Puerto Plata Status ?

[Travel Mom]

On 1/20/2022 at 2:46 PM, big al said:

 The pool area is for all cruise lines...and yes, it's free..

Thanks for this reply.  Do you pay for all food and drink at Taino?  Is this an extension of the cruise ship where it is included?  This is a new area and am interested in the info.  

[big al]

11 minutes ago, Travel Mom said:

Thanks for this reply.  Do you pay for all food and drink at Taino?  Is this an extension of the cruise ship where it is included?  This is a new area and am interested in the info.  

 

We did not eat in the port- we were on an excursion & they had food on the catamaran..looked like there were several places to eat & drink & more coming... 

[Travel Mom]

2 minutes ago, big al said:

 

We did not eat in the port- we were on an excursion & they had food on the catamaran..looked like there were several places to eat & drink & more coming... 

Thanks again!! I am new to this island. Are there non ship excursions from this port?  I can not find any information on the boards?  Is it close enough to Amber cove to use that information?  Should I start a new post for this?  Share your catamaran excursion if you liked it.  Thanks again for your help!!!

[gcbama]

@bigal what catamaran tour do you do? 

[big al]

The excursion was called "Party At Sea " on NCL...there is VERY little on Puerto Plata because it only opened Dec. 15th, 2021..that's less than 2 months old & still building..there are some locals there & maybe you can book an excursion there....sorry, not much info, but the port will not be finished till summer probably....it's about 7 miles from Amber Cove...

 

Big Al

[Jey01]

We’re wondering the same. We usually just take a cab to a beach. It’s hard to find any info.

[bajabirdy]

On 2/5/2022 at 2:05 PM, Travel Mom said:

Are there non ship excursions from this port? 

Yes. We are in Puerto Plata aboard ship and walked into town on our own. It took us two hours to visit the cathedral, Plaza de la Independencia, and the fort. We are in our 70s and don't walk fast. We were very satisfied with our walk. On our way back through the lovely port area, we stopped at a desk marked "Last Minute Tours" and talked to Victor Hernadez. His company offers several tours. Here is a sample: 

3-hour city tour $40 adults/$35 children

Monkey experience tour $25 adults/$20 children

Beach all-inclusive at Gran Ventana resort $70 adults/ $55 children

A different beach tour without the extras $50 adults and children

 

Victor's email is touroperator1@tricantours.com. His phone is 829-559-5917.

He suggested anyone interested should contact him and make arrangements to meet on the pier.

 

I want to stress that I have no personal knowledge of his tours other than what he told me. Nor can I vouch for the accuracy of this information. So, if you are interested, please contact him and use your own good judgment in deciding on a tour. Of course, you can also wait until you get to the pier. There were other guides outside the port fence offering walking and taxi tours. Again, I have no personal experience with these guides.

~Michele

[jbiker]

On 2/6/2022 at 7:28 AM, big al said:

The excursion was called "Party At Sea " on NCL...there is VERY little on Puerto Plata because it only opened Dec. 15th, 2021..that's less than 2 months old & still building..there are some locals there & maybe you can book an excursion there....sorry, not much info, but the port will not be finished till summer probably....it's about 7 miles from Amber Cove...

 

Big Al

How many people were on the catamaran?  Looking for something with not alot of people. ty

[big al]

1 hour ago, jbiker said:

How many people were on the catamaran?  Looking for something with not alot of people. ty

 Maybe 20....

[jbiker]

19 minutes ago, big al said:

 Maybe 20....

Thank you do you by any chance remember the name of the company?

[big al]

2 hours ago, jbiker said:

Thank you do you by any chance remember the name of the company?

Sorry, no..it was booked with NCL..

[koolcat65]

On 1/14/2022 at 2:27 PM, bookbabe said:

If you only wanted to sit in a lounger enjoying the sun and sipping a beverage, and maybe splash in the pool for a bit, yeah, I suppose you could spend a whole day there.  The shopping wouldn’t use up more than an hour or so, then maybe another half hour for the monkeys.

 

They did have a booth at the end of the pier where you could book tours, or if you book through the ship they’ll refund you if the port changes.  That might be a better plan if you aren’t sure. 

 

Can you just get off the ship and use a nearby pool?  Is it free to use? 

[bookbabe]

8 hours ago, koolcat65 said:

 

Can you just get off the ship and use a nearby pool?  Is it free to use? 

The pool in the port complex seemed to be free to use.

[calamityJ]

The pool in the port complex is very nice - umbrellas, loungers - and free to use. There are two bars on both sides of the pool, and all they want is for you to buy a drink from them (even water, as we were told). 

You do have to pay for drinks - it's not an extension of the cruise ship. We did not eat in the port, but we walked by a restaurant on the way to the pool.

Edited February 8, 2022 by calamityJ

[mets123]

Do they have any liquor stores there? If so, is it name brands, or do they local rums and such?

[getmeouttathecold]

On 1/14/2022 at 2:11 PM, Annies88 said:

A couple of questions. Would you say you could spend the day at Taino Bay? I was looking to do the waterfall tour but I am worried about booking and ports/dates changing.  Did they require masks in the stores at port?

 

Thank you for posting. You really got me to stick to a decision to do my cruise on 1/23 on the Encore!

We are also booked on the Encore - Jan. 8?