Amber Cove

[gamecockinnc]

 

 

***I should have known the answer but yes we’re fine to book it and take the younger boys they just cannot zip line. Excuse my blonde moment and question.*** 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

I was looking at the cabanas on Amber Cove. The pool cabanas are full but they have ocean cabanas. My bff and are are crusing with our sons. I have three sons (21, 17 & 😎she has she sons (21 & 8 ). When I tried to book the excursion online it alerted me of the two 8 year children didn’t meet the age requirement.  I read that the minimum age for ziplining is 14 years of age. Which is fine there are plenty of other things we can do with them? I’ve been on hold with Carnival forever and couldn’t find an answer online. Can anyone help?

Thank you!

Edited March 27, 2019 by gamecockinnc
Updated the answer

[mrpayroll]

There are two water slides near the pool that the eight year olds can use.

[Saint Greg]

I haven't been yet but I'm looking at booking one there so I've been doing research lately. Looks like a great pool/waterslide area for kids.

 

[NightOne]

On 3/27/2019 at 12:30 PM, gamecockinnc said:

 

 

***I should have known the answer but yes we’re fine to book it and take the younger boys they just cannot zip line. Excuse my blonde moment and question.*** 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

I was looking at the cabanas on Amber Cove. The pool cabanas are full but they have ocean cabanas. My bff and are are crusing with our sons. I have three sons (21, 17 & 😎she has she sons (21 & 8 ). When I tried to book the excursion online it alerted me of the two 8 year children didn’t meet the age requirement.  I read that the minimum age for ziplining is 14 years of age. Which is fine there are plenty of other things we can do with them? I’ve been on hold with Carnival forever and couldn’t find an answer online. Can anyone help?

Thank you!

 

I wouldn't get the ocean cabana. The water there is murky there and it is away from everything else including the pool. Watch some videos and research to make sure that is what you really want.

 

[mets123]

Do not book the cabanas. The water is not the blue turquoise waters you picture in the Caribbean. It really is a yucky looking brown. Not very attractive at all.

[SeaScout]

We've been to Amber Cove a couple of times. I think the younger kids will be just fine with using the facilities provided at no charge.  The pool is really nice, there is a small playground / water park for the tots, and there is a small convenience store behind the little playground. The water slides look nice but we have not used them.  I don't recall if those are free or not.  Can't help on the zip line question.  People seem to enjoy it but it seems rather short. Pretty much just goes a short distance above the pool area.  

 

As for the Cabanas - save your money.  You'll have a much better experience just hanging around the pool.  The ocean water there is brown and not inviting. The Cabanas around the pool are just tourist traps as far as I can tell. There are plenty of available loungers around the pool area every time we've been there.  Bathrooms are nice and clean and well situated.  

 

Hint to beer drinkers.  Walk the 100 ft or so to the little convenience store behind the playground at the back of the pool area.  The beer there is much cheaper than if you buy it from the bar at the pool.   

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by SeaScout
corrected spelling and grammar

[Aplmac]

It sounds like Amber Cove

needs to induce a white sand bottom if at all possible.

A white sand bottom is imperative if you want that lovely turquoise color.

 

It has been done before: Harlequin Hotel introduced imported white sand

in Buccament Bay, St. Vincent -on top of the native dark volcanic sand.

It worked: looked great.

I'm unsure just how lasting the effect has been, but it's worth a shot.

 

However, if the natural sea bottom at Amber Cove

is muddy-silty from a nearby river mouth

then it's probably a waste of time and effort.

 

________________________

 

Luckily for Antigua and Barbados

we have natural white sand bottoms all over..

.

[SeaScout]

51 minutes ago, Aplmac said:

It sounds like Amber Cove

needs to induce a white sand bottom if at all possible.

A white sand bottom is imperative if you want that lovely turquoise color.

 

It has been done before: Harlequin Hotel introduced imported white sand

in Buccament Bay, St. Vincent -on top of the native dark volcanic sand.

It worked: looked great.

I'm unsure just how lasting the effect has been, but it's worth a shot.

