Santo Domingo, D.r.

[Southbound]

Santo Domingo is one of our ports of call next month. Since this will be our first visit here, can anyone provide tour info, suggestions, etc.? Any input would be most appreciated. :)

[fred20036]

Santo Domingo is one of our ports of call next month. Since this will be our first visit here, can anyone provide tour info, suggestions, etc.? Any input would be most appreciated. :)

 

The port of Santo Domingo is located in the historic Ozama river, right in the Colonial City. Colonial Santo Domingo is very similar to old San Juan, PR. I would be careful and only take ship-sponsored excursions. Last December I was in a cruise that stopped in La Romana. A few passengers decided to hire a taxi, which took them to a remote beach. Yes, you guessed it. They pre-paid the taxi, which never returned to pick them up, and left them abandoned two hours away from the ship!

 

Things to see in old Santo Domingo:

 

The Cathedral

Columbus' Castle

Museo de las Casas reales

The area called Calle de las Damas

 

WWW.dr1.com is a great resource for all things in the Dominican Republic.

[Parrot Mom]

Depending on how brave you are...take a taxi to the Mercado Modelo...with a taxi guide...and wear no jewelry, hide all $$...it is an experience not to be believed..beautiful mahogany items..and hagglelike crazy.. For lunch ask the driver to take you to the Bahia.. a local seafood restaurant..fabulous....no tourist trap.. If men with guns scare you...forget it..lol.. There is no beach there. As for La Romana.. that is the first time I've heard of anybody being "taken".. We go to La Romana for our winter vacations and in La Romana if your there hire a green shirted guide...and go to downtown La Romana to the supermarket and buy right off the shelf the best coffee beans to take home and 151 proof Brugal rum and PURE vanilla.. or take the exc ursion to Sunscape Casa del Mar for the beach experience. I have to admit S.D. and the people would scare the average cruiser.. or vacationer.. me.. Parrot Mom and Parrot Pop thrive in it..lol

[Host Star]

Depending on how brave you are...take a taxi to the Mercado Modelo...with a taxi guide...and wear no jewelry, hide all $$...it is an experience not to be believed..beautiful mahogany items..and hagglelike crazy.. For lunch ask the driver to take you to the Bahia.. a local seafood restaurant..fabulous....no tourist trap.. If men with guns scare you...forget it..lol.. There is no beach there. As for La Romana.. that is the first time I've heard of anybody being "taken".. We go to La Romana for our winter vacations and in La Romana if your there hire a green shirted guide...and go to downtown La Romana to the supermarket and buy right off the shelf the best coffee beans to take home and 151 proof Brugal rum and PURE vanilla.. or take the exc ursion to Sunscape Casa del Mar for the beach experience. I have to admit S.D. and the people would scare the average cruiser.. or vacationer.. me.. Parrot Mom and Parrot Pop thrive in it..lol

hi.. we are stopping in DR next month and having been there before and done a tour and the kandela show (would do that again, except ship is leaving too early) we opted for the casa del mar resort to do some snorkeling.. have you been there??.. thanks for any info on the resort..

[Parrot Mom]

Not only have I been to SCDM, I'm going back on February 4th for the FIFTH TIME.... The resort has an amazing lovely white sand beach with warm blue carribean water...and lots of lounges...not to mention palapas.. There is a brand new pool which will opened by the first of the year..at this resort things happen not the Dominican way, but the Sunscape way..lol..which means sooner than later..Not sure, but I think there is an area for cruise passengers... You can also walk along the beach to the left and go into the little town..of Bayibe..also to the left is a little flea market back from the beach area where there are some lovely solid mahogany dishes. Snorkeling is best I hear from near the pier...bring some bread from the ship an the fish will chase you. The resort is immaculate..this is the only chain of resorts where head management actually walks the property checking out things, cleaning, talking to guests and listening to them.. BTW there is an ecological spa behind building #5 where you can get a massage in a hut among the trees and ponds with ducks and birds.... plus a regular spa... and of course massages on the beach

[Host Star]

Not only have I been to SCDM, I'm going back on February 4th for the FIFTH TIME.... The resort has an amazing lovely white sand beach with warm blue carribean water...and lots of lounges...not to mention palapas.. There is a brand new pool which will opened by the first of the year..at this resort things happen not the Dominican way, but the Sunscape way..lol..which means sooner than later..Not sure, but I think there is an area for cruise passengers... You can also walk along the beach to the left and go into the little town..of Bayibe..also to the left is a little flea market back from the beach area where there are some lovely solid mahogany dishes. Snorkeling is best I hear from near the pier...bring some bread from the ship an the fish will chase you. The resort is immaculate..this is the only chain of resorts where head management actually walks the property checking out things, cleaning, talking to guests and listening to them.. BTW there is an ecological spa behind building #5 where you can get a massage in a hut among the trees and ponds with ducks and birds.... plus a regular spa... and of course massages on the beach

 

thanks for the quick response.. I'm definitely looking forward to a relaxing afternoon at the resort.. our ship doesn't dock until 1 p.m... we don't really have much time there..

[HRHMadonna]

This SCDM sounds like a lovely place to spend the day with the beach, snorkeling & massages....perhaps I missed something...but is this a shore excursion arranged through Celebrity? Or, does this resort offer day passes for cruise passengers? If so....How does one get there from the cruise docks?

 

We arrive at 1 PM & depart at 5 PM -- Will we have enough time for this?

 

Had planned to see Kandela, but the Millennium is leaving earlier than originally scheduled...disappointed about that.

 

Thanks!!

[Parrot Mom]

Never having been there on a cruise ship, but as a guest...... I would assume it is booked only through the ship. Hope to have a direct update on the renovationsthe week of New Years and it's a great place to spend a few hours off e ship....When are you going?