Shore excursions in Dominican republic

[Taclin01]

I have looked al over celebrity’s website and can’t find if we can only do a ship sponsored shore excursion. Does anyone know? It’s puerto plata port. Thanks! 

[Fouremco]

Good question. The Healthy At Sea listing of ports for cruises out of the US doesn't include the Dominican Republic, an obvious oversight.

[canderson]

Perhaps no oversight.  

 

The list contains locations where a) some recommendation or restriction is currently in place, or b) where some recommendation or restriction was previously in place but has now been lifted or modified since the restart began.

 

Once a location makes the list due to some restriction, its current status remains on the list.  For example, although there are presently no restrictions in Cozumel, at one time, it was on the list as requiring ship tours.  So it stays on the list, modified to show on your own tours are now OK.

 

The DR isn't the only port of call that has never been on the list for either reason.

[CruiseCrew123]

Are ships even stopping there at the moment . They are on the Uk red list 

[colliercruiser]

FYI, I just received an email from Celebrity indicating our Nov 13 Summit cruise will not be stopping at Puerto Plata since that new cruise port is not yet completed.  We’re stopping in Cozumel instead.

[ATG]

22 minutes ago, colliercruiser said:

FYI, I just received an email from Celebrity indicating our Nov 13 Summit cruise will not be stopping at Puerto Plata since that new cruise port is not yet completed.  We’re stopping in Cozumel instead.

Our November 6 Edge is substituting Nassau.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

Are ships even stopping there at the moment . They are on the Uk red list 

Carnival has their own attraction there (called Amber Cove), and has at least one ship scheduled in port most days in October '21.  The cruise terminal in Puerto Plata (Taino Bay) will be completed in December, so no reason X ships can't dock there then, at least from a facilities perspective. 

 

No word yet that our cruise departing 12 November (Constellation) will bypass the D.R.   They could just be making port at Samana the way we used to do it.  Maybe just a capacity issue?

 

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by canderson

[NBliving]

19 hours ago, colliercruiser said:

FYI, I just received an email from Celebrity indicating our Nov 13 Summit cruise will not be stopping at Puerto Plata since that new cruise port is not yet completed.  We’re stopping in Cozumel instead.

We are on the Reflection Nov 13 cruise with Puerto Plata still showing as a stop.  No email yet, but won't be surprised if when I get one.  

[susiesan]

19 hours ago, colliercruiser said:

FYI, I just received an email from Celebrity indicating our Nov 13 Summit cruise will not be stopping at Puerto Plata since that new cruise port is not yet completed.  We’re stopping in Cozumel instead.

Are you sure about that substitution? Cozumel isn't anywhere close to Puerto Plata, it is clear across the Gulf of Mexico. The web site still shows you going to the DR and not Mexico.

Edited October 2, 2021 by susiesan

[NBliving]

57 minutes ago, susiesan said:

Are you sure about that substitution? Cozumel isn't anywhere close to Puerto Plata, it is clear across the Gulf of Mexico. The web site still shows you going to the DR and not Mexico.

I looked at the website also just to check and the cruise is still called Bahamas and DR but when you look at the itinerary it's Bahamas and Cozumel...

[Mizzoupoodle123]

We are on the Norweigan Escape and Christmas Day we are in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.  From what I have seen of the cruise terminal built it is going to have restaurants, shops PLUS a free water park and enormous pool.  So far, we plan on hanging out there and sort of doing our own thing.

 

Sylvia

Breast Cancer survivor 💞

Mammograms save lives!

[CruiseCrew123]

My issue is from a Covid perspective . Both Mexico and DR are on the Uk red list because of the high cases/low vaccine roll out , which would mean no one from the Uk would be able to sale without 10 days in a government quarantine hotel on return at cost of over £2400 😞

[Mizzoupoodle123]

45 minutes ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

My issue is from a Covid perspective . Both Mexico and DR are on the Uk red list because of the high cases/low vaccine roll out , which would mean no one from the Uk would be able to sale without 10 days in a government quarantine hotel on return at cost of over £2400 😞

In that case, I’d not leave the ship.  Norweigan told me when I called today that as of today passengers were free to explore any port on their own but it could change at any minute.  I’ve not heard of quarantining passengers here in the US after a cruise but it may have already happened.