 

However, if the natural sea bottom at Amber Cove

is muddy-silty from a nearby river mouth

then it's probably a waste of time and effort.

 

________________________

 

Luckily for Antigua and Barbados

we have natural white sand bottoms all over..

.

I'm not sure the local geology (is that the correct word?) would be conducive to changing the sea floor just for the sake of turquoise blue water.  Puerto Plata just isn't the same as say Punta Cana. I imagine the reason Carnival built Amber Cove was because of a deep enough port to get the ships in.  The facilities were built nicely to off set the lack of decent beaches and nice blue water.  

 

FWIW, I loved the time we've spent on Barbados and Antigua.  Shame that Carnival will stop going to Antigua.  (I suspect as a result of fallout from the hurricane that devastated Antigua and Barbuda)??? 

 

FWIW, I wish Carnival had a better ship sailing to the southern Caribbean  out of Puerto Rico.  We would love to do that itinerary again but the vessel is just lacking in my opinion. 

Edited March 29, 2019 by SeaScout

[Aplmac]

11 minutes ago, SeaScout said:

FWIW, I wish Carnival has a better ship sailing

sailing to the southern Caribbean, out of Puerto Rico.  

.

You are not alone in this ^ sentiment

 

______________________________

I'll outline the progression of Carnival ships we've had

doing the Southern Caribbean route.

 

Destiny -then Victory -then Valor -then Liberty (getting newer/better all the time)

- then a 'boat' that entered service in 1994!................

[soonernstlouis]

Instead of saving money booking the lessor ship out of SJU, just pony up a couple hundred more pp for a comparable cabin on the RCCL Freedom of the Seas?  4 of the same ports (just sub Antigua instead of St Maarten).  

 

Sorry if I sound gruff but a whole lot of repetitive complaining by a small group of folks about the ship yet other like me could not afford a 5-island cruise without some trade-off.

[Saint Greg]

2 minutes ago, soonernstlouis said:

Instead of saving money booking the lessor ship out of SJU, just pony up a couple hundred more pp for a comparable cabin on the RCCL Freedom of the Seas?  4 of the same ports (just sub Antigua instead of St Maarten).  

 

Sorry if I sound gruff but a whole lot of repetitive complaining by a small group of folks about the ship yet other like me could not afford a 5-island cruise without some trade-off.

 

Just sub Antigua instead of St. Maarten....St. Maarten is the main place I want to go when I do that route.

[soonernstlouis]

All the Fascination stops are new to me.  But I’m actually looking forward to St Lucia a little more at this point than St Maarten.

[Saint Greg]

4 minutes ago, soonernstlouis said:

All the Fascination stops are new to me.  But I’m actually looking forward to St Lucia a little more at this point than St Maarten.

 

Different strokes for different folks... the beach where the planes land and the Flying Dutchman top my list on that cruise.

[Jamman54]

We had a pool cabana and just loved it. We took a very extensive look at Amber Cove when we were on the Conquest last April. That part of our review starts here......

Amber Cove - April 2018

 

I think it will answer any questions you may have. Enjoy!

[ABQrobin]

We were just there last May, and as the ship started to approach Amber Cover (our second time there) the water was blue.  But the ship pivots around 180 degrees and backs into the pier...silt and mud churned up to surface, and by the time we got off the ship, the water was brown like I remembered last trip there.  I am guessing that is the whole reason all our photos show brown water instead of blue.  It probably settles back down after the ship leaves, and that is why some photos show blue water.

 

 

 

We went to a beach excursion last time there, and the sand there is definitely a tan color, not white. 

 

BTW - White sand comes from coral reefs breakdown and shells breakdown from wave action over thousands of years....  in Cozumel they call the beaches "parrotfish poop" as parrotfish crunch on the reefs to eat the algae then poop out the ground up white coral, hence sand.

Edited March 29, 2019 by ABQrobin
add photos

[Organized Chaos]

If someone was asking, last year the zip line was $20 for unlimited runs. The water slide is/was free. If you go to the opposite end of the complex under the pavilion, where they load taxis & buses, there are signs showing you the taxi prices to all of the most common destinations in the area. Very helpful. We took a taxi to the cable car that goes to the top of Mt. Isabel. Spent a couple hours at the top getting a tour of the garden and surrounding area. Had a fantastic time. Our taxi driver waited at the bottom for us the whole time. Taxi was $60 for 4 of us to the cable car & back.

