers and I have no idea how many took this excursion. I would guess it had to be between 200-300 people. There was plenty of space in the sun and shade. They had more than enough chairs! It was one of our favorite excursions. If you are a beach person then you will love it!

 

 

were there other ships in port that day?

[Poker]

MissRabbit,

We were the only ship. And don't quote my numbers, they are a total guess but again plenty of space!:)

[4gomez]

I'm trying to find an alternative to Cayo Levetado, possibly the beaches near Las Galeras. Since it is my first time there I am concerned about getting back to the ship on time.

Joe

[disneykins]

We did the Cayo Levantado excursion the first time. Took tender directly from ship to Cayo. Beach wasn't crowded but we were the only ship in port. Beautiful beach, had a hammock later in the day. Some shade, clean restrooms, didn't find the vendors too pushy, but maybe we're just used to it.

 

Second time we went, we saved the $50 each and took a regular tender to the port of Samana. Same distance, 5 to 10 minutes away. When you get off the tender there is a line of taxis and tour operators trying for your business. Just turn left and head down the malecon. Nicely paved walkway into "town". Lots of vendors but we never felt threatened. Sat in a sidewalk bar and had some cheap drinks and watched the people.

 

Abject poverty, a little upsetting to see sometimes. Had a guy offer to take us out to Cayo but we'd been warned they couldn't take us (we were on NCL) so we just said no thanks and went on our way. Walked maybe a mile from the pier and turned around and walked back. No problems, bought some jewelry cheap. Very hot, they gave us water in the lineup for the tender.

 

Next time (October 10 on NCL Dawn), will try for Playa Rincon with Casa Dorado or just stay on ship. Or maybe Cayo again---it is a beautiful little island and easier than a private tour.

 

Debbie and Tony

[MissRabbit]

We did the Cayo Levantado excursion the first time. Took tender directly from ship to Cayo. Beach wasn't crowded but we were the only ship in port. Beautiful beach, had a hammock later in the day. Some shade, clean restrooms, didn't find the vendors too pushy, but maybe we're just used to it.

 

Second time we went, we saved the $50 each and took a regular tender to the port of Samana. Same distance, 5 to 10 minutes away. When you get off the tender there is a line of taxis and tour operators trying for your business. Just turn left and head down the malecon. Nicely paved walkway into "town". Lots of vendors but we never felt threatened. Sat in a sidewalk bar and had some cheap drinks and watched the people.

 

Abject poverty, a little upsetting to see sometimes. Had a guy offer to take us out to Cayo but we'd been warned they couldn't take us (we were on NCL) so we just said no thanks and went on our way. Walked maybe a mile from the pier and turned around and walked back. No problems, bought some jewelry cheap. Very hot, they gave us water in the lineup for the tender.

 

Next time (October 10 on NCL Dawn), will try for Playa Rincon with Casa Dorado or just stay on ship. Or maybe Cayo again---it is a beautiful little island and easier than a private tour.

 

Debbie and Tony

 

Thank you for your insight. I have a question for you. When you walked down the Malecon, was there a lot of shopping? We're specifically looking for vendors selling Larimar (a really light blue stone that is native to Dominican Republic). We don't really want to walk to heck and gone to find it, so if there were vendors close by the port that sold it, it'd be awesome.

[tiff123]

I understand where you are coming from C-Ya. Since we are travelling with two young children, we have to play it a little safer and decided on this excursion. We checked travel.gov's travel advisories on each island on our cruise and the only island that had questionable advisories was DR. Nothing too crazy but just enough to make me want to stick to a ship excursion to a simple beach. Don't want to miss out on the fun but don't want to invite trouble either.

[disneykins]

Thank you for your insight. I have a question for you. When you walked down the Malecon, was there a lot of shopping? We're specifically looking for vendors selling Larimar (a really light blue stone that is native to Dominican Republic). We don't really want to walk to heck and gone to find it, so if there were vendors close by the port that sold it, it'd be awesome.

 

Lots of vendors selling Larimar, t-shirts, art work, jewelry. We bought a Larimar necklace for about half the original asking price. No real stores, just vendors so you dont really know if what you're getting is good quality but the prices are reasonable and I think they expect you to bargain with them. They probably only take cash, I'm not sure on that though. Like any poor area, stick to the main street and you should be okay.

 

Debbie and Tony

[MissRabbit]

Lots of vendors selling Larimar, t-shirts, art work, jewelry. We bought a Larimar necklace for about half the original asking price. No real stores, just vendors so you dont really know if what you're getting is good quality but the prices are reasonable and I think they expect you to bargain with them. They probably only take cash, I'm not sure on that though. Like any poor area, stick to the main street and you should be okay.

 

Debbie and Tony

 

Thanks for your reply. We'll stick to the Malecon and hope for the best. I'm really not comfortable with the whole bargaining thing. I know lots of places expect it, but i wouldn't know the first thing in how to go about doing it.

[lbt43]

I understand where you are coming from C-Ya. Since we are travelling with two young children, we have to play it a little safer and decided on this excursion. We checked travel.gov's travel advisories on each island on our cruise and the only island that had questionable advisories was DR. Nothing too crazy but just enough to make me want to stick to a ship excursion to a simple beach. Don't want to miss out on the fun but don't want to invite trouble either.

 

Yeah, If the government says it's dangerous, it must be true. They never lie.

[tiff123]

lbt43: Yes - I suppose the government could be operating some massive conspiracy against DR....out of all the islands on our itinerary. Like I said... I chose to play it safe for this island...given the information I could find from my researchand go on a ship excursion. Big deal. I'm still gonna have a great time!!! :p