[canderson]

3 hours ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

My issue is from a Covid perspective . Both Mexico and DR are on the Uk red list because of the high cases/low vaccine roll out , which would mean no one from the Uk would be able to sale without 10 days in a government quarantine hotel on return at cost of over £2400 😞

Too strange, @CruiseCrew123

 

Granted, we've got different thresholds for our color codes, but don't you see pretty much all of the Caribbean in red (our Level 4)?  Of interest, the D.R. is one of the FEW places in Light Orange (Level 2) anywhere near here on our maps.  All of North America and Europe, including the UK (sans Iceland/Greenland) are showing red (Level 4) here, but the D.R. is Light Orange ... supposedly safer than either of us!  Isn't data grand?  It's meaning always seems to be in the eye of the beholder - or the bureaucrats, in this case!

 

BTW, that Dark Orange (Level 3) in the lower left corner is the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.  Quintana Roo (where Cozumel is) is also at a Level 3.

 

 

[CruiseCrew123]

9 hours ago, Mizzoupoodle123 said:

In that case, I’d not leave the ship.  Norweigan told me when I called today that as of today passengers were free to explore any port on their own but it could change at any minute.  I’ve not heard of quarantining passengers here in the US after a cruise but it may have already happened.

Unfortunately the UK Government class docking as visiting . They are red because of their lack of geosequencing rather than cases 

[CruiseCrew123]

6 hours ago, canderson said:

Too strange, @CruiseCrew123

 

Granted, we've got different thresholds for our color codes, but don't you see pretty much all of the Caribbean in red (our Level 4)?  Of interest, the D.R. is one of the FEW places in Light Orange (Level 2) anywhere near here on our maps.  All of North America and Europe, including the UK (sans Iceland/Greenland) are showing red (Level 4) here, but the D.R. is Light Orange ... supposedly safer than either of us!  Isn't data grand?  It's meaning always seems to be in the eye of the beholder - or the bureaucrats, in this case!

 

BTW, that Dark Orange (Level 3) in the lower left corner is the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.  Quintana Roo (where Cozumel is) is also at a Level 3.

 

 

The only uk ‘red’ countries are DR and Mexico . Will keep fingers crossed as booked this cruise nearly 2 years ago 

[susiesan]

5 hours ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

Unfortunately the UK Government class docking as visiting . They are red because of their lack of geosequencing rather than cases 

You may need to switch to a different ship and itinerary then if you have to quarantine when you get back to the UK.

[canderson]

6 hours ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

Unfortunately the UK Government class docking as visiting . They are red because of their lack of geosequencing rather than cases 

Just curious ... what the heck does "geosequencing" mean in this context???

[CruiseCrew123]

5 hours ago, canderson said:

Just curious ... what the heck does "geosequencing" mean in this context???

It’s the testing for new variants - apparently 

[canderson]

Genome sequencing, perhaps?  Geosequencing sounds more like what I do before a geocaching run!

[canderson]

Of interest - the D.R. port call on 11/19 was just dropped from our 11/12 Constellation itinerary - replaced with At Sea day for now.  Not sure why yet.  No explanation.

 

Will be interesting to see if Reflection's 11/13 scheduled stop there continues to hold.

 

[XLVIII]

10 minutes ago, canderson said:

Of interest - the D.R. port call on 11/19 was just dropped from our 11/12 Constellation itinerary - replaced with At Sea day for now.  Not sure why yet.  No explanation.

 

Will be interesting to see if Reflection's 11/13 scheduled stop there continues to hold.

 

New cruise port in DR won’t be finished til the end of the year. Our stop (Millenium 11/15) was replaced with Nassau. Got the email this morning. 

[canderson]

2 minutes ago, XLVIII said:

New cruise port in DR won’t be finished til the end of the year. Our stop (Millenium 11/15) was replaced with Nassau. Got the email this morning. 

I thought Samana was still available until they get the new port up and running at the end of the year?

If Celebrity knew they wouldn't be stopping until the new port was opened, they could have modified itineraries long ago.  Everyone knew the new port wouldn't be open by 11/19.  Typical late notification, I guess.  Too bad.  One of the excursions that interested us most on this cruise was in the D.R.

[NBliving]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

Of interest - the D.R. port call on 11/19 was just dropped from our 11/12 Constellation itinerary - replaced with At Sea day for now.  Not sure why yet.  No explanation.

 

Will be interesting to see if Reflection's 11/13 scheduled stop there continues to hold.

 

I’m on the Reflection 11/13 and have a X shore excursion booked. So far it hasn’t been canceled and no notification of itinerary change. Won’t surprise me if it is though.