 

The Rio Maimon River empties into the cove roughly about a quarter mile from the cabanas. It's a fairly narrow river, but does widen right before it reaches the cove. Judging by satellite images, it appears to stir up quite a bit of sediment. I don't think it's because of the ships docking. Well, temporarily yes, but when they're docked for several hours, it has time to settle, so I don't think they're the sole cause. ABQrobin, in your first picture, you can even see the change of color in the water before the ship is even close. That's partially due to depth, but looks to me like mostly a difference in clarity. And yes, white sand is basically parrot fish poop. Not too many people know they're enjoying their day walking through fish droppings. 😜

[ABQrobin]

3 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

If someone was asking, last year the zip line was $20 for unlimited runs. The water slide is/was free. If you go to the opposite end of the complex under the pavilion, where they load taxis & buses, there are signs showing you the taxi prices to all of the most common destinations in the area. Very helpful. We took a taxi to the cable car that goes to the top of Mt. Isabel. Spent a couple hours at the top getting a tour of the garden and surrounding area. Had a fantastic time. Our taxi driver waited at the bottom for us the whole time. Taxi was $60 for 4 of us to the cable car & back.

 

The Rio Maimon River empties into the cove roughly about a quarter mile from the cabanas. It's a fairly narrow river, but does widen right before it reaches the cove. Judging by satellite images, it appears to stir up quite a bit of sediment. I don't think it's because of the ships docking. Well, temporarily yes, but when they're docked for several hours, it has time to settle, so I don't think they're the sole cause. ABQrobin, in your first picture, you can even see the change of color in the water before the ship is even close. That's partially due to depth, but looks to me like mostly a difference in clarity. And yes, white sand is basically parrot fish poop. Not too many people know they're enjoying their day walking through fish droppings. 😜

 

yup.... and here is the beach nearby.... as you can see, the sand is brown and very granular, not powdery at all.  It was a nice beach, just not a white sand beach like St Thomas or Grand Cayman, if that's what people are looking for....

[LightCruiser210]

The "ocean" around the ocean cabanas is more like a ship channel.  I would not swim in it.  Just sit by the pool and rent some umbrellas for your party.  The pool is super awesome, umbrellas cover two chairs each and cost $20. 

[CoolOne56]

On 3/28/2019 at 7:17 PM, SeaScout said:

We've been to Amber Cove a couple of times. I think the younger kids will be just fine with using the facilities provided at no charge.  The pool is really nice, there is a small playground / water park for the tots, and there is a small convenience store behind the little playground. The water slides look nice but we have not used them.  I don't recall if those are free or not.  Can't help on the zip line question.  People seem to enjoy it but it seems rather short. Pretty much just goes a short distance above the pool area.  

 

As for the Cabanas - save your money.  You'll have a much better experience just hanging around the pool.  The ocean water there is brown and not inviting. The Cabanas around the pool are just tourist traps as far as I can tell. There are plenty of available loungers around the pool area every time we've been there.  Bathrooms are nice and clean and well situated.  

 

Hint to beer drinkers.  Walk the 100 ft or so to the little convenience store behind the playground at the back of the pool area.  The beer there is much cheaper than if you buy it from the bar at the pool.   

 

We were in Amber Cove 2 years ago.  You have to pay for the zipline - I think $20 - can zipline as often as you want.  It is short, just over the pool.  They charge for umbrella, sorry can't remember how much.  They have noodles for the pool. I didn't see anyone on the water slides, everyone was in the pool.

 

 

 

[CoolOne56]

Just now, CoolOne56 said:

We were in Amber Cove 2 years ago.  You have to pay for the zipline - I think $20 - can zipline as often as you want.  It is short, just over the pool.  They charge for umbrella, sorry can't remember how much.  They have noodles for the pool. I didn't see anyone on the water slides, everyone was in the pool.