Any info on Samana?

[Lindancer]

When we booked, the ship was supposed to stop at Amber Cove, but switched to Samana instead.  Anyone have any info on this port?  I get the idea that there will be nothing there if we just walk off the ship?  Probably need to book an excursion?  Any info would be appreciated!

[ColdCruise]

December- March is good for whale watching in Semana Bay area. It’s on their migration path and from what I’ve read, a place where they calve.

Edited December 16, 2023 by ColdCruise

[3rdGenCunarder]

We were at Samana about 7-8 years ago. I don't know what the port is like now, but we tendered to a small dock outside of town, and there was a walkway into the town. Not much was open in the town, so it was a short visit for us. I did find a beautiful larimar pendant in a street market, so I was glad we went ashore. 

[sebas030]

In Samana, a few years ago, there was an outdoor market near the tenders. We had a beer in a local bar just across the market.

 

BUT the HIGHLIGHT of this port was a tour with "tour Samana with Terry". I cannot express how much we LOVED our day. We took the tour at El Limon waterfall on horseback with the buffet for lunch. They told us the tour would be canceled if less than 4 or 5 people booked. They had 5 pax booked but my girlfriend and I were the only one to show up. They still took us and did the tour. Short ride in a private bus with all the drinks included. Horseback in the forest, went down a LOT of stairs 😅 to reach the waterfall, swam in the pool at the bottom, took amazing pictures, went up the stairs and horseback to the start. Had a GREAT lunch with local food prepared fresh. Took the van back to Samana, stopped on the way at a house that makes bread, the guide bought some for us after the lady showed us her oven and how she makes the bread. Then we stopped at a guy's place, he makes "coconut candy", it's shreaded coconut cooked in some sugar sirup and it is soooo sweet and tender ( the guide bought it for us also ) then we ended in Samana.

 

I wish my next cruise was stopping there again. Tour Samana with Terry , I think, has a 100% record for being in time for the ship.

 

Read the reviews and book one of the many tours he offers, you will enjoy that port so much.

[ColdCruise]

We had booked a whale watching trip from Punta Cana to Samara Bay with toursbyterry. We adjusted our flights and hotel to get to D.R. a day earlier specifically for this tour. Unfortunately we were contacted by email as we were boarding our flight to be informed they were cancelling because they didn’t have enough people signed up. While setting up the tour it was never mentioned it could be canceled if not enough people signed up, if I knew that was a risk, I’d have tried to get people on Cc and that other site interested in the tour or set up a backup plan. As it was, I really couldn’t do much research while traveling (2 flight, not a long layover) or the evening after we checked in to our hotel.  Really, REALLY think they would have known this at least the day before